Dr. Susan Zacharias is the teacher of the month for February 2015. Her teaching career spans 35 years, 15 of those years at Atlantic. Dr. Zacharias teaches geometry in the IB Programme and volunteers her time outside classroom hours to assist students with math. She has been a two-time finalist for Mathematics Teacher of the Year and a nominee for the William T. Dwyer Award for Excellence in Education.

Alexander Lee has been selected as student of the month. Consistently maintaining honor roll status, he is an four-year member of the JROTC program and serves as Air Rifle Team Commander. Alexander has completed more than 270 hours of community service and plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

The Rotary Club of Delray Beach student of the month for January is Alinda Saintval, and Lisa Milchman is the teacher of the month. Congratulations!

The Rotary Club of Delray Beach student of the month for December is Ty'Trell Dixon, and Hilary McCubbin is the teacher of the month. Congratulations!

The Rotary Club of Delray Beach student of the month for November is Megan Backus, and Natalie Maloney is the teacher of the month. Congratulations!

The Rotary Club of Delray Beach Student of the Month is Jared Franzese. Jared currently has a 3.11 GPA and is a very active member of the student body at Atlantic HS. He is a high ranking ROTC officer and a member of AVID. Jared donates his time to AVID as a tutor to help those in need. 

The Teacher of the Month is Nickoletta Loulis. From Ms. Loulis: "I am so honored to have been chosen as The Rotary Club of Delray Beach’s Teacher of the Month for October. This is my sixth year at Atlantic High and my 17th year teaching in Palm Beach County. At the end of my second year at Atlantic, I was delighted to watch many of my former first grade students graduate from high school! I’ve taught reading and I am now the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) elective teacher and IBCC Approaches to Learning teacher. I have been sent to several places in the U.S. to receive extensive training in the AVID system and I am a Trainer of Trainers. The Rotary Club of Delray Beach is responsible for providing amazing service and goodwill in our community. I am proud to say that the students I teach within the AVID program aspire to do the same, and as such, several of our students have been awarded the honor of student of the month through the years."

About the AVID program:

Students in the AVID program are chosen based on certain criteria: They are students in the academic middle who have potential but may have been overlooked. They are from middle to lower socioeconomic families and have been historically under-served in 4 year colleges, as well as being the first in family to attend college. These students also may have special circumstances that require additional support, i.e. single parent/loss of parent, language barriers, etc. Because these students have desire and determination and a positive attitude toward learning, grades, and school, they then take on advanced courses, and with college tutor support, they will achieve their goals. All of our AVID graduating classes have achieved 100% acceptance into 4 year universities or military officer recruitment (not to mention thousands in scholarships).  

In recent news, we have partnered with Scholar Career Coaching after school mentoring program. It is a perfect fit for our student needs, as it will provide invaluable support in making our student’s dreams come true. Our current students have seen the success of their predecessors and are so excited to begin working with ScholarCC mentors. 

We are always seeking guest speakers to inform us about career options, the journey through college and overall motivation. We are also accepting donations to purchase supplies and go on field trips to colleges. Our first trip is set for November 2, when we will be attending the AVID Career Symposium and Dolphins game with AVID students from all over Florida and Georgia.