After 42 years in St. Landry Parish schools Philomena Bernard officially retires

Philomena Pitre Bernard retires this summer after working 42 years with St. Landry Parish schools.
Bernard likes to think that she lives her life and work life as one of her favorite quotes, “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” by George Washington Carver.
Bernard decided to change her major from sociology to education back in the spring of 1974 while attending Xavier University in New Orleans. She added, “I was working at St. Monica Elementary School under a work study program XU. While working with second graders, teaching them to read, I knew that I could enjoy this type of work. I felt a calling from God to work with children.”
Bernard was hired on Aug. 23, 1974, by the St. Landry Parish School board and began working as a Title I teacher aide in the Learning Center at Eunice Junior High School with eighth-graders. Her principal was Freddie Alfred. She worked there until August of 1978.
While working at Eunice Jr. High, Bernard graduated from USL. She added, “Thanks to the Career Opportunity Program offered by the School Board my tuition was paid and bus transportation was provided for evening classes.”
She performed her student teaching at Glendale Elementary School alongside first grade teacher Mike Brinkman and Principal Roger Young.
In 1978 she graduated from USL with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, certified elementary school teacher, grades 1-8, all subjects.
In August of 1978 she began her teacher career at East Elementary School under principals George Soileau and Herman Batiste. Bernard taught fifth grade for 15 years and third grade and fourth grade one year each.
Bernard graduated from LSU in Baton Rouge with a masters of education and certified as a professional school counselor in 1982.
In 1989 the schools in Eunice were re-zoned and she moved to Central Middle School along with the fifth graders. She taught fifth grade from 1989-1995 under Principal Gerald Hardy.
In January of l995 Gerald Hardy decided a counselor was necessary for the students transitioning from the four elementary schools to the middle school. Bernard moved across the hall from her classroom to her counseling office at Central Middle. She worked 21 years as a professional school counselor at Central Middle under Principals Gerald Hardy, Horace Pickney, Wendell Prudhomme, and present day princial Ranolviaun Landry.
Landry at Central Middle says she definitely will miss Bernard. She added, “During my tenure as principal at Central Middle, Philomena Bernard has served Central Middle with commitment and dedication. She constantly exhibited a love for her profession, as it was evident in the smile she wore daily. Mrs. Bernard was our ‘calm’ when we faced challenging situations as she maintained a ‘cool’ demeanor that managed to keep the students and staff calm when those difficult circumstances arose.”
Landry added, “Mrs. Bernard will truly be missed and she leaves a void that somehow will prompt us to feel that something is missing, and that something would be her calming demeanor, her cheerful attitude, and her friendly smile that children truly appreciated.”
In 2003 she began working half time at Highland Elementary under Principal Claud Rusty Moody. She also worked under Principals Lorie LeDoux and Chasity Wilson at Highland Elementary.
Bernard has worked in education as a Title-1 para-professional, certified elementary school teacher and a professional school counselor. Her entire career in education has been serving students, teachers, parents, and administrations in St. Landry Parish Schools.
Bernard duties and services included serving on the State of Louisiana Counseling Model and Standards Writing Committee, the District Assistant team, Student Assistant team, and Going Straight Program facilitator. She served on the Parish Student Uniform Committee and worked with the LA 4-H Leadership conference. At the school level Bernard served as the school building level committee chairperson, Section 504 committee chairperson, member of the PBIS committee and safety committee.
Bernard served as the School Test Coordinator for 22 years. She has sponsored science fairs and social studies fairs at the school and served as a judge for the science and social studies fairs locally, regionally and at the state level. Her summers were spent at LSU with students from the parish attending 4-H Short Course.
Education has always been very important in Bernard’s family. Her parents, Dudley, retired as a welder, and the late Ella Mae Harmon Pitre, domestic helper, of Eunice, stressed the importance of culture, “Because their parents were share croppers and they understood that education was an equalizer.”
In 2007 Bernard completed her +30 hours at UL-Lafayette. She added, “This was a goal of mine after my children had graduated from college with master degrees.”
During her career she has assisted all students in the development of a positive self-concept while acquiring the necessary personal, social, and academic skills needed for making responsible choices in their future. She understood each student is unique and met their needs through teaching, guidance and counseling. Bernard has counseled children all over the parish. Her innate ability to facilitate grief counseling became highly respected by the fellow counselors in the parish. Bernard has presented various professional development workshops for counselors and teachers.
Her vision was proactive and she was a child advocate for the students within the adult structure of the school. She says, “I just tried to save the world, one child at a time, by making a difference in their lives”. Bernard wants the work she has done to speak for her. The children will be missed because they were always number one in her book!
She feels that she learned more than she taught. “I’ve learned that life is a gift from God and what we do with it, is a gift back to God. People remember how you made them feel and in the end that’s all there is.”
Bernard has accomplished and was named to numerous honors and awards during her educational career, as well as her involvement in the community and at church. She was named Elementary Teacher of the Year, Martin Luther King Jr. Award at St. Mathilda Catholic Church, Diocese of Lafayette; St. Landry Parish School Counselor of the Year, NAUW Eunice Branch Woman of the Year.
Bernard was involved in numerous organizations; Louisiana Counselors Association, National Education Association, served as a member for 38 years, NAUW, Eunice branch charter member, a past president for 12 years, Knights of Peter Claver, Ladies Auxiliary 3rd Degree, Past Grand Lady and 4th Degree Ladies of Grace Charter member-Katherine Drexel chapter, St. Mathilda Church Altar Society, city of Eunice Zoning commission, and much more.
Now retired, Bernard will continue to enjoy public speaking, presentations, reading scripture, listening to music, flower gardening and most of all breeding Cocker Spaniels. Her dogs are registered with the American Kennel Club and the Continental Kennel Club, Inc.
She also enjoys traveling and spending time with family and she is looking forward to volunteering at church and in the community, as well.
She is the wife of Joseph Roy Bernard from Youngsville. Joseph Roy works as a Lead A-Operator for Wood Group/PSN Production Oil and Gas Company. The Bernards have been married for 42 years and are parents of two sons, Dudley Bernard (Chauntelle Merricks Bernard) of League City, Texas; and Nicodemus Bernard of Los Angeles, California. She is the grandmother of two sons.