GRAVETTE -- Students at Glenn Duffy Elementary School gathered in the school cafeteria last Monday morning for their first "Rise and Shine" assembly of the year.
Members of the Gravette Kiwanis Club were on hand to honor students chosen as Terrific Kids. Two students from each grade level were recognized.
Terrific Kids is a student recognition program that promotes character development, self-esteem and perseverance. Students work with their teacher to set goals to improve behavior, peer relationships, attendance or school work and those students who meet their goals after a certain time are recognized as Terrific Kids. Dan and Brenda Yates, Amanda Gittlein and Bob Kelley distributed Terrific Kids bumper stickers to each winner.
Winners of the "Pawsitive and Wise" Student awards were also recognized. The PAWS program incorporates character education and positive behavior into the school community. Each month PAWS skills are chosen and discussed in classroom guidance in relation to character education. "Responsibility" is the PAWS character trait for September. This is defined as "knowing and doing what is expected of you." President Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."
PAWS awards are given in the classroom, hallway and cafeteria as an incentive for students to practice the PAWS skill for the month. PAWS award winners are given T-shirts provided by the Glenn Duffy Elementary PTO. PAWS students for this month are: Kamden Garner, Cameron Bedwell, Cade Phillips, Katelyn Johnson and Laken Ellis, all of Gravette, and Jax Lawson of Bella Vista.
At the conclusion of the program, two representatives from the Walmart transportation department presented a check to Zane Vanderpool, Glenn Duffy Elementary principal, from the Miles for Education program. The Walmart Foundation makes a financial contribution to a local school for each accident-free mile the company's tractor trailer drivers cover in a week. This week they chose Glenn Duffy; and Kirk Watkins, Walmart safety manager, and Debbie Hall, human resources manager, presented a check for $3,855.86. Vanderpool said the money would be used to provide additional safety equipment for the school.
Glenn Albert Duffy, Jr., was guest speaker for the assembly and he told the students about his father, Glenn Albert Duffy, Sr., for whom the school is named. He explained how his father reflected the month's trait, responsibility, in both his work and his life in general. He concluded by telling the students that they needed to think about how the actions they take reflect on themselves, their parents and their community. It is important, he said, to be responsible for the choices we make.
Glenn Albert Duffy, Sr., was superintendent of Gravette Schools for 29 years. This is the story his son told about him:
"Dad was a great leader with a strong sense of responsibility for the people he led, for his community and for his country.
"He was born in 1918 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., grew up in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc., and came to Arkansas because his mother got a job teaching in the Mountain Home area.
"Dad married my mom, Lereta, in 1951. At that time he was a senior at the University of Arkansas. When the U.S. entered World War II, he left school to serve in the Army. He fought in France and Germany. He refused a promotion from 1st Lieutenant to Captain because he did not want to leave the men under his command. He felt responsible for their safety and often put himself in danger trying to save them. He earned a Silver Star and three Bronze Stars.
"After the war, he went back to the university and got his bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time.
"He spent one year at Pea Ridge as principal. Back then there wasn't much to do in Pea Ridge, so he would show movies on Friday nights in the school gym.
"When he came to Gravette as superintendent, there were a lot of small one-room schools in the area. The school board hired him to close them and move the kids into the main Gravette school. The last small schools he closed were Maysville, Hiwasse and Sulphur Springs.
"Around 1950, he and the school board added a home economics building, an agriculture building and a new grade school. Dad felt a responsibility to the taxpayers, so he saved the school money wherever he could. These new buildings were built with lumber salvaged from barracks being torn down at Fort Crowder, Mo. Lots of money was saved by buying things for the school from the government surplus store in Little Rock.
"When the lunchroom burned, there was not enough money to build a new one but he found a way. The kids sold cement blocks to the people of the town to raise the money. The building is now the Gravette Public Library.
"Later a new high school was built, with a new gym. After that, Dad and the school board got a new grade school built. The school board honored him for his years of service by naming it Glenn Duffy Elementary.
"He felt a responsibility to make Gravette the best school he could. He taught classes, drove buses, mowed the football field and did whatever else was needed.
"Dad also felt personally responsible for his students. He was a quiet man who never said much. Misbehaving kids just got a look from him and knew they had better straighten up. He could quiet a roomful of rowdy students just by walking in the door. Mr. Bob Kelley can tell you that still worked on those students when they were grown up.
"He tutored many students who were having trouble with classes. If a student wanted to go to college, Dad helped him get in and get a scholarship. Many of his students grew up to become teachers, lawyers, doctors, pharmacists and other professional people. One even became a federal judge.
"Dad retired after 29 years. He helped Mom run Duffields store in downtown Gravette. His sense of responsibility to his community was fulfilled by being a member of the Chamber of Commerce, donations to many community groups and projects and service to his church.
"Dad passed away in 2010, but his legacy of responsibility continues on in Glenn Duffy Elementary. If he could speak to you today, he would encourage each of you to, first, always be responsible for your own actions and, second, be responsible for service to those around you. Teachers, I encourage you to help these young people find opportunities to serve their families, their school and their community."
General News on 09/23/2015