On Tuesday, August 13, Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. visited the Suwannee County School District (SCSD) and made a special stop at Riverside Elementary School (SRE). During his visit, Diaz delivered school supplies to benefit the students of Riverside Elementary.
Diaz was given a guided tour of the campus by SRE Principal Marsha Tedder, along with Assistant Principals Kary Black and Kevin Lewis, and Superintendent of Schools Ted Roush. While touring the SRE campus, Diaz had the opportunity to speak with multiple fifth-grade classrooms and meet various faculty and staff members.
Superintendent Roush says, “Upon being contacted by the Commissioner's Office, that he wanted to visit a school in Suwannee County and bring school supplies that could be distributed to students in need, I was proud to accept his request. Although Commissioner Diaz has visited our District on multiple occasions, it is always an honor to have Commissioner Diaz visit. We toured Suwannee Riverside Elementary and entered many classrooms, where he took the opportunity to thank teachers and staff and welcome students back to a new school year. The Commissioner clearly indicated to me that the positive energy and enthusiasm among the students, teachers, and staff, was very evident! He also expressed his admiration for the job the school's administration was doing at Riverside. I appreciate Commissioner Diaz coming to our District and for always remembering that rural Floridians are never forgotten under his and Governor DeSantis's leadership.”
At the conclusion of the visit, Principal Tedder presented Commissioner Diaz with a token of appreciation for his time and contribution to the school. Reflecting on the visit, Tedder expressed her pride in showcasing the school’s commitment to student success, saying, “We were extremely proud to welcome Commissioner Diaz to Suwannee Riverside. Being able to show him our hard work, dedication, and passion for creating great Bulldogs through the arts was a great honor. The school supplies that he provided were a blessing to our students.”