Long-time Teacher's Aide Honored

Avis Farris has been at her job at Timbo School for five decades and has no immediate plans to give up a job she enjoys. School staff honored the long-time aide with a surprise reception March 14 but made it clear it was not a hint at retirement.

Principal Junior Barham, a member of the first Head Start group for which Avis was an aide, presented a plaque that read, “In honor of Mrs. Avis Farris for 52 years of commitment to the Timbo School and our surrounding community” with the date of presentation, March 14, 2022. A second panel read, “Good teachers like you aren’t always the ones who have fancy degrees and qualifications. They are the ones who have a big heart and burning desire to make the world a better place, one kid at a time. Thank You!”

Avis said the staff succeeded at keeping the event a secret, helped in part by the fact that Avis is not overly nosy and did not inquire about a few things she observed that day.

“Everybody was really on the ball ... when I saw it I was just so flabbergasted,” she commented. The multipurpose room was lined with tables – a third of them bearing food – and members of the community there to wish her well. Avis told her principal she was just going to leave but he held her arm and said “no you’re not.” She stayed willingly, of course, and made the rounds to greet current and retired teachers, former students, family and friends in attendance.

Read the full story in the March 23 issue.