Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12

Karen Lacourciere Bertoni 1980 Reflects on Hamden Hall

Jodi Amatulli
Karen Lacourciere Bertoni, Class of 1980, recently shared some reflections upon her time at Hamden Hall. She writes, “I haven't updated in awhile, life is too busy, and we have to remind ourselves to slow down. I still see my experience at Hamden Hall as my turning point in my life, opening all paths to my future. It allowed me to be myself, feel special, and learn self-awareness to whom I was as a person and what I could offer to the world. It allowed me acceptance into all the prospective colleges of my choice, which is an amazing feat as I recently saw my transcripts and wondered—how did I manage to get into all those great schools? I became an educator and certified teacher from Wheelock College in Boston, Mass.—the next best four years of my life (except for the years raising my girls). I have two wonderful, funny witted, intelligent daughters, Erica who is 30 and living in Providence, R.I., and my youngest Angelina, who is 19 and living at home with me, in Cheshire, Conn., where I grew up. I worked in many types of helping professions and just this year, I continue to start new endeavors helping others as a job coach, assisting adults with disabilities. I grew in my confidence, maturity, and with a better understanding of myself, my strengths, and what I wanted out of life, mostly during my four years at Hamden Hall. I have wonderful memories and feelings of gratitude to all of the special and unique teachers and staff with whom I had the pleasure of working, and with all the great friendships I made. No bullying, stereotypes, or cliques—just the feeling of being safe and happy. It's not a time in your life that you can turn over to just anyone—they have to care about you from day one until the end, and that is exactly what Hamden Hall did and still strives for in 2019. Thank you Martha Venter, Dr. Beitch, Mr. Russell, Ms. Spivack, the Dolvens (and many, many more) for helping make me the person I am today. Great memories, great people, and a time of my life I will always cherish and that always leaves me with a warm heart and grin on my face. Hamden Hall was the key to my successes! 
 
 
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Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.