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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 17, 2002
Southside math teacher wins excellence award
Mary Lou Beasley, an eighth-grade math teacher at Southside Fundamental School, is a winner of a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She was one of four Florida educators who won the nation's highest honor for math and science teaching.
A teacher for nine years, Beasley has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Florida State University and a bachelor's degree in math education from the University of South Florida. She is a demonstration teacher for secondary math, a member of the Algebra Network and past president of the Pinellas Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She serves as vice president for middle school for the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Bonney Moore, a science teacher at Northwest Elementary, is one of 50 teachers nationwide to receive a Toyota Tapestry 2002 award for excellence and innovation in science education. She received a grant check of $10,000 at the National Science Teachers Association convention in San Diego.
Moore created "Lizzie Lizard the Science Wizard," a suitcase of teaching aids that travels from classroom to home and is used as a tool to explore the connection between literacy and science.
The cross-curriculum approach links a science experiment with related fiction and nonfiction and expository and narrative writing. Five classrooms from kindergarten through third grade will benefit from the project.
Team Heatwave, a robotics team from Lakewood High, earned a second place medal at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology St. Louis regional robotics competition in St. Charles, Mo. The students, who competed against 51 other teams, also won a judges award for a software program they designed to organize and store strategic information.
The team will go to the national robotics competition April 25-27 in Orlando.
Northside Christian School's Winter Guard earned first place recognition at the Florida Federation of Color Guards state championship, scholastic AAA class. The team competed against 16 other schools for the designation.
Team members included Katherine Elliot, Meghan Allison, Liz Bannon, Danielle Bratanov, Courtney Davis, Lauren Grant, Sarah Hakes, Katie O'Dom, Rachael Petit, Sara McClintock and Rob Teasdale.
Ginny Gustofik, daughter of Lori and Stephen Gustofik of Seminole, is a United States Achievement Academy All-American Scholar. One of her teachers at Tyrone Middle School nominated her for the award for her academic excellence.
The United States Achievement Academy has established the All-American Scholar award program to recognize superior students who excel in all academic disciplines.