On Tuesday evening, December 17, Atlantis Charter School held its annual holiday party. Teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, board members and other stakeholders – about 200 people in all – gathered at McGoverns in Fall River to celebrate the season.
“Our staff comes to work every day and gives 110 percent of themselves. They always put our students first, and this party is a chance to recognize them and thank them for all that they do,” said Bob Beatty, executive director of Atlantis.
After dinner, Beatty and Associate Executive Director Mike Lauro presented the 7th annual 5D Leadership Awards. “A successful leader is a confident individual who inspires confidence in others and brings out the best in his or her team,” Lauro said. “We have identified five distinct attributes that our leaders possess: Drive, Desire, Dedication, Discipline and Determination. Tonight, we are honoring those individuals who best embody those attributes.”
The Drive Award goes to a leader who is unrelenting in their quest for best practices and continuous achievement. The Desire Award goes to a leader who not only maintains a desire for high standards but is also proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas of the organization. The Dedication Award goes to a leader who never loses sight of their passion f or the cause and is unrelenting in their pursuits on behalf of their organization and community. The Discipline Award goes to a leader with superb attention to detail who insures consistency and commitment to best-practices. The Determination Award goes to a leader who never settles for 2nd place and demonstrates initiative, perseverance and a will to succeed on a daily basis.
2019 5D Leadership Award recipients (from left to right): Henrique Madeira, Melissa Forrest, and Gabe Birmingham
This year’s winners are:
Drive Award:
Gabe Birmingham (Admin)
Desire Award:
Brenda Reback (Admin)
Dedication Award:
Henrique Madeira (Secondary Science Ed)
Discipline Award:
Brenda Reback with her award
Melissa Forrest (Elementary Ed)
Determination Award:
Patrick Long (Board Member)
“Our staff members and leaders are our most valuable resource,” Lauro said. “Each of this year’s award recipients are truly deserving of this honor. They are committed to our mission of giving each student an education second-to-none. They are a key part of our success.”
Winners received a trophy to commemorate their achievement and their names were added to a plaque along with the names of past award recipients. Atlantis has been presenting the 5D Leadership Awards since 2013.