BRATTLEBORO — On Friday, Oct. 21, Windham Child Care Association will present its first Award for Exemplary Service in Early Childhood Education to two retiring educators: Peggy Frehsee and Mary Copans, both of Brattleboro.
Both Frehsee and Copans have made incredible contributions to early care and education in our community, and their commitment to our community's children has spanned decades.
Frehsee has been working in early childhood education in Windham County since her grown sons, Cory and Robin, were young children. A familiar face with the local Essential Early Education (EEE) program for almost 20 years, she started her career with children working as an elementary school teacher in New York and at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.
Upon moving to Vermont in the early 1980s, Frehsee joined the Brattleboro Child Development (BCD) board and later served on the Family Garden board. Now a grandmother to Montana, Emerson, Eliza, and Keeler, she retired from her position at EEE earlier this year.
Copans was at the helm of Brattleboro Nursery School for more than 30 years before she retired this spring. After joining the pre-school when Babs Elwell was the director and her youngest child, Ben, was in his second year, Copans spent many years enjoying the freedom and creativity of overseeing the program.
While maple sugaring and pumpkin-planting adventures were among Copans' favorites, she also was proud of her involvement with organizing early educators to start contracting with the local school district, which required her to obtain her teaching license. Now, in her first months of retirement, she is enjoying travelling, riding her horse, and spending time with her five grandchildren.
Windham Child Care Association will present this award annually to qualifying person(s) who have worked in the field of early childhood education in Windham County. The purpose of this award is to honor contributions to excellence in early childhood education in Windham County, and recognize long-term commitments to the field, at the time of educator(s) retirement.
This year's award will be presented at the agency's first Fall Into Art benefit at the River Garden on Friday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. For more information about the event or the award, call 802-254-5332 or go to www.windhamchildcare.org.