Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) will recognize outstanding students and staff at its 26th Annual Kids & Staff of Character Awards and Stellar Attendance Recognition ceremony on Monday, May 11, 2026, at Bailey Concert Hall at Broward College. The event begins at 6:30 p.m., and media are invited to attend.
The ceremony will honor 50 students and 22 staff members who exemplify the district’s eight core character traits: cooperation, responsibility, citizenship, kindness, respect, honesty, self-control and tolerance.
The program will also celebrate students who have achieved perfect attendance at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Two students will be recognized for maintaining perfect attendance from kindergarten through grade 12, marking what the district described as an exceptional demonstration of commitment and resilience.
BCPS said the character traits are integrated into classroom instruction and reinforced throughout the school year to promote positive behavior and safe, respectful learning environments. Schools across the district nominate students and staff who consistently embody these values.
Kids of Character honorees include:
- Cypress Bay High School: Marcela Aleman-Pardi
- Atlantic West Elementary School: Didiana Alexis
- Meadowbrook Elementary School: Jayden Y. Artiles
- Colbert Elementary School: Leslie Esmeralda Ascencio
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: Melanie Barrett
- Coral Springs High School: Sara Benitez
- Horizon Elementary School: Mia Campbell
- Hawkes Bluff Elementary School: Tyanna Carthen
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School: Prince Charles
- Broward Virtual School: Naisha Chaya
- Henry D. Perry Education Center: Maddison Crowley
- New River Middle School: Josephine Dare
- Sawgrass Springs Middle School: Brooklyn Defroscia
- Lauderhill 6-12 STEM MED: Austin Elliot
- Coral Cove Academy of the Arts: Mia Fortune
- North Andrews Gardens Elementary School: Thalia Galarza
- Somerset Parkland Academy: Noah Gomes
- Pembroke Lakes Elementary School: Lucia Graterol
- Challenger Elementary School: Ariana Grey
- Riverglades Elementary School: Westin Hill
- Bennett Elementary School: Amir Irons
- Charles Drew Family Resource Center: Geraldine Lopez-Hernandez
- Mirror Lake Elementary School: Adalynn Martinez
- James S. Hunt Elementary School: Alan Quilo Martinez
- Oakland Park Elementary School: Sandra Martinez
- Discovery Elementary School: Khamryn Mills
- Harbordale Elementary School: Kamila Miyerov
- Tedder Elementary School: Daniel Morales
- Coral Springs Charter School: Gavin Palmer
- South Broward High School: Ayeliz Perez
- Nova High School: Braxton Perry
- Griffin Elementary School: Indiana Pichardo
- Glades Middle School: Valentina Pisani
- Cooper City Elementary School: Aspen Preston
- Tequesta Trace Middle School: Abigail Reznik
- Hollywood Hills High School: Janeth Rodas-Aguilar
- Oakridge Elementary School: Oleksandr Sentmartoni
- Sunrise Middle School: Jeremiah Sevil
- Nova Middle School: Shawn Andre Sinanan
- Ramblewood Middle School: Emma Smith
- Monarch High School: Steven Strong
- Flamingo Elementary School: Olivia Swanno
- North Fork Elementary School: Venesha Thompson
- Bair Middle School: Laura Toussaint
- McNab Elementary School: Daniel Tsapchuk
- Boulevard Heights Elementary School: Esther Grace Williams
Staff of Character honorees include:
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: Ashley Bravo
- Tequesta Trace Middle School: Varetta Cooper
- Deerfield Beach Elementary School: Druker Cunningham
- Cooper City Elementary School: Nancy Cylke
- School Counseling Department: Belinda Daise
- Discovery Elementary School: Donald Franklin
- Oakridge Elementary School: Tricia Gaynor
- Plantation Park Elementary School: Michelle Hartman
- Pines Collegiate Academy 6-12: Kerren Joseph
- Atlantic Technical College & High School: Kathy Kelly
- Seagull Alternative High School: Christel Maska
- Hollywood Hills High School: Shantel McCall
- Coral Springs Charter School: LaSylvia McCorvey
- William Dandy Middle School: Lashonne McIntyre-Oliver
- Lauderhill Paul Turner Elementary School: Kim Norris
- Park Springs Elementary School: Jennifer Pugatch
- Avant Garde Academy: Crystal Rahyns
- Boulevard Heights Elementary School: Kaslyn Romero
- Stirling Elementary School: Rob Scollon
- Winston Park Elementary School: Chantal See
- Ramblewood Middle School: Pillar Studstill
- School Culture and Student Support: Cynthia Tapia-Rodriguez
BCPS said the event highlights both academic commitment and positive character development across the district.
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