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Storm Grove Middle’s Concetta Hall named Teacher of Year

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — With the

excitement and noise of a massive party, hundreds celebrated the

naming of Storm Grove Middle School’s 8th grade Social Studies

teacher Concetta Hall as the 2013 Teacher of the Year.

As her name was announced, the crowd

rushed to its feet, cheering, applauding and even blowing air horns

in appreciation.

Shocked, Hall’s jaw dropped as a

fellow finalist hugged her tightly. Confetti flew through the air,

peppering those on stage and in the front rows of the audience.

Hall crossed the stage, pausing

briefly to take in the sight of her name displayed on the overhead

screen. In disbelief, she pointed to the screen and then herself,

shaking her head.

“Oh my goodness!” Hall said. “I can’t

see!”

The teacher whose students call her

“very special,” said she wanted to thank God, her family, her

principal, Schools Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams, and her Storm

Grove family.

“We love you Concetta!” members of the

audience shouted from the farthest rows in the Sebastian River High

School Performing Arts Center.

“It’s such an honor,” Hall said,

taking in the applause. “I hope I do all of you proud at all stages

and all levels.”

Hall beat out four other finalists to

be named the 2013 Teacher of the Year for Indian River County.

The finalists included Citrus

Elementary’s Lisa Ann Frame, Rosewood Magnet’s Julie Kastensmidt,

Sebastian Elementary’s Dr. Debbie Coughlin, and Sebastian River

High’s Lori Infanzon.

The naming of the winner was the

culmination of the gala recognizing all 21 nominees and their

contributions to their students.

A video of students school district

wide showed the diversity of classes and interests and pointed out

that each student learns differently from the rest. But the one

thing they all have in common – “We all have great teachers,” the

students said. “We love our teachers.”

“I know what a tremendous, tremendous

sacrifice you make,” School Board Chair Jeff Pegler said,

addressing the teachers. “You are changing lives each and every

single day.”

Dr. Adams told the crowd that the

teachers were nominated by their own peers and went through a tough

selection process to get where they were Thursday night.

“The challenge before us is to make

every classroom like their classroom,” Dr. Adams said, referring to

the work the nominees have been doing in their classes.

Teacher of the Year 2012 Rachel Serra,

of Vero Beach Elementary, said it has been an honor for her to

represent Indian River County this last year. She traveled the

state, meeting with other teachers in other districts, learning

what they’re doing and teaching them what Indian River County has

been doing.

She later crowned Hall as the 2013

Teacher of the Year.

Hall will go on to compete against

Teachers of the Year from other Florida school districts, and if

she wins the state title, will go on to compete against the

Teachers of the Year from the other states for the National title,

which will be determined in 2013.

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