"Grandma" Lincoln Inspires Students
By: Ashley Zilka
Updated: March 15, 2013
"I'm grandma to an awful lot of people," said Janet Lincoln.
And she's touched the hearts of countless people that have walked down the halls of Quest Elementary School.
"I do writing with her. Reading with her. She checks our word study quizzes," said 7-year-old Nicole Pilon.
"She helps me check my stories. She checks our five minute math papers. She reads with us," said 7-year-old Ella Spillman.
It began when Janet Lincoln's grandson, Jared, started kindergarten back in September 2000. The retired nurse spent the day in the classroom helping Mrs. Pilon and her students. Well, her grandson graduated but Grandma Lincoln stayed behind.
"I never thought that I would even be volunteering after I retired, but it's kept me going. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to come here and help," said Lincoln.
"She went home and started writing her stories. Then, she would come in and share them with the children and they would gather around," said teacher Suzanne Pilon.
Rain or shine, nothing stops Grandma Lincoln from coming to this school. She's volunteered nearly every day for the past 13 years.
"One winter when her windshield was so ice covered that she's lugging buckets of hot water out and throwing them on the windshield so she could get to school because she did not want to miss a day of school," said Suzanne Pilon.
The feeling is mutual. For students and teachers, school wouldn't be the same without Grandma.
"I don't know what I would do without her. She really is compassionate with the children. She's very helpful with me and she's always making sure I have something for her to do," said teacher Carol Jones.
"They are good kids. This is a great school and wonderful teachers. It's just fun," said Lincoln.
"She's really helpful and she's the only Grandma that I really have and she will always be the Grandma that I have in my life," said Nicole Pilon.


