Four Receive Preschool Teaching Awards

The winners of the Newark Public Schools 2013 Preschool Teacher of the Year Awards were honored third-annual Early Childhood Education Awards Dinner held recently at the Valley Regency in Clifton.

The four winners are Nyonontee Jackman, who teaches three- and four-year-olds at Community Hills Early Learning Center; Kristin Kovatch, who teaches four-year-olds at The North Ward Center; Susana Pena, who teaches four- and five-year-olds at Mount Vernon Elementary School; and Ivette C. Quintana, who teaches four-year-olds at Sarah Ward Nursery Corporation.  The early childhood centers represented are part of a collaborative of NPS early childhood education classes and Newark Preschool classes, which are overseen by the school district.

“This annual celebration allows us the opportunity to say, in a really grand way, how deeply we acknowledge the Preschool teacher as the architect of future student success in our district,” said Newark Public Schools Director of Early Childhood Sandra Rodrigues.  “Preschool teachers see this as their opportunity to engage in robust conversations around the characteristics embodied in highly-refined practice.  It sets the bar for pedagogy and practice.”

The award winners are chosen by a committee of master teachers whose remit is based on criteria that promotes quality education and the wellbeing of students.  As well as a standard  teaching certificate, the criteria includes: the classroom reflects the teacher’s adherence to best practices; competence and lesson planning related to NJ standards and the GOLD  assessment system; a score of five or above on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale.