Emily Zerega

Emily began at Five Mile River Nursery School as a substitute teacher and worked on Friday afternoons for lunch and enrichment during the 21/22 school year. With the pandemic making absences frequent, Emily became familiar with the teachers, their classrooms and the students.

Emily started her career as an assistant teacher in special education, after graduating from Denison University ‘93, as a religion major. She worked in The Clearview School, Rye Neck Schools and Mamaroneck Public Schools, assisting in kindergarten, and grades 1, 2, 4, and 5, with specialized instruction. Emily gained experience in special education and general education, while completing a M.S. in Elementary Education (N-6) from Hunter College. 

Emily found her way to the Putnam Indian Field School in Greenwich, CT, where she worked for 14 years. She co-taught in the Pre- K, 3’s, and toddler classes, while participating in skating, after-hours, and enrichment programs. During this time Emily married and had three children,  moving to Norwalk in 2003 to be close to family in Rowayton. Emily attended ECE classes at NCC, before leaving PIFS to work on a CT teacher certification.  She spent the next few years as a permanent substitute in the Norwalk Public Schools, as a 3’s teacher at United Methodist Preschool, and as a caregiver to her in-laws.  During the pandemic she worked as a NPS homebound educator in special education, and as a private tutor.  

On Sundays, Emily works as the infant/toddler caregiver at UCR. Her children, Holden, Eva and Paxton will be attending colleges and boarding school,  leaving Emily and Justin, her husband,  an administrator/teacher in special education at NHS, with an empty nest. Emily is excited to bring her passion for ECE to the two’s classroom and the FMRNS community.