County's 'Ed
BY TERRY POPE
About 28 second-graders entered the Union Primary
School gym, left their lunch boxes by the door, and lined
up on the solid white line to begin their physical education ;
class.
"What's the color of the day?" one boy asked as excitement
began to show on the other students' faces.
"I'm glad you asked that," said Tom Simmons, their
P.E. instructor, "because today's Friday and the color is
blue."
A loud screech filled the gym as 28 pairs of raised
arms raced toward Simmons in search of a hug. Dressed |
in blue snorts and a white su ipeu shirt, Simmons i etui tied
the hugs before calling the class to order.
"I have this little game I play with them before each
class," Simmons said. "Each day is a different color?Monday
is green, Tuesday is pink, Wednesday is red,
Thursday is yellow and Friday is blue. Anybody with
those colors on has to hug each other."
Simmons, 42, begins each P.E. class with a hug, an
Opportunity for each Cllilu to feel needed aftu Cafcd for.
Even the students who have forgotten it is Friday and are
wearing green, yellow or other colors join in the hugging
before returning to the white line.
"1 know it probably sounds corny, but I couldn't go
through school each day without telling them I love them
and without hugging them," Simmons said.
It seems appropriate that Simmons was chosen last
Monday as the Shallottc Junior Woman's Club's
"Educator of the Year" for Brunswick County. The
award is presented each year by the club's educational
department, which selects the winner from nominations
submitted by people in the community, by students or by
other educators.
"I think an award like this, coming from people totally
outside the educational field, makes it even more of an
honor," Simmons said. "It does for me."
Simmons' big day came last Monday when a banquet
was held in his honor to mark the official announcement
of the "Educator of the Year" award. His big day almost
began in tragedy following a school bus accident in
Shallotte that sent 17 Union Primary School students to
the hospital for treatment, none with serious injuries.
Simmons was one of the first to arrive at the scene of
the accident. His familiar face, his curly red hair and
bright blue eyes, as they appeared in the doorway of the
crumpled bus helped soothe some of the fears and worries
that overcame the 42 students following the collision.
"By Monday afternoon, I was Just physically and
mentally tired," Simmons said. "Seeing my kids in a
situation I've never seen them in before, and hope to
never see them ui again, just drained me. I had forgotten
all about receiving the award."
After he had fallen asleep on the couch, his wife,
Junis. a Union Primary third-Kradc teacher, woke Simmons
around 6 p.m. a', their Boiling Spring lakes home.
S'mmons had to be in Shallotte by 7 p.m. for the awards
presentation.
Although teaching P.E. keeps Simmons energetic,
playing racketball keeps him in shape so he can race up
and down the gym with his students. Simmons, a 13-year
education veteran, compares teaching to playing golf,
one sport the former semi-pro football player still enjoys.
"In golf, you have bad days and then you have good
days," he began. "But no matter how many bad shots you
hit. you always hit that one shot that makes you want to
come back and play again. In teaching, you may have
that one kid who comes up to you on a Friday afternoon
and tells you something special that makes it all worth
it."
One touching moment that occurred recently that
Simmons enjoys recalling is the story of the girl who
brought him a present, a pair of her father's used socks.
anc saia 10 me, l want lo give you a present,' and
handed me the pair of socks," Simmons said. "I later
called the girl's mother who said she was embarrassed
that her girl would bring me a pair of her father's used
socks, but it meant a lot to me."
Although he enjoys teaching and the classroom environment,
Simmons is currently working toward his
principal's certificate in the hope of one day becoming
wed
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THIRD GRADERS reach for hugs from P.E.
Brunswick County's "Educator of the Year"
I
"...I couldn't go through school each
day without telling them I love them
and without hugging them.''
?TOM SIMMONS
EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
head of an elementary school in Brunswick County. i
"The biggest adjustment for me would Ik- Just getting |
out of the classroom and looking at the school from a
managerial posiUon," .Simmons said. "The first year or j
so, I'd probably hang around Uie classrooms a lot. But
I'm looking forward to that opportunity, when it arises." j
Simmons career in education didn't always look as
bright and cheerful us it has turned out to be for him in
Brunswick County. 'Hie former I^ike Waecaroaw Boys
Home resident graduated from Hallsboro High School '
and attended UNC-Chapel Hill and Wilmington College
before traveling to Maryland to teach Juvenile delinquents
at the Victor Cullen School in Cullen, Md.
"When I got there, they didn't have a physical education
program," Simmons said. Interscholastic sports
were soon added to the curriculum for the students, mosto
it all.
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instructor Tom Simmons. The Shallutte Junior
last week.
ly troubled juveniles from the Baltimore, Md., and
Washington, D.C., ureuu. i
Siinmons moved to Murylund lo seek n job in i
teaching, not to seek a position on a seini-pro football I
team. Hut he played us 207-pound offensive guard for the i
Waynesville Tigers. He was invited to try out for the
team, whose roster included pluyers from Canada, the {
south and other northern states. I
"I was a walk-on. In fact, I played my first same
without a contract," Simmoas said. "It helped me t
understand the attitudes und feelings of people from dif- ?
Ferent parts of the country."
Teaching juvenile delinquents also helped Simmons
improve in his educational field. c
"It was an experience that I would go through again a
If I luid to," Simmoas said. "It taught me how to unders[Jtrirl
nrnhlome thnt kirk an thrswmh " h
Simmons and his wife have two sons of tiieir own, ti
Byon, a senior at South Brunswick High School who will
attend UNC-Wilmington next year, and dins, a Junior at II
SBHS. p
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\ '311
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SWICK BEACON, Thursday, May 16, 1665?Page 5-A
sun :
Vith A Hug
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Woman's Club chose Simmons ns
rwo Knee operations ended Simmons' Ioutbid!
lareer. When he cumu In UruraeMek c.uunlv In tench and ,
Loach in 1968, integration hud Just begun. Since then, he
!ias taught and coached grades ranging from K-ll, hat
mid he enjoys teaching elementary grades the best.
"It's Just amazing how these kids can turn a day
iround for you," he added. "I'm sure It's not Just the way
feel, but for every teacher ul this school."
Teaching elementary school children physical cducnlon
Involves more than Just supervising a (day period,
limmons said.
"P.E. teachers are educators, loo," Simmons said
I don't like trying to persuade parents that the gym is a
lassroom and that I am a teacher Just as other teachers
re professionals.
"learning ought to lie fun, whether you're teaching
lology or pliyslcul education," he added "We its
[ ot hers have a responsibility to nmke learning fun."
For Simmons, part of the fun cornea In just keeping
lie children happy, providing them with attention and
ilenly of hugs.
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