Farm Life School Celebrates 150 Years!

Way back in August of 1975 I was home in Atlanta after wrapping up my fourth summer at Camp Cherokee. I was totally worn out. I had graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill that May, but as yet had no teaching job. Then came a phone call out of the blue. Dr. Jim Brock was calling from Moore County, NC, my top choice for employment.

Mr. Loyd, I'd like you to come up here to interview for a fifth grade position at Sandhills Farm Life School.

And just like that, I loaded my essentials in the trunk of my 1965 Ford Galaxy and drove back to the state that would be my new home for life! In spite of accidentally calling him Mr. Brock during the interview, I had signed a contract 30 minutes later. My mentor and great friend Don Moore, a respected local teacher, provided me lodging for those first few days. Then I was able to rent a room from his across the street neighbor, Mrs. Dixie Ray.

I never could have dreamed all the things that were set in motion by the simple decision to cast my lot with Moore County Schools. Within 3 months I had met Judy, introduced at Beulah Hill's fall revival by one of my students, Gwin Strange. We were married the next August, just days before I began my second year of teaching.

Now that I've been retired two years, I can finally say I've been married longer than I taught (34 to 33). My years of teaching were immensely rewarding and have yielded an abundance of deep relationships, both with students (around 1,000) and their parents. There's much more involved than good memories, because the relationships go on.

Saturday, May 15, was a great occasion to renew some of those acquaintances and to reflect on just what an impact my years at Farm Life had meant to me. The occasion was the celebration of 150 years of Farm Life School as an institution.

Hundreds of well-wishers from the community gathered at the campus for this momentous day. Many others wished they could have come, but alumni are scattered across the whole world now.

I was delighted that my two favorite Farm Life alumni were able to make an appearance. Jennifer is on the left, Amanda on the right. I had the wonderful privilege of teaching both of them. I'm currently participating in Claire's "home-schooling." We play a lot.

Before things got busy, I had a few minutes with my former third grade colleagues. Beside me is Betty Lou Stewart. Behind me are Patty Steingraber and Pam Cameron. Pam was my trusty assistant during my final two wonderful years. She helped hold things together for me during Judy's transplant and later when my mother's health was declining. Pam has faithfully carried on my Jack Tale and Grandfather Tale tradition. YEAH!!

It was great to see some students that meant the world to me. Here are Ryan and Aran.

Here is former student Chris with his Mom and brother. Our friendship was beyond the usual for teacher and student. We definitely had a "meeting of the minds."

There were many special aspects to the big day. Each fifth grade class had created a quilt which would be raffled off today.

A celebration of 150 years dates back to just before the Civil War. There are families in our school who have had students here for three or four generations. That's rare in this day and time.

Here's a program of what was in store for the day. If you click on it you may enlarge it enough to actually read it.

The school has evolved and undergone many changes, even during my tenure there. Below is the just-completed classroom addition, which will eliminate the need for most campus mobile units.

Dr. Susan Purser recognized early on that Farm Life was not a typical school. Community roots run deep and have sustained the values that have always undergirded a good education. Her remarks to the crowd showed great insight and appreciation for just what this school has meant and continues to mean to this community.

Two pillars of educational strength and wisdom who were an ever-present source of encouragement for me: Dr. Lorna Clack, my supervisor for the first two-thirds of my career; and Miss Nora McNeill, my principal for the final third of my career. I can truthfully say that these two outstanding educators ALWAYS put children first in their decisions. Many folks could learn from them.

These were the special speakers for the day: (left to right) Dr. Clack, Mr. Dale Frye, Miss McNeill, Mr. Randall Homan (brand new assistant principal), and Dr. Purser.

I was very pleased to see long-time friend Beverly Bizzell snapping pictures. Beverly administered our dental health program, including the fluoride mouth-rinse program for most of my career. I was our school coordinator of the infamous SWISH program until it was phased out a few years ago. But by then, I had already attained the title of SWISH Czar among my faculty.

Appropriately, students were the focus of the celebration. The New Century band performed admirably.

Fifth Graders sang the little-known Farm Life School Song.

Second graders entertained us with La Macarena and The Electric Slide.

In Miss McNeill's closing remarks she made an interesting observation. The school's longest serving principal, Mr. T. H. Lingerfeldt, is 100 years old this year. Nora noted that she had just turned 50. There's your 150!

This enthusiastic committee deserves great credit for taking care of the countless details of planning Farm Life's big day. Thank you ladies-- it was all worth it!

Once the speeches and performances were over, guests were invited to walk the campus, tour the buildings, and enjoying fellowshipping with others of the Farm Life family. This included one dear former teacher who had taught at the school in the 1950's. The Nature Trail was available for strolls. Refreshments were offered in the cafetorium. In the Media Center, an excellent slide show portraying the school's history was shown. I was happy to have a part, too. For those who just wanted to sit in the shade in the beautiful surroundings of their old school, I offered storytelling.

I had as many adult listeners as children, as I shared Uncle Remus's Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby, a Grandfather Tale about Old Dry Fry, and my new favorite, Molly Whuppie, the Giant Slayer.

Though I shared folktales on this day, my mind was also on the countless array of true stories that make up the fabric of this great school's history. Imagine the quilt it would take to portray all the important events that history would entail! And unlike a tombstone, this school sign has only one date-- 1859. There's no ending in sight. Students that were present for this celebration may well be around for the school's bicentennial in 2059. I'd love to be there for that, too. Maybe there will at least be some wild stories about me!

Because I'm certainly not finished at dear old Farm Life. A rebirth of the Nature Trail is in the works. There are songs to be sung. There are tales to be told. A new generation simply can't miss all this! And as the view below demonstrates, the old school is just as welcoming as ever.