Dr. June M. Smith

Recollections Bitter and Sweet: Memoirs of a School Administrator Dr. June M. Smith

I was extremely proud of my faculty and staff as they continued to work diligently and tirelessly with our diffi cult population of beautiful and lovable children who needed more than academic attention. Our children needed us to motivate, uplift, implore, and inspire them towards a better day and eventually a better life. (p.114) I was very frustrated to watch two intelligent young men going down a destructive path. Sadly and unfortunately, Kenny and Will both died violent deaths, in separate incidents, several years after they left high school. (p. 22) (At school, on the bus lot, the morning after a bus wreck) When I boarded the 2nd bus, I immediately noticed that a second grader named Jimmy was wearing a neck brace. I went to him and asked, "Jimmy, are you hurt?" Jimmy looked at me, smiled, and said, "No ma'am, I'm not hurt, but I could sure use some money!" (p.40) At least for that day, at that moment in time, Lance appeared to be a normal 4th grader, not the outcast that his mother had painted him to be. Is it possible the students had been so terrifi ed by the actions of Lance's mother that they had subconsciously decided not to pick on Lance anymore? Whatever had changed, it was all positive. (p. 69) In spite of the overcast skies and chilly temperatures, the entire morning was glorious. We had fi nally arrived! Our new, modern, state-of-the-art facility was fi lled with beautiful, animated, excited, wide-eyed children who wondered aloud if they were dreaming. (p. 103)