Beaton Named AAFCS National Teacher of the Year Merit Finalist for Outstanding Food and Nutrition Program
(Alexandria, Va. – April 26, 2010) — Nora L. Beaton of Lancaster School in Lancaster, New Hampshire, has been named an American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 2010 National Teacher of the Year Merit Finalist. A representative from Goodheart-Willcox Publisher will recognize Beaton as a merit finalist at the AAFCS 101st Annual Conference & Expo in Cleveland, Ohio, this June.
The AAFCS National Teacher of the Year award honors exemplary teachers who utilize cutting-edge methods, techniques, and activities to provide the stimulus for and give visibility to family and consumer sciences (FCS) elementary and secondary education. Each AAFCS affiliate selects its Teacher of the Year and the winning affiliate entries are submitted to AAFCS for the national competition. From the Affiliate Teachers of the Year, up to three merit finalists and one National Teacher of the Year are selected.
The National Teacher of the Year nominations are evaluated based upon the following criteria: integration of FCS with the core academics and educational standards; exemplary level of professional commitment to FCS; goals and outcomes of the program; sustainability of the program;
creativity, innovation, and progressive techniques in the program; ability to sustain funding and
overcome obstacles or challenges; positive influence on the lives of students; relevancy and timely impact on the students, school, and community; and increasing the visibility, recognition, and support of the FCS profession within the community.
“I am honored to be recognized as an AAFCS National Teacher of the Year Merit Finalist,” said Beaton. “I truly enjoy teaching students about nutrition and seeing how their approach to eating changes by the end of the program. I know that the knowledge and skills they are learning will help them be healthier throughout their lives.”
In Beaton’s award-winning program, “Food: What’s in It for Me?”, middle-school students learn about food and nutrition while reinforcing math, writing, and communication skills. Many activities are incorporated into the unit to allow students to showcase their knowledge, including writing a friendly, persuasive letter and choosing and preparing two recipes that will teach others about a new cooking technique, a new piece of kitchen equipment, or a unique ingredient.
Another important goal of Beaton’s program is for students to use nutrition vocabulary correctly and understand the effects of specific nutrients. By the end of the program, students are able to create grammatically and factually correct sentences using specific nutrition words. They also know the names of specific nutrients, their functions and food sources, effects of inadequacy and excess, and effects on their appearance and health.
After gaining knowledge in Beaton’s food and nutrition class, students are encouraged to share food and nutrition information with younger students through the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Focus on Children STAR event and the state Food and Nutrition event. The last team of three students to enter the state competition brought home a silver medal for their “Color Your Plate” project, which had been presented to a first-grade class.
“We chose this project topic because we feel that food and nutrition is important for all ages to know because of the obesity problem in America,” said Moss, an eighth grade FCCLA member.
Nora L. Beaton, is a Lancaster, New Hampshire, resident and 28-year member of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. She is also an FCCLA advisor, representative for the Unified Team of teachers, and one of five teacher leaders for her school. Beaton was instrumental in starting the FCCLA program at the elementary school level, which continues to grow and thrive.
Based in the Washington, D.C., area, AAFCS is the only professional association for family and consumer sciences students and professionals from both multiple practice settings and content areas. For more than 100 years, AAFCS has focused our mission on providing leadership and support for professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making more informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. Our members provide research-based knowledge about the things of everyday life, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues. They are early childhood, elementary, secondary, university/college, and Extension educators, administrators and managers, human service professionals, researchers, community volunteers, business people, and consultants who create integrated solutions to complex social and economic challenges.
Interviews/Quotes
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Gwynn Mason at 703-706-4600, ext. 4621, 703-859-8235, or gmason@aafcs.org.
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