Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / May 21, 1992, edition 1 / Page 6
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Phyllis Neeley Is Brunswick County's Teacher Of Year B\ MARJORIK MEGIVERN One of Phyllis Noclcy's charac teristic means of communicating with parents of her Lincoln Primary students is the "Cheery Note." It is sent home bearing a positive mes sage about the child, with a sketch of a cheerleader and the heading, "Something to cheer about!" Now this pericy, cncrgctic physi cal education teacher has something of her own to cheer about. Whereas little Susie's note might say, "Susie was great at jumping rope today," Necley's cheery message camc over the school intercom Friday noon, the announcement that she had been chosen Brunswick County Teacher of the Year. "1 was surprised, stunned, thrilled," she said with a big smile, then recalled her interview the day before, along with eight other coun ty candidates. "They asked me about dealing with parents, what I thought about AIDS awareness, sex education, and condom distribution, and what 1 would do about the Los Angeles ri ots if 1 were president of the United States," she recalled. Mrs. Ncelcy doesn't duck sub jects like this. "I don't think condoms and sex education arc the school's responsi bility," she said, "but if parents want us to do it, we should have trained people teaching. Education is the key in all of this." As for the riots, she pinpointed the implications for schools: "There was an undercurrent that our kids arc not prepared to work," she said. This forthright woman has been teaching at Lincoln Primary' for 10 years. She remembered how deter mined she was to have the job, dur ing the time she was a substitute teacher and parent volunteer there. "Mr. Clemmons (the late princi pal James Clemmons) used to tell me to go back for my elementary education certificate so he could hire me in the classroom," she said, "but 1 said, 'No, I'm going to teach P.E.* "Somehow, I just knew the man teaching it would leave and sure enough, he resigned one August, just after 1 applied for his job in June. I went to work the next day." Necley had been on a 13-year hia tus from teaching to raise her two sons. A native of Pennsylvania, she had earned her bachelor's of scicncc degree at Temple University in health and physical education, then spent two years as a junior high teacher in that state and two years in a Maryland junior high school. She and her husband Kirk moved to the Brunswick County area 17 years ago. They live in Oldc Pointc and he works at the Du Pont plant, while Scott, 21, is in prc-law at East mm STAFF PHOTO BY M4JUOME MEGIVKN PHYLLIS NEEIJiY enjoys a rare moment of relaxation in the teacher's loun at Lincoln Primary School, after hearing of her selection as Iirunswick County Teacher of the year. Carolina University and Todd, 17, after 10 years of eight classes per is a junior at North Brunswick High day. In a four-day period, she said. School. she sees each of Lincoln's 765 stu Ncclcy is still happy with her job dents and enjoys the opportunity to be creative in teaching physical edu cation. "I don't like to be stagnant or teach the same way over and over," she said. "I like a variety of activi ties, but I stress one thing with every student, that they can do anything they put their minds to. A sign in the gym says, "I can do that!"' Her expertise is a resource for other classroom teachers in present ing language arts, math, science and the arts, she said. "I reinforce sci ence principles by working with the incline mat and using a basketball to teach light refraction. With math, we do games where they must know numbers: we jump rope and make shapes with it." In the kindergarten class, Ncclcy said, she dismisses them sometimes by the colors of their socks or by birth dates, requiring them to know these basics. Her cheery notes arc a constant. "I send home 48 a day," she said, "six in every class. Regardless of how the child is doing, I find some thing good to say, like, 'Brian is lis tening better today.' This school stresses a positive approach." Nevertheless, her face grows seri ous in discussing discipline. "Rules arc posted at the beginning of the year and everyone knows what's expected," she said. 'The first time a rule is violated, I take the child's name; the second time, they have lo sii out and can't participate. A third violation would mean call ing the parents in, but I've never had to do thai. The real punishment for my kids is not being able to partici pate. They really love the classcs." Neeley's positive outlook has come the hard way, through years of tending her younger son through a rare illness. After suffering a form of mononucleosis five years ago, his reaction to it was a handicapping one, with his spccch and mobility affected. While Todd has improved greatly today and is a top student at North Brunswick, he still has diffi culty walking. Over the last five years, his mother said, he has en dured a variety of tests, biopsies and treatment that have tested the fami ly's patience and courage. "I believe this has happened lo him for a reason," Neeley said, her eyes filling. "Already wc sec that other students around him look at life differently. I hope they will take better carc of themselves as a re sult." Neeley's recent honor is in a proud tradition at Lincoln Primary. At least three other teachers from the school have represented the county in this way, including Betty Chaison, Esther Smith and Jane Miller. Her next step is regional competition. School Board Hears Updates, Poetry, Parental Concerns BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN Conccms about a reading pro gram and a law enforcement pres ence in high schools preceded an "end-of-school" gathering of reports and updates Monday night by the Brunswick County Board of Education. It met in the cafctorium of Bolivia Elementary School, with a buffet supper served before the meeting. A poetic beginning to the meeting was provided by Rodney Joyncr, whose poem about teaching love was chosen to be published in a magazine that often uses student writing. After Rodney read his po em, Board Chairman Donna Baxter congratulated him and presented him with a check for $100 from the publication. Parental Concerns Sybil Mitchell Simmons told board members her opposition to the continual presence of sheriff s deputies on local high school cam puses comes from something a teen ager told her. "(The girl) said the school staff doesn't try to come in and help any more when there arc fights; they just let the police handle it," Simmons related. "I read in the Wilmington paper about the police officers in their high schools and one of them was quoted as saying, 'When I'm not there. ..all Hell breaks loose.'" The mother and former teacher and assistant principal urged board members to reconsider the use of deputies in schools, saying, "The message we send kids is that we hold them down until someone is there to deal with them. If you put one officer in a school this year, next year you'll need two, and then thicc. We just saw L.A. bum, and 1 don't want that 10 happen to our schools." Mrs. Baxter responded, "1 under stand what you're saying, but times have changed in this country. We have teachers getting hurt and kids shooting each other. We have to do something." Another mother. Rose Mary Long, complained that her daughter had been neglected in the Reading Recovery program. "When they began testing her for learning problems, no one saw her in Reading Recovery anymore," she said. "Then 1 had to have my child declared EMH (Educablc Mentally Handicapped) to get her out of the program. I wonder how arc the other children in that program being served." Jan Toomcs, lead teacher in Reading Recovery, said teachers are presently being trained in this new program for first-grade reading problems, at the same time they are working with children. This makes a slower movement of children through the program, she said. Buildings And Buses Assistant Superintendent William Turner reported on construction progress at the new elementary school in Supply, due to open this fall. With everything on schedule, Turner said, the water line is ready to be dedicated to the county, run ning from the school siuj along S.R.I 502, to connect with county water on U.S. 17. He said 17 new buses arc utilizing the new white tops that have proven to cut down interior heat by 17 de grees. "All new buses we buy from now on will have the white tops," Turner said. Within two weeks, he reported further, there will be lights on all three high school tennis courts. "In two school break-ins over the weekend," he concluded, "there was nothing taken and liulc damage -just broken glass." Comprehensive School Update Lcs Tubbs, principal at South Brunswick Middle School (SBMS), rcponcd on the progress of the com prehensive school approach his school will be using in the fall. "We've had two half-day confer ences with our faculty," he said, "and everything is going well. One thing we want is to use a tough-love bottom line policy. Our program will be something diffcrenl from lhat at the high schools." Components of the SB MS ap proach include personal advisers for students; a student services manage ment team to work with problems of high-risk students; the changing of ISS (in-school suspension) to Chill Out; an extended day program with rctcsting of students having learning problems and a research/develop ment collaboration period after school for teachers; and networking with the community. The program will be discussed with parents at a May 28 PTA meet ing, Tubbs said. Reports, Election Gloria Yount, staff development coordinator, said she is receiving ap plications for trainers in a new staff development program to be held the first week in August. "We're using the 15 best of our teachers to give staff development to county schools, when they ask for it," she said. Board Member Polly Russ hearti ly endorsed the idea of using county teachers rather than hire outsiders. "I'm glad we're recognizing that we have talented teachers right here," she said. School board attorney Glenn Peterson reported on his recent at tendance at a school board attorney conference, where he said discus Hankins Announces Plan To Retire In September BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN Brunswick County Superinten dent of Schools P.R. Hankins Mon day night announced plans for his retirement effective Sept. 30. The announcement came follow ing action on routine personnel mat ters at a school board meeting Monday at the school system admin istrative office. Hankins will retired at the end of his two-year contract with the board, as he had suggested he might when he accepted the post in 1990. After 40 years in public educa tion, Hankins leaves the profession having served in nearly every possi ble capacity in Brunswick County schools. He has been a high school science teacher, elementary school principal, and assistant and associ ate superintendent. Named interim superintendent in the spring 1990, when former Superintendent John Kaufhold was dismissed, Hankins was then hired to the post that September. The native Brunswick Countian GATOR LOUNGE! Live Entertainment May 22 & 23 from 9 pm-2 am by "Pure Majk" Seashore Rd. ? Holden Beach 842-9376 **,?, If it " Open Year Round" Rooms & Efficiency Apartments ? Heart of Seafood Capital (919)579-6576 RATES: Summer, Single Double $38, Eff. $48 Winter: Single $20; Double $25; Eff. $32 1115 River Road, Calabash, NC 28467 (1 Block Below Stoplight) iflSi 0 C clLlUuUi motel said when he applied for the super intendent's job, "It's something I've always wanted to do; it would be nice to tell my grandchildren about." Before decid ing to seek the job, Hankins had been on the verge of retiring, something he's now determined to do. "1 want to just he said Tuesday. "I've got some fishing to do, be cause I really like to fish and I've HANKINS kick back now, OUR SPECIAL WISH FOR YOU Enjoy a safe and happy holiday. And thank you for putting Nationwide on your side iufe Phillip W. Cheers 4920-A Mam St.. Shallotte 754-4366 IT J NATIONWIDE 1 1 INSURANCE ^ jf* Nationwide ?* on yu** N,?t-or>*<jp Muiuai inunance Company arwl An Compare Hon* Qfhct 0 re Naion#*je t*.a/a Co?utou$ Oh 43?l6 ^ a reg?J*'e<3 tato'ai mar* cV Mi/tuai insurance Company only gone fishing six times in the past two years." During his brief tenure as superin tendent, Hankins said he believes the school system has "taken a turn," with the dropout rate declin ing to a present 2.39 percent and new programs like the comprehen sive schools approach, aimed at im proving education. "I want to keep doing some things with the schools and the children," he noted. Donna Baxter, chairperson of the Brunswick County Board of Educ ation, said of the retiring superinten dent, "He will go down in the histo ry books for promoting education with Brunswick County more than anyone. He'll be sorely missed." Hankins's education included a bachelor of science degree from Johnson C. Smith University, a mas ter's of science degree from A.&.T. State University and further study at N.C. Central University, the Univer sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and East Carolina University. Hankins is married, has three fos ter children and lives in Bolivia. sions were held on prayer at school functions, the implications for school employees of the American Disabilities Act, and sexual harass ment of students by other students. "Will students be able to collect for this kind of harassment?" was the question being asked, Peterson said. He also pointed out new concerns in hiring school employees. "You can't ask about their handicaps, but you can ask how a particular condi tion would affect their ability to do a specific job." The board voted to return Dave Kelly and Lewis Stanley to the Board of Trustees of Brunswick Community College, as the Board of Education representatives. Linda Lowe, of the Southeast Technical Assistance Center, pre sented a certificate of accreditation to Brunswick County Schools. Following an executive session and approval of personnel changes, the meeting was recessed until 6:30 Wednesday, May 20. (Sec personnel story below). School Personnel Changes Get Nod me Brunswick County Board of Education met Monday at Bolivia Elementary School and concluded its session with approval of the fol lowing personnel recommendations: Margaret Curry of Greensboro was hired as media specialist for Supply Elementary, and Peter Spiliotis of Faycttevillc was hired as school psy chologist in the central office. Hired in non-certified positions were Linda Atkinson of Ash as part time custodian at Waccamaw Elc mentary;Garry :Hill of Ash, as ther apeutic assistant at Union Primary; Mary Smith of Ash, as therapeutic assistant at Bolivia Elementary; and Thclma Brown of Supply as assis tant secretary at West Brunswick High School (WBHS). Resignations were accepted from Trena Gavins of Wilmington, as special education teacher at Leland Middle and Marshall Seay of Shal loue as teacher/coach at WBHS. Non-certified resignations came from William Moslcy of Leland, as custodian at Leland Middle; Marilys Clcmmons of Bolivia as bilingual assistant at Lincoln and Leland Middle; and Mary Webster of Shal loue as therapeutic assistant at Bolivia Elementary. Retirements were accepted for Esther Troy of Leland, history teacher at NBHS; Lizzie Mitchell of Supply, home economics teacher at South Brunswick High School; and Maggie Munn of Riegelwood, sci ence teacher at NBHS. A one-year leave of absence was approved for Keith Moore, physical education teacher at (NBHS). Leave for approximately two weeks was granted Marisa Gause, a teacher as sistant at Lincoln and Leland Pri mary schools. Medical leaves were granted Freida Simmons, part-time custodian at Waccamaw Elementary and Lasandra Webb, SIMS operator at (WBHS). A transfer was approved for John Hewett of Supply, from food service to custodian at Shallotte Middle. Substitutes approved were as fol lows: Sherry Bowens of Dclco; Christina Register, Ella Johnson and Jean Milligan of Shallotie; Janicc Brown and Rhonda Brady of Leland; Karen Massengill and Elaine Bailey of Wilmington; Kris tin Farrow and Sally Hart of Wrightsvillc Beach; Catherine Wil liams of High Point; and Carol Callahan of Southport. (Shades & (Shadows Hundreds of shades in stock! Silk shades in bell, tulip and cut corner square styles. Beautiful Lamps... in floor, table & desk sizes. Choose from ceramic, crystal & wrought iron styles. 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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May 21, 1992, edition 1
6
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