Child and Family Resources Names Three Educators of the Year

Published on March 15, 2021

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Child & Family Resources announced its three Educators of the Year, after they were honored for their service at the S.H.I.N.E. Educator of the Year Awards Gala last week by Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw, state Sen. Anthony Bucco (Morris-25) and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (Morris-25). 

The 2021 Educator of the Year recipients are: Christopher A. Capuano, Fairleigh Dickinson University PresidentStephanie Wilson, Preschool Supervisor at Children on the Green in Morristown; and Joseph Pizzo, middle school teacher in Chester.

Commissioner Director Shaw introduced Capuano and presented the first honor at the virtual ceremony held March 11. Sen. Bucco and Assemblywoman Dunn presented the additional honors to Wilson and Pizzo.

Child & Family Resources created the S.H.I.N.E. (Serves, Helps, Inspires, Nurtures, and Excels) Educator of the Year Award to recognize the role of educators who are essential to the organization's mission to support the development of children and strengthen families. The award was instituted to acknowledge educators who exemplify the spirit of Child & Family Resources mission and values and whose professional practice and advocacy for the profession are deemed exemplary.

Christopher A. Capuano

FDU president Capuano portrait Christopher A. Capuano, Fairleigh Dickinson University President, has held a series of leadership positions at the University for over a period of more than 25 years.  He has been an instrumental partner in the success of the University’s full accreditation with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, creation of the new Daniel and Martina Lewis Center for Healthcare Innovation and Technology, and changes to the University’s nationally recognized University Core program, the adoption of the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) system for both instructional and course assessment and development.

 

Stephanie Wilson
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Stephanie Wilson is the Preschool Supervisor at Children on the Green in Morristown and has been working at this location since 1999. In addition to her role as a classroom teacher, she has taken on responsibilities for the preschool program which includes communication among preschool team members, overseeing the preschool classrooms, supplies and common areas, and working as a liaison with the directors. For several years, she cared for children at a 24-Hour Fitness location and also underwent training at the ARC of Morris County, which enabled her to work with autistic children in a home-setting. Stephanie is a long-time supporter of The Lupus Foundation of America and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has been honored as a Children on the Green Outstanding Employee of the Year.

 

Joseph Pizzo

J Pizzo Chester teacher
Joseph Pizzo, middle school teacher in Chester, has been serving, nurturing, and inspiring his community, church, school, and professional learning network for 45 years. He is the recipient of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) 2020 Educator of the Year Award and the 2016 New Jersey Association for Middle Level Education (NJAMLE) Teacher of the Year. He has served on the board for the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), as a member of the NJDOE's Council for Teaching and Learning and the Education Committee for Future Ready Schools, and as an adjunct professor at Centenary University, College of Saint Elizabeth and Union County College and a member of the NJ Autism Think Tank.

 

Child & Family Resources (CFR) focuses on children. The organization creates and implements programs and services that support the development of children and their families by engaging and partnering with the community in their efforts to enhance the lives of children.