History
In 1994, Saint Bridget Church Co-Pastors Rev. James Gunnoud and Rev. Brian Monnerat planned thoroughly and worked tirelessly with a group of parishioners to establish an elementary school in the same building that once housed a Catholic junior high-school. St. Bridget School opened on August 30, 1994 as the only parochial school in the town of Cheshire, Connecticut offering programs for pre-kindergarten, full-day kindergarten and first grade. Mrs. Sharon Derr served as Principal.
The plan, approved by the Archdiocese of Hartford, provided for the growth of the school by one grade each year until children in pre-kindergarten through grade eight would be served. The school was dedicated to being an educational facility which was and would continue to be Christ-centered and modeled on Christian principles and values functioning with the larger scope of the Saint Bridget Catholic Church community.
All went according to plan and on the opening day of the 1997-1998 school year, the 10 classrooms in the original school wing were full. So on March 3, 1998, Archbishop Daniel Cronin presided at the ground-breaking ceremony for a new 12-classroom wing, which was needed in order to provide for the school’s growth through eighth grade. On August 28, 1998, the Certificate of Occupancy was delivered, and the new wing, which houses the primary grade classrooms and computer labs, opened for the new school year. On November 1, 1998, the dedication of the new wing was celebrated by Bishop Christie Macaluso. Before students returned for the 2021-2022 school year, the computer lab was converted into a newly designed MakerSpace.
Full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) was awarded to St. Bridget School in the fall of 1999. The first eighth grade graduation ceremony took place in 2002. After 8 years of service, Mrs. Sharon Derr retired and Mrs. Susan Tarrant, a teacher at the school since its opening, became the new Principal. Since its opening, the school has flourished and enrollment has grown. In April of 2005, Archbishop Henry Mansell presided at the groundbreaking of Phase I of a three-phase capital improvement plan. Phase I was a 2,200 square foot addition to the library and school office which was completed in the fall of 2005. The second phase of the plan provided many building improvements and repairs, including a new roof for the original wing.
In 2005, Rev. Robert Ricciardi became the new Pastor of Saint Bridget Church. In 2007, we wished Mrs. Susan Tarrant Godspeed as she began her new ministry and welcomed Mrs. Margaret Whalen, formerly the Assistant Principal, as the new Principal. That same year, a second Pre-K class was offered, due to the increased enrollment in the Early Childhood Program. In the fall of 2008, Phase III of the improvement plan had begun. This part of the plan called for upgrades to the gym including new bleachers, art and music classrooms, a kitchen, a cafeteria/meeting room, and two offices as well as a baseball/softball and soccer field behind the school.
On May 17, 2014 the Rev. Jeffrey V. Romans was appointed as our new Pastor by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, Archdiocese of Hartford. Under the leadership of Father Romans we have seen an increased focus on enrollment and facilities, as well as an enhancement to our technology infrastructure. Father Romans is committed to ensuring we have the most up-to-date facilities and technology available to assist us in our mission. Since Mrs. Margaret Whalen's retirement in June 2014, Mrs. Jennifer Furlong was appointed as Principal of St. Bridget School. In the spring of 2019, Mrs. Catherine Szerszen was appointed to serve as Principal, however due to health issues the St. Bridget School community wished her well with a heavy heart in the fall of 2019. Mrs. Marilú Rochefort, who served as Assistant Principal was appointed as Interim Principal until the spring of 2020. On May 4, 2020, Dr. Nancy Testa began her tenure as Principal.