MCCLURE PRINCIPAL STEPS DOWN; VANDEVEN RETIRES AFTER 31 YEARS

McCLURE, Ill. Kindergarten students at Shawnee Elementary South School spend a lot of time in the principal's office. But they're happy about their trip down the hall.

Principal Gene Vandeven listens to each of the youngsters read their first books.

"This is one program I've been very happy with," Vandeven said. "Interacting with these children is as good as it gets."

Vandeven, 57, is retiring after 31 years as principal of the school. Theresa Taylor, president of the school's Parent Teacher Organization, has two children, a first-grader and a kindergartener, at the school.

"He takes time out of his schedule and sits and listens to all 20-something kindergarteners read books all year long," said Taylor. "The children are pretty impressed when they get to go to the principal's office."

Parents are pretty impressed too, she said.

"We've worked together well and we've managed to get several things accomplished," Taylor said.

"He's always listened to any ideas we suggest. Some work and some don't," she said.

The PTO does fund-raising for the school. This year, Taylor said, the parents wanted to create a haunted house. "He moved two classrooms to other parts of the school so we could have room," she said.

"The kids really like him," Taylor said. "He's been fair to all the kids. He doesn't hesitate to come and talk to the kids, and they come and talk to him."

Talking to students comes naturally to Vandeven, who started his career in education as a coach and teacher at Naylor, Mo. He also was at Alto Pass, Ill. and St. Mary's, Mo.

He then became principal at Shawnee Elementary South. Vandeven has remained a teacher half a day, and he coaches basketball, baseball and track.

"When you teach as well as administrate, it really keeps you in touch with what's going on," he said. "If you survive, I believe you can do a better job as a principal and as a teacher."

He chose to retain the coaching position.

"My first job was coaching, and it has always been my stress release. Kids like to have someone watch them perform. And, just like they like to learn academic things, they like to learn physical things.

"I also know the great influence a coach can have on kids."

Vandeven's teams win. "This year we didn't lose a game in baseball or basketball or track."

During his tenure at the school, Vandeven helped restructure teaching of math and reading.

"We have a leveled approach," he explained. At a specific time of day, reading and math is taught throughout the school.

"Reading and math are really mastery subjects, especially in the elementary grades," he said. "Students must meet very high standards."

During "math block," as the math instruction time is called, a fifth-grade student, for example, could change to a fourth-grade math class. Students can also move from fifth-grade to sixth-grade, depending on ability.

Vandeven said the approach has proven successful and has increased standardized test scores in those areas.

He also helped institute the BUG (Bring Up Grade) roll and the Super BUG roll, Shawnee Elementary South's equivalent of the honor roll.

To qualify for the BUG roll, a student must raise by one letter grade in one subject while maintaining all the other grades. If students make all As, they qualify for the Super BUG roll.

"Being a BUG is a big deal around here," Vandeven said. "I make it a big deal."

Students receive certificates and T-shirts and personal congratulations from the principal.

Vandeven said he has taught many children of former students. "I am going to quit now before I have kids of kids of kids."

Two members of the school's faculty are former students of Vandeven.

"It's nice to see those people achieve and then come back and be good teachers," he said.

Vandeven said it will be hard to leave his post after so many years, but he's ready for a change.

Vandeven, who is married to Carolyn Vandeven, principal at L.J. Schultz Middle School in Cape Girardeau, said he has no plans for retirement.

"I have plans to be gainfully employed. I will need something to keep me busy," he said. "Next fall will be a traumatic experience, I'm sure; but I'm sure I'll be busy enough to fight my way through it."

He said he felt it was time to leave education. "A bell didn't go off or anything, but I just feel it's time to go. And I think I'm going out on top."