A TRIBUTE TO BARBARA SHEA by Kathleen Sheehy

I am honored to be here tonight to congratulate Barbara on behalf of the parents of Lincoln School.

One of the best descriptions I ever heard of Barbara Shea appeared in a Boston Globe article in 1999. "[She] hits the hall running, like a politician working a bingo game in a church basement," wrote the reporter. Can't you just picture that poor reporter trying to run behind Barbara on a typical school day?

He discovered what the rest of us all know: that if there is something happening at Lincoln, morning, noon, or night, Barbara is there. She is at the front doors at drop-off and pickup, her presence declaring that she is available to all who come through those doors, ready to take on with gusto whatever and whoever will come her way. She is a frequent visitor to classrooms, and is a constant presence in the hallways and the cafeteria. She lustily roots for our basketball, volleyball, Math League and other competitive teams. And, you would be hard pressed to think of a class play, musical concert, PALS production, Variety show or other Lincoln activity she has missed.

She has added some spice to a few of those Variety shows, appearing as Diana Ross with her "Supreme" teachers and staff as backup, lip-syncing "Stop in the Name of Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

But, anyone who spends any time around Barbara knows that she doesn't just lip sync. She spontaneously breaks into song when inspired and she has a song for every occasion. For instance, when our Phys Ed teacher, Rob Hutchinson, named his baby "River," Barbara went around singing "Cry Me a River" for about a week. I'm not great at remembering names, but I will never forget Rob's son's name, nor the picture of Barbara singing about him.

For the parents, Lincoln is first, last and always about our children. The same is true for Barbara. She knows and touches all of the students in this school. She believes in setting high standards for every child, a goal equally important to every parent. She believes in each child's ability to excel and is a great cheerleader for this cause. If you are lucky enough to be at Lincoln when report cards are distributed, you will see Barbara situated in the front hall, congratulating students who made honor roll or otherwise distinguished themselves and commiserating with those with more disappointing results.

I want to share a personal memory, which I believe speaks volumes about Barbara and Lincoln School. My son started Lincoln in the second grade at the old Lincoln, and I confess that I had my misgivings about the school. He had a wonderful teacher and things seemed to be fine, but I had a difficult time overcoming the impression made by the building itself, until we went to our first class breakfast.

I should explain that class breakfasts are a tradition at Lincoln. They provide an early morning opportunity for parents to spend some time with teachers and to see what's going on in the classroom. Barbara came to my son's first class breakfast. She didn't come to mingle with the parents in attendance, but rather to stand in for those parents and guardians who could not attend, to admire their children's work and write notes of praise in their children's journals. I was stunned by the thoughtfulness of this act! Over the years, Barbara and our wonderful vice-principals have repeated that scene over and over again at breakfast after breakfast. And each time I see it, I know that we chose the right school for our children.

I was asked to speak for three minutes, I could easily go for three hours telling you what a great principal and person Barbara is, but there are other members of her fan club here who want to speak. So, I simply will conclude by saying to Barbara that you have our love and our fervent thanks for all that you do for our children. And we offer our heartfelt congratulations to you for receiving this well-deserved honor.