Patricia Jasiulevicius, Deer Park Ida S. Baker Award Winner

When Patricia Jasiulevicius was in the fifth grade, her father told her, "You will be a teacher."

That affirmation made by her father, who was a member of the Board of Education in Boston, has benefited countless numbers of students.

"We're very lucky to have her here," said Amber Rutherford, Deer Park assistant principal.  "She's constantly teaching hands on learning to her students because she wants them to be able to defend their thoughts."

This year her colleagues also recognized Mrs. Jasiulevicius as the Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator award winner for Deer Park Elementary. 

The award is named after Ida S. Baker who was the first African American appointed as Deputy Superintendent to the Florida Department of Education.

"Ida S. Baker resided in South Florida and pushed the forefront of diversification," said Cris Vatalaro, development associate for the Hillsborough Education Foundation, a private organization whose goal is to enhance public education in the School District of Hillsborough County through private support. 

In addition to organizing the fourth grade field trip to St. Augustine last November that included 80 parents and 130 students, Mrs. Jasiulevicius also organized a Fall Math Night that had 40 math stations with the goal of showing students and parents that math can be fun.   

She also hosts quarterly themed reading goal parties for her students that have included: bowling, skating and even a chocolate fountain. 

"I love hands on activities and seeing kids react positively to things we do in the classroom," Jasiulevicius said.  "Children take to heart everything we say and carry it with them for a lifetime, so it's important to make their experiences memorable." 

Mr. Charles Watts, an ESE teacher at Deer Park, works closely with Jasiulevicius. 

"She knows what kids need and shows them how to apply math to real life situations," Watts said.

Going the extra mile is just something that Mrs. Jasiulevicius is programmed to do by her love for the job.

By her own admission educating students never ends, "We're never finished on this job."