![\"IMG_6163\"](\"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_6163.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSeemingly, whatever is asked of him, Lombardi’s answers\u00a0start with “Sure.”<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll try anything once,\u201d Lombardi joked.<\/p>\n
He is out every day at bus duty, helping students get to their bus on time. He has coached football. He has coached softball. He keeps score and time at wrestling matches as well as basketball games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just needed someone and I said \u2018Ok,\u2019\u201d he said humbly.<\/p>\n
And, on this night, he is patiently waiting after school so he and another fellow teacher can attend a local football game. One of his students will be cheering on the sidelines, and they want her to know she is supported.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try and build that relationship with (my students),\u201d Lombardi said. \u201cI\u2019d encourage everyone to get involved because it completes the picture. The kids really are different in the activities. It\u2019s a different relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Lombardi, a 24-year veteran of the Navy, who came to work at Brandon in 2001, that relationship is crucial both inside and outside the classroom. He wants the best from his students, and he wants them to expect the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy number one rule is when you come through my door, you give me 100 percent,\u201d he said. \u201cYou give me your best and you should expect nothing less from me\u2026I\u2019ve got their back. If they\u2019re willing to work with me, we\u2019ll make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bond evident to all of those at Brandon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy seeing Mr. Lombardi interact with students. They all know that he cares about them and they have a great deal of respect for him,\u201d said Christy McQueeney, principal of Brandon Middle School. \u201cMr. Lombardi does whatever it takes to support the students\u2026 (they) see that every day as he talks to them at the buses, in the hall and during classes. They know if they need anything or any help, Mr. Lombardi will be there for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
And, that\u2019s just how Lombardi wants it \u2013 helping his\u00a0students find ways to get engaged and stay plugged into school.<\/p>\n
The debate team Lombardi took over? It came to him with six students on the team. Last year, there were 45.<\/p>\n
Lombardi said it is part of a growing trend with students excited about debate, forensics and academic challenge, not just your competitive sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re getting excited about the academic extracurriculars,\u201d Lombardi said. \u201cThese kids are really a great bunch of kids. I really can\u2019t speak highly enough of (them).\u201d<\/p>\n
And, that\u2019s why you will continue to see Lombardi at the bus loop, on the football field, in the gymnasium or anywhere else there is a need.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing this for a reason. Some of these kids, they have grown-up problems, but they don\u2019t have grown-up coping skills. They\u2019re trying just to figure out where they\u2019re at,\u201d he said. \u201cIt reenergizes me because the kids want to do this stuff and all they want is someone to point them in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Q&A<\/strong><\/p>\n What is your favorite book?<\/strong> The one I\u2019m reading is always my favorite. Right now, I\u2019m reading, \u201cThe Teacher Wars,\u201d a history of American public education<\/p>\n What was the last movie you saw?<\/strong> Iron Man 3<\/p>\n What is your favorite subject?<\/strong> Science and history<\/p>\n Who is your role model?<\/strong> Ms. Davis. She was my ninth-grade science teacher. She never gave up on me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The debate team coach had just had a baby, and Brandon Middle needed someone to help. Jerry Lombardi, a sixth-grade science teacher, was asked to fill in. \u201cI said, \u2018Sure,\u2019\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[89,24],"class_list":["post-2445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brandon-middle","tag-compass-keepers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2445"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2450,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445\/revisions\/2450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}