THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 1, 1994 TAG: 9406290091
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHARON LAROWE
CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
When Principal Betsy Thigpen's secretary told her to go to the Thalia Elementary School gym for a schoolwide function, she frantically checked her schedule, thinking she had a mix-up in assembly days.
It was not a mix-up, but a surprise from her students, all 725 of them, who presented her with a handmade quilt in honor of her retirement.
As the quilt was opened for the student body to see, the children gasped. There, a brilliant fabric crayon palette colored the students' pictures of killer whales, flowers, butterflies and sunshines. The quilt, master-minded by art teachers Kathy Geisaka and Terri Swartz, included one square from each class in the school.
``I'm just a wet noodle down here,'' Thigpen, 55, said, wiping the tears from her eyes as she opened the door to her office after the ceremony.
In her office, a young boy sat at a small desk in the corner, pencil in hand. His brown eyes sparkled with amusement over her display of emotion.
``Blake somehow works his way into everything in this office,'' Thigpen said with a soft, motherly smile crossing her lips.
With that, she pulled out a blue piece of paper. Blake Fentress, a fourth-grader at Thalia, had passed it to her several days before.
In neat, bold handwriting, the 10-year-old had written:
``The best principal here in Thalia
``I love you
``Go girl
``Please don't leave
``Everyone will miss you
``Nobody will forget you.''
Nobody will forget her ``cause she's nice and pretty,'' Blake said matter-of-factly.
After thanking him for his comment, Thigpen ordered him back to work. ``I want him to be challenged because he's got such a good mind, and I want him to get in the habit to use it - not lose it,'' she said.
She's spent 24 years as a principal and 10 years as a teacher, and now, ``I'm not really sure . . . .what I'm going to do with my time,'' she said. ``I've been in school all my life.''
That set of ``Carolina blue'' golf clubs the Tarheel native received as a Christmas gift from her husband, William, should help her pass the time.
Thigpen looks forward to spending that time with him. ``My husband has been retired this year and it's hard to leave him,'' she said.
It will be equally hard for her to leave the school system. In her 34 years at 10 different schools, Thigpen has served as a first-grade teacher, assistant principal and principal. In 1972 she was honored as Virginia Beach Teacher of the Year.
Reflecting on her years as an educator, she said, ``It's just magical how it happened. I had 10 years of experience and next thing I know, I've got 25 years. My children can't understand how I could work for the same employer for over 30 years.'' Thigpen simply tells them, ``One day at a time.''
Taking it day by day is what makes her job unique, because ``there is no typical day,'' she said as she stooped to pick up a piece of trash from the school grounds. ``Every day is different. Every time the door swings open - that's what makes the job so great.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SHARON LAROWE
Thalia Elementary Principal Betsy Thigpen helps fourth-grader Blake
Fentress, 10, complete a class exercise.
by CNB