Riviera Beach Elementary Principal Wins Art Education Award

Kay Panagopulos, principal at Riviera Beach Elementary School, was one of three principals in the state to receive the 2013 Alvin and Louise Myerberg Arts Leadership Recognition Award from the Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) Alliance.

The award recognizes educators who incorporate arts into schoolwide curricula, enhancing the student experience and increasing engagement in the classroom.

Panagopulos, since becoming principal at Riviera Beach in 2006, has made sure that students learn more than just art in class, according to a statement from Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

"The arts provide the skills and knowledge that is needed to develop the creativity, discipline, and intellectual capacities necessary for success in today’s global information age," Panagopulos said.

As a winner, Panagopulos and the other winning principals–Christopher Berry of Montgomery County and Marcy Leonard of Howard County–are invited to be a part of the AEMS Ambassadors for Arts Education.