Karon Charbonneau
by Amber Olbrot
Little children bring such joy and happiness to the Child Care Class at KACC. Their love, smiles, and zest to learn also brings joy to Karon Charbonneau, lovingly referred to as "Miss. Karon" by the children in the Child Care Lab.
Miss Karon has such a passion for children. In high school, she had a lot of baby-sitting jobs and was involved in 4-H clubs in order to be around children. After graduating from high school, Ms. Charbonneau went on to college and received her CNA (Certified Nurse's Aide). Pretty soon, she was living the life she wanted ... helping and teaching our youth.
For a number of years, Ms. Charbonneau taught at various preschools, including the Fortin Villa. She has served both as teacher and as an Assistant Director and Consultant. From this interview, I'm pretty sure no matter where Ms. Charbonneau has been, she was having a fantastic time being around children while helping them develop.
For the past 9 years, Ms. Charbonneau has been teaching the Child Development/Play school Curriculum. The best quality she sees in her students is the creativity they show. This is very handy if you want to teach while at the same time entertaining the children.
Every year, Miss Karon allows her students a chance to paint a window in the play school lab. First year students have the objective to illustrate an ABC book for the children to enjoy. Second year students have the objective to design a number book for the children to play with.
One of Miss. Charbonneau's most memorable moments in the class involves a young boy by the name Jeffery. Jeffery had downs syndrome. He really touched Miss Karon's heart. He loved to roller blade and go bowling. "To be human is to accept one another, no more no less." Jeffery will always remain in Mrs. Charbonneau's heart forever.
At the moment, Miss. Charbonneau is adding a new chapter to her career; being an author of children's books. For the past three years, Mrs. Charbonneau has been working on books which have not yet been published . Miss Karon has even tried to start a television show. All of these new projects are designed to teach kids colors, numbers, and many other facts they should know.
Teaching at KACC allows Miss Karon an opportunity to continue working with preschool children while assisting area high school students in learning how to organize, teach, and create a fun learning environment for preschoolers. Some students may open their own daycare centers and some, may just be a more confident parent when the time arrives. Either way Miss Karon's efforts certainly paid off.
