Rotary Happenings: New principal at Sanibel School provides a welcome look ahead
Welcome to the neighborhood, Chuck Vilardi, new school principal of the Sanibel School. Principal Vilardi has some big shoes to fill following former Principal Barbara Van Harten, principle at the school for 19 years. During her tenure at the Sanibel School accolades of excellence came from county, state, and federal educational agency; one of the top honors being named a National Blue Ribbon School. After meeting Principal Vilardi, Rotarians certainly felt his passion to maintain the schools reputation and the students’ passion for learning by adding his own programing ideas conveying additional excitement for learning. The schools motto, “Unite, Inspire, and Empower” will be on display in many ways this year, bringing in community members and organizations wealth of talent, treasures, and time to help live out the school’s motto in many ways.
Chuck wants to build relationships on all levels starting at the top with his staff of educators and administrators, a team building outing took them out to sea on Captiva Cruises and back for lunch at Doc Ford’s. This was also a perfect example of building relationships with local businesses. Just recently Bailey’s General Store donated a beautiful outdoor grill to the school that will be used for events of all kinds to celebrate student and school achievements.
This year the school calendar is filled with outreach partnerships with island nonprofits, organizations, and businesses:
Oct. 2 “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge mascot, Blue Goose, handed out copies of the book “The Shark Whisperer” by author Dr. Ellen Prager to 35 fifth-grade students at the school. Later in the month Dr. Prager will be in town for the Refuge’s “Soak-It-In” Speaker Series and she will be meeting with these same fifth-graders to discuss this book, a young-adult tale of derring-do requiring its hero to enlist the aid of sharks, dolphins and an octopus in a fight against a shark-finning, reef-destroying evildoer.
Oct. 5 7 p.m. – BIG ARTS will host a Meet-the-Principle night and showing the highly-acclaimed film on education “Most Likely to Succeed” to our community focusing on education and how children succeed and can achieve in education. No fee.
Additional upcoming events:
- CROW will be providing a teacher and staff tour of their wildlife rehabilitation center.
- Sanibel Sea School teaching cast netting techniques
Continuing events:
- F.I.S.H. continues with tutor volunteers.
Principle Vilardi believes that all children need a positive male role model in their life and have planned activities that will encourage community fathers to participate in their child’s life, to start – Dads take your child to school day was Sept. 29. We welcomed all dads, grandpas, and uncles to walk their child to class and to have lunch on this special day! The Sanibel Police Department and Sanibel Fire Department had employees make friendly visits to the school to help with this program.
Sports activities are being beefed up at the school this year, bringing in students and parents for friendly, fun, and just slightly competitive activities. Check the school’s website for information on this.
Principle Vilardi believes in celebrations, celebrating small or large achievements recognizing positive events. Using our community resources to bring a culture of learning that includes pride in who we are and where we come from the nature that surrounds us and the beauty of our place. The capital of our residents and amazing nonprofits on island involved in preserving our island’s natural resources and providing the cultural experiences of art and theatre.
Parents, the school needs your help, your window of opportunity to connect with your child will close sooner than you think. Your time matters now. This community is like all communities, your child is like all children, they need guidance. You don’t have to be a helicopter parent, but you to have to be present in your child’s life. As with all schools, there can be problems and Sanibel School has had to handle some in the past and will continue to have challenges now and in the future.
Just recently there was concern of some students having drugs on campus. Drug-sniffing dogs were brought to the school, but nothing was found. Caution ruled the day. Your child’s security and safety comes first, the reputation of the school will hold up, but not at the price of sweeping problems under the rug.
A school is not the only educator in your child’s life, you are and should be, the part of an amazing team of teacher; join in, the time is now.
Sanibel-Captiva Rotary meets at 7 a.m., Friday mornings at the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club, Sanibel. Guests are always welcomed.