St. Albans City School’s Joy Walsh retired from her position as Kindergarten Teacher in late January.

Walsh began teaching at St. Albans City School (SACS) 23 years ago in July 1997. Over the course of her teaching career at SACS, Walsh has enjoyed her interactions with students more than anything.

“My favorite thing about teaching is seeing the faces of my students each day. I have met some amazing people during this journey.  I hope they remain part of my life for years to come,” Walsh said.

Valuing students’ success is something many teachers take pride in doing, Walsh is a perfect example of such pride.

“One of my greatest achievements was watching a student whom everyone seemed to suggest was a challenge. Once they trusted me, I helped the student realize and achieve their full potential. Once I met with mom and grandpa I was able to share with them the achievements of the child. I was elated twelve years later to gain the knowledge he was successfully running the family farm with over fifty head,” Walsh said.

Looking back on her favorite aspects of teaching and her achievements as a teacher, Walsh recalled her favorite class to teach.

“My strength comes in teaching children to read. I decided to try teaching my class to cook healthy. This brought in numerous  math skills. We used as many fresh foods as possible and with the help of Sue, Mary Ellen, and Heather we made everything from soup to cheese,” Walsh said.

Looking ahead into her retirement, Walsh plans on travelling and spending more time with her family among other activities.

“I plan to travel, spend more time with my family, look forward to many grandkids, weaving more baskets and reading to my heart’s content,” Walsh said.

If you’d like to leave a personal message for Ms. Walsh, send her an email at [email protected] or send a letter to SACS at 29 Bellows Street, St. Albans City, in care of Joy Walsh.