Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 3, 1994 TAG: 9405030121
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"I told them it was a good thing a car wasn't there, or I would've slammed right into it," Duncan said.
Instead, she slammed on her brakes, and sat in amazement and surprise at what she calls the best day of her life. Rather than honor the secretary on secretary's day which was held last Wednesday, the 35 eighth- to twelfth-grade students declared Tuesday "Duncan Day."
"They said I'm so special I deserved my own day, and shouldn't have to share it with anybody else," Duncan said.
When Duncan walked into her office, she saw that the students had straightened everything and cleaned the entire office - "that alone is a lot because this office was a mess!" she said.
Then the students gave her a chocolate cheesecake. And some balloons. And a hand-painted card.
Just when she thought they were incapable of any more giving, the students handed her a gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant.
"I thought the banner was wonderful, but as the day went by it got better and better," Duncan said. "And the best part is they dreamed it up - with no help from their teachers."
Duncan has only taught at the alternative school since September of 1993, but she said it doesn't take long to get attached to the students, and they to her.
"This is a different type school," Duncan said. "We use a lot of democracy and the students get a say in all the rules. Everybody is like family here."
The students had decided a few weeks earlier they wanted to do something special for Duncan for Secretary's Day because "she's like another mother and she's lots of fun," said 16-year old Crystal Keith.
So they got together during a class and brainstormed for ideas. After they were done they had a long list of possibilities. Since no one could decide which was best, they thought "Why not do them all?" Thus, a frenzy began.
"You should have seen us trying to sneak around," said English teacher Bernard Morgenstern, who helped organize the students in the project. "We would try to get her out of the [school] building, but she would never leave. We had to start saying "D-Day" as our secret code, so she would think we were studying about D-Day."
The largest project was designing and painting the 50-foot banner, then trying to keep the huge thing a secret. Then they made a huge greeting card painted to resemble a quilt the entire school is making for the school. The cheesecake, balloons and gift certificates came as an after- thought.
"We all decided to do it, because she always will do things for us when we need her to," said 15-year old Timmy Johnson. "She's paid for lunch for me before and always will help out if there's a problem."
Wendy Cole, 16, said she likes Duncan because "every time I go through the office, she has a smile on her face. She just keeps you in a good mood."
Charlie Garland, 15, said Duncan's a good person to talk to about "life in general," and Bambi Jarrett, 14, said "when you have problems, she's a good person to talk to."
As for Duncan, she is glad to simply have had the chance to get to know these young adults.
"So many people don't understand what this school is about, and these kids are just so special," she said. "I wish everyone knew how unique it is here."
by CNB