Fond Memories of a Principal

To the Editor:
How often we lose touch of people. We proceed through life often forgetting about folks that meant a lot to us. This very thing happened to this writer recently.
After working many years at the Woodbine Elementary School, it was time for a change. It was a wonderful experience—the kids were great and it was close to home, but a desire to work with older students turned my eyes toward the want ads. It wasn’t long before a call to the Lower Cape May district showed some promise. After a short time, an interview was scheduled for an opening at the Junior High. This interview brought Mrs. Babbit and I together for the first time.
I explained to Mrs Babbit that my teaching style might be considered unconventional and upon occasion unpredictable. Mrs. Babbit supported my intuitive-based teaching and we both agreed that a teacher should be a purveyor of experiences rather than a merchant of information. She hired me for the fall term.
The class was called Vocation Skills and provided students an opportunity to get a feel for different vocations and provided a service to the faculty. Whatever came along we did. We fixed lawnmowers, bicycles, toasters and whatever else was broken. We also set up a pottery studio, cast and fired pots and built small boats. During hunting season we fleshed out deer hides and made clothing. The key to all this fun was our principal, Mrs. Babbit. She supported us every step of the way. She would come into our class and encourage the students and they liked that. It must be said that without her the curriculum for Vocation Skills may have found itself in jeopardy.
Before becoming a principal, Mrs. Babbit was an excellent math teacher, demanding a lot from her students and getting a lot in return.
Mrs. Babbit passed away recently. I wish I had gone to see her to thank her for supporting a program that had a positive impact on both the teacher and his students.
How many girls today can take a deer hide and make a pair of moccasins and understand how an electrical circuit works, tie a bowline or determine her latitude by the height of the Pole Star at night? Are these experiences important to have in a public school?
You bet they are! Thank You Mrs. Babbit!