Anthony Narehood

Anthony Narehood
Teacher of the Year 2020
Moore Haven Elementary School

Mr. Narehood’s family moved to LaBelle in 1983 and attended all the schools there, graduating in the year 2000. At 6 years old, his first experience with teaching others was teaching his younger brother, Paul, how to read when he was 3. After graduation, he started working at Hendry-Glades Sunday News for two years as a freelance reporter/photographer, covering everything from wildfires to elections. After earning his associate’s degree from Edison Community College, he attended the University of Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University. He graduated from FGCU with a degree in communications in 2010.

While attending college, he worked as either a teacher or a freelance reporter/photographer. For the Clewiston Youth Development Academy, Mr. Narehood was invited to be a photographer aboard a two-week, sailboat field trip from Clewiston to Fort Myers Beach, sponsored by National Geographic. After the trip, Mr. Narehood was sponsored by National Geographic. He was also invited to work as an extended substitute teacher for the school. After CYDA, Mr. Narehood taught fourth grade at the LaBelle Community Christian School for a year before going back into freelancing for local newspapers, from the Naples Daily News, the Fort Myers News-Press, to the Caloosa Belle and the Hendry-Glades Sunday News. He then started working for Fox News, WFLX-TV, in Cape Coral as a senior production assistant. While teaching the junior PAs how to run cameras, one said, “You know, you should really be a teacher.”

Taking the advice, Mr. Narehood went back into teaching in Lee County charter schools until a position opened up in Glades County Moore Haven Elementary as a science teacher.

Mr. Narehood is married to Megan Narehood, and they have two daughters, Abigail Grace Narehood and Hannaleigh Donne Narehood.

Kayla Jade Osceola

Kayla Jade Osceola
Teacher of the Year 2020
Pemayetv Emahakv Charter Middle School

Kayla Jade Osceola is an indigenous Creek woman born and raised on the Brighton Indian Reservation. She has been teaching as a Seminole history and Creek language teacher at the Pemayetv Emahakv Charter Middle School since its doors opened in August 2007. Jade earned a bachelor’s degree in Exceptional Student Education K-12 from Indian River State College in the spring of 2017, and she is also TESOL endorsed. Jade was the first person to graduate high school with her foreign language credit in the Creek language. With only 27 speakers left in her community, Jade is committed to working hard daily to produce new Creek speakers; she had aided in the creation of the first ever Creek I and II accredited high school courses.

Since 2007, Jade has served as the student council sponsor, and since 2015, she has coordinated the St. Augustine sixth and seventh grade history field trip. A longstanding member of the PTSO, she has coordinated student singing engagements since the founding of the charter school.

Jade’s teaching philosophy is the same as her life values: to be truthful to yourself and others; to be meek; to be respectful and honor your elders. Jade believes these core teachings — staple values of her traditional Creek culture — provide a platform on which students can build success. Jade encourages her students to have pride in their indigenous identity, to understand the ancient values of their culture and to take ownership of their learning by displaying the skills and attributes that have been passed down from their ancestors. She hopes her students use these skills and attributes not only in the classroom, but also in life, so that they can pass them down to the generations to come. With the support of her husband, Joe, these are the teachings she transmits to her daughters, Vpoke (Jayleigh), Hvse-Hecv (Jolietta), and Kvnese (Marley). She gives credit to her mentors, the late Mrs. Lorene Gopher, Mrs. Jennie Shore, and her grandpa, Stanlo Johns, for inspiring her to continue passing down her knowledge.

Brad Smith

Brad Smith
Teacher of the Year 2020
West Glades School

Brad Smith was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He has three older siblings, Hunter, Jeff, and Megan, who always protected him growing up. “My parents, Larry and Joy Smith, taught me many things, but the most significant is the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I have a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in psychology and emphasis in education from Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn. I have taught P.E. and math in both Kentucky and Florida. I also served two years in North Africa working on a variety of projects including sports and educational outreach and also disaster relief.

“During my eight years teaching at West Glades I have served our school community in several different areas. I am very active in the sports program as I am currently the cross-country coach and the girls’ basketball coach. I have also served as athletics director and boys’ basketball coach in the past. I am also involved with the FCA program and I head up the school’s wellness committee. I know that God has placed me in this wonderful school and look forward to being part of the team as long as it is part of God’s plan for my family.

God has blessed me with a wonderful family. My wife, Kimber, and I have been married nine years and have two sons, Cooper, 6 years old, and Parker, 4 years old, and one daughter, Journey, who is 2 months old. I have had the unique and incredible privilege to work with my wife while at WGS. Now, Cooper is attending WGS, and next year we will have a full carload with Parker joining the Panther team! My most cherished moments are the ones spent with my family. I look forward to the many more memories we have in store!”

Summer Odom

Summer Odom
Teacher of the Year 2020
Moore Haven Middle-High School

Summer Odom was born in Florala, Ala., but was raised in Moore Haven for most of her life. She is a graduate of Moore Haven Middle High School, class of 2000. Summer is married to Joe Sapuppo and they have one son, Sean Miner, who also attends Moore Haven Middle High School. She attended Gulf Coast University where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in criminal forensic science and a B.A. in criminal justice. She is a recent graduate of Hodges University, where she earned her master’s in public administration. Summer has worked for the Glades County School District for six years in various teaching positions. She is currently a middle high school reading teacher and she teaches eighth grade language arts.

Ana Borovicka
Para-professional
School Related Employee of the Year
Moore Haven Elementary

My name is Ana Borovick. Our family moved to the Moore Haven area back in 2000. We had visited the area frequently during fishing trip excursions and really liked the small town feel to the area and decided to take the plunge and relocated here from the Broward County area. My husband and I have been married for over 25 years. We have a 25-year-old daughter that went to school here at Moore Haven Middle High School. I was originally hired as a substitute teacher at the Moore Haven Middle High School and eventually started subbing at the elementary school as well. Over the years of working here at Moore Haven Elementary School my job description has changed just a little bit. I am currently assisting as a Para Professional in the P.E. department here at the elementary school. I have come to know each and every child attending school here and am enthusiastic about working with them on a daily basis. I have seen many of Moore Haven Elementary’s students move on to graduate and venture out into future endeavors as they move forward with their lives and I am proud to have been a part of their educational upbringing.

Holly Sheffield
Para-Professional
School Related Employee of the Year

Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School
Holly Sheffield is a ten-year employee of PECS, all of which have been in the third grade. She was the School Related Employee of the Year in 2013 as well. Holly has been married for 27 years. She has two children; Danyelle is 23 and in her MPH program at FSU, Dylan is 19 and currently attending IRSC for Ag Business. She believes students learn better through meaningful relationships. We are all family in our classroom. Holly helps with the cooking club at school and stays after for homework help as well. Students need to learn life skills as well as academics. Outside of school, Holly helps teach sixth grade Awana’s at First Baptist Church of Okeechobee. She loves spending time with family and friends plus enjoys going to the beach and reading.

Kimberly Toms

Kimberly Toms
Teacher of the Year 2020
Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School

Kimberly graduated as a Salutatorian form Moore Haven High School in 1977 and earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Nova Southeastern College. She began her teaching career at Moore Haven Elementary in 1989 and for the past 30 years has taught grades Pre-K through eighth at all of the schools in Glades County. She has been teaching at Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School for the past eight years, beginning as a kindergarten teacher now serving as a Pre-k teacher in the VPK program. Throughout her career, she has also served as a Grade Chair, Intensive Reading Teacher, and Mentor Teacher for beginning teachers and FGCV college interns.

Kim is married to Tommy Toms and they have three adult children (Ashley, Danielle, and Trey) and five grandchildren (Spencer, Siena, Kimi, Thomas, and Grady). She enjoys reading, HGTV, baking stuff, and thrift store shopping for anything vintage, not in that order.

Kim feels God has abundantly blessed her and she is honored to be able to do what she does.

She is so thankful for the wonderful opportunities she’s had throughout her teaching career.

Maria Sandoval
Para-Professional
School Related Employee of the Year
West Glades School

Maria Sandoval is a life-long resident of LaBelle. She and her husband, Rolando, have been married for 13 years and have four children. Their entire family is very active in their community and Ondas De Amor Church. Their children, Rolando, AnaKaren, Valerie and Noah are also involved in many school clubs and are members of the school athletic teams. Maria and her children volunteer and work together at the Harry Chapin Mobile Food Pantry that WGS hosts on a monthly basis.

Maria spent countless hours volunteering in her children’s classrooms and helping with school events prior to her employment at West Glades. Once all of her children were enrolled in school, Maria decided it was time for her to find something to occupy her free time. In August 2015, she joined West Glades School staff as a para-professional.

Maria is an employee that wears a smile on her face every day, is eager to help in whatever way she can, and always surpasses the expectations of her job description. She stays busy during the day remediating students, helping keep students safe during parent drop off, monitoring students during recess, and filling in for teachers when there is need. She spends much of her personal time helping with decorations around the school and her creativity always adds a special touch that amazes the students, staff, and parents. Maria does a great job of wearing many hats and sets a wonderful example to those around her of how to be a professional, yet still have fun. When she is a member of a committee, you know you will enjoy the task when working with her and you know it will be done with excellence. Her servant’s heart is evident in everything she does. Maria Sandoval is special at West Glades and we are fortunate that she is part of our team.

Emma Strenth
Para-Professional
School Related Employee of the Year
Moore Haven Middle-High School

My name is Emma Strenth; I was born in Nicaragua on April 18, 1980 to Melmo and Bernarda Quintero. At the tender age of three, my parents made the conscious decision to migrate from Nicaragua to a small town in Florida called Moore Haven and that is where it all began.

I began and finished school in Moore Haven, graduating in 1999. While in high school, I was a member of FFA and played softball all four years. In 2001, I married my best friend, David Strenth, and we have been blessed twice; once in 2002 with a beautiful daughter named Makayla and once again in 2004 with a bouncing boy named Eli. Both currently attend Moore Haven Middle-High School and are active in sports and extra-curricular activities.

I have had the pleasure of working in many and various positions but nothing holds more near and dear to my heart than working for Moore Haven Middle-High School as a Para-Professional for the last three years. This position has allowed me to meet students from various walks of life and ethnicities. In my duties I assist General Education Teachers, English Language Learner students, and students with special needs with their daily classwork, homework, and testing. I hope to continue working with students and helping to make a difference in their lives.