Throughout her time at the school, Marietta Johnson has learned thousands of names.
In addition to the 50 years she has spent at the school, the dedication to learn every name truly displays her genuine connection to the school.
“I was a part of the school in a way before (becoming an employee) because I lived close to the school,” Johnson said. “When I was a kid, I would crawl up on the top floor of a two-story house, look across the fields and there would be St. Mark’s and Davis Hall. So from when I was little, I knew where (St. Mark’s) was and what it was.”
Although she has been at the school for half a century, Johnson still remembers her first year of teaching.
“When I first came as an employee, I was a fifth grade math teacher,” Johnson said. “At the time we had three sections of fifth grade and I taught all three of them.”
Even through the hardship that COVID-19 brought to the school, Johnson looks back at those years in a positive light.
“This is going to sound funny, but one of the most memorable moments (in my career) was the year that I took over the study hall for all of Middle School during the year of COVID. I had a study hall every day, and there were other teachers that were there and we assigned seats.”
After this school year, Johnson plans on continuing to work hard for her family.
“My real challenge is that my son-in-law has advanced Alzheimer’s and now he has to have someone with him at all times. I work with him a little bit in the mornings, but this year, I will be really mostly taking care of him for the next half year.”
Throughout her time here, Johnson’s view on the school has not changed. If anything, it has only gotten better.
“I love the school,” Johnson said. “I love its goals for excellence, but there’s more to St Mark’s than just being good academically,” Johnson said. “It’s to work with the entire boy and for us to work within the community and work with each other. It’s a place where I’ve always felt like both the faculty and the kids and families here had my back.”
