By Brook Morrison
Islander Reporter
There is no question the A-grade “little school by the bay” is a tight community.
Anna Maria Elementary principal Jackie Featherston said Aug. 9 that she is “looking forward to seeing all of our students motivated to learn and grow in a positive learning environment, creating waves of great island memories.”
AME fifth-grader Heidi Querrard said she was happy to go back to school for her last year as she greeted third-grade students and parents in her mother Bridget’s classroom Aug. 8 during back-to-school night.
Bridget Querrard taught kindergarten for eight years at AME before being moved to the third-grade this year due to low kindergarten enrollment.
Querrard’s experience teaching fourth-grade for 10 years, as well as receiving National Board Certification in literacy, reading and language arts for early and middle childhood, prepared her for a “great third-grade year,” she said.
Several of Querrard’s former kindergarten students will be in her third-grade class.
Ceegan Cusack is one such boy. He said he is “very lucky to have” Querrard as his teacher again.
All 2018-2019 staff and teachers returned to AME for 2019-20, according to Featherston.
The 2019-20 school year will be filled with new memories and a focus on academic achievement.
New in 2020, there will be a time capsule with artifacts and drawings buried on the school grounds, similar to the capsule buried in 1994 and opened in May.
AME students will benefit from the “small classroom sizes, high standards and caring community feel,” said parent Meghann Bankert who has first- and third-grade students enrolled at AME.
Life is good when you’re an AME student.
And also when you are an AME parent, teacher or principal.