At the Feb. 17 meeting of the Harrison County Board of Education, Johnson Elementary kindergarten teacher Alice DeFazio was honored as Employee of the Month.

 

Superintendent of Schools Mark Manchin presented DeFazio with the award, which is presented monthly based on decision of a designated BOE committee. The committee reviews nominations, which can come from student families, fellow educators or administrators.

 

DeFazio was nominated by Johnson Elementary Assistant Principal Heather Holbert.

 

“I was notified by mail the week before the meeting that I had been selected,” she said. “It was totally unexpected and quite a surprise. Every teacher in our building works extremely hard and both of our administrators are always the first ones to recognize that and tell us we are appreciated. This was just an extra special surprise for me.”

 

Several of DeFazio’s coworkers, Principal Vicki Huffman, Holbert and several students attended the recognition program. So did her parents. The support made the award even more special, she said.

 

DeFazio has taught kindergarten at Johnson Elementary for 19 years. Prior to that, she taught kindergarten for 20 years at West Milford Elementary.

 

“Several students that I taught in kindergarten are now adults and have chosen teaching as their careers,” she said. “Many have told me that I had much influence in their decisions. That is such a wonderful feeling and tells me I did something right!”

 

Each year is a new adventure and she said she loves following progress of her young students.

 

“It is so rewarding to witness the growth in my students from August to June,” she said. “In kindergarten, it's even more special to see how much they have grown when they leave our school as rising sixth graders.”

 

DeFazio graduated from West Virginia University in 1976 with a degree in elementary education. She also received her master’s degree in early childhood education from WVU. She is an alum of Victory High School. 

 

She is the wife of Bridgeport High School Principal Mark DeFazio. Their children Maria and AJ are BHS graduates. Maria is a sixth grade teacher in Charlotte, NC and AJ is in the information technology field, employed with Mylan Pharmaceuticals. 

 

DeFazio is pictured from top with Superintendent Mark Manchin; Johnson Elementary kindergarten students Jameson Trippett and Gabby Horne and Erin Bowers, a former student who now teaches fifth grade at JES; and with a former class at West Milford Elementary School.