Saturday, January 23, 2021
It is with a most heavy heart that I read of the passing of Joanne. As a fellow and former Peabody Public School employee,
I held her in deep respect and great admiration. It was back in the fall of 2008 that I accepted the assistant principal position at the South Elementary School in Peabody where I first encountered Joanne and the Passos Avante Preschool Program. I was just finishing seven long years in a doctoral program and most coincidently my qualitative research dissertation was in early childhood education. I was immediately placed in awe when I first observed the Passos Avante Early Childhood Program. The South School at that time was years ahead of most schools in the state in the model, interventions and outreach methods they used. The classrooms were overflowing with all kinds of early learning materials and they implemented an academic curriculum. They were the hallmark of what an Early Childhood Program was supposed to be and without question one of the finest preschools around.
When I became principal of the West School I asked Joanne if she would expand her program into the West which she did with much aplomb, enthusiasm, attention to detail and hard work; along with the wonderful support of the entire West School Staff.
Many of her preschool graduates have demonstrated strong academic backgrounds and would enter kindergarten with already emerging reading and writing skills not to mention all of the many other skills needed to be successful in school. Her early intervention efforts with children that had undiagnosed special needs was significant. Joanne had very high standards and her staff were always the best and the brightest.
There is a special place in heaven reserved for those who unselfishly choose to work with and serve our greatest treasure; our children. Again my heart is heavy and I will always remember Joanne as a zealous advocate and tireless worker that was way ahead of her time in helping hundreds of our youngest learners become successful in school and in life. May God Bless Joanne and her selfless life of giving. I will never forget her.
“A woman is never as tall as when she stoops to help a child.”
Father Edward J. Flanagan
