HOLMES BEACH – As parents waited in line to pick up their children on the last day at Anna Maria Elementary School, the graduating fifth-grade class made a lap around the school, getting a round of applause from fellow students, teachers and school staff.
The victory lap ended as every student gave Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer a high-five while parents and staff continued to clap in support of the children who will be moving on from the little school by the bay.
“It has been an amazing school year,” said Alyson Larson, parent of fourth-grader Alba Rose Larson. “We got to participate in field day last week. Having the parents involved and back out there with the kids was super special.”
“It was great to see the kids all back together and see their parents get involved. It was just fantastic,” said David Larson, Alyson’s husband.
The 2021-22 school year that ended May 25 saw a return to normalcy after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the parent-teacher involvement that AME students and parents are accustomed to. This year, in-person meetings with parents and teachers returned along with plays, field trips and other activities.
“The beginning of the school year was a little tricky; we had to be flexible,” AME Principal Mike Masiello said. “It was around March when things began to feel normal and the kids seemed to be really engaged. We were able to have all of our field trips, plays and fifth-grade graduation. It ended up being a great year.”
This was Principal Masiello’s first year at AME. At the beginning of the school year, he had no idea what COVID would bring when it came to the way his new school would operate. Fortunately, AME had one of Manatee County’s lowest COVID numbers throughout the year, with 27 student cases and two staff cases. Masiello, along with the teachers and staff at AME, hope next year will be even more “normal” than this year, allowing students and staff to foster creativity in and out of the classroom.
“We love this school. Every single morning, we park the car and take our time walking our kids up the seashell path and get to give them a hug and a kiss,” said Kathi Reuter, who along with her husband, Nick, have two children attending AME.
“Last year we couldn’t do it; we just had to drop them off. The school plays are back again, which is awesome. It’s all just great,” Nick Reuter said.
Due to recent events in Texas, school security is on everybody’s mind, and AME has established a good relationship with the local police. Holmes Beach Police Officer Christine Labranche is fully armed on school grounds when students and teachers are present, and teachers have security badges that allow them to alert police at the touch of a button should an emergency situation arise. Students and staff are also on a first-name basis with Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who was present for fifth-grade graduation, the last day of school and many other AME events.
Principal Masiello said the security of students and staff is absolutely a top priority at AME.
“I feel pretty fortunate to be where I am,” he said.
