State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Friday presented a citation of recognition to Cheryl Rizzo, a teacher from PS 232 in Lindenwood, who recently won the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, one of the highest awards in education.
Rizzo, an English Language Arts teacher, was nominated for the award by PS 232 Principal Lisa Josephson thanks to her creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Rizzo was named one of the grand-prize winners and was awarded a $25,000 cash prize as well as a $10,000 grant for her school.
Rizzo was instrumental in making the most of PS 232’s outdoor reading garden, where students — as well as faculty and staff — can have a peaceful moment outdoors and learn about caring for nature or create inspirational art pieces. She also helped usher in the school’s Cookies and Conversations afterschool program to help build a literacy community. Rizzo’s creativity and giving nature extend far beyond PS 232 as she coordinated a fundraising campaign at the school for the Dolly Parton Foundation.
With the $10,000 grant, Rizzo said she hopes to remodel the school’s outdoor reading garden with new benches and other artistic upgrades. Whatever happens with the garden, she wants the students to be involved in designing the projects, she noted.
Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office
