LEHIGH ACRES, Fla — Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier and Principal Holly Mathews cut the ribbon at Amanecer Elementary School’s opening ceremony at 9:30 am on Friday.
Construction for the elementary school began in March 2022 and cost taxpayers over $56.5 million.
In 2018, taxpayers approved a half-cent sales tax increase which paid for the school.
The school includes 972 student stations and will have a Cambridge curriculum that focuses on conceptual understanding and deep subject knowledge.
Principal Matthews said, “There’s a mission here to meet the needs of an untapped group that needs that connection...that wrap of love that I know what this area is about and the faculty is ready embrace it.”
Matthews added that some of their diverse faculty is from Lehigh Acres and represents the growing Spanish speaking population in the area. The name Amanecer means sunrise in Spanish.
Amanecer Elementary School teacher Brenda Miranda Jaimes said her parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States when she was five years old which allowed her to go to school here and have the career she has now.
Jaimes said she believes representation is key. She shared a story about a young girl who she taught. The little girl asked if Jaimes was also of Mexican descent like her. Jaimes replied with yes, and the next day the young girl proudly introduced her mom to her teacher.
“Aquí en este país es más como somos un equipo. Necesitamos los padres como se necesita las maestras,” Jaimes added. Here in this country, it is more we are a team. We need the parents as much as they need the teachers Jaimes said in Spanish when referring to any challenges the students may have.
Principal Matthews said the focus on they year is on all the students and “to create that nurturing environment of love support and structure, so the students really have that chance to see where their potential will take them.”
