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Sarasota News Leader December 6, 2013 Page 65 OAK PARK TEACHER WINS STATEWIDE RECOGNITION An Oak Park School teacher who works with high school and adult students with special needs has been named the Florida Council for Exceptional Children Teacher of the Year, the Sarasota County School District has announced. learn work skills. Her class members also decorate bags for a local yarn shop, and they are learning to create other products with the help of a recently donated loom, the release continues. Additionally, Pastore has led the Boy Scout Helen Pastore received the recognition at this and Girl Scout troops at Oak Park, which are year's state conference, held Oct. 17-19 in St. the only two special needs Scout troops in Petersburg. She will represent Florida and the state of Florida. compete for the national Teacher of the Year "Helen has always readily welcomed new chaltitle at the CEC Convention and Expo sched- lenges and is one busy lady," said Elizabeth uled for April 8-11, 2015, in San Diego, a news Lewis, a fellow Oak Park teacher who serves release notes. as president of the Sunset Chapter of CEC Many of Pastore's students have autism; her (Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties), in goal is to "bring the world" to them, she says. the release. "She is Oak Park's professional development coordinator and treasurer of our She was the founder of the We-Work Lab, a local CEC chapter. She also was our chapter's campus-based work program for students to 2012-13 Teacher of the Year." Helen Pastore (center) has been named the Florida Council for Exceptional Children Teacher of the Year. With her (front row, from left) are students Jesus Rodriguez, Derek Patton, Anushri Prakash and Kenia Sawyers-Montiell; along with (back row, from left) classroom staff Karen Sherrard, Pastore, Charles Hill and Darlene Jones. Contributed photo