TEACHERS D.A.R.E TO BE GREAT

San Carlos Educators Team To Earn State Agency Honor

Bob Scoppettuolo and Christy Moore work as a team at San Carlos Park
Elementary School and are recognized as a team.

The Florida Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Officer's
Association conference on Marco Island this summer named the
fifth-grade teachers the D.A.R.E 2008 Educator of the Year in Florida.

"It is impossible to separate (these) two outstanding teachers
because everything they do is a team effort," Lee County Sgt. Rob
Hogan wrote in a letter nominating the teachers. Hogan works with
D.A.R.E. throughout the county.

"We were in shock that it was from the entire state," Scoppettuolo
said.

Hogan works with the teachers as part of the nine-week program
designed to deter alcohol and drug abuse, culminating with a
graduation ceremony.

"He ties in what he does with the curriculum," said
Moore.

The D.A.R.E. award recognizes the teachers' "proven dedicated service
and professionalism." They have been team teaching for 11 years.

"I got a beautiful dinner and a beautiful plaque. I didn't have to
write a whole story," Scoppettuolo said with a smile.

The award is a reflection of Moore and Scoppettuolo's hard work, said
Jill VanWaus, San Carlos Elementary School's principal.

"Bob and Cindy really model the program and follow through with the
classroom when Officer Hogan isn't present," VanWaus said. "Any time
good teaching is recognized we're happy to have it."

Hogan's nomination is meaningful, Moore said, because she and
Scoppettuolo consider him a colleague.

Moore and Scoppettuolo encourage their students to engage in positive
activities to stay drug free.

"It's fun. We're big kids ourselves," Moore said. "I enjoy planning
big things."

Between them, Scoppettuolo and Moore organize events like the St.
Jude Math-athon, Reading is a Hit, affiliated with the Fort Myer
Miracle, and Walk Mania for the March of Dimes.

"If the kids go through San Carlos Park and doing all these things,
they get a nice feeling," Scoppettuolo said.

Community-oriented activities prove that there is more to school than
just sitting in class for six hours, Moore said.

D.A.R.E.'s lessons, which stress that students can say no to their
friends and still be respected, sticks with kids, Moore said.

When they come back to visit Scoppettuolo and Moore, they ask about
Hogan and still have T-shirts from the program, she said.

"It's connected to real life. You're not just teaching what you have
to know in the fifth grade," Moore said.

As a team, Scoppettuolo and Moore teach about 45 students a year.
Moore handles reading, language arts and science while Scoppettuolo
teaches social studies and math. They are the only teaching team at
the school.

"They're getting the female and the male versions," Scoppettuolo
said.