![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Holly-Matthews.jpg\")
\u201cI am genuinely humbled by this next opportunity,\u201d Principal Holly Matthews said, adding that although she has been an administrator for more than nine years, this is her first opportunity as a principal. \u201cMy husband and I bought a house in North Fort Myers. We drive them (their children) to the East Zone. We truly believe in that section, the educators and community. We continue to put our energy over there because it\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthews said she felt her calling in sixth grade, which led her to pursue a career in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI knew there was something that was calling me, something more I could do, or give,\u201d she said of the kindergarten through sixth grade school she attended in Indiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthews decided to ask her teacher if she could help tutor her peers instead of going to recess. She tutored a second grade student who had special needs in math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was fantastic, nothing else better,\u201d Matthews described of her experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She continued to help in high school by taking a study hall period, so she could again tutor her peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was another way to continue that extension,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cI am very faith- based. When you know your purpose and have been given a certain set of skills, you need to go with that. You are here to serve. It\u2019s a servant role, an impact others can have based on systems a team can provide making their way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthews originally came to Florida with her masters degree, which she received in 2005. Since then she has continued to take part in various professional development and learning opportunities because she wants to be current and ready to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExpanding your reach and understanding is essential,\u201d Matthews said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She joined the district in 2006 after taking a job as a second grade teacher. Throughout the years she has also taught third and fourth grade, before moving to an assistant principal position, a K-8 administrator and then the coordinator for the superintendent\u2019s office, working directly with Dr. Ken Savage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of the positions, except the district office, have been spent in the East Zone, at the Alva School, Sunshine Elementary School and now the brand new elementary school that will open the doors to students for the first time on Aug. 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amanecer Elementary School broke ground two weeks ago. The first week of May, Matthews will have the opportunity to participate with the design and construction team looking at the building phases of the new elementary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, Matthews also will have the opportunity to hire everyone for the school, ranging from front office staff, teachers to the custodial staff. She said it is a real unique opportunity because each of those individuals will be 100 percent vetted by her. The positions will be posted next spring, with certain positions hired throughout the process of opening the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am looking forward to having a setting in the East Zone that is going to be welcoming and inviting for faculty, students and families. (It will be) a blessing to that community,\u201d Matthews said of the school, which will have under 1,000 student stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said she will lead the school by openly embracing every student and faculty member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are all here together to serve the community, the children, and anyone who walks through our doors,\u201d Matthews said, adding that they will put good out into the community and do everything with love, which is so impactful. \u201cI genuinely want to be a family. I humbly say it with all of my being. To be in the profession of education you are 100 percent doing an act of service. It\u2019s a calling, it\u2019s actually how I feel about it. Called to assist others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That family orientation runs deep in her family life as she has four children. Her son, 18, is a student at the University of South Florida who is currently studying abroad in Europe, a daughter, 16, who is a junior at Riverdale High School, a daughter, 14, who is a freshman at Lehigh Senior High School and a 9-year-old son who is in third grade at The Alva School. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her husband is the principal at South Fort Myers High School.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The principal for Amanecer Elementary School was officially appointed after the School Board of Lee County approved the superintendent\u2019s recommendation last week. \u201cI am genuinely humbled by this next opportunity,\u201d Principal… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":53209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[1269],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53208"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53208"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53211,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53208\/revisions\/53211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}