Whitney Bartlett named Rotary Club 'Teacher of Year'

VENICE — Venice Elementary School teacher Whitney Bartlett has been named the Venice-Nokomis Rotary Club 2024 Teacher of the Year.

She received a plaque and a $1,000 check from Jesse Lazarus, Chair of the Club Award Committee.

A seven-year teacher, Bartlett told club members of growing up wanting to be a teacher. Her career began as a director of training and corporate wellness programs.

Then her opportunity to become a teacher came in 2017.

With a teaching philosophy centered on "Together everyone Achieves more, Team," she creates a classroom culture, interacting with her students, their parents and her co-workers.

"The meaning of life is to find your gift," she told the Rotarians. "The purpose of life is to give it away."

In attendance at the presentation were Karen Rose, chair of the Sarasota County School Board, and Kirk Hutchinson, principal of Venice Elementary School.