ATWATER ALL-STARS: At the Oct. 4 meeting of the School Board of Sarasota County, Chairman Frank Kovach and Superintendent of Schools Lori White, right, display the first Five Star School Award  received by Atwater Elementary School with Marnie Eckerd, a teacher and Five Star coordinator at the North Port school.  

SARASOTA COUNTY - Thirty-seven Sarasota County public schools have been awarded the Golden School Award by the Florida Department of Education; 20 of those were named Five Star Schools. This year's awards, recognizing schools for their community involvement in 2010-11, were celebrated earlier this month by Superintendent Lori White, members of the School Board of Sarasota County, PALS Partners in Education Specialist Tanice Knopp and representatives of the honored schools.

The Golden School Award is presented annually to public schools with exemplary volunteer programs. Schools must document volunteer hours equaling twice the student enrollment, train at least 80 percent of their faculty to work with volunteers, designate a volunteer coordinator and formally recognize their volunteers.

The Five Star Award honors schools with exemplary programs that fully integrate comprehensive community involvement toward student achievement through community and business partnerships, family involvement, volunteerism, student community service efforts and initiatives of the school's advisory council, which is made up of parents and other community members as well as school staff. To qualify for this award, a school must first have a "C" grade or above and meet Golden School Award eligibility requirements.

Two Sarasota County public schools have been Five Star schools since the award began in the 1994-95 school year: Bay Haven School of Basics Plus in Sarasota and Venice Elementary School. This year, Atwater Elementary School in North Port, which opened in August 2009, was named a Five Star School for the first time after being honored as a Golden School last year. To read more click here.

SARASOTA COUNTY - Superintendent Lori White has named Kelly Ellington, principal of Taylor Ranch Elementary School in Venice, as the Director of Professional Development for the Sarasota County School District. The School Board is expected to approve the appointment at a future meeting. Ellington will remain at Taylor Ranch until January.

Ellington has been at Taylor Ranch since 1990, first as a teacher, then as an administrative intern and assistant principal before being named principal of the school in March 2004.

In her new role she will succeed Pamela Houfek, who will retire in January after 41 years as a teacher and administrator for the school district and regional educational organizations. Houfek has served as the district's Director of Professional Development, School Improvement and Teacher Evaluation since 2006.

Superintendent White will appoint an interim principal for Taylor Ranch for the remainder of the current school year. The district will conduct a site analysis and search for a permanent principal for Taylor Ranch to be appointed prior to the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. Click here to learn more.