GBES welcomes diverse group of new teachers

Submitted Photo The few, the proud To add to the fun of having a record breaking number of men faculty and staff at Gulf Breeze Elementary, t-shirts were made and distributed to members of the "GBE Men's Club." They are (front, from left): Assistant Principal Robert Trigg and fifth grade teacher Mike Rodgerson. Back (from left): Technology Specialist David Polke, Psychologist Mike Burleson, Custodian Larry Dixon, PE teacher Jim Singleton, kindergarten teacher Jerry Craft and fifth grade teacher Dashaen Chavez.

Deshean Chavez joins GBE after teaching in Southern California for three years. California is known for leading the nation in educational strategies and his expertise will be a tremendous asset to his fifth graders.

Mr. Chavez has a wife and two sons who are active in GBSA sports. He has a masters degree in Education and volunteers as a Sunday School teacher to high school students. During his time away from GBE, he loves his family time and time perfecting his swing on the golf course.

Kindergarten teacher Jerry Craft, has made Gulf Breeze the home for his wife and two sons after a youth of traveling with a military father. Gulf Breeze High was his fourth high school and from that point on he was settled completing his education at PJC and UWF.

Mr. Craft joins us from Lipscomb Elementary in Pensacola. As a teacher, Mr. Craft states, "I love that each day is new. No two days are the same, and each day is an opportunity to teach and to learn."

GBE welcomes celebrates the return of Catlin Cibula. Mrs. Cibula is the mother of two and a Pensacola native. Her husband, Matt Cibula is a Gulf Breeze native and she joined him here after completing her undergraduate degree at Agnes Scott College and masters degree at Emory University.

Mrs. Cibula is "thrilled to be back" at GBE teaching third graders and the faculty and staff are honored to have her back on board.

Shelley Bielenda joined GBE as a third grade teacher after completing her student teaching with Mrs. Triplett and after being the school's Remedial Reading and Math teacher. Mrs. Bielenda has lived in seven states as a military child and along the way attended 12 different schools.

She lives in Gulf Breeze with husband and two sons and graduated magna cum laude from UWF with a teaching degree. When not teaching, reading, or playing with her three dogs, Mrs. Bielenda is making plans to share her love of learning with her class. "I love seeing the "aha" moment or spark in a child's eye when he/she understands."