EAST WHITELAND-An assistant teacher at The Malvern School of Lionville was among those honored during the school’s annual awards.
“The Malvern School has a truly exceptional team across the board. It is their passion for early childhood education that has fueled us to become the largest privately owned preschool in the region,” said Kristen Waterfield, president and co-founder of The Malvern School. “And it is their passion that has enabled us to make such a profound and positive impact on the growth and development of hundreds of thousands of children since we opened our first schools in 1998.”
Founded 20 years ago with a philosophy to deliver high quality education for children between the ages of six weeks and eight years, The Malvern School celebrated its ongoing legacy of excellence at its 2018 Annual Awards Ceremony on Sept. 28 at the Desmond Hotel in East Whiteland Township. The awards honor outstanding performance among directors, teachers, coordinators and schools from across The Malvern School’s 26 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
“As we join together on our 20th anniversary to honor these outstanding award winners, we also recognize each and every one of our team members,” Waterfield said. “We are immensely grateful they have chosen The Malvern School as their career destination and for their ongoing devotion to helping our young friends reach their highest potential.”
Among the highlights of the awards dinner was the Teacher of the Year award, presented to Fru Leonard, a seasoned early childhood educator who has been teaching at The Malvern School of Royersford for more than 15 years. Embodying the school’s core values, Leonard, who serves as the Kindergarten Enrichment lead teacher and School Age head teacher, goes above and beyond to plan and implement challenging, creative and exciting experiences for her students, and is constantly re-evaluating her curriculum to meet the changing needs of those in her class. Additionally, as NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) coordinator, she helps guide the entire teaching team to find ways to implement and recognize the highest standards in age-appropriate ways in all classrooms.
Assistant Teacher of the Year was awarded to Mona Tehrani, of Exton, who works at The Malvern School of Lionville. School officials said a great model of positivity and professionalism to everyone around her, Tehrani is recognized by fellow teachers and families alike for her warmth, enthusiasm and contributions to continually enhance the school environment. Throughout her 14 years at the school, she has been singing with the children in her care, using positive guidance and bringing out the best of everyone around her.
Kate Perez took home the honor for Executive Director of the Year. Serving in this role for 11 years, Perez was selected for leading The Malvern School of Richboro to operational success, including providing an exceptionally high level of service and quality to families and children. In doing so, she serves as a role model for peers and staff and is recognized for conscientiously driving the overall growth of her students and the school.
The Malvern School of Richboro was also chosen to receive the Presidents’ Choice Award. This sought-after award, personally selected by Malvern School Presidents Kristen Waterfield and Joe Scandone, is given to the school that shows consistent effort toward constant and never-ending improvement in the operations of their school, including the quality of the program, staff and learning environment.
The full list of The Malvern School Annual Award winners includes:
Executive Director of the Year – Kate Perez, The Malvern School of Richboro in Pa.; Director of Education of the Year – Dana Berthoud, The Malvern School of Downingtown; Teacher of the Year – Fru Leonard, The Malvern School of Royersford; Assistant Teacher of the Year – Mona Tehrani, The Malvern School of Lionville; Big Q (Quality Standards) – The Malvern School of Downingtown; Health and Safety Coordinator of the Year – Marissa Dilallo, The Malvern School of Washington Township Curriculum Coordinator of the Year – Bryanna Froelich, The Malvern School of Downingtown; Safe School – The Malvern School of Richboro; Best Place to Work – The Malvern School of Marlboro in N.J.; Families First – The Malvern School of Richboro; 100 percent Club – The Malvern School of Glen Mills; Superior Achievement Program Assessment – The Malvern Schools of Richboro, Washington Township in N.J., Downingtown, Montgomeryville, Warrington (Pa.), Oaks (Pa.) and Medford (N.J.); Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Top Fundraiser – The Malvern School of Glen Mills; Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Highest Increase Fundraiser – The Malvern School of Blue Bell (Pa.); Platinum Performer – The Malvern School of Glen Mills; Presidents’ Choice – The Malvern School of Richboro; Rising Star – The Malvern School of Robbinsville (N.J.); Core Values – Laurie Stenger, Quality Systems Specialist, The Malvern School Executive Office.
