When Courtney Perry’s three children came through Mrs. DeNisi’s Kindergarten classroom, she quickly discovered that the lessons didn’t end when the school day did. Mrs. DeNisi had a way of finding learning opportunities in the most ordinary moments, whether asking one child to carry her own tote bag, another to fold laundry, or another to try doing the dishes. Courtney wondered about the value of folding laundry and Mrs. DeNisi simply replied, “Folding teaches fractions.” As Courtney and many others shared at the Barbara DeNisi Legacy Celebration in the spring of 2026, Mrs. DeNisi “found a lesson in every corner of our lives.”
That reach is part of what makes Mrs. DeNisi’s legacy so remarkable. More than 1,000 children passed through her Kindergarten classroom over five decades, many returning years later as parents to place their own children in her care. At the celebration which drew more than 300 current and former families, colleagues and friends, speakers described how she made children feel safe and seen, and how those lessons stayed with them long after Kindergarten. Head of School Dr. Sarah Colmaire, herself a former DeNisi student, called her the “steady hand at the start of over a thousand journeys.”
For Mrs. DeNisi, the significance of Kindergarten has always been clear. In a recent interview, she described it as “the hinge of a doorway”–the moment when children begin moving from the wonder of early childhood into a more focused academic experience. “Once you learn to read, the world is completely different,” she said. Her approach was grounded in giving children room to discover who they are. She believes in building confidence through praise, and making sure every child knows they are cared for and supported.
That same belief in opening doors now lives on through the Barbara DeNisi Legacy Fund. Created at Mrs. DeNisi’s request, the fund has a $1.7 million goal and will provide tuition assistance to help ensure that financial barriers do not prevent a child from becoming part of the Berkeley Hall community. At the celebration, more than $250,000 had already been raised. For Mrs. DeNisi, the fund is deeply personal: “Four children in our family were able to come here because of help from donations.” Her hope is that the opportunity she helped create for generations of children will remain open for many more to come.
For more than 50 years, Mrs. DeNisi has introduced families to the unlimited possibilities of a Berkeley Hall education. We are deeply grateful for all she has given our community and for the lasting legacy she is creating.