Kiwanis presents more than $7,000 in fair awards; district names essay, attendance and staff recognition winners

Fort Pierce Sunrise Kiwanis presented more than $7,000 in prize money to St. Lucie County schools for their displays at the county fair, the Kiwanis announced during the St. Lucie County School Board meeting. The Kiwanis cited sponsor support and community judges in selecting winners across elementary, K-8 and high school divisions.

The first-place winners — each receiving $1,000 — were River’s Edge Elementary (elementary), Palm Point K-8 (K-8) and St. Lucie West Centennial High School (high school). The Kiwanis said the display theme was “St. Lucie Schools: Navigating the Future.” Deb Mock, representing Fort Pierce Sunrise Kiwanis, told the board the club has collaborated with the district for years to create the event and praised Lydia Martin, the district’s chief communications officer, for coordinating with Kiwanis and sponsors.

The Kiwanis also announced second- and third-place winners, out-of-the-box awards, a wildcard award and the People’s Choice winner. The People’s Choice award received more than 7,000 votes and went to Lincoln Park Academy; that prize was $1,000.

At the meeting the district also recognized winners of the Samuel Gaines essay contest. Remnant Construction (scholarship sponsor) and district staff presented awards across elementary, middle and high school divisions and handed scholarship checks to the winners.

Attendance awards were presented as part of the district’s “Aim for 100” initiative. District staff named individual schools for February and March for large attendance improvements; lists included CA Moore Elementary, Floresta Elementary, Francis K. Sweet Elementary, Lawnwood Elementary, several K-8 schools and multiple middle/high schools.

The board also recognized employees nominated for exemplary service. Jennifer Carey, an ESE program specialist, nominated staff who coordinated a complex Spanish deaf and hard-of-hearing evaluation; the board publicly thanked Janina, Veronica, Melissa and Yvette for coordinating the work. Other recognitions included Laura Granello from Human Resources for fast processing of hiring requests and Kristen Whelan Henick, an attendance clerk, for organizing a large custodial appreciation luncheon.

“This year’s booths went beyond our expectations and created displays to show our students are headed towards a very bright future,” Deb Mock said during the presentation. “Fort Pierce Sunrise Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time,” she added.

Why it matters: The awards and recognitions showcase community-district partnerships and highlight programs that connect students to local sponsors, create scholarship opportunities and recognize staff work that supports student services and operations.

Photos and prize checks were distributed to winning schools at the meeting; donors and sponsors were thanked on the record.