Board recognizes outstanding service to LVHS
LAKEVILLE—TWO people were recognized at Monday night’s Union-north School Board meeting. the first was Sgt. Michael Smith. along with other representatives from different military branches, he has been involved with Laville High School (LVHS) as a representative for the National Guard. He has made a big impact on the students. “He’s been over and above, no pun intended, the call of duty, so to speak,” said Principal Michael Edison.
among other things, Sgt. Smith helped with school registration and ASVAB testing, as well as dropped by during open
gym, brought recruits to help support sports teams, and provided meals and activities
for school clubs, prom, and other school events. He’s also been a substi
tute teacher. “He’ll sub on, like say a Tuesday because that’s his day off, and he donates that money back to us,” said Edison. All of these efforts were recognized before the school board with a certificate of gratitude.
Wayne Thomas, the high school business teacher and DECA sponsor, was also recognized by the board for going above and beyond the call of duty at a DECA conference in Atlanta. During that event, a Jimtown High School student asked for help while having a seizure-like episode and Thomas responded. Not only did he remain with the student, called for an ambulance, and obtained additional help as needed, but he also stayed on the phone with the student’s mother
for over two hours.
“Mr. Thomas orchestrated everything, made sure that everyone was alright, and then he stayed up the entire night with this student just to make sure he was doing okay and not going into some sort of relapse,” Edison described. “This wasn’t even a student from our
school. It’s a Jimtown student. Which, that’s just the caring heart that Wayne has. It’s a huge blessing… We are proud in a humble way that he is on our staff.”
The mother reached out to LVHS administration to express her thanks: “As a parent, there is no worse feeling than being far away from your child during a crisis like this, but knowing Mr. Thomas was there was very reassuring and a huge blessing. He went above and beyond and we want you to recognize what a treasure he is to have on your staff.”
Thomas humbly
accepted the award and expressed to the board his belief that his response was nothing less than what any of the other staff members at LVHS would have done in his place. “I shouldn’t have even been there. That afternoon, I was supposed to be at lunch with a couple of advisors and didn’t feel like going and this student just happened to find me to get the help that he needed,” he said. “I know that God put me in the place where I needed to be. He deserves a lot more credit than what I’m getting.”