A Tribute to Teachers • Women’s History Month
“No, I cannot forget from where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be”
John Mellencamp, Small Town, 1985
The song Small Town was released in the fall of my senior year at Provincetown High School, and it says so much about all that was our small-town High School. Hard to believe it is 40 years since its release. As I think about Women’s History Month, I want to celebrate some educators who had an impact on me, and I know countless others.
Many of us started at Aunt Franny’s an incredible preschool on Brewster Street. We trekked to Race Point and Hatches Harbor in the back of Uncle Wells’ International Scout (boy I hope I got that vehicle correctly). No seatbelts! Fran Wells was the beginning of my educational experience in Provincetown. I was ready to move on, Provincetown Elementary here’s hoping you were ready for the Class of 1986 entering kindergarten.
Provincetown Elementary School was at the old Parish School as it is still referred to today in some circles. As we are talking Women’s History Month I am going to focus on those teachers. Karen Labelle was one of the first teachers I met at PES, she was an aide, and she was beautiful. Thinking about her today, she had an incredible sense of fashion, and she was incredibly loving.
In first grade, we were divided between Mrs. Beck and Sister Eileen. I had Sister Eileen, and we learned what were the basics for all our learning after that. I was fascinated with houses as a kid, I drew them all the time. One day we had Judy Polay (a lovely woman by the way) as a substitute, she told us to draw a picture of something that started with an “A”, I drew a house, she came over and asked me what I had drawn and did I understand the assignment (obviously using a smaller word). I told her yes and said it is an A-Frame, HA!
Now Mary Beck is a legend in Provincetown (at least in my mind). Mary taught school starting in the early 70s, took time off to have a few wonderful kids and then returned to the classroom. I had the opportunity to work with her when I was on the school committee and she taught my little Angel, Stephanie in first grade. Mary is a teacher through and through, she like so many of us was born in this small town, and she gave back to this small town, time and time again. FYI she is married to another great teacher, Mr. Beck, my high school IPS teacher and my driver’s ed teacher (he did his best with me on both subjects, it was tough).
Third grade was Mrs. Cordeiro, followed in fourth by Mrs. Eastman, I have great memories of each year. The school principal at the time was Jackie Parks, who really was a trailblazer, I don’t know how many female principals there were on Cape Cod in 1973 – 1977. Guarding the front door and keeping it all together was Mrs. Tasha, who even to this day is still Mrs. Tasha (I know she has a first name but still Mrs. Tasha). She cared for so many kids over her career at Provincetown Schools. We had music with Linda Squire, art with Jane Rowe (I have a few of her beautiful woodblock prints), and P.E. with Miss Bazikas!
On to Middle School we went, in 5h grade, I ran for Student Council Treasurer. I did not know how to campaign and certainly did not expect to win, but our guidance counselor Megan Fates helped me with it. I did win the election and I grateful to her to this day for her help and support on that and so many other things over the years. And of course, the woman by the woman was Sallie Tighe, who worked for many years in special needs and guidance.
We had Mrs. Perry in 6th grade, she had been teaching since 1956 and was still going, dealing with a bunch of overactive 11-year-olds. But we learned so much, our big topic that year was on whales and the whaling industry which was a huge part of the Massachusetts economy.
A class of about 26 that grew to 65 when Truro joined us in 7th grade. The first year you switched classes every period. It will come as a surprise to you that I loved math, and no one inspired me more than Mrs. Abbott, I looked forward to her surprise math quizzes! Miss Day taught us Social Studies and Mrs. Gloria Burhoe was our English teacher. I have said it before and I continue to say, Mrs. Burhoe instilled in me the love of reading great books. The importance of always having a good book by your side. Right now, I have two books that I am reading, and think of her every time I choose a new one. So, thank you Mrs. B! We had electives that year Miss Palen, and I still use some of her recipes for chewy bars and O’Henry’s! We had Mrs. Fox for art, I was certainly not an artist but learned to appreciate it.
High School, now we were important, or so we thought. We had Miss Ciliberto for algebra and geometry. Lessons learned stay with me. We had Madame Powers for English and French. Madame was larger than life and I remained in contact with her up until her passing. Mrs. McMahon was one of our PE teachers and she taught us health. I thought for many years about becoming a health educator because of Mrs. McMahon but once I got to college those thoughts changed. She was wonderful. I know I am missing others some that I had as a teacher and some folks who taught but I was never fortunate enough to be in their classrooms Miss Waugh, Senorita Avellar, Helen Motto, Mrs. Longgood, Mrs. Kolz, Mrs. Losordo, Linnie DiBenedetto, Mrs. Pozgay and oh so many.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention Mrs. Patricia Sawyer, Mrs. Nancy Edwards, Mrs. Macara, Mrs. Oliver (our school lunch lady in middle school, man could she cook!), and Mrs. Enos (she was so cool with her Mazda RX-7). While this has been about my time in Provincetown, I do want to shout out to my sister Jane, sister-in-law Susan, and Alberta DeRiggs – all incredible teachers.
In the 90s I had a chance to give back to the school by serving on the School Committee. What an incredible experience that was, working alongside some of these amazing teachers and hearing what their needs were and what we could do to make it better. We had a school committee of incredible women Susan Stinson, Madeline Miller, Anna Avellar, Nancy Stefani, Nancy McNulty, and Lois Borgesi. During my time, Provincetown hired the first female superintendent, Susan Fleming, who had been the high school principal (I believe she was the first female high school principal in Provincetown), we had Alma Welsh and Betty White working in the office.
What I learned over all these years is that these women and countless women before them and countless since, are incredible role models and incredible teachers. They don’t go into it for the money, certainly not for the glory! When one says it takes a village, it really does, and Provincetown was lucky enough to have incredible women who were willing to invest their time and talent to provide us all with an outstanding education (In my humble opinion).
As education in America is under attack, I want to take this moment to thank the teachers mentioned but also sing praises to those not mentioned who labor away day after day, doing the hard work and not always getting the recognition they deserve. So, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, celebrate the teacher who made a difference in your life.
“Well, I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Probably die in a small town
Oh, those small communities”
John Mellencamp, Small Town, 1985
Several years ago, Cape Cod Children’s Place established a teacher’s tree, you can donate $100.00 and have a favorite teacher of yours recognized. Visit https://capecodchildrensplace.com/donate/
Written by Steven Roderick