Spencerport teacher honored as Teacher of the Year

Jean Newman, a Cosgrove Middle School teacher, has received the Fingerlakes West District Family and Consumer Science Teacher of the Year Award.

Newman, who has taught for more than 30 years, has been actively involved in the Fingerlakes West District of the Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators. In addition, she embraces new educational initiatives and set up one of the first parent advisory boards in the greater Rochester are. This led to her involvement with Monroe County's Not Me, Not Now pregnancy prevention program. She is currently the resource person for the program.

Newman has also taken a leadership role in developing the Bright Futures program, which is the educational component of Not Me, Not Now. Bright Futures is being used in eighth-grade Family and Consumer Science classes to help promote healthy lifestyles. As part of this program, Newman invites high school students to her eighth-grade classes to discuss abstinence and other issues related to sexuality. As the program is introduced nationally, Newman's classes and programs are being used as models.

In addition, Newman developed and continues to lead a parent/teen communication workshop; created "Pathways," a class for students at risk; and developed with the Ogden Police Department the DARE program at Cosgrove.

Newman received her degree in Home Economics (now called Family and Consumer Science) from Purdue University.