Remembering Sue Jett

12/15/2017

Sue Jett made me smile.

Actually, she made everyone smile. Certainly, her legion of friends. Certainly, her Collegiate colleagues. Certainly, her students, whom she taught and nurtured so well.

Sue, who passed away November 26 at 91, was well-respected, caring, and always cheery. She had a delightful sense of humor. She spoke her mind. She taught typing and sewing and later geography, but she was as much about conveying life skills as she was about sending her young charges off with a firm command of – and love for – the subject matter.

A native Texan who settled in Virginia when her father, Rev. Clyde Hickerson, became pastor of Barton Heights Baptist Church, Sue taught at Collegiate from 1951 until she retired in 1988. She was part of the transition when the school moved west from Monument Avenue to North Mooreland Road in 1960. She was a voice of reason when the structure changed from Boys School/Girls School to Upper School/Middle School in 1986. In her honor, the Middle School annually bestows the Sue H. Jett Award to the 8^th grade girl who upholds “the highest standards of loyalty, desire, and determination.”

Several of her former students now serve their alma mater as faculty and staff. Please enjoy a sample of their reminiscences and reflections.

"Eyes on your copy."

"Return your carriages."

"Great Day."

All are comments that Mrs. Jett used on a regular basis in her typing and sewing classes. "Great day " would usually be followed with a comment about how short a girl's skirt was or a few words that let the class know we were being petty. She regularly told stories which revealed her obvious love for her husband Bill and her daughter Jody.

Mrs. Jett was a rock. She instilled confidence in us and made us feel as if we could be anything we wanted to become. We just had to take a leap of faith. Sue Jett is one of those teachers that you can never forget. She was larger than life.
Missy Herod ‘72

Upper School associate director of student life

Sue taught me typing and sewing when I was in the 7^th grade. Sewing was my passion. I spent a lot of time with Sue, and she helped me learn a life skill that I still use today. Sue walked to her own drum beat. That’s why we loved her. Her classes were loud. They were fun. She taught us that you make mistakes, you fix them, and you learn from them. We had a task, but it wasn’t just “be quiet and just do this.” It was part of her charm. I remember her at faculty meetings after I came back in 1978 to teach. The meetings would get going, get long, and she would pull her keys out and shake them as if she was saying, “It’s time to wrap this show up. This party’s over.”

Melanie Gorsline ‘74

Middle School art teacher

I remember learning so much about both sewing and typing. I still use both skills every day. I still have the sewing machine I got for my 16^th birthday from my folks because I was so interested in sewing from Mrs. Jett. The typing skills got me my first job at UVA as a clerk in the Dean of Students office, and I could always pass my typing test to get to the next level because of her. She taught us how to type without looking. Mrs. Jett was always stylish. She obviously loved and cared about what she was teaching and her students. She was always fair and friendly, always kept us on task, and made sure we enjoyed what we were learning and knew why we were doing it. You could ask questions too about other things, life in general if you wanted to She truly wanted to see us succeed in everything, not just her class.

Kate Parthemos ‘71

Fine arts assistant (whose duties include creating and mending costumes)

I think about Mrs. Jett on occasion because I teach in the room next to hers. What I remember most about her class was her easy-going personality and the sound of her laughter. She created a classroom culture of students, each working on the same material but at her own pace. Knowing how to sew, while not my favorite activity, came in handy the night before many important events. And, of course, typing quickly served me well at every level of my education.

Amy Becker-Leibowitz ‘88

Middle School Latin teacher

The word “spitfire” is the first that comes to mind when I think of Mrs. Jett. She had a tall presence about her, she loved her students, and she loved teaching. Her typing class was stressful for me. I remember vividly those dreaded timed typing lessons, but I learned correct finger placement thanks to Sue, and I’m grateful for that.

Taylor Kell ‘87

MS/US admission assistant/financial assistance coordinator

What a wonderful woman. I fondly remember her red glasses and encouraging demeanor, whether I was involved in typing, sewing, or just needed a pick-me-up. Her classroom was one where everyone was welcome and instantly relaxed.

Anne Rusbuldt ‘85

Special Programs Manager, Institute for Responsible Citizenship

Mrs. Jett was warm and welcoming, and she had a passion for geography, sewing, and typing! I loved creating our huge (or seemed huge) world map – cutting, labeling, coloring every continent and ocean; mapping the latitude and longitude precisely before pasting each cut out. It was "project based learning" I still remember my plaid skirt that I made in her class. It was so gratifying to don that garment once completed...the elastic waistband was quite challenging. Mrs. Jett was so excited to teach us, and she loved each of our final products. She was a breath of fresh air to us all. Good teachers are those you remember some 30+ years later.

Margaret Pace ‘90

MS/US Admission Coordinator

I loved going into Mrs. Jett’s classroom. She was so patient, encouraging, and kind. I can still remember the desks lined up in rows, on top of each an old typewriter, and we'd have to try to type whatever was on the page or the projector without looking at our hands or the keys. I loved the feeling of those worn typewriter keys. I remember how proud Mrs. Jett would be when we did well, and how great I'd feel when I'd typed a string of sentences without making a mistake! So funny now to think of…and how simple everything seems in retrospect.

Anne Bruce Ahearn '87

Associate Director of Admission

When I think of Sue Jett, I recall more of a feeling than a specific event or memory. I think of the warm, positive, encouraging, down-to-earth feeling that permeated her classroom. Whether we were typing, sewing, or making maps, she was always humorous, honest, and accepting. When I walked into her room, I always felt better than I had a few minutes before. As a Middle School student, having that positive accepting teacher and classroom was a treasure!
Lindsey Melvin '88
Assistant Head, Middle School
-- Weldon Bradshaw

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