The Lower Merion community, specifically Belmont Hills Elementary School, suffered a major loss in November 2019 when third grade teacher Michelle Florian lost her battle with cancer. Mrs. Florian was a world traveler who loved to incorporate in her classroom respect for other countries’ cultures and traditions. In 2021, friends of Mrs. Florian established a Special Award to be given to a graduating senior who attended Belmont Hills Elementary School, as a way to honor Mrs. Florian’s memory and the contributions she made to the Lower Merion community as a teacher for 20 years.