By NewsLine Staff
mail@floridanewsline.com
Jodi Johnson and Sherri Anthony are both retiring this year after more than 30 years working for the St. Johns School District. Both are currently at Landrum Middle School. Their colleague, Beth McBride, thought it would be great to recognize them and fun to learn a little bit more about them.
Meet Sherri Anthony
Q: What college did you graduate from?
A: Flagler College in St. Augustine.
Q: How long have you been in education and what was your first job?
A: Forty-two years in St. Johns County and my first job was teaching physical education at Nease High School in 1982.
Q: When and where did you start coaching basketball?
A: Nease High School in 1982. I taught PE and then coached three sports — JV volleyball, varsity girls basketball, and JV softball — all at Nease. I also coached at Flagler College: basketball for two seasons, 1986 – 1988 and softball for nine seasons, 1982 – 1991.
Q: You have been awarded many basketball coach awards, what was the most recent?
A: The NHSCA – National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame Award
Q: What schools did you teach at throughout your career?
A: I taught PE at Nease from 1982 – 1986; PE at Ponte Vedra-Palm Valley Elementary School, 1986 – 1990; PE at Landrum Middle School from 1990 – 1995; and was Dean of Students at Landrum Middle School from 1995 – 2024.
Q: You helped open Landrum Middle school in 1990; what is one memory that you have of that first year.
A: The size of the school was such that you really got to know the students and their families, everything was brand new, traditions were formed, new mascot and colors were decided, clubs were started, and sports were a central theme throughout the year. Mr. Allten, the principal’s theme was for everyone to buy into his mantra of doing everything with Dignity, Integrity, and Class. Punch cards were created for positive behavior rewards and the whole faculty had a club either during or after school. Dress code of tucking in shirts and fingertip length shorts and dresses were a must.
Meet Jodi Johnson
Q: How many years have you been a teacher and what was your first job?
A: 36 years. I started at the Safety Harbor (Florida) Exceptional Center – a K-8 grade school for Emotional Behavioral Disorder (EBD) students. In St. Johns County, I’ve taught at Rawlings Elementary, Valley Ridge Academy, and Landrum Middle School.
Q: Why did you become a teacher?
A: I took a psychology class as a freshman in college, I had not declared a major at that time. Teaching was not on my radar. We had an assignment where we were to go into an elementary school and work with kindergarten students. I was paired with a five-year-old girl; I still remember her name, Dena. She was deaf and during our short time together she taught me, a 19-year-old college student, how to sign. I was so fascinated by this little girl, I began taking sign language classes which led to getting my Master’s degree in ESE.
Q: Tell one funny story.
A: The first year at Valley Ridge Academy the grades two through seven were taking a standardized test. I admit, I was technologically challenged, and I clicked on “LANSCHOOL” during the test, and I still do not know what I did, but the entire school testing site shut down and my face came up on everyone’s screen! Everyone got to witness my reaction seeing myself on the screen as well as me frantically pushing all kinds of keys to shut it down. Needless to say, I had two APs, the dean and the IT person immediately at my classroom door huffing and puffing (I was on the second floor) wondering what the heck I did. They weren’t too happy, but everyone else got quite the laugh. Me, well, I was mortified!
Q: What is a piece of advice you would give teachers on being able to stay a teacher for a long time.
A: If you feel yourself getting burned out, change schools, grade level or subject area. It challenges you and can never go wrong meeting new teachers. I feel teachers are some of the most caring, giving people I have ever met.
Q: Why did you stay in education so long?
When you love what you are doing, time goes by very fast. I have loved working with students, getting to know them, their families, their struggles and what makes them unique. My students know I care about them and in turn they trust me. I am so blessed that I chose a career that I was meant to do. It has been incredibly gratifying.
Q: When a student is struggling with the material that is being taught, what do you say to them?
A: I always point out what they can do and go from there. We all have our strengths, and we all have our weaknesses.
Photo courtesy Beth McBride
Congratulations to Jodi Johnson (left) and Sherri Anthony (right) on their retirement.
