Why I Love Noblesville Schools

Did you know this week is dedicated to celebrating public schools? Well, if anything ever deserved a tip of the seed corn cap . . . this sure fits the bill.

In addition to that, my alma mater (Go Millers!) has a thing going on, Why I Love Noblesville Schools.

So guess what I’m writing about this week?

(And if you are from Carmel, well, uh . . . sorry, I got nothing for you. And if you are one of those politically correct types who thinks we shouldn’t be picking on other schools, then pshaw! I feel sorry for you because clearly you don’t understand good-natured school rivalries! Yup, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

Why do I love Noblesville Schools?

Because in the 1970s, I can’t imagine a better place to grow up. Maybe it wasn’t Mayberry, but it wasn’t too far removed. Noblesville wasn’t the giant city it’s grown to today. No, we weren’t as small as tiny Fishers, Cicero, Westfield or others, but we weren’t very big. Everybody knew everybody and whether you were fooling around on school grounds or downtown, somebody was watching who either knew your parents, Mr. LeCount or both.

I love Noblesville Schools because of names from yesteryear like Jim Bray, Dave Purvis, Rachel Heath, Rich Clouse, Mike Lett, Don Roberts, Mrs. Snyder from the Mill Stream, Phil Shelby, Mr. O’Connor and Mr. Petry from NJHS, Bus driver Bob Guilkey, Faye Shonk in the library, Principal Corlyss LeCount and his squeaky shoes, Dave Marsh, Jane McFarland, Jim Belden (the most fun driver’s ed teacher ever), Mr. Dellinger (who had one of the best P.A. calls in NHS basketball history when we beat Car-MEL), Loren  Williams  . . .

I love Noblesville Schools because of Mill Stream, thespians, Senior Burnout Day, Senior Skip Day (and getting caught skipping out with Susan Williams that resulted in a really bad time with Don Roberts while Susan got away scot-free . . . probably just a coincidence her dad was superintendent).

I love Noblesville Schools because of the Victory at Sea films we got to watch in aviation class; sitting in the cockpit of the T-38 (even in January); hitting thousands and thousands of tennis balls off the wall of what was the new auxiliary gym (and climbing up on the roof to get the wayward ball or three that soared up there); for earning my letter (back when sweaters and jackets were hard to earn); for being part of the Sagamore Athletic Conference when it was the original six – Noblesville, Frankfort, Brownsburg, Lebanon, Crawfordsville and Carmel); for the tradition of seniors dribbling a basketball to Carmel on the day of the sectional (I still say if not for Brian Glover I would never have made it); for Homecoming parade; for sock hops; for convocations (how many of you remember the Wright Brothers playing a mid-day concert in the gym?); for Mr. Dunker bringing a TV into his room during the World Series; for being able to eat lunch at McDonald’s after it was built my sophomore year; for some of the coolest buildings (no, I didn’t go to all the Wards, nor the old high school on Conner Street, but how cool were they!); for Bruce and Pete and Tom and Joe and Matt and Doug and John and Bob and Susan and Sandy and Brian and Jerry and everyone who were pals; for the ABC Drive-In and Diana Theater (Ok, so they weren’t connected to Noblesville Schools, but summer and after-school jobs are kind of connected, right? And those were the coolest jobs ever!); for cruising around Jim Dandy to Pizza Hut and back again and again and again; for being able to call myself a Noblesville Miller; for a gazillion other things I either can’t say here or have forgotten to mention; and there is one other reason I love Noblesville Schools today . . . my grandkids go there!

See, the thing is, public schools probably have more to do with making this country what it is than any government agency. Principals, teachers, coaches and others shape kids as much as, if not more so, than some parents. We all still remember those special teachers or coaches or band directors or choir directors.

Teachers and schools are special.

My oldest daughter is a teacher in a public school in Johnson County. I say this without the least bit of bias – she is one of those special teachers we all remember. How do I know? I’ve been with her when full-grown adults come up and tell her exactly that. Talk about busting a few buttons!

So let’s all celebrate our public schools this week. Cheer on your favorite team. Attend a concert or play. Heck, send a card to the office just saying thanks.

They deserve it!

One last note. I can’t write about Public Schools Week without a special tip of the cap to some of the wonderful people who go above and beyond in sharing school news with the media and public in general. Many thanks to Noblesville’s Marnie Cook, Heights’ Peggy Georgi, Sheridan’s Ellie Arrowood, Westfield’s Craig Tierney, Guerin’s Colleen Ward and the many others! You are appreciated!

Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically in The Times. Timmons is the chief executive officer of Sagamore News Media, the company that owns The Noblesville Times. He is also a proud Noblesville High School graduate and can be contacted at ttimmons@thetimes24-7.com.