The Last Word
Across our balco ny Scenic View
One of our many accidental twinsy moments!
Zip lining on Interim this year
When your colleagues are your family…. Mother-in-laws get a bad rap. Often stereotyped as overbearing, nosey, know-italls that are not shy in telling you their opinion. I have been asked often, “what is it like being so close [in proximity] to your mother-in-law?” Normally the men who ask me this wait, grinning and expecting me to roll my eyes and go into a diatribe about my mother-in-law. Instead I respond, “Do you know Janet? She is the best mother-in-law a guy could ask for.” It’s true! Over the past twelve years she has been my gym buddy, drinking buddy, beach buddy, personal Sunday chef, mentor, teacher, and her most important job of being the grandmother to my three kids. Janet– Norbyah and I have been blessed to share this part of our lives with you and Michael alongside us. To say that I will miss you is an understatement. I well up with tears just thinking about it. Thank you for all that you have done for us and thank you for being the best mother-in-law a guy could ask for. -Joe Nolasco, Janet’s son-in-law, Middle School PE Teacher
When I interviewed for the Humanities job roughly twelve years ago, Christina Vanover, one of the then department heads, asked me, “what do you think it will be like working with your mother? How will you handle disagreements?” I remember answering something along the lines of, “well, she’s one of the main reasons I became a teacher so I imagine working with her will provide me learning opportunities I could never imagine. And as far as disagreeing with her, I’ll handle it how I always do, firmly but with great respect.” Twelve years later, I look back on this time I’ve had working alongside my mother and the prospect of doing this job without her fills me with sadness. You see, not only has she been my department colleague, we’ve also worked on two curricular teams and in recent years, I’ve pushed into her classroom. We essentially team taught Junior English as mother-daughter. In the students’ presence she never referred to me as Ms. Nolasco like I never called her Mrs. Tan. Instead, we’ve always been ‘mum’ and ‘my daughter’ and the students have always said ‘your mum’ and ‘your daughter.’ I can’t imagine it differently. Our lives as a teaching family are seamless; profession and family has always been one, for all of us. Imagining those two roles separately is strange. Still, I know that her influence in my life will continue in the most important way, as my mother. Twelve years with her by my side as I raise my children and the life lessons she has imparted on them (and me) will always be the highlight of our shared time here in Hong Kong. And it is there where we all shall miss her the most. -Norbyah Nolasco, Janet’s daughter, and High School Humanities Teacher
Maori legends Interim – Michael’s first and my last Humanities tea for Spirit week
m always ready
Stay in touch with Mrs. Tan! Email her at janetctan@gmail.com n Turtle Cove- love you
SUMMER 2018 DRAGONTALES
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