Mrs. Harrison (some called her “Hurricane Harrison”) was strict, and she did not let any student get away with anything. But she also had a huge heart. I came from a very poor family, on public assistance, and family life was exceedingly dysfunctional. We had moved back to Massachusetts from Vermont for the birth of my youngest sister, Melanie, and I started 4th grade a day late. I walked into a class full of children I did not know, but it did not matter — school was my safe place. And Mrs. Harrison was my shelter.