Keeler In The Community
Farmingville 3rd Grade Teachers to Receive Award at Fall Party @ Keeler on September 29
August 31, 2018
Farmingville Elementary School 3rd grade teachers Christine Parsons, Emily Casolo and Beth Zawatski.
The 3rd grade team at Farmingville Elementary School (FES) will be honored with the Anna Keeler Award for Excellence in History and Civics Education at the Fall Party @ Keeler on Saturday, September 29. Established in 2015, the award recognizes teachers whose passion and dedication motivate students to understand how the past shapes the present and informs the future. The three teachers being honored are Christine Parsons, Emily Casolo and Beth Zawatski.
The FES 3rd grade team partnered with the museum’s education staff to develop a new full-day, curriculum-grounded program called “Early Settlement.” Utilizing the Museums’ extensive resources and collections the program teaches about Ridgefield’s early days, including the use of maps and 18th century ledgers to understand basic principles of geography and economics, respectively, by engaging students in interdisciplinary learning.
“We’re proud and honored to be this year’s recipient of the Anna Keeler Award,” said Emily Casolo on behalf of her colleagues. “We’ve never had a museum ask what they could do for us! The Keeler Tavern education team was so open-minded. They were positive risk takers, like us—focused on what was best for our students. We are so appreciative of their willingness to dive into something totally unfamiliar and meet the needs of our new Integrated Studies curriculum. It all came together to create this inspiring experience for our curious learners.”
Adds Principal Susan Gately, “The positive response from the Keeler Tavern education team and the depth of their knowledge and resources allowed our Farmingville Grade 3 teacher team to open a whole new and authentic avenue of learning for our students.”
According to Melissa Houston, KTM&HC Director of Education, the Early Settlement program was a success because of the active participation of the teachers. “The teachers were willing to try new ideas and to fully engage in hands-on learning. We truly appreciate how they welcomed us into their curriculum!”
The award is named after Anna Keeler, the youngest daughter of Timothy and Esther Keeler who famously operated Keeler Tavern during the Revolution. Anna Keeler owned the property in the 19th century and ran it together with her husband Abijah Resseguie as the “Resseguie Hotel.” As a young woman Anna taught at Whipstick School where she was paid ten shillings a week. Anna would also insist on teaching her Irish immigrant maids reading and writing. Anna Keeler spent all her life in Ridgefield and lived to be 75 years old; her portrait hangs in the Resseguie Dining Room together with that of her husband.
In its inaugural year, the Fall Party @ Keeler benefits KTM&HC’s Education Initiative. All proceeds from the event support the Museum’s school programs, which provide students from Ridgefield and area schools with immersive learning experiences in three-centuries of history and civics. The Fall Party @ Keeler will play out across the beautifully lit historic campus with hors d’oeuvres and a dinner buffet by Sarah Bouïssou Catering in the Garden House and tented garden, cocktails and spirits by Litchfield Distillery in the Tavern, live music by Cold Weather Company, the roaming magic of Tom Pesce, games and beer by Nod Hill Brewery in the Barn, as well as many exciting live auction and raffle items.
Tickets are $145 per person; educators pay $125 per person. Multiple sponsorship opportunities are available. Tickets, sponsorships and VIP parking passes may be purchase online at keelertavernmuseum.org, or by calling the business office at 203-438-5485. Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center is located at 132 Main Street, in Ridgefield, CT.