Meet the Teachers
August 30, 2022 | Bridget O'Dowd
This blog will keep you informed about happenings in the classroom, Studio, and other curricular areas in the kindergarten. We would like to introduce ourselves here. We are all so excited to get to know you and your children. We hope to make this kindergarten year a memorable time for all of us!
Bridget O’Dowd
Teacher, Kindergarten
Lower School Faculty: Teacher, Kindergarten
Education: St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN
This is Ms. O’Dowd’s sixth year in kindergarten at Mustard Seed. Having taught kindergarten in Illinois before moving to New Jersey, Ms. O’Dowd has a passion for teaching five and six year olds. She’s delighted to be a part of the kindergarten team and loves to read and share stories with students. Her favorite moment of the day is during a good read aloud, when she sees the faces of children showing empathy and emotion in response to the story. Ms. O’Dowd’s hobbies include hanging out with her husband, cooking, catching up on tv shows, and traveling to visit family. Email: [email protected]
Dorota Chester
Assistant Teacher, Kinderarten
Preschool Faculty: Assistant Teacher, Kindergarten
Education: University of Warsaw
Dorota Chester has been a member of the Mustard Seed School community for almost two decades, first as a parent and volunteer and then a staff member. Her love for education started when she was a child in Poland and participated in the national scout organization, in which she quickly gained a leadership position. After pursuing an education degree over 30 years ago, she taught children from first to third grades.
When she moved to the United States, Ms. Chester’s passion for teaching continued. She taught at a Polish supplementary school during the week and on Sundays taught religion classes at a local church. When her first son attended Mustard Seed, she saw the passion of the staff and joined them as a volunteer for the many years that her three sons were students. In 2011, the opportunity arose for her to become a full time teacher at Mustard Seed and she jumped at the chance.
During her time off, Ms. Chester can be found at the beach, swimming, and biking. She enjoys sports and spent many years shuttling her boys to sports practices and games. She loves to cook, especially stuffed cabbage, pierogies, and cucumber soup.
Email: [email protected]
We so look forward to getting to know you and your children this year. We pray for much grace and peace in this season of new beginnings and transitions.
