The work of a Fayetteville-Manlius School District teacher recently earned recognition from a local organization that is dedicated to ending child abuse.
On April 25, members of McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center’s outreach team presented F-M elementary school teacher Jennifer Musso with the agency’s 2017 Children’s Guardian Award. Musso, a Fayetteville resident, teaches health at F-M’s Enders, Mott Road and Fayetteville elementary schools.
Presented annually since 2012, the Guardian Award is given to individuals who demonstrate dedication to serving, protecting and educating the community’s children and support McMahon/Ryan’s goal of ending child abuse through intervention and education.
“Children are our most precious resource,” McMahon/ Ryan Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Linda Cleary said. “We believe a ‘guardian’ is someone who goes above and beyond to protect children and help them reach their full potential.”
Musso participates in the agency’s High Five! program, which kindergarten through second-grade educators can integrate into their curriculum to help boost students’ self-esteem and safety skills. She has taught health classes at F-M for nearly 10 years.
“I feel humbled and honored to receive this award,” Musso said. “I am so fortunate to work and learn from the incredible educators at McMahon/Ryan who empower our students with appropriate skills to stay safe. Together as a community we are all guardians working together to help prevent child abuse.”
Several F-M administrators joined McMahon/Ryan outreach representatives to surprise Musso with the award presentation, which took place during a fourth-grade assembly at Enders Road Elementary School.
The McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending child abuse through intervention and education, according to the agency’s website. The organization offers a safe, child-friendly process for abused children and their families, supported by a committed, professional team specializing in the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse. It also provides education to over 50 schools in Onondaga County.
