“Mrs. Bergeron is extremely positive, and every time she walks into the room, I always smile,” said Julia Stellato, a senior at Fairfield Warde.
Mrs. Bergeron, known to her students as Mrs. B, is the head preschool teacher in the Warde preschool located in Pequot house. Most students only interact with her if they take the child development courses or went to the preschool as a child, but she is someone who everyone should have the opportunity to meet.
The preschool is the perfect fit for Mrs. Bergeron. Ever since she was a little girl she has always wanted to be a teacher or have the ability to help others.
“I would always play school with my friends and brother and I would always be the teacher,” Mrs. Bergeron remembered. “Maybe I liked being in charge.”
So as she grew older she continued to pursue that love and passion of wanting to be a teacher and help others. She attended Fairfield Warde back when it was ‘Andrew Warde High School’ and took the child development courses with Mrs. Virginia Hogan, a previous child development teacher.
“From the moment that I stepped into the preschool classroom, I was hooked,” Mrs. Bergeron said. “Thinking about it, I feel that I could truly be myself in the preschool class. I was not told to quiet down, stop singing, slow down, or stop ‘buzzing’ around so much. The class was the perfect fit for me.”
She’s not wrong; the class is a perfect fit for her. And all of her students agree.
“I think her teaching style and love for the class is because she’s always so positive and encouraging.” said Kelly Sola, a junior at Warde.
Mrs. Bergeron has given her students not only an enjoyable time taking the child development courses, but given them encouragement and strategies to take with them in the future whether it be in a school setting or elsewhere.
“Mrs. B has helped me feel comfortable sharing in front of her class and others.” said Alenah Savongdy, a senior at Warde.
Many other students also feel this way. Mrs. Bergeron has helped them open up and feel comfortable being a leader. But most importantly, she has led them to learn the skills of working with younger children whether the students go on to be teachers, nurses, social workers, etc. Students take the child development courses to learn skills for all these professions.
“I think if more students came in to see the preschool class and spent more time with the children, they might take the class.” said Mrs. Bergeron. “I love helping the high school students write lesson plans, and love to see when they teach the children and the positive response they get from the children and the joy it brings the high school students.”
When Mrs. Bergeron isn’t teaching in the preschool or working with her high school students, she loves doing many other things. Just like most people she enjoys things like spending time with her family- her husband, Bob, and her son, Cody, who is a 3rd grade teacher at Osborn Hill Elementary School, and her dog, Jasmine.
“I [also] enjoy cooking, baking, and even doing the laundry,” said Mrs. Bergeron.
If you ever have the chance to stop by the preschool, Mrs. Bergeron will gladly show you a picture of her dog, Jasmine. She enjoys telling her students stories about her family and dog, and is interested in hearing stories from her students about their lives outside of school as well. She also loves when her old students come to visit her in the preschool and tell her how they are doing. Mrs. Bergeron loves to make connections with her students and make them feel important.
“She has made my time in the preschool so fun and enjoyable,” Kelly said.