Ms. JoAnn Brooks Memorial Fund

As many of you know, Ms. Brooks passed away April 22,2022.

Anyone who knew Ms. Brooks was impacted by her. She was a brilliant woman with a sense of humor that was unparalleled. She found a way to connect with every student that walked through her door. Ms. Brooks was the light that guided so many of us as teenagers and she still shined for many of us as adults.

There are so many life lessons she gave to her students. Every school year she would start with the R word lesson. It was her one rule: never use the R word. “Someone can make the choice to be stupid but some who was born with an extra Chromosome did not make the choice to have Down Syndrome. So don’t ever call someone retarded” That lesson has stayed with me for over 30 years.

When I was in Ms. Brooks’s class Courtney was just about to turn 8 years old. It’s hard to believe she is turning 40 this month.

Tracy will now be Courtney’s sole caregiver. Kindly consider donating to help support Tracy and Courtney during this difficult time. Please continue to keep the family in your prayers. Thank you.