RETIRING: CLIPPARD, WITH SCHOOL IN HIS NAME, PRAISES STAFF

Students sent to the principal's office at Charles C. Clippard's school are often in for a treat rather than trouble.

For the past 25 years, that's the positive climate principal Charles Clippard has strived for at Hawthorn Elementary School. He will retire at the end of the school year.

In April, the Cape Girardeau Board of Education granted Clippard the highest honor a school can give a person. They renamed Hawthorn School in his honor.

But more than a month after the name was changed, Clippard still calls the school Hawthorn. Others throughout the district began referring to the school as "Clippard" immediately.

"I'm not sure the full impact has sunk in yet," Clippard said. "This is the greatest honor any school district can bestow. I never, ever, even in my wildest dreams, thought this was a consideration. I'm not that worthy, but I'm very grateful."

Clippard said: "The credit I'm receiving comes to me as reflected glory. It's the good job the staff does each day with the children that is being honored."

He said the best public relations for a school is "happy kids who go home after an enjoyable and fruitful learning experience." And he believes that positive attitude begins at the top.

Clippard hopes his office has not been a place children, parents or teachers dread. In fact, he has strived to make visits to the principal's office enjoyable.

When students do a good job, teachers send them to the principal's office for words of praise or sometimes a piece of candy.

And on students' birthdays, Clippard administers official birthday paddlings, which children look forward to with great anticipation.

"I want to be careful that I don't appear cold, aloof or hard. I make an effort to be open," Clippard said.

But he said it doesn't take a lot of effort.

"I love people. I love kids," he said. "I truly do care for them and love them, and I have their best interests at heart. I enjoy being with them and I'm going to miss them.

"Sometimes we sit down and share their problems. I try to be a good listener. Kids, like all of us, feel that when things get tense they need someone to talk to. Sometimes the problems may be small, but I want to be available."

Clippard said often the answer for problems big and small is a little hope and encouragement.

"That's what I want to give these children, hope and encouragement and I want them to feel as good as they can about themselves."

He tries to pass that same message to parents who worry about their child's performance at school. "Sometimes kids have a little hurdle. But usually a promise of help and a little encouragement is all that is needed."

As he watches the children walk through the hallways, Clippard said, "I see them later as teachers, doctors, lawyers, receptionists."

He knows how important it is for his young charges to learn. Clippard grew up in a poor, rural community. "The only hope was education," he said. One teacher, Rosalie Ladd, pointed him in that direction. "She introduced me to poetry and also taught me the importance of language. For that, I am forever grateful."

Clippard was graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1956. He launched his educational career as a sixth-grade teacher at May Greene School. After five years in the classroom, he moved into administration - serving as principal four years at Lorimier and one year at Franklin. It was then he was appointed principal of the district's newest elementary school: Hawthorn.

In his characteristic low-key manner, Clippard explained: "I get the credit for the good things that happen here. But as principal, my job is to be part of the team effort. I serve as a motivater, a catalyst, a facilitator. But I'm not the one who gets things done.

"I feel like I'm chairman of the staff. But the staff is involved in setting our objectives and goals.

When Hawthorn School opened for its first full year in 1966, with Clippard at the helm, new educational ideas were implemented.

"The buzzwords at that time were team teaching, ungraded and open classrooms," Clippard said. Hawthorn implemented all those ideas.

"Instead of self-contained classroom and competitive grading systems, we loosened up that structure. Teachers work together. In turn they learn from each other and the children are exposed to different experiences and expertise."

The goal was to provide for the individual differences in children.

Under the "ungraded" system no letter grades were assigned. Instead of report cards, teachers sent each parent a letter describing which skills a child had mastered and which areas he still needed to work on.

"I think that's a better way to report on a child's progress," Clippard said. "But parents wanted to know what that meant. They wanted to see and A or a B."

Today at Hawthorn, children get letter grades, but the team teaching approach remains.

"We have a flexible grouping system with three teachers at each grade level." Team teaching begins in the first grade.

Clippard will retire to a cabin in the woods where he plans to spend his days fishing and enjoying nature.

At the end of the school year, Clippard will turn over his school to a new principal, Richard Giles, who has been principal in Sikeston.

"I feel it's in good hands," Clippard said. "The only qualms I have the thing that bothers me most is that I know I wasn't perfect. Even though they named the school for me, I know Mr. Giles will see lots of things he would like to change or do differently. He will want to improve and can improve what's going on here.

"This has been a marvelous place to work. I'm extremely fortunate indeed to have worked here. I'm sure I'll shed a tear when I leave that last day.

"These have been marvelous years," Clippard said. "I've done lots of growing, maturing and learning because of my association with so many fine teachers and wonderful people. I hope that has rubbed off."