Vincentian teacher scoops ‘Teacher of the Year’ award

Vincentians have yet another opportunity to be proud of a member of the Diaspora who has achieved educational excellence. Daughter of the soil, Vonnie Bacchus was recently awarded the Bear Lake Elementary ‘Teacher of the Year’ award by the Seminole Education Association in Florida.{{more}}

Bacchus is the daughter of Arnos Vale residents Grafton and Sheilah Bacchus, and the wife of an extremely proud Reginald Bacchus. Having attained a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (Andrews University) and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education (Western Michigan University), Bacchus has spent twenty-four years honing her finely crafted teaching skills, of which, the last seven years have been spent teaching in Seminole County, Florida, USA.

The Teacher of the Year Programme aims to focus attention on the outstanding contributions of classroom teachers. The criteria to earn this recognition include a superior ability to foster excellence in education, ability to demonstrate expertise in the subject taught and an ability to originate (or use) material and teaching methods in an effective manner.

There are currently 5000 educators in Seminole County, Florida. Very few are recognised and awarded for having achieved so much, and, similarly, very few have the capacity to inspire a love of learning in students of all ability levels. Vonnie Bacchus – proud Vincentian – is one of those rare and special few. (JSV)