093_HR0526
LRB093 12194 KEF 17374 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives congratulate Mrs. Varrie J. Middleton
4 Nicholson of Arkadelphia, Arkansas who will be retiring as an
5 educator from Donald McHenry Elementary School in East St.
6 Louis; and
7 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson attended Arkadelphia Public
8 Schools and graduated from Peake High; while attending Peake
9 High School, she was a member of the Dramatics Club, the
10 Student Council, the History Club, 4-H Club, the Future
11 Teachers of America, secretary of her class for three years,
12 and graduated in the top ten of her graduating class; she
13 continued her education at the Agricultural, Mechanical and
14 Normal College, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
15 (AM&N/UAPB) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; she earned a Master's
16 Degree in Education from the University of Illinois at
17 Champaign-Urbana in 1971; in 1973, she earned an
18 Administrative and General Supervisory Certificate; she has
19 completed post graduate work at the University of Illinois
20 and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; she
21 attended the Math and Science Academy in Chicago; she has
22 completed numerous workshops through Harris-Stowe State
23 College in St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis School
24 District #189; and
25 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson's career began at Stamps
26 Elementary School in Stamps, Arkansas in 1964; she relocated
27 in 1967 after marriage to East St. Louis, where she was
28 warmly welcomed by and continues to share a unique and
29 special bond with her in-laws, Minnie, Janice, and Franklin
30 (Georgia) Nicholson; she was assigned to Park Elementary
31 School where she became a part of a group of teachers who
32 called themselves "The Lunch Bunch"; these teachers had a
33 care for each other that was special; the group consisted of
-2- LRB093 12194 KEF 17374 r
1 Varrie J. Nicholson, Janice McDowell, Gloria Nicholson,
2 Regina Wakefield, Thomas Hardeman, Dr. Bobby Bean, and
3 Principal Charles H. Smith; this circle of friendship has
4 never been broken; as chairman of fund raising, she
5 co-sponsored educational field trips to Washington, D.C., New
6 York City, Chicago, and Springfield; Park Elementary School
7 was closed in 1980 and she was reassigned to Donald McHenry
8 Elementary School where she has taught until the present; and
9 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson was recognized as an outstanding
10 teacher, she has received numerous awards during her teaching
11 career including: the St. Clair County Teachers' Golden
12 Apple Award, Who's Who Among American Teachers, the McHenry
13 Junior Beta Club Appreciation Award, and the Project Speak
14 Parent Award; she also worked as a facilitator in the Title
15 One Summer Resiliency Program in 1992, 1993, and 1994 which
16 was held at Miles Davis Elementary School; and
17 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson is an active member of The Church
18 of God in Christ Congregational where Senior Bishop Robert
19 Smith is the pastor; she is a member of the Hospitality
20 Committee and is the Scholarship Chairperson of the National
21 Women's Department; she is a member of the Family Day
22 Committee, the Finance Chairman of the Annual Fellowship
23 Dinner, and a member of the Sunday School; she received the
24 Church Appreciation award in 1980, and Family of the Day
25 Awards in 1985, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002; and
26 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson is is a member of the Delta Delta
27 Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., McHenry
28 School P.T.A., and the Gateway Alumni Chapter of AM&N/UAPB
29 where she has held the position of treasurer; and
30 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson married her college sweetheart,
31 the late Mr. Robert Nicholson, Jr. in 1965; she is the mother
32 of Robbie LaJean (James) Edmond, Katrina Juanise (Larry)
-3- LRB093 12194 KEF 17374 r
1 Williams, Robert Fitzgerald (Quanshanda) Nicholson, and
2 Raynard Lydell Nicholson; she is the proud grandmother of
3 James, Nicholas, Kendall, Jonathan, and Robert; and
4 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson is proud of the achievements of
5 all of her students; she is particularly proud of the
6 noteworthy achievements of her own four children, whom she
7 was blessed to have taught when they were fifth graders,
8 along with her oldest grandson; she always thought that if
9 her teaching was good enough for other children, it should be
10 good enough for her own children and grandchild; she and her
11 husband tried to instill in their children that a good
12 education is one of the few avenues to escape the social
13 dilemmas facing the young people growing up in today's
14 society; she has made a great contribution to their
15 education; and
16 WHEREAS, Mrs. Nicholson's hobbies are reading, cooking,
17 traveling, driving, and making others feel happy; therefore,
18 be it
19 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21 we congratulate Varrie J. Middleton Nicholson on her
22 retirement after many years of dedicated service as an
23 outstanding teacher at Donald McHenry Elementary School and
24 wish her well in all of her future endeavors; and be it
25 further
26 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
27 presented to Varrie J. Middleton Nicholson as an expression
28 of our respect and esteem.