Patronis Elementary language assistant named Top 5 in Florida for school employee of the year
Eduardo Anastacio, a paraprofessional at Patronis Elementary School in Panama City Beach, was called to the principal's office on April 3.
Luckily for him, he wasn't in trouble.
Instead, the tall Brazilian with big-big energy was surprised by several colleagues, including his wife, Brenda, who's also a teacher at the school. Together, they presented him a bouquet and certificate of statewide achievement.
Hours earlier, Bay District Schools was notified by the Florida Department of Education that their trilingual language assistant was recognized as one of the state's top five school-related employees of the year.
In January, Anastacio won the 'Support Employee of the Year' award during the 2024-25 Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony held at Bay High School.
As a key figure in Patronis Elementary's international community, Anastacio bridges language barriers for students, teachers and parents, ensuring every child has the support they need to succeed.
Brooke Loyed, the school's principal, said Anastacio represents everything about Bay County and the state."He's just all the things that students love," Loyed said. "He's personable. He has energy galore. And I tell you, that's 90% of the battles … just get pumped up about the day."
Normally not at a loss of words, Anastacio said he wasn't expecting the recognition but wanted to thank everyone who trusted him and supported him on the big achievement.
The language facilitator will represent Bay County at the state competition in Orlando later this year.Anastacio is currently enrolled at Gulf Coast State College and wants to become an English as a Second Language educator.
Parabéns por todo o seu trabalho árduo! (That's Portuguese for "Congratulations on all your hard work!")
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County language assistant earns statewide education recognition
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