Jacksonville Beach Elementary Teacher of the Week

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL -- Another busy school day at Jacksonville Beach Elementary, and students in Kelly Lomblo's fourth grade class grab their books, notebooks and pencils and get to work.

The students all feel confident in their work and their surroundings -- a big difference from the first day of school. Fourth grader Pranity Kudre remembers: "I felt kind of nervous and shy."

Ms. Lomblo helped her and other students feel comfortable in their new class. "I like them to have fun."

Pranity's mother nominated Ms. Lomblo for Teacher of the Week because she says when her daughter was new to the school, Lomblo made her feel at home and she is learning a lot. "She taught in a really creative way. She really helped us understand what she was trying to teach us so that we know what we're learning," said Pranity.

Ms. Lomblo is described as a very organized and creative teacher. When she reads a book to her students, she really wants them to learn and to listen. "This story is our book of the month and it was chosen to go along with our character trait (of the month) which is respect," said Ms. Lomblo.

The students all get the chance to participate and share. "Instead of it being a disrespected piece of junk it suddenly came to the biggest fire in New York City," said fourth grader Connor McCarthy.

The students say Lomblo is tough but she is good. She puts her own twist on each lesson. Many times they're having so much fun they don't even realize how much they are learning.

"I like to make it fun and I like to have fun, too, so that's what we try to do together," said Lomblo.

Lomblo has been teaching for 14 years. She taught third grade last year at Jacksonville Beach Elementary and now she gets to teach some of the same students again this year in fourth grade.

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