Polk County Public Schools, Community
Keyword for this page: Awards
The Polk County School Board has many events and programs celebrating the accomplishments and hard work of our staff, community partners and students from both the present and the past. The following recognition events are coordinated by the Community Relations Department.
Congratulations to Linda Brett of Lakeland's R. Bruce Wagner Elementary and Fritz Paull of Haines City's Haines City High/IB, 2011 Teacher and School-Related Employee of the Year. Click here for more information on this year's Teacher of the Year and School-Related Employee of the Year.
The Commissioner of Education Business Recognition Award is given annually to two Polk County partners who have provided significant resources to Polk County Public Schools.
Bosko Family Enterprises Beef ‘O’ Brady’s has been involved with more than 25 Polk County schools, donating more than $50,000 and well over 6,000 volunteer hours. Schools receive a percentage of sales from Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Spirit Nights. Teachers and volunteers are honored through monthly and annual recognition programs. Bosko Family Enterprises Beef O’Brady’s features ten certification programs that award students free meals for excellence in academics, attendance and behavior.
Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. is a proud partner and sponsor of numerous programs and events administered/supported by the Polk Education Foundation, such as Teacher of the Year, Project Fill A Bucket, Take Stock in Children and the Hall of Fame banquet. Since 2004, Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. has contributed $142,500 to the PEF, to help support educational programming that ensures success for Polk County students and teachers.
The Superintendent’s Partnership Award is given to a partner at each school has provided exemplary support for students, faculty and administration. Finalists at the elementary, secondary and district level are selected by the Superintendent. The Superintendent provides this recognition opportunity to schools in cooperation with Polk Education Foundation, Community Relations and Workforce Education.
Beymer United Methodist Church of Winter Haven has poured its resources of people, time, expertise, space, and finances into Inwood Elementary School for the betterment of its students. Through tutoring sessions, supplying donations of gifts and supplies and allowing Inwood Elementary to use their Fellowship Hall for events while the school was under construction, this partnership exemplifies the meaning of a good community partner.
The partnerships between Lake Gibson High, Auburndale High and Rodda Construction have made a huge impact on student achievement, morale and teacher/staff relations. Rodda has provided support to each high school through monetary donations, mentoring relationships and in-kind products to programs such as athletics and academic clubs. Their presence on campus during construction projects and off-campus during fundraising events has led both high schools to meet goals and gain achievements that could not have been completed without Rodda’s help.
The Community Relations Department would like to thank MIDFLORIDA for their 57-year partnership with the Polk County School District. Each year the credit union supplies over 11,000 kindergartners with books, provides funding for classroom grants, supports fundraising initiatives, provides incentives for teachers including a brand new car for the selected Polk County Teacher of the Year, sponsors scholarships at every traditional high school in the county, and provides a presence for mulitple other events and programs that are conducted in the Polk County School District.
The Polk County Schools Hall of Fame was created in 1985 to recognize former students of Polk County Public Schools who have gone on to distinguish themselves in their careers or communities. Since its inception, the Hall of Fame has inducted 99 former students. Hall of Fame members are from the arts, business, clergy, education, entertainment, government, law, military, medicine, sports or other fields.
Polk County School Board Hall of Fame Awards-June 10, 2011
Congratulations to Mayor Gow Fields, U.S. Senator Kay Hagan, Ron Jeffries and Edgar Pickett, Jr.
Gow Fields was elected Lakeland mayor in November 2009, the first African-American to be elected to the position. He served on the Lakeland city commission from 1992 to 2009 before being elected mayor. Mr. Fields is on the board of directors of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce and the Florida League of Mayors. He is also affiliated with the Tampa Bay Partnership and the MyRegion.org, economic and business development groups. Mr. Fields has been a prominent member of the local insurance industry since 1988 as both an Allstate representative and operating his own independent agency. He is the president and CEO of Fields & Company, Inc., d/b/a Fields Insurance and Financial Group. Mr. Fields holds undergraduate degrees from the former Polk Community College and the University of South Florida. He has a MBA from Nova Southeastern University. He graduated from Lakeland’s Kathleen High where he is a member of Kathleen’s Hall of Fame. Mr. Fields has received distinguished alumnus awards from Kathleen High and Polk Community College.
Kay Hagan was elected U.S. Senator as a Democrat from North Carolina in November 2008 defeating incumbent Elizabeth Dole. She served for ten years in the North Carolina state senate and for ten years she worked for North Carolina-based NationsBank, the predecessor to Bank of America. Her responsibilities at NationsBank included the position of vice president in the estates and trust division. Senator Hagan was born in Shelby, N.C. but raised in Lakeland. Her father, Joe P. Ruthven, was a Lakeland mayor and her uncle Lawton Chiles (Polk County Public Schools Hall of Fame inaugural member, 1985), was a U.S. senator, Florida governor and Florida state legislator. Her experience with public service and politics came at an early age as she helped her uncle place campaign bumper stickers on cars. While in the North Carolina senate, she championed middle class tax cuts, expanding access to healthcare and higher education and creating jobs. She has continued those platforms in her first term in Washington. Senator Hagan earned a law degree from Wake Forest University and her bachelor’s is from Florida State University. She is a Lakeland High graduate.
Ron Jeffries was a high-level official in the area of vocational and technical education with both the Florida Department of Education and the Polk Public Schools. He was a state vocational director and an assistant superintendent in Polk. His contributions led to his inductions into both the Florida Vocational Association Hall of Fame and Florida FFA Hall of Fame. Mr. Jeffries was considered decades ahead of his time for his creation of small, career and technical education components integrated with academic learning. He was an early visionary implementing school-based and work-based learning activities supported by strong partnerships with the business community. In 1983, at the peak of an unemployment crisis, Mr. Jeffries was appointed to a state senate task force creating solutions to the high unemployment rate caused by phosphate industry downsizing. Mr. Jeffries used resources of the Ridge and Traviss technical centers and regional adult schools to create both long and short-term programs that helped many workers transition into other employment. Mr. Jeffries holds bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Florida. He is a Lakeland High graduate.
Edgar Pickett, Jr. was among the first group of African-Americans with the Lakeland Police and worked for the LPD for more than 30 years. He made his mark as finger print expert during an era when fingerprinting was done by hand and sight rather than computer. A Lakeland Police crime laboratory was named the Pickett-Moulden Crime Laboratory for Mr. Pickett and his long-time partner Herman Moulden. Mr. Pickett’s fingerprinting expertise was utilized by law enforcement agencies from all over including the FBI. Mr. Pickett, the state’s Identification Officer of the Year at one point in his career, assisted many law enforcement departments that did not have fingerprint experts on staff. His system of classifying fingerprints was also copied and used by many agencies. Mr. Pickett was publicly lauded for his involvement with President Carter’s visit to Lakeland in 1980. His work helped to identify a suspect considered an assassination threat. Mr. Pickett’s post-secondary education included studies at the Eastman-Kodak company, the FBI Academy, the University of Virginia and Hardee, Pasco and Polk community colleges. He graduated from Washington Park High, the precursor to Rochelle High and the current Rochelle School of the Arts.
Click here for a complete list of inductees.
The 2011 Premiere Sponsor for Hall of Fame was Everest University.
Other sponsors included TD Bank, Publix Super Markets Charities and the Polk Education Foundation.
Download the 2012 Nomination Form- PDF or 2012 Nomination Form-Word to nominate someone you know.
Volunteer of the Year honors outstanding volunteers in our schools. Each school nominates a volunteer who has provided exceptional service to students and teachers throughout the year. There are three categories of winners, youth (up to 21), adult (22-60) and senior (61+). Twelve outstanding volunteers are selected each year as finalists, four in each category.
Marietta Jennings has established and directed an after school tutoring program designed to specifically assist second graders at Inwood Elementary. She recruited 40 tutors from Beymer Methodist Church who transport and tutor students twice a week. The students who have participated have made an average 13.75 point gain on their Discovery Testing.
For her initiative and perseverance resulting in high student achievement, the Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year at the elementary level is Marietta Jennings.
John Smith arrives at McLaughlin Middle daily at 7:30 a.m. and leaves school at 3:50 p.m. He provides clerical support to the main office and runs copies and makes deliveries to teachers. He alters band, chorus and orchestra uniforms for the Fine Arts Department. He is a consistent presence as a chaperone at dances, student picture days and parent/student workshops.
For his humble service and faithful attention to detail, the Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year at the secondary level goes to John Smith.
Billy Alexander serves as an accountability partner for students at Garner Elementary. When he arrives, his first stop is the office where he goes over the current grades of his students. His next stop is the lunch room where he personally acknowledges the students with positive gains. Seven students have responded to his edifying presence with improvements in all subject areas on their report cards. He was also nominated as the Volunteer of the Year at Jewett Middle Academy.
For his contagious spirit and faithful attention to student performance, the Adult Outstanding Volunteer of the Year at the elementary level goes to Billy Alexander.
Kevin Dunn has personally tutored more than 25 students who have successfully passed the FCAT test at Auburndale High. In addition he has helped students and their families master the complicated process of completing financial aid requirements. Because of his help, 50 students at Tenoroc have the opportunity to accept the financial aid that is available to them and enter post secondary education.
For his dedication to the achievement of students and financial literacy of families, the Outstanding Adult Volunteer of the Year at the secondary level goes to Kevin Dunn.
Jessica Whidden is a busy 12th grader at Bartow High. But she makes time to serve as a kindergarten classroom assistant. She is a positive role model as she works with students who are mastering letter names, sounds and high frequency words. After school Jessica is a Teen Trendsetter reading mentor to 2nd and 3rd grade students at Floral Avenue Elementary.
For her teaching, spirit and example the Outstanding Youth Volunteer of the Year award goes to Jessica Whidden.
Volunteer of the Year is sponsored by The Ledger.
For more information, contact Community Involvement.
The About Face Award recognizes secondary students who have made a significant turn around in their behavior, academic achievement and attendance in school. One student from each middle and high school in the district receive the award annually at the Awards Program. Students are nominated by their school and receive a medallion for their success.
This event is made possible through the sponsorship of TECO Energy.
For more information, contact Community Involvement.
From left to right: Janet James, Robert Reinhardt and David Seefeldt
The extraordinary efforts that teachers of exceptional students make to help them achieve their maximum potential. They award the Master Key award to four exceptional education teachers who have demonstrated excellence, perseverance and longevity in their careers.
These awards are made possible through the sponsorship of TECO Energy.
For more information, contact Community Involvement.