Caledon educator receives award
By MARK PAVILONS Editor

Bolton's Fabi Tempio-Hillier (front, 2nd from the left) received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence Early Childhood Education. She received the national honour from MP David Tilson during Friday night's awards dinner hosted by the Caledon Chamber of Commerce. Shown with her in front are Mayor Marolyn Morrison, her nominator Maria Biasutti, her mom Anna and (back row, l to r) Charles Bristoll chair of the Chamber board; Royal Bank's Rosanna Xuereb, Peel chair Emil Kolb, Sylvia Jones, assistant to MPP John Tory and also from the Royal Bank Jeff Boyd and Joe D'Anna.

A Caledon educator and preschool operator has received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. Bolton's Fabi Tempio-Hillier, owner of Sensory Garden Child Development Centre, received the national award from MP David Tilson Friday night, during the annual Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards night held at The Royal Ambassador.

Tilson was pleased to present the award to Tempio-Hillier, in what he described as the "Academy Awards of Caledon." The awards, he noted, have been given out sine 1993 to more than 1,100 outstanding educators who better equip their students to meet the challenges. At Sensory Garden, Tempio-Hillier provides her unique "curriculum of life" approach and guides her students in unique and innovative ways. She encourages kids to take action, get involved in recycling and learn about other cultures. The centre is very active in the community.

"The Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence and in early Childhood Education recognize the efforts of those teachers who are playing such an important role in the intellectual and social development of our children and we are so very fortunate to have two of those individuals in Caledon," Tilson said.

Recipients are recognized as having developed innovative ways to teach, including groundbreaking uses of information and communication technologies to enhance their teaching practices.

Tempio-Hillier said she was very honoured and grateful to receive the award and praised her nominator Maria Biasutti. She said she's been privileged and lucky to have worked with children and families over the past decade at Sensory Garden, and throughout her 26 years in the field of early childhood education.

She praised her teachers and staff, as well as the Town of Caledon and Chamber for their support. She also thanked her parents, who were her role models.

Caledon's James Hay received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, Certificate of Achievement, at a presentation this past December in Toronto. He teaches at The Sterling Hall School in Toronto.