Jean Bressor
Brewster Pierce
“Jean Bressor, our pre-school teacher at the Brewster Pierce elementary school, is clearly the epitome of a rock star,” said Heather Fergerson, one of Bressor’s colleagues. “Jean has worked at Brewster-Pierce for 22 years and is truly the root of why our school’s culture supports being active and healthy. Just about every day when I am driving out of the parking lot, there is Jean going on a walk with whomever will join her. I always give her a wave and a smile as I drive away and think, next time I will bring my sneakers so I can walk with Jean. She is an inspiration to all of us and is regularly seen walking around Richmond, her hometown, on weekends, before school and in the evenings. That means if I am seeing her, the students are also seeing her.” According to Bressor, she strives to walk between 20 to 30,000 steps each day and serves as the Co-chair of the Richmond Town Trails Program.
“I can always count on Jean to be super involved in the VEHI PATH program, making my job as the building wellness leader much easier,” Fergerson said. “Every year she excels in the Community Keeping Fit Program. She inspired me to start doing it a few years ago. She serves on our school’s wellness committee providing a slew of terrific ideas about how to help our staff stay healthy. Jean is helping me to turn her great habit of walking every day after school into The BPMS Fitness Club. She will choose and outdoor activity every week and whomever wants to participate can join her.”
“Jean is also an incredibly healthy eater,” said Fergerson. “She models eating healthy foods with the preschoolers daily, munching on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. She has set a large goal for herself this year - cutting all processed sugars out of her diet.”
“Jean revels in staying up-to-date with her teaching practices and is constantly taking classes and reading articles, some of which she shares with us at staff meetings,” Fergerson said. “It is so fun to learn what Jean is teaching her class as it changes from year to year. She has instituted outdoor days most of the time, regardless of the weather. Her students have lots of opportunities to breathe fresh air, be curious about nature and get exercise.”
