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Dawn Matonis
Fine Arts
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Dawn Matonis was born in Bayshore, Long Island, New York. After graduating from Northern Arizona University she moved to Florida to re-unite with her family and ended up living on her parents' boat in Gulfwind Marina.
While in college, Matonis earned a bachelors degree in secondary art education with an endorsement in elementary education. Matonis' favorite subject in school was art, and she knew she wanted to be a teacher ever since she was in high school. Her art teacher and art classes are what kept her in school. Matonis has been teaching at Lemon Bay High for the past eight years and has never taught at another high school. Matonis teaches fine art in the form of 3-D Art Composition and Ceramics I, II, and III. She is the sponsor of the Lemon Bay Art Club and her upper level ceramics students participate every year in the Empty Bowls project to help fight hunger. Matonis loves being here at Lemon Bay and said, "We have great students and a terrific staff!" She believes that her students bring out the best in her when she is teaching.
When she is not teaching, Matonis enjoys doing many leisure activities at home. She enjoys working on her personal artwork and tending to her gardens, where a frog has decided to settle down and become tamed. Her other real pet is a beautiful black lab. Although she loves being at home, she would like to travel all around the world.
Matonis describes herself as the "Crazy Clay Lady," and if she could have one wish she would want to, "lose weight by eating ice cream and cookies, and then world peace."
Although slightly eccentric and prone to break out into song, this wacky teacher is loved by all.
By Chelsea L. Rohr