Bright Retires After 42 Years at Freeman Criswell Named PE
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D the S F Commentator Vol. 62, No. 1 June 2014 Douglas S. Freeman High School Page 1 Henrico, Virginia 23229 Criswell Named PE Bright Retires after Teacher of the Year 42 Years at Freeman PHOTO: ALISON EDDINS PHOTO: ALISON EDDINS Mrs. Criswell poses outside, where she spends much of her classroom time. Coach Bright, a Freeman employee for the past 44 years, works in his office. Criswell, however. “At first “My junior year I taught man’s AD for over 40 clubs. He volunteers as Logan Harvey I was so scared of her… one class a week at one of Leah Dillard years, retired. This is his an assistant coach for the Online Editor but that didn’t last long,” the elementary schools and Sports Editor fifth year as the AD. wrestling team and often she said. my senior year…the rest The work of the AD is comes in to work on the "She expects a lot of her of my day every day was somewhat behind-the- weekends. There are 46 elementary students, and her students spent teaching physical After 44 years of full time scenes but hard nonethe- Coach Bright said that schools, 12 middle schools, get a lot out of her class," education at the local employment as a Freeman less. In the words of Bright, Freeman’s“remarkable” and nine high schools in said freshman Alex elementary school with the teacher, coach, and admin- ADs do “everything – it is Booster Club and PTA Henrico County-- all with Stopkey. physical education teacher istrator, Drew Bright will an all-encompassing job. parent network have made PE teachers-- yet only one Olivia also mentioned there,” said Criswell. retire in June. It would be interesting to his job easier. “I have been PE Teacher of the Year: that Mrs. Criswell would As a child, her parents At the age of 24, Bright write down all the things very lucky that our activi- Suzanne Criswell. ask about her family, her told her to find something began his career at Free- that I do in a day.” ties have been handled by “Every year the director hobbies, and what her that she would enjoy man in 1972. He knew “He is responsible for get- very strong leaders who of Health and Physical stresses were. “Compared waking up every morning nothing of Freeman when ting officials and lining up uphold effective Freeman Education sends out a to other teachers I have to do, so Mrs. Criswell’s he started, but he has nev- transportation, not just for traditions,” said Bright. ballot with every teacher had, Mrs. Criswell actually next step took her to er worked anywhere else athletics but for all school He admitted that al- who is a secondary teacher got to know me,” she said. Tuckahoe Middle School. since. activities. He definitely though change is always and every teacher who is She is not just a caring She was declared a “It has been my entire puts in more than 40 hours good, traditions and prov- an elementary teacher and person, but also a surplus teacher in 1987 adult life and entire profes- a week,” said girls volley- en system are always easier we vote as a department,” structured teacher. “She due to dropping student sional life,” he said. ball coach Gee Murphy. to maintain, especially as said Mrs. Criswell about always had something numbers, so she was Bright started as a US His- “Coach Bright has the the job of AD is becom- the voting process. planned for us, whether it transferred to Freeman. tory teacher, but through- greatest temperament ing increasingly difficult as She won by receiving the would be a specific game, Some three decades later, out his 37-year teaching when it comes to help- more activities and teams most votes out of everyone running, or stations,” Mrs. Criswell teaches four career he has taught every ing or backing off from are added to Freeman’s in the Health and PE Olivia said. regular classes per day, and social studies subject ex- involvement. He is in the collection. Department in Henrico Mrs. Criswell’s influence also the first all-year, fully cept Government. VHSL Hall of Fame for “This has become a very County. is one that stays with online health and PE class. During his first year at his many years as a coach, consuming job,” he said, Criswell attributed her win students even after they "[She] goes above and Freeman he was also the so with that kind of experi- “not just for me but for mainly to her becoming a finish their time with her. beyond her call of duty assistant coach for the ence he has a sense for the anybody – it’s both posi- trainer in Focused Fitness, Olivia said, “She always as a teacher. She has a wrestling team. needs of coaches,” Coach tive and negative that we where she instructed other said you only get one positive attitude and instills In 1973, Bright became Murphy said. run so many sports and so teachers about the new life so treat it well…even fitness in all her students... the head wrestling coach, Boys tennis coach Jeff many activities.” curriculum. though we seem to be very She is not only a valuable a position that he would Given also cited Bright’s Although Bright’s full- “I think also people see at different we are all similar member of the Freeman keep for 30 years. He value to coaches. He said time employment is com- meetings how passionate I in some way.” staff, but also to the whole holds the current record that Bright “gets the sched- ing to a close, he fully still am [after 35 years].” Mrs. Criswell’s teaching Henrico County PE team," for the most coaching ule together in the fall intends to keep up with Junior Olivia Humrich career started when she said Doug Clemens, PE wins in Virginia with 425 and the spring, and orga- Freeman events and to was a student of Mrs. was 14 years old teaching department chair. victories. Bright was also nizes all of the postpone- help in any way possible. Criswell’s last year. “She swimming lessons in Today, she said she has a the golf head coach for ments and makeups due to “I expect to be around, genuinely cared about me, Weston, Massachusetts— lot of students ask her why 20 years, starting with the weather.” I want to be around,” he and that is something that her hometown. This she chose the job of a PE 1982 season. Bright also coordinates said. “Freeman’s our fam- I have never experienced feeling of helping others teacher, to which her reply Bright became the Ac- all other student activities, ily…and I don’t plan to before,” said Olivia. encouraged her to take a always is, “I wouldn’t want tivities Director [Ain 2009 such as band, show choir, leave it.” This was not Olivia’s Teacher-Cadet-type class to do anything else.” when Jim Sangston, Free- awards assemblies, and first impression of Mrs. in high school. HCPS Implements Grading Policy Changes for 2014-15 The honors and AP weighting would like to work with the similar ideas about next year. Connor Glowacki will also not be retroactive. teacher to find a way to improve He said, “I am not expecting the 2014-15 Grading Scale This policy is being imple- her grades, it is the student’s re- work to be easier or harder, but I Opinions Editor Letter Percent mented in all Henrico County sponsibility to go to the teacher. do expect it to be easier to get a 4.0 Scale Schools and affects all students. After working with the teacher, better grade.” Grade Grade Aidan said he is concerned The senior Class of 2014 will not the student will then have the op- A+ 97-100 4.0 Students should prepare for a have any changes made to their portunity to take a retest. Again, about how colleges will view switch from an 8-point grading transcripts. it is the student’s responsibility to these policies. A 93-96 4.0 scale to a 10-point grading scale For students not graduating, take the initiative. Additionally, Mr. Payne said that certain at the start of the 2014 school transcripts, GPA, and class rank during the first semester, if a stu- scholarship sponsors might not A- 90-92 3.7 year. will be recalculated this summer dent receives a very low grade for consider the different grading B+ 87-89 The new grading scale ac- and made available to the Class either MP1 or MP2, the student scales of a county, and therefore 3.3 counts for three levels of a let- of 2015 in October. can exercise a one-time option of the switch to a 10-point system B 83-86 3.0 ter grade: either plus, neutral, or This policy is being introduced having the grade changed to a 55 could actually improve a stu- minus. These statuses determine to HCPS in order to put Henri- percent. This will allow the stu- dent’s scholarship applications. B- 80-82 2.7 how many points a student will co County on the same grading dent to be within the mathemati- Policy changes as large as the receive towards their GPA. With scale as other school systems. cal possibility of passing for the grading scale switch and reduced C+ 77-79 2.3 this new scale, honors classes In addition to this new grad- year if he/she demonstrates im- fail opportunities are the prod- C 73-76 2.0 will be weighted .5 and AP class- ing scale, there will be a failure provement in subsequent mark- ucts of numerous discussions es will be weighted 1.0.