Washington Dedicates
Joan Balsari Garden
The school that meant so much to Joan Marie Balsari dedicated a memorial garden planted in her memory this past Tuesday. More than 500 Washington Primary School students, teachers and staff gathered for the emotional 25 minute outdoor ceremony.
Mrs. Balsari lost a 17 month battle with breast cancer last October after teaching right up to her final days. She was a real character, well-known for her tough exterior and heart of gold. Students will long remember her "secret" stash of candy and how she let them chew gum in class and take their shoes off to relax. She would play classical music in the classroom during a portion of each school day as the youngsters went about their work. She had a "no nonsense" philosophy and believed in "cutting to the chase."
The dedication ceremony, which attracted many retired teachers and some faculty members from other district buildings, alternated at times from humorous to tear jerking and more than a few students and teachers got choked up and struggled to contain tears. Speakers included Mrs. Balsari's husband, Dennis and daughter, Denielle, along with Washington Principal Marsha Neville.
"Mrs. Balsari had a great laugh," Principal Marsha Neville told the crowd gathered on the lawn outside the second grade wing of the building. "It always made you smile. She always told you what she thought! I liked that. I never had to wonder what she thought – she told me."
The impressive garden, which includes a large rock with a memorial plaque affixed to it near the corner of the building beneath a small tree, is filled with flowering perennials. The garden was professionally designed and planted by Ahearn's Landscaping. It stretches along the building on either side of the second grade wing exit doors and continues along the main plaza leading to the front doors of the school.
"This garden is absolutely magnificent," Mr. Balsari told the crowd. He recounted how the end of a school year was not a happy time for Mrs. Balsari, even as her students and colleagues would be breathing a sigh of relief, excitedly looking forward to a two month vacation. "She really hated being off from school," Mr. Balsari said. "She was happiest when she was in her room with her class."
Denielle Balsari rememberd her mother as being overjoyed in 1996 when she was hired as a full time teacher. "She was thrilled to have her own class and her own room," Ms. Balsari said. "She loved her kids. Washington was a very special place to her. This was her home."
Washington math teacher Leslie Pond, the closest friend Mrs. Balsari had on the faculty, read a touching poem during the garden dedication ceremony. She jokingly called her fallen comrade her "partner in crime." The two parked their cars side-by-side each day and spent their free periods together.
Second grade teacher Maria Lanzot sang a song she wrote about Mrs. Balsari while reading teacher Jeffrey Dicker played the guitar. It was a tribute that produced more than a few tears.
Mrs. Neville read aloud some comments that Mrs. Balsari's students had provided concerning what they remembered most about their former teacher: "Learning to read better;" "Mrs. Pond and her loved math;" Letting us take our shoes off;" "She always helped us get along."
"I remember Mrs. Balsari most for her love of teaching and her love for her students," Mrs. Neville said. "Once you were a Balsari kid, you're always a Balsari kid. And then there are a lot of kids who never had her as their teacher, but they are Balsari kids anyway!"
The loss of Mrs. Balsari stung the Washington School community. She had a dominating personality and could be seen zooming up and down hallways and out to her car. She was frequently seen in her room at night or during vacations, planning lessons, reading or rearranging books and equipment. Her colleagues still have a hard time believing that she is really gone.
"She planned on working until she was 70," Mr. Balsari said about his wife. "She never wanted to retire. She just loved being a teacher."