Joanna Kufs, a veteran music teacher at Moravia Middle School, was recognized with the prestigious WCNY Classical FM Music Educator Award for January, surprising her during a recent sixth-grade chorus class.
Kufs, who teaches at both Moravia Middle and High Schools, was praised for her dedication to fostering students’ musical growth and her role in the district’s performing arts program. This is her 17th year teaching in the district. The award, which spans a 19-county listening area, is given to one educator each month for excellence in music education.
Kufs received three nominations for the award, including endorsements from former students and parents of current ones. “Students are drawn to her,” one nomination stated. Another credited her efforts for making Moravia’s performing arts program “world-class.”
Upon receiving the award, Kufs expressed gratitude and joy, saying, “It’s not even like a job to me. It’s genuinely just fun.”
An audio segment celebrating Kufs’s recognition will air on WCNY Classical FM on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., with additional broadcasts scheduled for 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. the same day, and Tuesday at noon. In August, WCNY will feature Kufs in a special program highlighting all 2025 award recipients.
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