After a combined 43 years of service to St. Agnes School in
Arlington, preschool teacher Kathy Brown and preschool aide
Bonnie Beringer are retiring at the end of this school year.
To honor the two women, St. Agnes faculty and staff, parents,
and students held a special schoolwide assembly last Friday
morning. The assembly began with a blessing by Father Lee
Roos, pastor, and a welcome by Principal Kris Carr.
“We’re all different people because (Brown and Beringer) have
been with us for so long,” said Carr. “They’ve taught us all
valuable lessons.”
Guest speakers included former St. Agnes student Kyle
Forrester, parent Maureen Hodges and Ian Handerhan, a teacher
and St. Agnes alumnus. Each speaker talked about his or her
experiences with both Brown and Berringer, what they learned
from them and what they will miss.
“For as long as I can remember, (Brown and Beringer) helped
make this school a wonderful place to grow, play and excel,”
Forrester said.
After the speeches, students in each grade took turns
honoring the two women with poems, songs, drawings, dances,
bouquets of flowers and plenty of hugs.
At the end of the assembly, Brown, who has taught preschool
at St. Agnes for 25 years, stood up to thank everyone for
their great show of love, and called her time at St. Agnes “a
wonderful life.”
Brown said the highlight of her teaching career has been
spending every day with children and learning how to see the
world through their eyes. She especially enjoyed learning
about the wonders of science and the Faith and watching
children grow and develop through play.
“The highlight of my teaching career has always been the
children … and the playing,” Brown said. “Young
children learn everything they need to know through their
play. … They learn to work together, to respect each
other’s ideas, and to increase their understanding within a
safe environment.”
Beringer has been working at the school as an aide and
substitute teacher for 18 years. For the past 11 years, she
worked as Brown’s preschool aide. She calls Brown a “mentor
and very dear friend.”
“(Brown) is a master of her trade and has taught me so much
about early childhood development. No one knows more about
the importance of learning through play, fostering childhood
social skills, and how best to equip 4-year-olds with the
right tools to eventually become successful elementary,
middle- and high school students,” Beringer said. “Great
teachers are so important in the lives of children, and,
simply put, Mrs. Brown is one of the very best.”
Beringer said she will miss spending time with the children
and witnessing their excitement and wonder at the world.
“They’ve given me so much, but if I had to choose something
specific, it would be a better appreciation for everything
around me, each and every day,” she said. “My curious young
students see the world with such awe and genuine excitement
and it’s hard for that sense of wonder and limitless
possibility not to rub off over the years.”
