My first memory of Joanna is at the PTA breakfast on the first day of school during my first year of teaching at Jermantown Elementary School. I was returning to teaching after being home for 13 years and I was a nervous wreck. Joanna sat across from me and we got to chatting about teaching, our family, and mainly our children. I discovered we both had 3 children—2 girls and a boy—and they were about the same age. In fact we determined that the girls had played soccer and softball together and that Joanna and I had both been Girl Scout leaders in the same big group many years previous. I was beginning to feel a lot better knowing that I was working with people with lots in common.
I was teaching 4th grade and Joanna 5th. Joanna’s class was very overcrowded and so in the middle of the year I was assigned to teach a 4/5 combo class and Joanna had to assign about 10 of her students to me. This was her chance to give me all her less desirable students—but alas, being the generous soul that she is, she gave me pretty good kids. She also took me under her wing and shared her 5th grade materials and fun activities. We spent lots of time together as I barely knew the 4th grade curriculum and now I had to learn 5th too. She was never too busy to answer my mundane questions or help me with any problem. We did the 5th grade Westward Adventure Day and had a blast. I was never so grateful to have such a great partner—more on this later.
A few years later Joanna got assigned to teach 4th grade. By now I had a few years teaching going for me so I was able to pay back and help Joanna a little with 4th grade curriculum. We spend many hours together developing the changing curriculum, writing letters to parents, listening to each others gripes, and talking about our family. Together, we survived the Magliari, Pope, Mitchell, Kane, and Hanbury administrations.
Joanna and I became friends outside of the classroom. Going to lunch, the theater, and visiting each other’s homes became a routine. I’ll never forget our fabulous trips to New York to visit Mandy—the museums, the restaurants, and the shows. One day after walking Central Park and visiting museums we were on our way to the theater when Mandy informed us that we would have to stand for this show as there were no seats. What!!!!! I hoped she was kidding. She wasn’t and we survived and enjoyed the show. The best show we saw was Swimming With Watermellons. I thought that show was hilarious and have never laughed so hard at anything. Thanks Mandy.
We watched our kids grow up, get married, give us grandchildren, and we shared and rejoiced at each event. We suffered migraine headaches together and knew we were talking to someone who really understood our pain. We consulted and consoled each other as our moms got older and laughed at the outlandish things that they sometimes did. Pauline and Frances were two of a kind and we loved them both.
When I decided to retire and move to Maryland, I told Joanna where we had bought a house and she knew exactly where it was. I hardly knew where it was and thought no one would have heard of Pasadena. Joanna explained that when she was a girl her cousin had a place across the river and she visited there often during the summer—amazing!
Now that Joanna is retiring, I am absolutely delighted—I’ll have another playmate. I’ve never been shy about calling Joanna and asking if I can bunk at her place for the night. I hope she will do the same to me now that she has more time.
I’ve known Joanna for about 22 years and consider her one of my dearest friends. She always remembers my birthday—not only the day, but exactly how old I am. How can she do that? Besides being friends, we considered each other coworkers, teammates, buddies, travelling companions, and partners—that is, until her girls told her she just had to stop calling Mrs. LeSage her partner because people would think we were gay. How funny!
Happy retirement Joanna! It’s time to relax and spend some time on yourself. You know where we are and I can’t wait to hear from you when you get back from San Fran—yes, you MUST come back.
Love,
Kathy LeSage
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