Cifelli
to Receive AAFCS National Teacher of the Year Award at
June Conference in Charlotte
(Alexandria, VA – June 21, 2006) — Sylvia
R. Cifelli, CFCS, of Joseph Case High School, Swansea,
MA, will receive the prestigious American Association
of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 2006 National
Teacher of the Year (T.O.Y.) award at the AAFCS 97th Annual
Conference & Expo in Charlotte, NC, on June 22, 2006.
The AAFCS National T.O.Y. award, sponsored by AAFCS and
co-sponsored by publisher Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, recognizes
outstanding educational programs, methods, techniques,
and activities that give visibility to family and consumer
sciences (FCS) elementary and secondary education and
support “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB). Each
participating AAFCS state affiliate selects its Teacher
of the Year and the winning state entries are submitted
to AAFCS for the national competition. From this group,
the Top T.O.Y.s are selected, with the most outstanding
receiving the number one award. The National T.O.Y. is
selected based upon the following criteria: integration
of FCS with the core curriculum (NCLB) and with other
disciplines; exemplary level of professional commitment
to FCS; goals and outcomes of the program; sustainability
of the program; creativity, innovation, and cutting-edge
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.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive this award
from AAFCS and I am especially humbled knowing that there
are so many other FCS programs throughout the country
that are outstanding. My involvement in this organization
has enabled me to grow professionally in many ways. I
am also well aware of the great responsibility in representing
all FCS teachers—colleagues, mentors, and friends,”
noted Cifelli.
Cifelli’s exceptional curriculum, “School-to-Career
Child Care Program: Pathways to Success,” which
she teaches to twelfth graders, focuses on preparation
of seniors for future education and employment, through
a 24-week internship experience. By interning at three
different child care agencies in eight-week rotations,
students gain a broader perspective of the early childhood
education field and have the opportunity to refine their
skills and apply their knowledge. Upon completion, they
are eligible for teacher certification (group day care
status) from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education
and Care. Some students have also received college credit
from Bristol Community College with locations in Fall
River, New Bedford, and Attleboro, MA.
To be accepted into this program, students must have
successfully completed two years of the child care program
with a B or above average and have at least 200 contact
hours with the young children in Cifelli’s on-site
school laboratory, Case’s Little Faces Preschool.
All of the students involved in “Pathways to Success”
are members of Family, Career and Community Leaders of
America (FCCLA), an integrated component of the child
care curriculum. During a “bubble” period,
FCCLA students meet and discuss possible service-learning
projects involving children and their families and finalize
their plans based on a special interest or a determined
need. Many students work on the projects during their
meetings or study periods. Some of their efforts have
focused on early literacy, childhood obesity, and the
mistreatment of young children. In recent years, three
of these projects have been recognized for service learning
by the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Since 1995, “Pathways to Success” has served
as a model for internship programs in Cifelli’s
area. Prior to the school-to-career initiative being embraced
by the Swansea School Department, child care students
were interning at local private and public preschools.
Today, the program created by the award winner forms the
foundation of the school-to-career program at Joseph Case
High School. Consistently, eighty-five to ninety-five
percent of the students involved in this program have
met the terms of their contract and are recommended for
teacher certification.
Sylvia Cifelli is a 24-year member of the American Association
of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), based in Alexandria,
VA. Founded in 1909, AAFCS is the only not-for-profit
501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing people together
to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities.
Many of AAFCS’ 8,000 members are secondary school
educators and advisors for Family, Career, and Community
Leaders of America (FCCLA), a nonprofit national career
and technical student organization for young men and women
in family and consumer sciences education in public and
private school through grade 12. AAFCS professionals develop,
integrate, and provide practical knowledge about the critical
life skills—financial literacy; child care and parenting;
conflict resolution; consumer education; housing and environment;
apparel and textiles; and healthy eating and nutrition.
With national headquarters based in Alexandria, VA, AAFCS
has 51 state affiliates located across the United States
and Puerto Rico.
Interviews/Quotes
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact
Gwynn Mason at 704-347-3428 or
gmason@aafcs.org.
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