History

2024
Mrs. Angelita J. Kingston becomes St. Bridget School's new principal in July.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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On May 4, 2020, Dr. Nancy Testa began her tenure as Principal. The school returned from the Covid 19 shut down in September of 2020. Families were offered the option of in person or remote learning for their students. The school was open all 180 school days. Also in 2020 with a generous grant from the John G. Martin Foundation St. Bridget School was able to replace SmartBoards with state of the art boards. The 2021-2022 school year brought an addition to our school when the computer lab was converted into a newly designed Makerspace to enrich STEM education. A third grant from the Hoffman Foundation was received in 2021 which was used for a complete renovation of the HVAC system in the lower wing.
During the summer of 2023, a second PreK-3 classroom was added. In order to accommodate this addition to the lower wing, the Makerspace was moved to a location near the dining hall. A school counselor position was added starting in the fall of 2023. Dr. Testa led the school until June 30, 2024.
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The newly appointed principal, Mrs. Angelita Kingston, began her tenure as principal on July 1, 2024. In the summer of 2024, the school acquired a weather station with a generous gift made in memory of Mr. Frank Loehmann from the John G. Martin Foundation. Through teacher instruction using the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, students will have the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment.
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The 2024-2025 school year is the 30th year of the school.
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St. Bridget School continues to strive for excellence while attending to the spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of our students.