Two Southwest Orange educators named OCPS Stellar Award winners

Two Southwest Orange educators are winners of Orange County Public Schools' Stellar Awards.

Bridgewater Middle School's Amy Klaber is the 2025-2026 OCPS Principal of the Year.

Klaber has spearheaded academic and cultural turnarounds in three schools. 

At Bridgewater Middle, she has optimized scheduling to increase instructional time, which has enhanced student performance for students with disabilities. 

With an effective cell phone policy enforcement and communications, Klaber has reduced disciplinary referrals by 50%.

"Her 'people-first' approach and commitment to team-led improvement sets her apart," OCPS said in a Facebook post. "Amy actively mentors other principals, conducting workshops and even sharing her skilled staff with other schools."

Water Spring Elementary School's Gabriela Cardani is the 2025-2026 OCPS Support Person of the Year.

Cardani "singlehandedly supports more than 200 Portuguese-speaking English-language learners and families at her school," according to a post from OCPS. 

She also created a guide for new students as well as a guide that defines school terms such as "ELL" and "ELA" for parents.

"Gabriela is a vigilant advocate who helped one students receive necessary ADHD accommodations and another be placed in gifted, where he is excelling," OCPS said. "Her commitment to a 'people-first' approach builds crucial trust for students and families navigating a new life chapter."