Former Annapolis Teacher Confronts Bullies With Memoir: Little Jade
by Stacey Coles
From 1974 to 2018, Katherine Hsu Haas inspired fourth- grade students as a teacher at the Key School in Annapolis. Now, her legacy continues with Little Jade, a memoir she hopes will inspire readers to be kind to others and embrace their differences. “I’m trying to reach all the kids who have been made to feel bad for what they look like,” said Haas, an Annapolis resident of 50 years. “I am really hoping that by writing this that I give courage and strength to the kids, who are being bullied, essentially. And I’m hoping to talk to the bullies…to convince the bullies to cut it out.” Haas recalled sharing hurtful moments she experienced as a kid with her students to empathize and discourage bullying. The retired teacher’s impact on her students and their families has earned her a lifetime of support.
Photo courtesy of Barbie Hsu
“We LOVED her! Best storyteller ever! I…preordered her book,” said Annapolis Moms Media’s Jessica Opert, whose daughter was taught by Haas in 2010. From being adopted into the Lakota Sioux tribe to engaging her students with bird banding lessons, and from raising hundreds of pets to raising her three daughters, Haas was no ordinary school teacher, and Little Jade is no ordinary memoir. “As a teacher, I know the power of books and how [they influence] kids,” said Haas, who targeted her book toward teens and young adults. “So, I’m thinking if I’m going to write one it better be good. I just wrote from my heart and hoped to God that it’s good.” Haas came to the United States on a ship, at the young age of eleven. The next few decades unfolded a lifetime of adventure as this young Chinese-German woman navigated identity, culture, and politics in a world different from the one she was raised in. Little Jade is the retiree’s “whimsical meditation on a life well lived.” Haas will read excerpts from her book, Little Jade, and sign copies at Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library on October 19 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Registration is preferred. Visit aacpl.info/KatherineHaas to register. Order your copy of Little Jade at stirredstories.com/buy/p/ little-jade.
Photo courtesy of Barbie Hsu
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