Ida Hathaway

Ida Hathaway

Ida Hathaway served as acting principal at Jackson-Via Elementary School in 1979-80.

Ida Hathaway Award

There is a plaque at Jackson-Via School in the hallway near the office that reads: “Ida Hathaway: Teacher, Administrator, Friend.” Mrs. Hathaway’s husband gave the school a picture of Mrs. Hathaway to hang near that plaque.

“Teacher, Administrator, Friend” - These are well-chosen and true words to describe what Ida Hathaway was. She was not just any teacher. She was an excellent teacher for many years. She taught at Clark School before working at Jackson-Via School. She loved children very much and made good decisions on what to teach them and how to teach them. She made the extra effort to get to know students and was truly concerned about them.

After teaching in the classroom, she had fancy titles; but simply put, she was the students’ helper, the teachers’ helper and the principal’s helper. Her office at Jackson-Via School was among others along the office hallway.

Ida Hathaway

In the summer of 1984, Mrs. Ida Hathaway died while having heart surgery. Because she loved children so much and made so many contributions to Jackson-Via School children, the people who knew her best did something to help us remember her. They started the Ida Hathaway Award, which is given to a deserving fourth grade student who shows big improvements in three areas: Academic Progress, Work Study Habits, and Citizenship.