Local assistant principal named state Thespian Arts Administrator of the Year
It is with great pride that Lee County Public Schools announces that Mrs. Shelly Thimlar was selected as the State Thespian Arts Administrator of the Year by the Florida State Thespians Association. Mrs. Thimlar is an Assistant Principal at Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts.
Mrs. Thimlar started her career at Cypress Lake High School in the 1980s serving as an art teacher and the sponsor/coach of the cheerleading squad. Mrs. Thimlar left Cypress Lake High only to return for the 1998/99 school year as an Assistant Principal. Since then, she has been overseeing the Center for the Arts and all arts activities on the school’s campus.
Mrs. Thimlar is truly a treasure at Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts. Along with maintaining attendance and facilities, she “lives, eats, breathes and sleeps” the arts. Her care and nurturing for the student body is easily seen.
There are around 1,650 students enrolled at Cypress Lake High and Mrs. Thimlar knows them all by name. Her support of student work is unmatched she does not miss an art opening, a vocal performance, an orchestra concert, a play or a single performance of the school’s inter-departmental musical. Mrs. Thimlar has volunteered countless hours during Saturday work calls, teaching students how to in her words “make the set pop.”
In 2007 Mrs. Thimlar activated the arts teachers on her newest quest, to make Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts an Arts Achieve Model School. Naturally, she was successful in being a vital part of the team that accomplished this prestigious task.
It is clear that Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts would not be the type of school it is today without the hard work, dedication and love Shelly Thimlar has exhibited these past years. It’s because of this that the Florida State Thespians Association named her the State Thespian Arts Administrator of the Year.