Erial Preschool Teacher Earns Prestigious Award

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A teacher at The Malvern School in Erial has been recognized as a 2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Award recipient, the school announced.

Get Set Lead Teacher Christine David is one of six Malvern School teachers receiving the honor this year.

“We are extremely proud of Christine, who represents all of our incredible teachers and staff at The Malvern School,” Malvern School CEO and Founder Kristen M. Waterfield said. “Early childhood teachers are often unsung heroes, but the past year has shined a light on just how critical they are to children’s well-being and development, the dynamics of modern families and the economy overall. For our teachers to be honored among many outstanding early learning professionals who have gone above and beyond to ensure young children and their families continue to thrive is a great honor.”

Since 1994, the Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards have honored outstanding child care teachers for their dedication, expertise and commitment to providing high-quality early learning experiences.

The full list of 2021 Teacher Award recipients from The Malvern School include:

• Christine David, Get Set Lead Teacher at The Malvern School of Erial
• Dana Auman, Preschool Lead Teacher at The Malvern School of Frazer
• Chelsea Moyer, Pre-Kindergarten Lead Teacher at The Malvern School of Blue Bell
• CherylAnn DeStefano, Preschool Lead Teacher at The Malvern School of West Norriton
• Ashley Lester, Preschool Teacher at The Malvern School of Warrington

• Jennifer Plasha, LEAP Lead Teacher at The Malvern School of Glen Mills

Carol Austin is the Executive Director of First Up, the host of the awards.

“Early childhood educators are the cornerstone of our communities, and they deserve to be recognized and celebrated,” Austin said. “This past year demonstrated more than ever the importance of early childhood education. Our communities realize now that the economy and society as we know it, cannot function optimally without high-quality child care.”

The Malvern School, founded in 1998, is a year-round private preschool for children six weeks to 12 years old. The Malvern School believes in developing the whole child in a nurturing, yet engaging environment and offers an innovative curriculum.

It has 27 locations throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and central and southern New Jersey and is dedicated to providing curriculum that is designed to meet or exceed the highest standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s largest early childhood accrediting organization.