Five educators at Johnston’s Graniteville Pre-School received special recognition last week.
Nancy R. Mendizabel, CEO of Apple Valley Insurance in Smithfield, presented the teachers with the Silver Apple Award, which was created by the agency. Graniteville Principal Maria Petronio-McAfee called the award a “special show of support for education and the children’s future by developing a strong educational foundation from the pre-school level and up.”
Mendizabel worked closely with Alicia McCormick, a staff member at Graniteville who is a floating aide and is able to go into every classroom in the building. She is also a retired Johnston High School classroom teacher who has become familiar with the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale, or ECERS, which was used as the criteria in the awarding of the Silver Apple.
“We were looking to partner with a local business, and Apple Valley Insurance was a perfect fit,” Petronio-McAfee said. “And Lisa knows Nancy, and that her company is committed to the education of all children, and that the CEO has been involved in many school improvement teams in the Smithfield school district.”
Mendizabel, meanwhile, offered: “We couldn’t be more delighted to be part of this presentation. Our agency has been involved in many school initiatives, and we were looking to expand our overall involvement. We truly feel that in order for our communities to grow and thrive, we all need to become involved in our schools and help to further the education of all our children. What better way to get involved than with our youngest population? This is where it all starts.”
So last Friday, Mendizabel went to Graniteville, bringing with her the five Silver Apples. Along with McCormick and Petronio-McAfee, she paid a surprise visit to the five classrooms.
Awards were given to Kristen Falcone, Alana Guadagnoli, Meeghan King, and Joslyn Steiner. Colleen Churchill, the fifth recipient, was not in school for the presentation.
However, as Mendizabel and McCormick offered: “Colleen’s classroom showcases the rewards of her love and patience.”
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