Redding Resident of the Week: Rachel Amerosio

Name: Rachel Amerosio

Age: 38

Occupation: Director, Owner and Teacher at .

Tell us a little about yourself:

I grew up in Easton and I am the oldest of four children. I have one sister and two brothers. My parents still live in Easton. I went to Boston College where I recieved two Bachelors degrees. One was a B.A. in political science and the other was a B.A. in elementary education. I recieved my master's degree in curriculum and instruction at Fairfield University. During and after my master's program I was teaching fifth-grade in Wilton and then in Newtown.

What is your family life like?

I have three children. Brooke is 4-years-old, Matthew is 9-years-old and Nicholas is 7-years-old. My husband's name is Kevin. He is a landscape architect.

How long have you lived and worked in Redding?

I've lived here since 2003, so eight-and-one-half years. I took over Redding Montessori School as the director in 2009.

What made you decide to become the director of Redding Montessori School?

My former teaching experience, my kids were getting a little older and the fact that my son went there. I didn't want to see the community lose that school. The former director was moving out of state and that's when I jumped on board.

What has changed since you stepped into your new position?

Before the school only had a pre-school program. I've added a toddlers' program that they didn't have before. I wanted it to be there for parents who wanted somewhere for their 2-year-olds to go during the day.

How has the school been active in the community?

We do community charity projects twice a year. We will be part of a fair that will be going on the day of September 24. We have donated aucton baskets to the Frog Frolic in town as well. If anyone is ever interested in volunteering for these events, they can call 203-938-9346. They can also go to montessorischoolofredding.com. Our site is being totally revamped by , but we are keeping the old site up until then.

What keeps you here?

We came here because I actually grew up in Easton—my husband grew up in Redding. I went to and we liked the school system in Redding. We like the privacy we get and there is also a great community of people. The town also comes with a small town feel and we like that.

What is your favorite aspect of Redding?

I love the hiking trails and the . I really like the small town feel of Redding. It's hard to pinpoint one thing.

What is your best memory in Redding?

Community events such as watching my kids march in the . My daughter, Brooke, marches with the Montessori School and my two boys, Nicholas and Matthew march with sports teams.

What do you do for fun in Redding?

We go hiking a lot. We walk our dog around Redding—he is a chow mix. We do a lot of outdoor activities like tennis.