Mr. Fonicello Is The Reason Ashlie Forsberg Is A Teacher Today

Submitted by Branford resident and New Haven elementary school teacher, Ashlie Forsberg

"My early years of school, K-3, were really tough on me. I was an only child who didn’t want to miss a beat. I always wanted to be around my parents and the ones I loved. I remember every night of school having such bad anxiety I would feel sick to my stomach. I made it hard on my mom, who would have to watch me cry every morning when I got on the bus. All of this happened almost every day until 4th grade.

This is where the real story starts. My fourth grade teacher was Mr. Fonicello at Mary T. Murphy in Branford, CT. This is when the night anxiety and the morning's crying came to an end. Mr. Fonicello made me love school, a place I finally felt comfortable and looked forward to going to. When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up from 4th grade on, my response was always, “a teacher.” I don’t know if Mr. Fonicello really knew the positive influence he had on me, that is…. Until today.

We have never lost contact. When I was in his class, I volunteered at the Branford Animal Shelter. He had a tough loss of his dog that him and his wife had at the time. I went into school on a Monday and told him about a new puppy that I fell in love with that past Sunday that I thought he would also love. He fell in love with her, put an application in and ended up getting her, naming her “Gracie Ashlie Fonicello.” I made sure to check up on her until she unfortunately passed away.

I got a phone call from Mr. Fonicello a few weeks ago. He told me he was retiring this year, and would love to donate all his 4th grade materials to my classroom, my 4th grade classroom. Today I picked up these materials from Mr. Fonicello and told him the influence he had on me, that he is the reason I am a teacher today."

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