HR0915 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0915 LRB093 22097 HSS 50683 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas on the occasion of her retirement after 38 years in education; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and a Masters of Education degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis; in addition, she holds administrative certificates in Missouri and Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas is currently a fourth grade teacher at McHenry Elementary School and will retire at the end of the 2003-2004 school year; her career began in 1966 at Park Elementary School, where she taught third and fourth grades; in 1980, she was assigned to the newly constructed McHenry School, where she continued her fourth grade teaching duties as well as many extra activities and committees; and

WHEREAS, In her extra duties at McHenry Elementary, Mrs. Thomas has chaired the Courtesy Committee since 1980, has been presenter at In-Service meetings and St. Clair County Teachers Institute; served on district committees to develop Student Learning Objectives and Developmental Learning Objectives; served on textbook selection committees; served on the Social Studies Curriculum Alignment Committee, with focus on History of East St. Louis; has been a judge for SIU-E Trio Science Fair; mentored student teachers; and submitted instructional ideas that were published in the Seedbed Journal of SIU-E's Teachers Center Project; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas has been a member of the McHenry School Improvement Committee since its inception; she presented Component 2 of the School Improvement Plan to the State Quality Review Team; she presently serves as co-chairman of the committee; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas has received numerous awards and recognitions for her professional contributions, including the Rhodia Miller Memorial Award-Mathews Dickey Boys' Club, the Eminent Educator Award-Phi Delta Kappa, the Delta Great Teacher Award-Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and she is listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers-1990 First Edition; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas is an active member of New Sunny Mount Baptist Church in St. Louis, Missouri, where she has been chairman of the Board of Christian Education, and is currently serving as vice-chairman; other past and present professional and civic memberships include: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority-past president St. Louis Alumnae; Top Ladies of Distinction-St. Louis Chapter-Assistant Recording Secretary; International Training in Communication; the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; the International Reading Association; and the Greater St. Louis English Teachers Association; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas on the occasion of her retirement after 38 years as an educator, and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service to her students; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas as an expression of our respect and esteem.