{"id":346312,"date":"2026-07-20T18:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T18:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/346312\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T18:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T18:37:07","slug":"incoming-island-principal-to-hold-meet-greet-sanibel-captiva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/346312\/","title":{"rendered":"Incoming island principal to hold meet, greet &#8211; SANIBEL-CAPTIVA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>THE SANIBEL SCHOOL<br \/>\nOpen to the public, a Community Meet &amp; Greet with incoming Principal Dr. Tom Millins will take place on July 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Sanibel School.<\/p>\n<p>Island families and the community will have a chance to meet the new head of The Sanibel School.<\/p>\n<p>A Community Meet &amp; Greet with incoming Principal Dr. Tom Millins will take place on July 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the island school. Open to all, he will outline his vision for the K-8 school and more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s really important, right from the start, that the community knows my vision for the school is to bring the community and the school together,\u201d Millins said, explaining that working in cooperation together is going to be the best way to meet the needs of the students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re here to work with the community to ensure the continued success of The Sanibel School,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Millins emphasized that the event is for the whole community, not just school families.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe goal is to make sure that the community knows that the new principal that is joining is open to working with our community members and leaders to make sure we can continue the wonderful things that have happened in the past,\u201d he said. \u201cTo ensure the continuance of that community relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The theme for the meet and greet is \u201cCharting a Course for Success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At 5 p.m., Millins will share information about himself and his previous experience, plus his vision.<\/p>\n<p>He holds more than 27 years of experience with the School District of Lee County. An experienced educator and administrator, Millins has served in leadership roles at Edgewood Academy in Fort Myers, the North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts and Pine Island Elementary School on Bokeelia.<\/p>\n<p>Known for a student-centered approach and community-focused leadership, he earned praise at Pine Island Elementary for helping guide the school and community through the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Millins has served on multiple district committees, including the Code of Conduct, District Advisory Council and Safety Committees. He has also worked as an internship coordinator at Nova Southeastern University, assisting master\u2019s degree students finish educational leadership requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Asked about his interest in the Sanibel school, Millins pointed to his experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt that I was a great fit for the school,\u201d he said, noting that he has been at K-8, elementary, middle, arts, and barrier island schools. \u201cAnd being able to bring all of those experiences to this school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When school starts, Millins will introduce a school-wide theme of \u201cCharting Our Course: Anchored in Family. Guided by Knowledge. Sailing Together.\u201d The nautical theme is designed to map out that journey, ensuring that every student feels secure, valued and challenged to reach their highest potential.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe school culture will be guided by the four points of our compass,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Millins explained that those will entail:<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 North \u2014 Academics (Our Lighthouse): We are committed to high standards and academic excellence. Like the Sanibel Lighthouse, knowledge will be the constant beacon that guides our students forward and illuminates their potential.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 South \u2014 Safety (Our Anchor): Before a student can learn, they must feel secure. We pride ourselves on being a \u201csafe harbor\u201d where every child is physically protected, emotionally supported and deeply cared for.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 East \u2014 Community (Our Crew): A ship cannot sail smoothly without its crew. We will emphasize collaboration, mutual respect and leadership, teaching our students that we are always stronger when we work together.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 West \u2014 Family (Our Home Port): You are your child\u2019s first and most important teacher. Our school is anchored by the partnership we share with you. We welcome your involvement, your passion and your presence in our \u201chome port\u201d all year long.<\/p>\n<p>He will expand on each of those four areas at the event.<\/p>\n<p>Attendees will also have a chance to learn more about The Sanibel School Fund and PTA.<\/p>\n<p>They will get to hear about volunteer opportunities and how to get involved.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur community members and our volunteers are crucial for our success,\u201d Millins said.<\/p>\n<p>Light refreshments and snacks will be served.<\/p>\n<p>All members of the community are welcome to attend.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the school can be the central part of the Sanibel Island community, and it\u2019s crucial for me to open the doors to the school,\u201d he said. \u201cTo ensure that we\u2019re doing everything we can to provide opportunities for our students and families \u2014 and the community is part of the multifaceted approach to accomplishing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more information, contact 239-472-1617 or ThomasCM@LeeSchools.net.<\/p>\n<p>The Sanibel School is at 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026..<\/p>\n<p>IF YOU GO<\/p>\n<p>What<\/p>\n<p>Community Meet &amp; Greet<\/p>\n<p>Who<\/p>\n<p>Principal Dr. Tom Millins<\/p>\n<p>When<\/p>\n<p>July 24 from 4 to 6 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Where<\/p>\n<p>The Sanibel School, 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel<\/p>\n<p>Details<\/p>\n<p>Free and open to public<\/p>\n<p>To reach TIFFANY REPECKI \/ trepecki@breezenewspapers.com, please email <a href=\"https:\/\/www.captivasanibel.com\/news\/2026\/07\/incoming-island-principal-to-hold-meet-greet\/mailto:\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"THE SANIBEL SCHOOL Open to the public, a Community Meet &amp; Greet with incoming Principal Dr. Tom Millins&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-346312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}