BERNARDSTON — Bernardston Elementary School teachers, parents and their children gathered by the school playground for lemonade and cookies during a meet and greet with the new principal Wednesday evening.
Families arrived around 6 p.m. to have a snack and chat with Kelly Carriere, who was hired as Bernardston Elementary’s new principal under a one-year contract, with the possibility of extension.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “I’m so excited to be here.”
Now that Pearl Rhodes Elementary School has closed, students from Leyden will be attending Bernardston Elementary starting this fall. Carriere recalled growing up in Southampton, which closed part of its elementary school due to declining enrollment.
“I’m a small-town girl at heart,” Carriere said. “I can appreciate what people have gone through with that.”
Carriere said that her first priority and biggest concern is making sure the students and teachers who are new to the school feel welcome and transition seamlessly when the school year begins on Aug. 28.
“Whether you’re from Bernardston or coming in from Leyden, I want everyone to feel like this is their home,” Carriere said.
Before being hired at Bernardston, she ran Community House, a residential day school in Brattleboro, Vt. “for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.” Carriere earned both her master’s degree and doctorate in special education.
Additionally, Carriere has worked as an adjunct faculty member in special education law at Mount Holyoke College, and headed up Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings to craft plans for school services.
“She’s going to be a great fit for the school,” Superintendent Jonathan Scagel said. “I think the students and their families are going to be very happy.”
Zack DeLuca can be reached a zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 264.