WHAT EVER HAPPENED...? More Tributes to Janet

[Some corrections have been made for clarity.]

FORMER STUDENT DANIELLE’S TRIBUTE TO JANET

She was the best teacher to me. She is very spical [special] person in my life. She cam to my party for my 30^th we hed so much fun.

She put me in the tim out charair [chair] if I dot [don’t] behave. She was a very good teacher to me. We hed som good food we hed key fired chkin [Kentucky Fried Chicken]  it was so good. and we want to the fair in New Paltz we hed fun. The School wase in New Paltz, in Lanpie [Lenape].

I hed fun doing the Woter Day play with Janet Schliff.  And I like doing the pie eating constes [contest].

I like going on fill [field] trips wath hir and it was relly fun.

She mad lering [learning] fun and I love doing the play the mitten. With hir. And she took us swiming in New Paltz it was fun and my favorite fill trip was [a water park] it was so much fun.

I like the Book of DR Suess I like to eat green eggs and Ham   it was very good and she taught me how to behave in school.

She give me a book it was Love me Forever [Love You Forever] I love it so much.

She is a mickey fin [fan].

She was my coach for Special Olympice it was relly fun.

Are school was in Lanape Ementary it was BOCeS.

The year was 1997-1998.

We going out somtim with Danielle and Catherine and Erick. 

We always have fun.

She is the best teacher I hed.

I am so gald [glad] she is in my life.

***

FORMER STUDENT CATHERINE’S TRIBUTE TO JANET

Janet Schliff

Janet was my teacher when I was 8 years old to 10 years old Janet teach at lenape

I remember Water Day Janet panit our feet and we walk on a long paper that was fun  

Janet take us out to lunches in town of NP [New Paltz]

Janet taught us getting along with others you may not like.

I remember play: The Mitten Friend. Danielle was manator [narrator] and I remember ice crame sundaes

Janet tought me about living and life

Special Olympics with Janet

Dietz Staduim for track and field softball at Cantine Field

Janet send all the kids cards and I kept them all

Janet tought me math and make change 

I had all lot of fun with Janet 

Janet class room was fun and fun and fun and fun 

Janet is caring and loving and mavolas [marvelous]

Janet is so pretty   I love her

Janet have a big heart   Janet is very funny   Janet funniser [funnier]

Janet is funnier

Janet is very lovely and wonderful and beauitful   She rock!

She is special to me

She is so special

                                                  ***

REFERENCE LETTER FROM FORMER SUPERVISOR, DAN SHORNSTEIN

During my five-year experience at Ulster BOCES, I had the pleasure of supervising Janet Schliff…. Janet was a team player and very involved in the school community…. She was receptive to suggestions and maintained high standards for herself and students. Janet’s students consistently made great academic gains…. In closing, Janet is one of the best. She would, in my opinion, be an asset to any school’s program. I give her my highest recommendation.

REFERENCE LETTER FROM FORMER STAFF, PATRICIA BRESNAHAN

I am writing to attest to the professional and kind person that I have known Janet Schliff to be…. Throughout my years working with Janet [first as an aide, then as an assistant], I have admired her teaching style working with a unique group of kids and her direct approach in handling the staff she works with. Janet is very forthright and specific when it comes to the directions she gives to the staff….  Janet knows and openly admits that she expects her staff to perform their jobs well (as she should), so she often rewards the staff. I can remember numerous lunches at diners, frequent gifts, and cards that Janet generously gave. Janet wants her staff to know that they are appreciated…. I thoroughly enjoyed my years working with Janet. I have never seen someone who was so dedicated to benefitting and making a difference in her students’ lives.

***

ARTICLE IN SCHOOL NEWSPAPER, Winter 1992

Janet Schliff – a Teacher Who Cares

Ed Burkhardt and Jesseka Moxham

Janet Schliff is a busy person, but she’s a person who has time enough to care. Schliff is a dedicated Special Education Teacher…. Her class is for students who…have behavior problems. Her goal is to teach them to talk reasonably rather than to verbally or physically abuse others. Occasionally, kids get out of control. Many times, Schliff has been bruised from kicks. She was recently bitten…. She was recently informed that her biography will appear in Who’s Who in American Education, 1992-93…. Schliff recently helped…a student who was hit by a truck and lay in a coma for a month. Schliff played an important role in the girl’s recovery, visiting the child regularly…and also…helping the mother through the tragedy.

PRAISE FROM JOHANNA’S MOTHER

[Approx. 2015]

Johanna still talks about how wonderful Janet is, even though she hasn’t been to MOPS [Mothers of Preschoolers, a group held at my church] in a year. She would like Janet to consider becoming her kindergarten teacher.

Thank you for making such a great impression!

                                                                      [Johanna’s mom]

***

TRIBUTE FROM MARY MAYER

“My memories of you….

·       Dynamic personality

·       Giving person

·       Incredible teacher

·       Dedicated to helping everyone!”

[Mary is a teacher I once knew. She told her relative (Jeanne Lange, a friend from my church) I was an amazing teacher, “amazing, amazing, amazing.” She added “no one could touch her – loved by parents, teachers, and students.”]

***

KAREN SMITH’S EMAIL BEFORE MY ADDRESS TO ALBANY, NY, POLITICIANS

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Dear Janet,     

          I just want you to know personally that I am praying for you for tomorrow's   hearing. I pray for everything that comes over the prayer chain, but there's a soft spot in my heart for you and all that you've been through. I feel like I'm the recipient of some of the positive things that came out of your brain injury/surgery experience.

I'm so appreciative of all the help you've been in Hosanna Kids [Sunday school class]! I can easily see how you would've made an awesome special ed. teacher. I've seen you work with the big kids at MOPS [Mothers of Preschoolers] and how they just love coming to your class.

You have a ton of gifts and talents and for seemingly lots of reasons God drastically changed the path you were on for using them. Some of us get to just follow the obvious path with our gifts, but some get to travel whole new roads and
 help out others in ways they never thought possible.  That's you.

It's amazing, and remarkable, and fun to watch you in action. I hope and pray all goes well for you with the mucky-mucks and that you will get to see God himself at work up there, even in Albany!
 

Love and peace,

Karen

[Karen Smith is Pastor Wes Smith’s wife.]

I (Douglas Winslow Cooper) have been excerpting, weekly, material from this almost-final version of the fine book by Janet Johnson Schliff, M.S. Ed., which she wrote over a three-year period with some coaching and editing help from me, through my business, Write Your Book with Me.

Her memoir is now available in paperback and ebook formats from Outskirts Press  and amazon.com: 

What Ever Happened to My White Picket Fence? My Brain Injury from My Massive Brain Tumor

                                              ###

BOOK TALKS AND SIGNINGS

Janet Johnson Schliff spoke at the Oblong Books Bookstore in Rhinebeck, NY, on Tuesday, February 6 at 6 p.m.

Janet was on WKNY Radio 1490 in Kingston, NY, on Thursday, March 1 at 9:10 a.m. 

Janet spoke at Barnes & Noble in Kingston, NY, on Saturday, March 3 at 1 p.m. 

Janet spoke at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck, NY, on March 6 at 7 p.m. 

Janet spoke at the Golden Notebook Bookstore in Woodstock, NY, on March 17 at 2 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff, NY, on March 28 at 6:30 p.m. 

Janet spoke at RCAL in Kingston, NY, on April 3 at 4 p.m. [They gave her an impromptu book-launch party.]

Janet spoke at the Parkinson's Support Group at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck, NY, on April 4 at 2:30 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Stone Ridge Library in Stone Ridge, NY, on April 27 at 5:30 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Hurley Library in Hurley, NY, on May 4 at 6 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Kingston Library in Kingston, NY, on May 9 at 6 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Staatsburg Library in Staatsburg, NY, on May 14 at 7 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Clinton Community Library in Rhinebeck, NY, on May 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, NY, on June 9 at noon.

Janet spoke at the Gardiner Library in Gardiner, NY, on June 11 at 7 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Marbletown Community Center in Stone Ridge, NY, on June 20 at 6 p.m.

Janet was interviewed on radio station WTBQ-FM (93.5) on June 29 at 12 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Esopus Library in Port Ewen, NY, on July 13 at 7 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Pine Plains Library in Pine Plains, NY, on July 20 at 6 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Ulster Library in Kingston, NY, on July 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Northern Dutchess Bible Church in Red Hook, NY, on August 11 at 1 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz, NY, on September 6 at 7 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Adriance Library in Poughkeepsie, NY, on September 15 at 2:30 p.m.

Janet was interviewed on radio station WRIP-FM (97.9) on September 21 at 8 a.m.

Janet again spoke at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, NY, on September 22 at noon.

Janet spoke at the Enchanted Cafe in Red Hook, NY, on September 28 at 7 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Hyde Park Library in Hyde Park, NY, on October 4 at 7 p.m.

Janet participated in an Author Weekend at the Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie, NY, on October 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Janet spoke at the Tivoli Library in Tivoli, NY, on October 22 at 5:30 p.m.

Janet’s interview for the TV program Wake Up with Marci on the You Too America Channel aired on Monday, November 5, and Friday, November 9. It can now be found on the Internet.

Janet spoke at the Germantown Library in Germantown, NY, on November 7 at 6:00 p.m.


Janet will participate in the Red Hook Middle School's College and Career Cafe in Red Hook, NY,  on December 19 at 10:30 a.m.

More signings will be coming up. A fine feature about Janet by John DeSantos [845 LIFE] appeared in the Middletown Times Herald-Record on Monday, March 12, as part of Brain Injury Awareness Month. An article about her book was just published in the May 2018 Living Rhinebeck Magazine. An article about her book appeared in the May 14 Daily Freeman of Kingston, NY. and another in the Family Life section of the Poughkeepsie Journal on June 8th. The Millerton News published an article on Thursday, August 2, about her talk at the Pine Plains Library.