093_HR0526

 
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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  The  members   of   the   Illinois   House   of
 3    Representatives   congratulate   Mrs.   Varrie  J.  Middleton
 4    Nicholson of Arkadelphia, Arkansas who will be retiring as an
 5    educator from Donald McHenry Elementary School  in  East  St.
 6    Louis; and

 7        WHEREAS,   Mrs.  Nicholson  attended  Arkadelphia  Public
 8    Schools and graduated from Peake High; while attending  Peake
 9    High  School,  she  was  a  member of the Dramatics Club, the
10    Student Council, the  History  Club,  4-H  Club,  the  Future
11    Teachers  of America, secretary of her class for three years,
12    and graduated in the top ten of  her  graduating  class;  she
13    continued  her  education at the Agricultural, Mechanical and
14    Normal  College,  University  of  Arkansas  at   Pine   Bluff
15    (AM&N/UAPB)  in  Pine  Bluff, Arkansas; she earned a Master's
16    Degree in  Education  from  the  University  of  Illinois  at
17    Champaign-Urbana   in   1971;   in   1973,   she   earned  an
18    Administrative and General Supervisory Certificate;  she  has
19    completed  post  graduate  work at the University of Illinois
20    and  Southern  Illinois  University  at   Edwardsville;   she
21    attended  the  Math  and  Science Academy in Chicago; she has
22    completed  numerous  workshops  through  Harris-Stowe   State
23    College  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri, and East St. Louis School
24    District #189; and

25        WHEREAS,  Mrs.  Nicholson's  career   began   at   Stamps
26    Elementary  School in Stamps, Arkansas in 1964; she relocated
27    in 1967 after marriage to  East  St.  Louis,  where  she  was
28    warmly  welcomed  by  and  continues  to  share  a unique and
29    special bond with her in-laws, Minnie, Janice,  and  Franklin
30    (Georgia)  Nicholson;  she  was  assigned  to Park Elementary
31    School where she became a part of a  group  of  teachers  who
32    called  themselves  "The  Lunch  Bunch"; these teachers had a
33    care for each other that was special; the group consisted  of
 
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 1    Varrie  J.  Nicholson,  Janice  McDowell,  Gloria  Nicholson,
 2    Regina  Wakefield,  Thomas  Hardeman,  Dr.  Bobby  Bean,  and
 3    Principal  Charles  H.  Smith;  this circle of friendship has
 4    never  been  broken;  as  chairman  of  fund   raising,   she
 5    co-sponsored educational field trips to Washington, D.C., New
 6    York  City,  Chicago, and Springfield; Park Elementary School
 7    was closed in 1980 and she was reassigned to  Donald  McHenry
 8    Elementary School where she has taught until the present; and

 9        WHEREAS,  Mrs. Nicholson was recognized as an outstanding
10    teacher, she has received numerous awards during her teaching
11    career including:  the  St.  Clair  County  Teachers'  Golden
12    Apple  Award,  Who's Who Among American Teachers, the McHenry
13    Junior Beta Club Appreciation Award, and  the  Project  Speak
14    Parent  Award;  she also worked as a facilitator in the Title
15    One Summer Resiliency Program in 1992, 1993, and  1994  which
16    was held at Miles Davis Elementary School; and

17        WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson is an active member of The Church
18    of  God  in  Christ Congregational where Senior Bishop Robert
19    Smith is the pastor; she  is  a  member  of  the  Hospitality
20    Committee  and is the Scholarship Chairperson of the National
21    Women's Department;  she  is  a  member  of  the  Family  Day
22    Committee,  the  Finance  Chairman  of  the Annual Fellowship
23    Dinner, and a member of the Sunday School; she  received  the
24    Church  Appreciation  award  in  1980,  and Family of the Day
25    Awards in 1985, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002; and

26        WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson is is a member of the Delta Delta
27    Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha  Sorority,  Inc.,  McHenry
28    School  P.T.A.,  and  the Gateway Alumni Chapter of AM&N/UAPB
29    where she has held the position of treasurer; and

30        WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson married her  college  sweetheart,
31    the late Mr. Robert Nicholson, Jr. in 1965; she is the mother
32    of  Robbie  LaJean  (James)  Edmond,  Katrina Juanise (Larry)
 
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 1    Williams,  Robert  Fitzgerald  (Quanshanda)  Nicholson,   and
 2    Raynard  Lydell  Nicholson;  she  is the proud grandmother of
 3    James, Nicholas, Kendall, Jonathan, and Robert; and

 4        WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson is proud of the  achievements  of
 5    all  of  her  students;  she  is  particularly  proud  of the
 6    noteworthy achievements of her own four  children,  whom  she
 7    was  blessed  to  have  taught  when they were fifth graders,
 8    along with her oldest grandson; she always  thought  that  if
 9    her teaching was good enough for other children, it should be
10    good  enough for her own children and grandchild; she and her
11    husband tried to  instill  in  their  children  that  a  good
12    education  is  one  of  the  few avenues to escape the social
13    dilemmas facing  the  young  people  growing  up  in  today's
14    society;   she   has  made  a  great  contribution  to  their
15    education; and

16        WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson's hobbies are  reading,  cooking,
17    traveling,  driving, and making others feel happy; therefore,
18    be it

19        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
20    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21    we  congratulate  Varrie  J.  Middleton  Nicholson   on   her
22    retirement  after  many  years  of  dedicated  service  as an
23    outstanding teacher at Donald McHenry Elementary  School  and
24    wish  her  well  in  all  of  her future endeavors; and be it
25    further

26        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
27    presented  to  Varrie J. Middleton Nicholson as an expression
28    of our respect and esteem.