Dear Mom,
I am thinking about you ALWAYS.........
Here is a letter from Mindy Novis about you. It's so lovely.

ABOUT HELEN:
Telling the story of Dutch Neck School is synonymous with telling the story of Helen Martinson's professional career. Back in 1980, strong economic changes began to attract large numbers of people to the Route 1 corridor close to the towns of West Windsor and Plainsboro in NJ. There was plenty of undeveloped land in West Windsor and Plainsboro, NJ. The area was close to the train station and within commuting distance to NYC and Philadelphia. Huge companies such as huge pharmaceutical companies, scientific labs, Wall Street Journal Headquarters, etc. were built there; so scientists, professors, engineers, stock market people, laborers and tradesmen of all kinds moved into this area as developers quickly purchased the land and built many new homes.  The school district began to grow at a rate of at least 400- 500 students a year. 

Because of this tremendous population growth that began in 1980, the WW-P School district had to build new school buildings. After a new middle school and upper elementary school were built and opened in 1987 and 1988, the board of education had to select new principals to run these schools. Your mom was chosen. They also had to rearrange the population of children between the new buildings and the two towns in a comfortable and effective manner.  This was a challenging time as no parents wanted their children bused to the opposite town and away from their neighborhoods.  But Helen, me, other school administrators and our superintendents met with the families to quell their fears about change and once the children were established in their new buildings, the community settled into a comfort zone.  Dutch Neck School and Helen sent all 700 students (third, fourth and fifth graders) and ALL the teachers to the new schools and this is when Helen selected me to make Dutch Neck into a primary school of grades K thru 3. 

This major redistricting and emptying of DN gave Helen (and me) the opportunity few principals experience in a lifetime….. To create a new school within the walls of an old building and to MAKE WHAT SHE BELIEVED IN HAPPEN. The superintendent and his assistant, gave her the go ahead which meant the FUNDING to hire new teachers, to develop a curriculum that was developmentally appropriate and to create an environment for learning and nurturing young children  Helen and I took advantage of this support and lured (maybe even stole) the best teachers with EXPERIENCE from neighboring school districts to come to Dutch Neck.

 This is when Helen and I searched not only for the best teachers but also leaders who could help us build our desired atmosphere of collegiality. We outlined our vision of our school publicly and then we sought educators who valued our vision. We also focused on finding men for our primary school.  Because of our funding we were able to get Bob Krech, Russ Walsh, Rick Ellis and Phil Meara to join us. We were both proud to say that these guys later became either local superintendent’s, professors or published authors. 

This was the time period when Helen and I held weekend end retreat events about twice a year with our teachers at her beach house, our school library, or the neighborhood church so that we became a strong community of learners and a family who believed in the same mission. This is also when we put all the basal reading books in the basement and changed the literacy curriculum so that children were learning to read from real literature. 

During this same period is when Helen won a grant from the Geraldine Dodge Foundation (whose headquarters are in NJ) which paid for her attendance at the Harvard Graduate School of Education summer Institute on the “Art and Craft of the Principals ship. Her attendance at this institute was an incredible accomplishment. At this summer program of 10 days, Helen was with some of the most respected authorities in the world regarding effective school leadership.  As a result, not only did Helen gain even more effective skills as a principal but she extended her professional network so that not only was she known widely in NJ but in many other US States.

I also believe that her attendance at this institute, her work on Geraldine Dodge Foundation. Her winning the NAESP Distinguished Principal Award in 1993 (National Association of Elementary School Principals and her journey to a PHD in Education from Columbia, opened the door for her to work at Princeton University later in her career. Like she told you, “She rubbed elbows with the right people.”

Helen was always searching for ways to get her school recognized for its accomplishments and in April 1993, Redbook Magazine, chose Dutch Neck as one of the best elementary schools. About 550 elementary schools in the USA applied for recognition by the magazine and 177 schools were chosen.  The amount of information that Redbook required was somewhat daunting, but your mom didn’t let that scare her. The major outcome of getting this award had the following effects: parents and school staff were extremely proud of their children’s school and more people moved into the Dutch Neck receiving areas. (I’ve got the article if you ever want to see it.)

Helen also quickly became even more involved in helping support the Geraldine Dodge Foundation and she won another grant from this organization for Dutch Neck in which a group of about 14 teachers got to study portfolio assessment (which was new at the time with professors from Rider University.

One of Helen’s strongest beliefs was in promoting ongoing learning.  She constantly set up workshops for parents to help them understand the goals of our approach to authentic teaching and learning.  She promoted weekly workshops for teachers given by our own teachers and she loved to personally attend national association conferences in various parts of the US.  In fact, she got me involved in giving different all-day workshops at some of the country’s most popular educational conferences.  One conference that sticks out the most for me took place in San Francisco. We put together an “Action Lab” we called, “Building a Culture of Excellence.”  Lynn fisher, our guidance counselor and friend also participated in this conference. That was such an amazing experience to have our proposal accepted and to speak before other administrators at the annual conference of the Association of Supervision and Development; as a result, we grew more in our knowledge as leaders from the process of doing our research and preparing that presentation.

Helen was a great detail person (I'm sure you know this.) Every project and every activity was done in the most professional and organized manner. (She and I wrote a very well written journal article together and I’d love to share it with you once I figure out how to scan.) I think the teachers thrived in knowing that organizational “things” were taken care of by their administrators so that they could focus on teaching, they knew that the safety and welfare of all the children and the staff was always on the mind of their administrators. 

When Helen retired from the West Windsor, Plainsboro School District, she was offered the job of coordinating Princeton University’s program, called “Teachers as Scholars. “  This job was so well matched to her skills.  She got Princeton professors to offer mini courses in a huge range of topics over a period of a few weeks to community teachers. (Teachers from various area school districts got to attend once a week with substitutes for their students.)  The program got funding from local school districts and from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.  Teachers who got to attend felt honored and appreciated; they loved the program!!  This job of Helen’s then flowed into her being offered the Directorship of the Princeton Teacher Education program. (The previous director retired.)

About this program: Princeton University students who were interested in becoming teachers could enter this program which was above and beyond their regular course work. Helen’s focus was to find field placements so that Princeton students could be interns in local school district classrooms. After Princeton students were matched to local teachers, Helen did observations of the university students and gave them feedback as their supervisor  She loved this job as it got her back into elementary classrooms where she began her career.

Finally, here’s what else I know about your mom:
She adored her own children!
She loved the NJ shore.
She was a workaholic like me.
She loved children.
She was a great public speaker!
She liked potato chips like me.
She was a great detail person.
She was a gracious and generous person.  She had overflowing empathy and kindness.
She had the most beautiful smile and was a beautiful lady.
She was an amazing leader, mentor and educator.
If the USA had more educators like Helen, our country would be number 1 in the world, and we probably would not be suffering through a pandemic!
On and on and on.

Happy birthday to Helen wherever she may be. We all talk about her often and everyone has unique and personal stories about our wonderful relationship with her. I have a photo of her from her retirement party at my office desk and she's laughing heartily---it's so joyous! She'll never be gone because of our fond memories in our hearts about her. 

It doesn't seem possible that it's already been two years since Helen's passing. She lives on in our hearts and minds however. I enjoy looking at many of the photos I've been given and they bring back some incredible accomplishments and projects that Helen spearheaded in her devotion to education. 
Whenever those of us who worked with her get together, we never fail to bring up stories and memories that always include comments about Helen. She'll always be part of our unique experience at Dutch Neck School!

Helen will always be present in my mind and I'm sending her a big birthday hug up in heaven today. She was an incredible influence on my career as an early childhood educator and a unique person and educator herself. She touched many lives and her imprint will be with me always.

My own memories of your family are from childhood, but I know my father and mother, Capt. Stephen Kingsley and Beverly Kingsley, were dear friends of Helen and Merrill, and I know my mother cherished Helen’s friendship deeply. I don’t know if she will be able to make a post here herself, but I would like to say that our family always held Helen in high esteem, and she always represented, even from a distance, a life lived with grace, intelligence, and energy, even in the face of tragedy. Warm regards from the Kingsley family to all of you, in memory of your wonderful mother.

Helen was my mentor throughout my time in Princeton's Teacher Preparation Program. She was kind, patient, encouraging, and supportive, and she loved to laugh. I feel lucky to have had the chance to know Helen. I am sending love and comfort to her family. Thank you, Helen. I will never forget you.

In Loving Memory to my Cousin & Good Friend Helen Jean, as well as her wonderful Children - Sherrill, Neal, & Merrill & their families.

I always enjoyed going to visit Helen and her parents Aunt Eunice & Uncle Al in Silver Springs, MD. They were so friendly & made our visit so special! Helen was 6 years older than I was & when she came to visit Nana Kerr in Cohasset it was really special. Uncle Bud & the boys would come to join in the celebrations. Helen was always special. She was smart, cute, had a beautiful smile, was soft spoken & well behaved, graceful, etc. 
Helen Jean invited me to be in her Wedding, which was so nice. My dress was a lovely yellow. The other special memory was when Helen & Merrill walked under the swords. When Merrill died on the Thresher, we just couldn’t believe it. It was heartbreak for our family. My mother was a wonderful support for Helen over the years. We loved having Neal visit us in CT when he was at Choate. It was like having another son.
We got to see her & the family throughout the years & that was always a great treat. When she decided to get a Masters & Doctorate to teach, she had to really juggle life, but she did it with Grace. Her home at the Shore was a wonderful treat for her, her children, & her guests. I know she will be missed by so many, because of the wonderful person she was. I miss her beautiful smile & presence. Eternal Love, Hopey Thomson

In one's life it is a rare opportunity to meet someone like Helen. She was an incredible influence in my professional career and as a friend. I knew the minute I interviewed with her that she and I were soulmates and that I would be working at Dutch Neck School with her. She was our version of the golden era of Hollywood---elegant, well spoken, always groomed to the max---she was our Grace Kelly or Dina Merrill (for those of you old enough to know to whom I am referring!). We used to joke about what Helen wore when she ran the vacuum cleaner and tried to imagine such a scene!
Helen was always on the move for learning something new and pushed herself forward in the field of education. She was extremely proud like a mom of her Dutch Neck crew, which she had the unique opportunity of hand selecting! She knew what she wanted in a school and selected people who were on the same page. As much as she continued her own journey in education, she would become equally excited about the endeavors of her staff members. When I applied to be an adjunct at Bank Street College and got accepted, she asked me if she could make that announcement at the faculty meeting. She celebrated herself and her achievements but was equally celebratory about the creativity, passion and achievements of her staff. 
Never one to be the party clown herself, she absolutely wanted to be included in all of our crazy school activities, parties, etc. I prided myself on making her laugh to the point where she would bend, hold her stomach and "snort"! I knew then that I had gotten her to that point!
She will always be a point of inspiration for me and meeting her was no mistake. Meant to be! I have a hundred "Helen stories" that I could share and images of her. I can still see her coming into my extremely active kindergarten classroom with kids doing a variety of activities---painting, woodworking, block building---and looking to see where the teacher was, all the while stepping gingerly with her high heels in and amongst the kids, fascinated about what they were doing and interacting with them! 
I hope her family knows how much she meant to so many. She will be missed but our memories of her will keep her alive in our hearts!

To Helen’s Dear Family and Friends,

When Helen was appointed to be principal of the Dutch Neck School, the superintendent and school board chose her because they believed in her leadership skills and vision to create a vibrant new school community within the old walls of an older building. Their support also included providing her with ALL the necessary funding for new materials and for her to be able to hire the best of the best teachers who would help develop her vision of a culture of excellence. I know about this opportunity in quite an intimate way as I was Helen’s choice for assistant principal. We both always felt that creating this school and culture of collegiality gave us an opportunity that few school administrators ever get to experience. So even though it was tons of work with lots of pressure, we loved our jobs.

I learned so much from Helen as her teammate. She was the epitome of a lifelong learner. She was constantly reading journals and books besides attending educational conferences and workshops. She modeled her love of learning in so many interesting ways and she was always at the cutting edge of what was happening in the world of elementary level learning.

Helen taught me about taking care of details in a professional manner. Every project, school activity, and communication to staff and parents were done in the most organized way.  Helen and I spent many evenings and weekends together working on details for so many projects. I remember, for example when it was budget time. Every year, we prepared and prepared to be ready with tons of back-up data and answers to any possible questions from our school board and superintendent. 

Helen constantly modeled graciousness and generosity to me and the faculty. She was always reaching out to our parents and other schools to share what we were learning and how we were teaching in our school.  One of many programs she set up was similar to Bank Street College where she earned a master’s degree; we scheduled guests from other school districts to observe in our classrooms and later to discuss questions and comments. This project was much extra work for the staff but everyone supported Helen’s desire to share. Helen’s graciousness extended to fun times after school when she invited faculty to her home for parties and we also got to enjoy her beach house for school retreats. 

Helen coached and coaxed me to present at conferences with her. I came to see that these experiences were powerful; they stretched us so that we grew in our own knowledge and our skills.  We did presentations in NJ at local associations and we also presented at national conferences -- San Francisco, Seattle and San Antonio were our favorite experiences . At San Francisco, we spoke at the esteemed National Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Helen, Lynn Fisher (our guidance counselor and friend) with me gave a several hours long presentation on the topic of “How to Build a Culture of Excellence.” 

It has been twenty years now since Helen retired from the West Windsor - Plainsboro School District which was in 2000.  I am hoping that Helen is now looking down at all the people she knew. Her work touched so many lives.  I hope she is seeing that such a unique number of her Dutch Neck Students are flourishing as adults. Many of them are musicians, doctors, teachers, writers, cooks, technicians, etc., making many wonderful contributions to their communities.  I hope she also sees that the culture she worked to create at Dutch Neck School with me and her staff is alive and well as many of her previous staff members are still close friends and in close contact with each other. When I am with them, they are always reminiscing about the good times they had teaching and learning at Dutch Neck while she was our leader. 

Dear Merrill, Sherrill, Neal and families,
I am not sure we have ever met but I have known you my entire life. My dad and mom, J. Michael and Dolores Miller, were very close to your mom, Helen, and your dad, Merrill Collier. They have both passed, my mom last year and my dad in 2015. Two things I distinctly remember. My dad preached a Memorial Day sermon in Woodridge, IL when I was in high school titled "Courage, Honor and Duty" in which he paid tribute to your father and to the sailors on the Thresher. His message spoke so deeply to all who listened and lifted us to celebrate the character and resiliance of those who serve and their families who support them, knowing that the ultimate sacrifice is always possible but facing that bravely and ever forward. The second is how honored and humbled my dad was to participate in your marriage, Merrill. They were always connected to the class of 1956 and that bond ran very deep as they shared lifes journeys, despite the distance. I especially remember them both talking about Helen and how lovely, courageous and dignified she was, also facing life with joy and resilience. Wishing you all the Lord's embracing peace and praying for you as you lay her to rest. 
With warmest wishes and regards,
Jeanette Miller Teter

Helen certainly made the most of her 88 years! Rising above challenges that might have derailed a lesser person, Helen forged ahead and accomplished whatever she set out to achieve! Condensing my memories and fondness for Helen to a few words is almost impossible. Memories of our shared experiences at the Dodge Principals' Center for the Garden State, National Distinguished Principals, Teachers as Scholars, Teacher Preparation Program at Princeton University, and of course Teachers' College Columbia - harrowing trips across the George Washington Bridge, intense study group meetings at Helen's beach house, conscientiously prepping for comprehensive exams, and eagerly helping each other prepare for our defense....and then wildly celebrating, which we did together through our last visit at Stonebridge. Helen consistently enhanced the essence of "classy" and "elegant". Helen was a dear friend to me and will be missed. She will live on through wonderful memories...thanks for the memories, Helen. I miss you already!

Helen and I worked together at Dutch Neck School as fourth grade teachers. After the new K-3 school was designed I had the privilege of returning to Dutch Neck to work with Helen, now its principal, as the school counselor. Helen was so proud and excited about the opportunity to try new ideas and create a special learning community. She was proud of her staff and loved having opportunities to bring everyone together to share ideas. Her grace, enthusiasm and energy defined her, and I loved the years I spent working with her. Helen, they were wonderful times.

Helen came into my life in 1996 and never left. In May of that year we both began doctoral studies in a cohort at Columbia University Teachers College. We graduated together three years later. Helen was part of what enabled me to be with that graduating cohort.
Everyone noticed that Helen was elegant and regal. More importantly, she connected caringly with those of us who were not. When Helen spoke of her life experiences, it was not to tout her many achievements, but to share a story or vulnerability that helped me feel included and valued. By seeing the best in people, Helen brought out the best in people. That is leadership. That is friendship.
I visited Helen for the last time several weeks before her death. She still generated that warmth and compassion that defined her life. Twenty years after we sat together in those bleachers on the campus of Columbia University as the rain began to fall, twenty-three years after Helen came into my life, I know she will always be a treasured part of it.

Helen and I first met when she came to Dutch Neck School and joined us as a 4th grade level teacher. I will remember her as a smart, caring, encouraging woman who challenged herself and others to aim for better. She had an impact on so many in WW-P, both students and her colleagues.
Helen was a person of warmth and grace yet also such strength.
I’m glad our paths crossed.
Rest easy, my friend.

Helen joined the staff of the Program in Teacher Preparation at Princeton University in 2000, the same year as I became the Program’s director, and we both retired in 2010. It is hard to know where to begin in writing a tribute to her, because she was indeed the quintessential educator. When Helen joined the staff of Teacher Prep, she immediately became a valued colleague and an inspiration to us all. It was a decade of great change and challenges to teacher education, and she was an integral and essential part of our unique program that existed for our University students and for the teachers of our area schools. Our program was structured on the well-founded belief that young people who want to teach learn best when they do so in partnership with the people who know it best, the classroom teachers who do it every day and who do it with dedication and love. When Helen joined the staff, more than one-third of the students in the Program were seeking certification to teach at the elementary level, and we needed the kind of person who would embody the fundamental beliefs on which our program was based. That person needed to have a grounding in scholarly research on how elementary-age children learn and the approaches that are most successful with the full range of learners, someone with a rich set of experiences in classroom teaching and in teacher mentoring, someone who could strengthen our partnerships with the schools in concrete ways, someone who believed that teaching is the noblest of professions and who would convey to our prospective teachers the passion for teaching, pride in the pursuit of excellence and expertise, and a commitment to making sure that all young people realistically have the chance to become all that they are capable of being. We were so fortunate, as were the students in Teacher Prep and the students they ended up teaching in the schools where they now work. We found Helen Martinson.

Worth and I met Helen and Merrill during 1952 and 1956 and celebrated many times together, especially at the USNA which included the Ring Dance and a formal dinner following. Helen and I seemed to be kindred spirits from that time onward.  Worth and Merrill always enjoyed being together. Helen and I had a friendship that flourished into more of a sisterhood as events took place. As Helen continued to have challenges in her life, Worth and I shared in these changes and in her ability to face these ongoing changes. We were always supportive of her and she called frequently to talk about what events in her life had forced her to alter her goals in life. She was such a role model for me as she would accept one challenge after another but never giving up. We spoke to each other more frequently once she moved to Stonebridge and shared in her many friendships made at Stonebridge. Her son, Merrill, our Godson, became like a son to us . We were so thankful that Helen always wanted us to be with their family for Merrill's wedding, for the Christening of her grandchildren , and on many special occasions. As years passed by, we shared many thoughts, many conversations about her future and our future. She joined us a many special occasions when our children celebrated an occasion in their lives. Worth, Helen and I ----her children and our children and then grandchildren became one big happy family. We shall miss talking with her and seeing her at Stonebridge. She was a special sister to us and we shall miss her more than words can ever express. 

Helen and I shared many life events together. Her warmth towards me began the first time I met her back in 1982 and continued at our last visit together on March 9, 2020. Back in 1982, when I was engaged to Neal, I remember having lunch with her at a downtown Boston restaurant. She had traveled to Boston on a business trip with Ralph. It was just the two of us, mother/daughter lunch and she welcomed me into the family with such kindness. She loved hearing stories of romance and I remember her joy when Ben & Nicole announced their engagement. She was also fond of all of her grandchildren and enjoyed hosting family gatherings at her house on Raymond Road, Sayre Drive, and especially the beach house on LBI. On our last day together, we enjoyed lunch in the café at Stonebridge and a walk outside, enjoying the first blush of spring flowers and a warm breeze, no coat! Springtime! She smiled a lot and was so content.

Helen hired me in my first teaching position in West Windsor Plainsboro. She was an elegant, refined and super intelligent woman! She always encouraged me in my teaching, supported my ideas and celebrated the arts with me. Helen fostered a sense of family at Dutch Neck during my time there. I have never felt that at another school since I started teaching. She impacted so many people. I will forever remember our long talks in her office, her impeccable sense of style and her elegance. God Bless, you Helen. You are singing in the angel choir now.

Helen was a wonderful person and superb educator. She was warm, caring, and wanted the very best for every child and teacher. She was also a "teacher of teachers" by the guidance and inspiration that she provided to aspiring teachers at Princeton University. I was very honored and proud to know Helen. She contributed vastly to the excellence of the West Windsor-Plainsboro schools.

Helen you are remembered as an elegant, dignified, warm and heartfelt woman. You had an esteemed career as an educator creating meaningful progams for students and teachers. You modeled courage and resilience rising above adversity and striving to be your best self.
My most favorite memories are our times together sharing laughter, love, dreams and hopes for our shared grandchildren Greg and Jen.