Since she was 5 years old, Brenda Johnston, a first-grade teacher at Burbank Elementary School, has started each September in school buildings, either as a student or educator.
During her 35-year career at Burbank, instead of saying “I go to work,” Brenda has said, “I go to school,” out of a love for teaching.
Noreen Sacca, the administrative assistant for Burbank Elementary, has worked in the Belmont school district for 36 years, and at the elementary school for 31 years.
“She is like the face of Burbank … an integral part of the school,” Principal Lisa Williams said. “Everyone knows her, and everyone loves Mrs. Sacca.”
Victoria O’Regan, meanwhile, began her career as a reading specialist at Burbank 33 years ago, landing the position a week before she got married.
“When I started as a reading specialist here, I loved it and I just remained,” she said. “Burbank School has been a place where I think I spent probably more hours than I have at home.”
This year, the three colleagues are wrapping up their careers.
A Tight-Knit Community
They all underscored the tight-knit school community as a highlight of their time at Burbank.
When she first started working at Burbank, O’Regan recalled that because of her young age, some of her colleagues treated her like a daughter.
“Then, as the years went on, I felt I could have been the sister to the new people coming in … Right now, honestly, sometimes, I feel like [I am] the mother,” she said.
“I feel like I grew up here as well,” said Johnston, who started working at Burbank in her early 20s.
She added that since her earliest days at the school, the staff at Burbank have continually offered both teaching and parenting support to one another.
“We’re just here for each other in all ways,” Johnston said. “Whether I’m going to help you in your classroom [or] help you in your life.”
For Sacca, it’s all about the people.
“My coworkers are my friends—I’m just going to miss them,” she said.
Growing with Burbank
When Sacca started working in Belmont in 1988—first at the high school library, then six years later, at Burbank Elementary School as an administrative assistant—she was new to the workforce after 19 years devoted to raising her children.
She is leaving behind numerous sick days and always arrives at work an hour early, according to her husband, Ron Sacca.
“She’s the go-to person,” said Williams, adding that if anyone has questions, they bring them to Sacca. “[She] definitely keeps everything together.”
Wendy Hurwitz, a Burbank kindergarten teacher said, “She’s a familiar face for everyone who walks in the building,” adding that she brings fun and excitement to interactions with the students.
Like Sacca, O’Regan and Johnston are foundational members of the Burbank team.
In an email to the Voice, Williams described O’Regan as “a cornerstone of Burbank’s warm and joyful culture.”
“Her unwavering student-centered approach has helped countless children not only develop strong reading skills but also understand themselves as learners,” wrote Williams.
O’Regan said that during her time as a reading specialist, she has loved witnessing the moment when things just “click” for the students.
“They [initially] don’t see themselves as readers, but then in a moment, they can do it,” she said.
O’Regan and Johnston said they have grown greatly over the course of their teaching careers.
“I was very much the follower [for] the first few years, as I think many of us are as we’re younger,” said Johnston. “But I feel like I’m going out much more of a leader.”
Williams wrote that Johnston possesses “a rare ability” to anticipate the needs of her students, colleagues, and their families.
“She approaches challenges with calm, care, and a solutions-oriented mindset,” Williams said. “Time and again, she shows us what it means to build trust and community.”
Saying Farewell to Burbank
As the staff members prepare to bid Burbank farewell, they are also looking ahead.
Sacca and Johnston said they are excited to travel during their retirement, and O’Regan said she is looking forward to seeing what comes next.
According to Sacca, her last year at Burbank has been a wonderful experience.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” she said. “I get all emotional thinking the last time I look at that office.”
“I do think a little piece of my heart is going to be left here,” said Johnston. “There will always be something missing … I think September is going to be really hard.”
O’Regan said one of the things she will miss most is connecting with Belmont families.
“I’ll hold onto the memories,” O’Regan said. “When you stop and you read something a parent had read to you, a small note of such gratitude, of how their child is doing and how much they appreciate you, that’s when you stop, and you say, ‘I guess I did do something right.’”
