JoannaTheTeacher
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
From Ann Gribble
Joanna you and I go way back. Our friendship started in Greenbriar where we would spend many hot summer afternoons over at the pool solving one problem after another. Our girls played softball together and were together at Greenbriar East, Rocky Run and then those final four years at Chantilly High. All those fabulous memories will be considered the "GOOD OLD DAYS" for me. As the kids grew older we saw less of each other until one you came to Jermantown and it was good to see a face from my past come back into my life. We were able to pick up right where we left off.
You always taught the BIG kids and I taught the LITTLE kids. You were usually upstairs and I was downstairs. When I think of you at Jermantown I remember how you never had time to eat your lunch. At the end of the day your lunch was on your desk and very little of it was still edible. One would think you might be rushing home after school for a snack but that was not the case. You were always there to help the custodians lock up the school. I thought I spent a lot of hours at Jermantown but I am sure in my 31 years of teaching I never put in the hours that you did. You would have to love what you were doing to put those hours in. I am sure there are many kids out there that -if not now-will at some time appreciate what you did for them. Be proud of the job that you have done !!!!
But now you are entering a part of your life that is even better.........RETIREMENT.......Retirement means:
---you are not tired ALL the time
---you get to finish your lunch everyday
---you can relax at a red light because you are no longer in a hurry
But the best part is that those three granddaughters will now have a full time grandmother to enjoy and spoil them.
Enjoy your retirement---My mom, who was a 4th grade teacher, always said she never met an unhappy retired teacher. I am sure that you would not want to prove her wrong.
Ann Gribble
From Mary Purdy
When Joanna came to Jermantown, she had so many fresh ideas to make learning come alive for the kids. My son Matthew was in 4th grade at the time, and I went to Lynne Pope and requested that he be placed in your mom's class for fifth grade. To this day he remembers it - more than anything, the "Westward Expansion" unit. Your mom will recall all the details of the project, but Matt's little family encampment on the "prairie" behind the school won "best set-up", or something. (Bob had taught Matt the night before how to set up posts and a rope to form the basis for their tent.) They arrived on the "prairie" after having crossed over the challenging "mountains" and gone through the gap -- otherwise known as the "back stairwell". They wore era-appropriate clothing and carried only the necessities - the family bible, cast-iron skillet and a stuffed animal!
What great memories of the good ole days at Jermantown (pre-SOL's).
Thanks so much Joanna!
All the best.
Mary Purdy
From Lia Denson
I am so pleased to be ble to be part of another milestone in your life Joanna. Retirement is a posititve step. I hope you will enjoy every minute of it.
You will wonder how you ever had time to work, once you get into enjoying all the extra travel, reading, babysitting, meeting with friends, visiting museums, and all the other additional activities that are out there.
You, Ann, Kathy and I have had some wonderful experiences, and some sad moments, together. Now that we are all retired, we can plan to do some fun things together.
Happy retirement Joanna,
Lia