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VOLUME 93, NUMBER 78 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1980 KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
Sara Simpson Named
i KM Teacher Of Year
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Kings Mountain’s Teacher of
the Year is Mrs. James B. (Sara)
Simpson, Title I Reading teacher
at West Elementary School.
A selection committee of
seven citizens, who had earlier
interviewed candidates from
each of the schools in the KM
» •
Photo by Lib Stowcnt
TEACHER OF YEAR—Kings Mountain's Toachor oi the Yeor
Sara H. Simpson is pictured at work in the classroom at West
School where she is Title 1 Reading Co-ordinator.
School Was Never So
• Much Fun For Sara Simpson
» •
School was never so much fun
for KM’S Teacher of the Year
Sara H. Simpson, until she
became a teacher 23 years ago
and taught her students how to
learn and have fun at the same
time.
Title 1 Reading students at
West School are experienciijg
the versatile teacher’s creativity
in the classroom, just as Sara’s
former third and fifth grade
classes enjoyed school during her
early years of teaching in the
elementary grades.
Jack White Jr., 27, a
Washington, D.C. lawyer and a
former third grader at West, kept
m a copy of “My Third Grade
^ Book,” among the materials
which Sara will display in a
scrapbook in competition for
Regional Teacher of the Year
next month.
Mary Ann Bennett Gibson,
also a third grader in 1961-62
and now a teacher at Bethware,
also recalled the exciting year
A she spent in the West third
" grade.
The kids learned about cotton
picking by making their own
“pick sacks” and visiting the
John O. Plonk Jr. farm where
they picked 120 pounds in 30
minutes. They took a mystery
bus ride, traveling 239 miles over
a 12 hour period for $2.50-each
and seeing the wonders of
• Chimney Rock, riding the train
from Black Mountain to Old
Fort, among other adventures.
They took an imaginary trip to
faraway Africa, writing and
reporting on their elephant trip
to the Gold Coast, their capture
by natives, among other im
aginative stories to highlight
their history studies. During
their English class they wrote let
ters to the Governor, among
others, and mailed them. They
visited a grocery story to learn
16 methods of food preservation
and they climbed to the top of
Kings Mountain, along with
their parents. During the winter
months they learned folk danc
ing. A fifth grade class took a
trip to Old Salem in Winston-
Salem and attended the annual
Candle Tea during the
Christmas season.
Children looked forward to
being in Sara Simpson’s classes,
whatever grade she was teaching
at West School. Mrs. Simpson
planned her year’s work and in
corporated fun, along with
study. It paid off.
Teaching is a challenge for
Mrs. Simpson. “From the very
first 1 realized there was so much
1 didn’t know so I took every ex
tension course offered in the
area. Once I took a course in
communism. My assignment
was to go back to school and
teach what I learned. My third
graders learned it so well they
taught their parents com
munism. What an experience,”
she recalled.
Mrs. Simpson said her
philosophy of teaching is that
every child can learn to read, to
write and compute, and that it’s
her responsibility as a teacher to
open the door for them. Learn
ing is sometimes minimized by
the priorities established by
educators as facts, skills and at
titudes, in that order. Mrs. Simp
son affirms that the reverse list is
now the more appropriate, at
titudes, skills and facts.
9 Toys For Tots Program
Underway At Fire Dept.
Operation Toys for Tots is
underway in Kings Mountain by
the Kings Mountain Fire
Department.
Good, use Christmas toys are
being sought by Firemen to give
• needy children of the communi
ty a merry Christmas. Firemen
plan to repair the fovs and
distribute them to the under-
priviledged on Dec. 23-24.
Pete Peterson, Project chair
man, said that persons wishing
to donate toys are encouraged to
bring them to the Fire Depart
ment. Firemen will pick up the
toys. Call 739-2552.
District, made the announce
ment this week. Ms. Jane Shields
headed the committee which in
cluded Mrs. Jean Thrift,
Bethware Principal Ronald Nan-
ney, East School Principal
Cozell Vance, Mrs. Joe Lee,
Mrs. Bob Bradley and Cary
Osbume.
Mrs. Simpson, a Kings Moun
tain native, has taught at West
School for 23 years, beginning in
1959 as a third grade teacher.
During her career she has taught
all five grades and the past six
years has specialized in the
reading program and directed
the Title 1 Reading program at
West.
Active in the International
Reading Association, Mrs. Simp
son serves as the executive
secretary of the 4^00 member
organization. She has also served
as the organization’s president
and prior to that was county and
state president of the Interna
tional Reading Association. In
1972 Vineyard Press published
her book, “Ways To Insure
Mastery Teaching,” in its second
printing. For the past eight years
she has led workshops in reading
for the Florida State Board of
Education, at Western Carolina
University, for the Primary
Reading Program in Region 10
which encompasses 16 counties,
at Appalachian State University,
Horry County, S.C., and has
given presentations at the Na
tional International Reading
Association meeting in New
Orleans, La., at the Southeast
Regional meeting in
Washington, D.C., Jacksonville,
Fla. and Nashville, Tenn., at a
reading symposium at Ap
palachian State University, for
the Council of the S.C. Interna
tional Reading Association Con
ference, for the North Carolina
Council of the International
Reading Conferences, and for a
Southeast Regional Conference
in Charleston, S.C. at which
representatives of 10 states at
tended.
Active on the Eric Crier
Review Board, Mrs. Simpson
reviews many books used in the
reading curriculum and finds
time to be active in the local
NCAE Association, of which
she is a past local president, is ac
tive in St. Matthew’s Lutheran
Church, and has just returned
from a fishing trip with her hus
band to Florida, where they
made “big catches of fish.”
The Simpsons are parents of
one daughter, Sara ^th (Mrs.
Michael) Wood of Santa Fe,
Mexico who two weeks ago
became proud parents of Gaylen
Wood, their first child.
Mrs. Simpson is daughter of
the late Mr. and Mrs. P.D. Hern
don, was educated at Furman
University, UNC at Chapel Hill
and received her Master’s in
Reading and Education
Specialist degree from ASU. She
worked for a year in the Person
nel Department of Lance, Inc.
until her marriage to KM native
James B. Simpson. She began
her teaching career when their
daughter entered first grade at
West School, and the third grade
classroom was her home for
more than 10 years, moving up
to fifth grade for several yaers
and now instructs students from
each of the five grades in the Ti
tle 1 reading program.
Mrs. Simpson will be honored
by the KM Board of Education,
which sponsored the local con
test, at its December meeting.
She advances in January to
regional competition. The
regional winner advances to
state competition for N.C.
Teacher of the Year to be an
nounced next May.
UTTLE THEATRE
Kings Mountain Little
Theatre will hold the regular
monthly meeting Thursday
night at 7:30 p.m. at First
Federal Savings and Loan
Association.
TREES FOR SALE—Tom Franks, chairman of
the Kings Mountain Jcrycees Christmeu Tree
sale project, is surrounded by Scotch Pines in
Photo by Gary Stewart
the Herald parking lot on Canterbury Road
and East King Street. Proceeds oi the tree sale
will go to worthy loycee projects.
In Herald Parking Lot
Jaycee Tree Sale Begins
Kings Mountain Jaycees are
beginning this week the annual
Christmas tree project and pro
ceeds are earmarked for com
munity projects.
The Jaycee Tree Lot is located
this year in the parking lot of
The Herald Publishing House
and Hallmark Shop at King
Street and Canterbury Road.
Scotch pines in assorted sizes
and prices are available, beginn
ing at $16.20 and each tree is
tagged with the price. A Jaycee
salesman will be on duty at the
lot each evening from 6 p.m. un
til 9 p.m. During the day, pur
chases may be made by visiting
the Hallmark Shop where a clerk
will awist a prospective tree
buyer.
Tom Franks is Jaycees Ac
tivities Chairman and en
courages KM area citizens to
suppor the civic club in the an-
nuaJ Yule project.
Douglas Gower Named
Outstanding Employee
Douglas Gower, husband of
the former Ginger Payne of
Kings Mountain, was selected as
one of 10 Outstanding Han
dicapped Federal Employees for
1980, receiving the national
award representing the Veterans
Administration.
Gower is a veterans benefit
counselor at the Veterans Ad
ministration in Winston Salem.
His director recognized him as
one of the top benefit counselors
in Winston Salem, striving for
excellence in his job.
Gower was injured while serv
ing with the Army in Vietnam.
As he assisted in the removal of
a radio antenna, the antenna fell
across high tension wires, thus,
resulting in bone deep burns.
The immediate aid of a medic
saved his life, as his heart stop
ped momentarily.
With both hands and one leg
gone, many people might have
wanted to give up trying to com
pete in life. But, Gower decided
to overcome his disadvantages,
get a good education and do
something worthwhile.
He attended Gaston College,
graduating with an A.S. degree
in Business Administration. He
also attended the University of
North Carolina in Charlotte, un
til he decided to begin training as
a Veterans benefit counselor
with the Veterans Administra
tion in 1978.
The Gowers are parents of a
six-year-old daughter, Kimberly.
He is the recipient of the 1978
Employee of the Y ear Award for
Forsyth County, North
Carolina’s Outstanding han
dicapped Citizen for 1978 and
Outstanding Disabled Veteran
for 1978-79.
Gower and his family traveled
to Washington, D.C. Oct. 8-10
for the awards ceremony held at
the Department of Commerce
DOUGLAS GOWER
...Outctandlng Employ**
Auditorium, to several lun
cheons and receptions, a visit
with Max Cleland, administrator
of the Veterans Administration
and other V.A. officials and a
V.l.P. tour of the White House.
By being selected as an
Outstanding Handicapped
Federal Employee for 1980, the
American Legion, through the
cooperation of Senator Strom
Thurmond, of South Carolina,
presented Gower with a flag that
was flown over the U5. capitol
to honor him for his achieve
ment.
Max Cleland commended
Gower for his “personal ac
complishments, courage and in
itiative in overcoming his
disability and serving as an in-
spiration to others.” y