Photo By Jim Hughes | Dr. Vicki Gilmer speaks with Ellis D. Parker Elementary School students during the...... read more read more
FORT NOVOSEL, Ala. -- School’s out forever for the principal of Ellis D. Parker Elementary School who retired May 31 after a 33-year career of guiding and developing Fort Novosel youth.
Dr. Vicki Gilmer spent 13 of those years as principal of the school and she said it’s hard to put into words how she feels as this chapter of her life comes to a close.
“I feel like I have been blessed beyond measure in this career,” she said. “I have worked with amazing educators who have helped me to grow. I have worked with great families who have shared their students with us – it has been such an outstanding privilege.
“It is very, very hard to wrap this all up,” she added. “I have been at this wonderful school since I was 22 years old. The memories and experiences I have had are exceptional. I will be forever grateful and thank God for this wonderful school.”
While reminiscing on her experiences at the school, she said the people were the best part of the experience.
“The staff at Parker Elementary School is beyond the best, the families that come and go here are wonderful and the students are priceless,” she said. “The staff is the heartbeat of Parker Elementary. It is not a workplace in the sense that everyone comes here to do a job and then go home. Everyone shows up daily to make a lifelong difference. It is that very core of who we are, and if you work here, you have to own the pride, dedication and reverence to this mission of educating students.”
And the staff appreciates her efforts and leadership as well, according to Marcus Hart, who himself wrapped up a 41-year career as the school’s music director June 2.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Doctor Gilmer,” he said. “What an outstanding boss! She is actually one of the reasons I chose to delay my retirement a couple of years. Her support for me and the music program has been nothing short of amazing.”
Her love of teaching wasn’t something the Pike Road native was born with, it was something she developed during her last year of college at the University of Alabama, Gilmer said.
“I helped with a local Children’s Hands-on Science Museum – I was not in education, but was graduating in another field,” she added. “But I loved the children and the joy they showed when learning. One month after graduation, I enrolled in an education program to add a degree in early childhood education. I have loved teaching and learning ever since.”
Before taking over the principal role, Gilmer worked at the school teaching kindergarten, and first and second grades, and also serving as a reading interventionist and assistant principal.
“The principal position came about as I continued to find ways to serve in the field of education,” she said. “I strongly believe that the most important job in the school is done by those who directly work with the students, and I wanted to be a part of supporting those in that critically important job.”
With the new job came bigger challenges, as well, including what she considered the biggest one – combining what had been two schools, an elementary and a primary, into one in 2017.
“The challenge of combining the two schools was a great effort for all stakeholders,” Gilmer said. “The two campuses were a challenge logistically to manage, but we got the job done. The two campuses both were steeped in great traditions, and we really had to blend into one. The staff did a tremendous job learning how to grow, live and learn together.”
She said in 2020 came another big challenge, the COVID pandemic, which she said the school struggled with a bit, but managed to maintain as much normalcy as possible for the students and still accomplish the mission.
Despite the many challenges, her career at the school will always hold a special place in her heart, she said, adding that if she could gather up all of her students over the years, she would have a message for them.
“Thank you for blessing me with what has been professionally the joy of my life,” Gilmer said.
As for what’s next, she said that she plans on “first, a real summer vacation with my husband, and then I will wait to see where God points me next.”
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2023 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 446444 |
| Location: | FORT NOVOSEL, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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