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Another is a Teacher of Distinction
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The Sanibel School Music Department Director and elementary music teacher Joey Giangreco with his Seahorse Chorale students at their performance in December at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
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The Sanibel School’s Seahorse Chorale, led by Music Department Director and elementary music teacher Joey Giangreco, performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the New York Invitational Music Festival in 2024.
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THE SANIBEL SCHOOL
The Sanibel School middle school math teacher Barbara Scarnato with her students.
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The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools announced the 39th Annual Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program finalists, and one educator at The Sanibel School made the list for the first time.
Comprised of community and business leaders, the foundation’s Golden Apple Selection Committee is charged with the task of picking the recipients as the applications are narrowed down to 30 finalists.
On this year’s list is Music Department Director and elementary music teacher Joey Giangreco.
The Sanibel school reported that he was honored among the list of top educators for his outstanding commitment to student learning, artistic excellence and community engagement.
“This recognition as a Golden Apple finalist reflects his passion for teaching and the meaningful impact he has made on his students and the broader Lee County community through music education,” it shared.
As part of the selection process for the recognition program, dozens of Golden Apple Teachers of Distinction are also honored. Middle school math teacher Barbara Scarnato is a recipient.
The Sanibel school reported that she wears many hats — and excels at them all.
“This well-deserved honor reflects her unwavering dedication, leadership and impact on our school community,” it shared. “Her passion for education and commitment to students inspire us all.”
Giangreco reported that it is his first time making the finalist list.
“I am very honored and very excited to be chosen,” he said.
He was previously honored three times as a Teacher of Distinction, mostly recently last year.
“It means a great deal to be recognized in the past as a Teacher of Distinction,” Giangreco said, adding that this year is exciting. “I’m very humbled to be in this group, the top 30 finalists. I am, certainly, amongst a wonderful group of colleagues.”
In his 11th year with the Sanibel school, he started out as the music director.
“I have always taught K-5 general music, in addition to performing arts and the Steel Drum Band,” Giangreco said.
His second year he founded the Seahorse Chorale and later the Elementary Choir and Orff Club.
“In addition to those positions, I’ve also served the school in other ways,” Giangreco said.
He has been an elementary math tutor, a middle school team leader, part of school’s leadership team, and a teacher for sixth grade study skills and health, which was rebranded this year to sixth grade enrichment. Giangreco has also offered support for elementary teachers with small group instruction.
“The Sanibel School was my first official, music teacher position,” he said.
Giangreco received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, majoring in music education with a concentration in chorale singing. He conducted his internship with the School District of Lee County, interning at both Three Oaks Elementary School and Cypress Lake High School.
“Music has always been such an important part of my life,” he said, explaining that he remembers singing to songs his mother would play when he was young and singing in choirs growing up.
“It brought me such joy and a vehicle to express myself,” Giangreco added. “In high school, I knew that I wanted to bring my passion for music to my own students, the same way my teachers had inspired me throughout my education.”
He pointed to inspiring his students through teaching as his philosophy on education, providing them an education in music on the fundamentals, while building their confidence to become better musicians.
“In addition, providing them an outlet to express themselves and unleash their creativity,” Giangreco said.
He noted that music can provide students with wonderful opportunities that they do not get anywhere else, adding that he wants to provide them with opportunities that they will remember for the rest of their lives, whether that be preparing for a school program or a performance at Walt Disney World in Orlando or Carnegie Hall in New York City.
“These opportunities can change a student’s life,” Giangreco said.
He expressed his appreciation for the foundation and the recognition. Giangreco thanked his current and past school administrators for their guidance and support through the years, as well as his colleagues for being a great support for him and the Music Department.
“I want to thank each of my students, both current and past, for inspiring me as their teacher,” he said.
“I also want to give a special thank you to my mom, who has been a tremendous support throughout all of my life, throughout my education,” Giangreco added. “I could not have done this without her support and love.”
Scarnato called being named a Teacher of Distinction an honor.
“The award is special because it’s usually our students or their parents who nominate us,” she said. “So the fact that my students and parents feel I’m making an impact on their education, obviously, is a tremendous honor.”
Scarnato has been recognized as a Teacher of Distinction several times, with the first taking place in 2021. She was also honored as a finalist one year. Additionally, Scarnato was recognized as the Teacher of the Year for the district’s South Zone schools this year.
“This is my 11th year at The Sanibel School,” she said. “Middle school math has been my focus since I’ve been with The Sanibel School.”
Over the years, Scarnato has served in additional roles. She is the athletic director and coaches basketball, volleyball, soccer and more. Scarnato is also a test coordinator for the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) assessments and a math coach, and she serves on the safety team.
Prior to joining the school, she was at Bonita Springs Middle School for 16 years. Scarnato started out as an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher, holding her first job at Three Oaks Elementary.
She earned her associate’s degree from Edison State College, now called Florida SouthWestern State College, and her education degree, with a speciality in ESE, from Florida Gulf Coast University.
Scarnato noted that she did not start out in the education field. She originally attended vocational school and was a cosmetologist for 18 years, before returning to college to pursue education.
“My first love was teaching,” Scarnato said.
She explained that both of her brothers have learning disabilities.
“I watched how hard my brothers struggled, so I wanted to be that teacher to help those kids,” Scarnato said. “I wanted to give kids that struggled to learn an opportunity, to provide them with a teacher who understood and could help them become successful.”
The finalists will be interviewed and observed in their classes by the Selection Committee, and six will be selected for the Golden Apple Award. They will be honored at the Annual Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Banquet in April at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater in Fort Myers.
The Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program was the first major project founded and developed by the foundation. Since its inception as a way to enhance public education by recognizing and rewarding excellence in teaching, the program has awarded 219 educators with the Golden Apple Teacher Award.
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2026 GOLDEN APPLE AWARD FINALISTS
– Jessica Alimonti, of Diplomat Middle School
– Jeffrey Armsworth, of Lexington Middle School
– Jonathan Barr, of Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School
– Michael Benfer, of Dunbar High School
– Cameron Brooks, of Tice Elementary School
– Alisa Brown, of Diplomat Middle School
– Darielle Callender, of Franklin Park Elementary School
– Ingrid Echeverria, of North Fort Myers High School
– Laurie Faye, of South Fort Myers High School
– Wendy Fiore, of Cypress Lake Middle School
– Lisa Flannery, of Lee Virtual School
– Steven Gainey, of East Lee County High School
– Brittany Gardiner, of Oak Hammock Middle School
– Joseph Giangreco, of The Sanibel School
– Cheyenne Grant, of Sunshine Elementary School
– Catherine Griffin, of Dunbar High School
– Anne Hester, of East Lee County High School
– Stephanie Liljegren, of River Hall Elementary School
– Christina Marco, of River Hall Elementary School
– Catherine Mattison, of East Lee County High School
– Elizabeth O’Connor, of Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School
– Megan Price, of James Stephens Elementary School
– Rhonda Rainer, of Caloosa Elementary School
– Arial Raulerson, of Lehigh Senior High School
– Krista Rivera, of Gulf Elementary School
– Christian Saravia, of Harns Marsh Middle School
– Quinn Schnabel, of Diplomat Middle School
– Laurie Smiley, of Dunbar High School
– Gabriel Waldinger, of Three Oaks Middle School
– Michaela Zawisza, of Trafalgar Elementary School
Source: The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools