Au Revoir, Mademoiselle

By: HEATHER
BOGARD
Associate Editor

The hallowed Halls of Troy will look a little different this year, as for the first time since January 1976, Sacred Heart High School will be without French and English teacher Mademoiselle Wanda Joubert. Well-known and respected by her current and former students and peers, Joubert has spent her entire career as a French and English teacher at Sacred Heart High School. Over the past 48 years, thousands of students spanning several generations have been impacted by her, creating a strong legacy of successful Trojan alumni. In addition to teaching, Joubert has also served as a moderator for the National Honor Society at the school.
A native of Ville Platte, Joubert graduated from Ville Platte High School in 1967 (where former Sacred Heart High School principal Larry Vidrine was one of her teachers before later becoming her boss) and began her post high school education at T.H. Harris in Opelousas to take some businesses classes. After a year she transferred to LSU-Eunice and chose English as her minor to go along with her major in French. After two semesters at LSU-E, she then moved to Lake Charles to complete her degree at McNeese State University. She graduated in December 1975 and began teaching at Sacred Heart in January 1976, replacing Sister Rose Marie.
When Joubert graduated from McNeese, there were no openings in the public schools, so she applied with Sacred Heart Principal Sister Alberta Foley about a month before she got hired. Sister Rose Marie retired on a Friday and Joubert started on a Monday in January 1976 for the second semester of the school year. Joubert has remained at Sacred Heart for her whole career and she states, “I wanted to stay here because it is a Catholic school and we can teach the whole student, including the spiritual side. We teach morals and it is not against the law to pray every day.” During her summers off, Joubert furthered her education, earning a master’s in English education. She also received a certification in Library Science.
A love of languages was instilled in Joubert as a child growing up with parents who only spoke French to each other. Joubert grew up learning both French and English at the same time and shares, “Even though they knew how, my parents (Hosea and Lana LaFleur Joubert) would never speak to each other in English.” She adds, “I grew up hearing French all day long and listened to the French news on KVPI and I just like languages. The first time I heard my parents speak English to each other was when I was 23 years old.” She also recalls the adults in her neighborhood only speaking French, saying some couldn’t speak English.
She loved school and knew from a young age she wanted to be a teacher. Joubert recalls, “I had wanted to teach at a Catholic school since I was in first grade.” Three of her teachers, Marie Fontenot (first grade) and French teachers Owen Demoruelle and Virginia West had a huge impact on Joubert’s life and future career. One of Joubert’s favorite teachers was her fourth grade teacher Beulah Lee, who also was a big inspiration for her life’s path.
One of the biggest challenges Joubert has faced over the years, she admits, was technology. She shares, “I went through school, college and graduate school never having to touch a computer and all of a sudden I had to learn (how to use a computer) one thing at a time.”
Another challenge Joubert faced was watching students who have potential not use it. She shares most students did their best, but there were those she would have liked to see use the talents God gave them.
Joubert is a devout Catholic who grew up in a Catholic family and took part in a big catechism program while in school. She currently serves as a Eucharistic Minister at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. As such, Joubert combined her Catholic faith and her love of the French language by emphasizing students learn the most common Catholic prayers in French. Students would recite “Notre Père” (Our Father) and “Je Vous Salue Marie” (Hail Mary) one by one at her desk for grades.
Upon her retirement, Joubert plans to spend more time resting, reading and working in her yard. She also plans to substitute at Sacred Heart while still in good health. She owes her longevity to the fact she always wanted to be a teacher and still enjoys it, saying, “I believe strongly in Catholic education and I (still) like teaching and learning.”

A fond farewell celebration
On Friday, May 19, current and past faculty and students, along with family and friends, gathered at the Sacred Heart High School gym for a surprise farewell to Joubert. Many colleagues and former students shared fond memories of working with Joubert and having her as a teacher.
Julia Fontenot (Former Sacred Heart teacher): “I am surprised Miss Joubert is retiring but I wish her the best. I always appreciated her teaching my children. She instilled in them a love for their ancestors’ language and culture. (My daughter) Bessie did well enough on the French test at the Air Force Academy to continue taking French for two more years. Miss Joubert was a wonderful professional and I enjoyed being her colleague at the high school for 12 years. She was quiet but actually (had) a delightful personality.”
Heather LaTour Bogard (Class of 1994): “I will never forget the time I was working at Winn Dixie after graduation. Mademoiselle Joubert came through my checkout line with her buggy and asked me to tell her the total ‘En Français, Mademoiselle.’ I managed to do it, but I was definitely put on the spot.”
Gabe Fontenot (Class of 2023): “We were practicing grammar and she pulled out a manila folder and opened it up to a very brown piece of paper with purple typewriting on it that looked like it was about to dissolve in the air. Two words on the paper stand out: President Ford. I asked ‘How old is this, Mademoiselle, and she said ‘Oh that was from the teacher before me.’” He added, “Justin Castille said it best, ‘For every three trees Ms. Jeanne cuts down, Mademoiselle saves two.’”
Angie Rozas (retired Sacred Heart High School Secretary): “The biggest thing I learned from you is how happy a person can be in simplicity where you never wasted a thing.”
Deidre Fruge (student and retired Sacred Heart English teacher): “I had the pleasure of having Ms. Joubert the second half of my junior year. But I was blessed more than just that, I went to McNeese too, and I got to come back to this wonderful school (as a teacher) for 28 years. She is my mentor and the best thing is she is a friend for life.”
Father Mitch Guidry (Former pastor of Our Lady Queen of All Saints and Religious Studies III teacher): “When people find out I teach at a Catholic school, I get asked, ‘Are there any nuns there?’ I say well, we have somebody who is the next best thing. Wanda, your dedication to God, your students, your discipline, just the elevation that you have for your students. You teach them to rise above themselves and do the best they possibly can. It is something that has been lost in education and you are an inspiration to all of us here to do the same thing - to help our student reach their potential. Thank you for your example, and your faith and dedication. Thank you for what you do and many blessings in the years to come.”
Dawn Shipp (Sacred Heart High School Principal): When presenting Joubert with a plaque, Shipp read the inscription: “For over 48 years the Halls of Troy have been blessed to have such an inspiring, serving leader who has created a rich legacy of success for our students. You are an example to our Trojan community as you have lived and instilled everything in us for the vision of Sacred Heart School each and every day. ‘Once a Trojan, always a Trojan.’”