Two St. Martin’s Teachers Leave Lasting Legacies
Rare is the teacher who does not leave a lasting impression. Indeed, outside of parents, teachers are often the most important adults in children’s lives. Linda Joseph and Annamaria Zimmerman have touched the lives of thousands of children, parents, and staff in countless ways over the past several decades at St. Martin’s. Both these longtime educators plan to retire at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. We congratulate and thank Linda Joseph and Annamaria Zimmerman for their many years of faith, dedication, and hard work to St. Martin’s School.
Fourth grade teacher Linda Joseph has taught hundreds of St. Martin’s students over these past twenty-six years. Mrs. Joseph is the name often repeated by so many alumni as their favorite teacher. Prior to St. Martin’s, she taught at international schools in Europe and in an urban school in San Francisco, where many students were English language learners. She was excited to come to St. Martin’s because of our vibrant and diverse community. “Our families and our diversity are our strengths,” she emphasizes. She has put in great effort to infuse tolerance, kindness, and patience on to the next generation. Mrs. Joseph conscientiously encourages and models good character throughout the school day. Student after student has said that she instilled Catholic values that have carried them through high school and beyond. She says, “I expect them to be great people and to lead lives of significance.”
Mrs. Joseph is a product of Catholic schools and believes in the solid academic foundation that Catholic schools offer, such as exceptional reading and writing skills. She has a reputation for teaching strong Language Arts skills and for her ability to get the best from her students. When technology such as Smartboards, notebook computers, and internet access were introduced to the classrooms, Mrs. Joseph was inspired by these new educational capabilities and their potential impact on learning. She encourages both staff and students to share their time, talent and treasure with others. In addition to her classroom duties, she has led many clubs and edited quite a few yearbooks. In her twenty-six years, her passion and love for teaching has never diminished. We are grateful and blessed by her years of distinguished teaching and for the legacy she leaves with the lives she has touched. In her retirement, she plans to visit family and to travel with her husband.
Mrs. Zimmerman is a warm and caring educator who goes beyond her responsibilities in assisting staff and caring for children in all grades. For her first sixteen years at St. Martin’s, she worked alongside Kindergarten teacher Roxanne Moore, welcoming our youngest students as the Kindergarten aide. For the past sixteen years, Mrs. Zimmerman has teamed up with first grade teacher Susan Feudale as her aide. Her ever-present smile and abiding patience encourages her students as she works with small groups in reading and math. “When I am with my students, I give them my all,” she notes. Her duties through the years have included managing the lunchroom volunteers and the children in the Aftercare Program. Mrs. Zimmerman has been a parishioner since 1977, just two years after Fr. Americo DiNorcia became pastor. She began volunteering in the parish and school offices when her son Dan started Kindergarten at St. Martin’s. In all she does, her Catholic faith and gentle spirit provide an example for our school community.
Mrs. Zimmerman is one of the first educators to arrive at school each day and is soon busy preparing her room and the school. She is always quick to volunteer to help fill in for a teacher, to set up for special events, and to help with special projects. Mrs. Zimmerman leads our Library Club and diligently heads our SMS’s Safety Committee to ensure our school is prepared for any emergency. In earlier years, she helped with the Word Wizards Club and the school store. She is a nurturing and caring person who loves teaching children. As she prepares to preside over her “walkers’ dismissal” post for the very last time at St. Martin’s, she does so feeling grateful for the experiences she’s had and the community she’s grown to love. She says, “Although much has changed, what has stayed the same is our school mission, our commitment to faith, and our sense of community.” In her retirement, Mrs. Zimmerman hopes to spend more time traveling with her husband. We are grateful and blessed for the love Mrs. Zimmerman has lavished on innumerable children and adults in our school community these past thirty-two years.
We congratulate and thank Linda Joseph and Annamaria Zimmerman for their many years of faith, dedication, and hard work to St. Martin’s School.
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