Astral Battiste Named Territorial Teacher of the Year During Annual Ceremony

Astral Battiste, a committed kindergarten teacher from the St. Croix district, was recognized as the Territorial Teacher of the Year in the annual selection ceremony held on Saturday. She stood as a finalist alongside Melvin Ledesma of the St. Thomas/St. John district, with both educators celebrated for their dedication and contributions to teaching. Battiste, who serves at the Pearl B. Larsen PreK-8 School, was highly praised by her principal, Loretta Moorhead, for her unyielding commitment to her students. "Miss Battiste, I've worked with you for the last three and a half years and it's been an amazing experience watching the dedication that you offer to our children every single day," Moorhead proclaimed, expressing pride and admiration for her colleague. Finalist Melvin Ledesma was not without his share of commendation. Described as a “ray of sunshine” by his principal at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, Terrence Corbett highlighted Ledesma’s inspirational influence on his ...