- March 13, 2025
Flagler Schools Teacher of the Year Allison Kucharski (center) with Superintendent LaShakia Moore and the School Board's Colleen Conklin, Cheryl Massaro, Christy Chong and Chair Will Furry. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools' Teacher of the Year Allison Kucharski with Rymfire Elementary School Principal Travis Lee. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools Employee of the Year Jimmy Sorrentino (center) with Superintendent LaShakia Moore and the School Board's Colleen Conklin, Cheryl Massaro, Christy Chong and Chair Will Furry. Photo by Brent Woronoff
School Board member Colleen Conklin takes a selfie with Flagler Schools Employee of the Year Jimmy Sorrentino and other board members. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools Employee of the Year Jimmy Sorrentino with Buddy Taylor Middle School Principal Cara Cronk. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Principal of the Year Jessica DeFord of Belle Terre Elementary School with BTES fifth grader Liliana Fanelli, who introduced DeFord, and Superintendent LaShakia Moore. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools' Teachers of the Year take the stage at the annual gala. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore opens the gala, which the district dubbed this year, "A Night of Legends". Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Melissa Atkinson-Brock, Bunnell Elementary School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Melissa Atkinson-Brock, Bunnell Elementary School's Teacher of the Year, celebrates after her name was called to receive recognition on the stage. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Belle Terre Elementary School administrators celebrate their Teacher of the Year, Vanessa Ajayi, at Flagler Schools' 2024 annual gala. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Vanessa Ajayi, Belle Terre Elementary School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Catherine Jerrells, Buddy Taylor Middle School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Maria Godino-Faircloth, Flagler Palm Coast High School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Maria Godino-Faircloth, Flagler Palm Coast High School's Teacher of the Year, makes her way to the stage with Principal Bobby Bossardet. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Bruce Winters, Flagler Technical College's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Erica Babcock, Indian Trails Middle School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to James Thrall, iFlagler's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Karin Feist, Matanzas High School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Chris Knox, Old Kings Elementary School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Allison Kucharski, Rymfire Elementary School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rymfire Elementary School's Allison Kucharski with her principal, Travis Lee. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Annette Clemons, Wadsworth Elementary School's Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools' Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services Angela O'Brien introduces the district's Rookie Teachers of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Haley Eubanks, Bunnell Elementary School's Rookie Teacher of the Year, walks to the stage with school administrators. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Selah Gargon, Belle Terre Elementary School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Megan Kisner, Buddy Taylor Middle School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Ashlyn Wilkerson, Flagler Palm Coast High School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Hannah Anderson, Indian Trails Middle School's Rookie Teacher of the Year (left). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Janel Walker, Matanzas High School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Brian Seijo, Old Kings Elementary School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Meghan Mazie, Rymfire Elementary School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Andrea Puckrein, Wadsworth Elementary School's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools' Rookie Teachers of the Year take the stage. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools' Chief of Operational Services David Freeman introduces the district's Employees of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Madelaine Martinez Ortega, Bunnell Elementary School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Lisa Meade, Belle Terre Elementary School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Jimmy Sorrentino, Buddy Taylor Middle School's Employee of the Year. File photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Nathalie Piedrahita, Custodial Services' Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Lina Chhay, Food and Nutrition Services' Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Ginger Smith, Flagler Palm Coast High School's Employee of the Year. Phot by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Allison Castorino, Flagler Technical College's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Tony Coates, Government Services Building Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to McKenzie Carter Spak, Indian Trails Middle School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Bedie Barnes, iFlagler's employee of the year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Maryann Mlinac, Matanzas High School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Maryann Mlinac, Matanzas High School's Employee of the Year, celebrates with Principal Kristin Bozeman (right), as Mlinac walks to the stage to receive her recognition. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Alicha Willis, Old Kings Elementary School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Ron Cacciolfi, Plant Services Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Lillian Delgado, Rymfire Elementary School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Dawne Gilpin, Technology/Information Systems Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Graca DeOliveira, Transportation Services Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore presents a plaque to Cassie Bennett, Wadsworth Elementary School's Employee of the Year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The rewards come daily for Rymfire Elementary School teacher Allison Kucharski. On Jan. 24, she won Flager Schools’ annual award as the district’s Teacher of the Year.
“It's truly an amazing feeling,” she said after hearing her name called at the district's annual awards gala at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center. “It's such a rewarding profession. The kids, their families, they inspire me everyday.”
Kucharski and Flagler Schools’ Employee of the Year Jimmy Sorrentino were honored at the annual gala celebrating the district's teachers, employees and rookie teachers of the year.
It's such a rewarding profession. The kids, their families, they inspire me everyday.”
— ALLISON KUCHARSKI, FLAGLER COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
The district also honored Principal of the Year Jessica DeFord of Belle Terre Elementary School and Assistant Principal of the Year Sara Novak of Matanzas High School. Those two awards were announced in November.
Kucharski has been teaching at Rymfire since the school opened in 2006. She taught kindergarten for 10 years and has been teaching second grade for the past seven years. The kids are her motivation, she said.
“Seeing them learn is just an amazing feeling. I love (second grade). They’re very inquisitive. They're super sweet, always wanting to learn, excited about everything,” Kucharski said.
Kucharski also mentors new English language learners in second through fifth grade, helping them with vocabulary words and reading on-grade texts.
Sorrentino, 58, is a campus advisor who also coaches four sports at Buddy Taylor Middle School. He is in his second year at the school after retiring from the landscaping business. He owned Christian Nursery and Landscaping in Bunnell.
“My wife, Teresa Sorrentino, pulled me in, and they hired me on the spot. It's like a retirement job, but it's fun. You get to mold kids’ minds,” he said. “As a coach, you get to teach 1,300 kids common sense, how to talk, how to act when something goes down, how to own up to your mistake. I’m teaching them common sense and respect. The teachers do the rest.”
Melissa Atkinson-Brock, Bunnell Elementary School
Vanessa Ajayi, Belle Terre Elementary School
Chris Knox, Old Kings Elementary School
Allison Kucharski, Rymfire Elementary School
Annette Clemons, Wadsworth Elementary School
James Thrall, iFlagler
Catherine Jerrells, Buddy Taylor Middle School
Erica Babcock, Indian Trails Middle School
Maria Godino-Faircloth, Flagler Palm Coast High School
Karin Feist, Matanzas High School
Bruce Winters, Flagler Technical College
Haley Eubanks, Bunnell Elementary School
Selah Gargon, Belle Terre Elementary School
Brian Seijo, Old Kings Elementary School
Meghan Mazie, Rymfire Elementary School
Andrea Puckrein, Wadsworth Elementary School
Megan Kisner, Buddy Taylor Middle School
Hannah Anderson, Indian Trails Middle School
Ashlyn Wilkerson, Flagler Palm Coast High School
Janel Walker, Matanzas High School
Madelaine Martinez Ortega, Bunnell Elementary School
Lisa Meade, Belle Terre Elementary School
Alicha Willis, Old Kings Elementary School
Lillian Delgado, Rymfire Elementary School
Cassie Bennett, Wadsworth Elementary School
Bedie Barnes, iFlagler
Jimmy Sorrentino, Buddy Taylor Middle School
McKenzie Carter Spak, Indian Trails Middle School
Ginger Smith, Flagler Palm Coast High School
Maryann Mlinac, Matanzas High School
Allison Castorino, Flagler Technical College
Nathalie Piedrahita, Custodial Services
Lina Chhay, Food and Nutrition Services
Tony Coates, Government Services Building
Ron Cacciolfi, Plant Services
Dawne Gilpin, Technology/IS
Graca DeOliveira, Transportation Services
