Preschool Named After Late Livingston Teacher

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Elizabeth “Betty” Maddalena, a late Livingston resident and beloved local educator, continues to have an impact on Essex County.

The members of the West Orange Board of Education recently announced that they are naming the district’s new preschool after Maddalena, an educator who began her teaching career at Aquinas Academy in Livingston before moving on to teach special education students in the West Orange Public School District.

• See related article: Township Honors Elizabeth Maddalena on Arbor Day
• See related article: Life Skills Center Named After Late Educator Betty Maddalena

According to the West Orange BOE, the Betty Maddalena Early Learning Center is a fitting way to pay tribute to the late recipient of the prestigious Educator Medal of Honor Award, presented to Maddalena in 2006 from Governor Jon Corzine and Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy.

“Betty was always a true advocate for all of our children and extremely well respected by her peers,” the BOE stated in a joint news release. “The Board of Education wished to honor her legacy by naming the new pre-school in her memory.”

• See related article: West Orange Preschool Program Finds New Home At Local Church

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Photo: Betty Maddalena

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