Ilion High School - Class of 1945

Ilion Sentinel - June 14, 1945

Associates Honor Miss Hickok At Testimonial Dinner

and Right Morals Arc Important, Says West Hill Head On Retirement

Article 17

Source pdf file is here Illion NY Sentinel 1944-1946 (1) - 0555.pdf on fultonhistory.com

Ilion Sentinel - IHS 1945 - Ilion High's Class of 1945

Associates Honor Miss Hickok At Testimonial Dinner

Members of the Board of Education and faculty of the Ilion schools with their husbands and wives attended a testimonial dinner Wednesday evening, in the St. Augustine's parish house, given in honor of Miss Mary Kimball Hickok, principal of the West Hill School, who is leaving after 22 years of service.

By coincidence both of Ilion's other public school principals are marking their 25th year in the school system this year: John Guy Prindle at the high school and Miss Ethel M. Campbell at the North Street School. Several other faculty members have also been in the system twenty-five years or more and these were all given honorable mention at the dinner. They are Miss Mabel Briggs, High School; Miss Viv Spink, North Street School; Miss Gladys Briggs, West Hill School, Miss Veronica Donnelly, High School and Jesse Watchers, Wet Hill School, janitor.

The welcome speech was given by Dr. Earl P. Watkin, superintendent of schools and Rome D. Warden, Board of Education, was toast-master for the occasion. Grover W. Radley, on behalf of the Board of Education, presented a fifty-dollar War Bond to Miss Hickok, and Miss Margaret Underwood, represented the faculty in giving her a purse of money.

Mr. Prindle recalled briefly some incidents of his school association with Miss Hickok and Miss Campbell reminisced about North Street school where Miss Hickok first taught in Ilion.

Miss Hickok expressed her gratitude for the friendliness and cooperation which she had received during her work here and said that she would sorely miss the youngsters who had been a part of her daily life.

Esther VanAlstine Davis gave readings. A woman's sextet including Clare Wasmer, Eleanor M. Berg, Helen Tallman, Marian M. Lyman, Leila R. Russell and Winifred Sackett, song.

Tribute was paid to those who have left the school for various branches of the Armed services: Jack Brunner, Arthur E. Coons, George Finnegan, John Pugh, Mary Sheldon, Barthou Shelly and Vivian Wright.

Right Morals Arc Important, Says West Hill Head On Retirement

This June will see the retirement of Miss Mary Hickok who for the last 22 years has given her time and energy generously and conscientiously to the education of the children of Ilion.

As head of the West Hill School for the past 20 years. Miss Hickok has left a living and steadfast memory in the lives of the children who have come in contact with her.

A graduate of Potsdam Normal School, Miss Hickok came to Ilion years ago to fill the post of 5th grade teacher In North Street School for two years.

She had previously held several positions in the Hudson River vicinity and had taught for two years in the Valle Crucis School for mountain white children in North Carolina. Before coming to Ilion, she had taught for two years in the public schools of Mohawk.

In 1925, the old West Hill School had been remodeled from a building of 6 rooms to a modern 14 room and Miss Hickok accepted the principal-ship of the new school in that year. She succeeded the late Miss Cora, Potter who had served the school in that capacity for a number of years.

One of the first projects launched by Miss Hickok in her new post was an Elson Art Exhibit, the proceeds cf which were used to buy new pictures for the school. The exhibit lasted four days with special programs each day in the afternoon and evening. Through this means over $400 was raised which was used to buy copies of masterpieces many of which hang in the school today.

Miss Hickok has always taught on the principle that morals and right living are as important as the three R's. As she puts it, "Anyone can gain knowledge out of a book, but standards of decency, loyalty and clean-living must be into the mind of the child youth. He can gain book-learning in later life, formation of the right moral precepts are the foundation stone of good citizenship.

Miss Hickok has encouraged activity work for the children under her care. She firmly believes that by "teaching through doing" instruction may find out the capabilities of the child and determine means pf guidance.

Several years ago the school staged an exhibit entitled "Man's activities" to co-ordinate with the study of the world as a whole. The pupils constructed all types of homes from all countries. A museum is now a part of the school which contains a rock collection, bird specimens and samples of work done by the children.

She has approved the annual School elections which are held each fall under the direction of one of the faculty. The ballots are marked as in a national election and regular voting procedure to carried out. The school paper, printed under the supervision of one of the teachers has also received her support.

West Hill school has a library of over 2,100 volumes which are loaned under a teacher librarian assisted by assistant librarians from the sixth and seventh grades. About 1,200 volumes have been added to the library shelves during Miss Hickok's principal-ship.

One of the most important and far-reaching projects introduced into the- school life during Miss Hickok's regime to the West Hill Code which is presented to each grade when school starts in the fall. It reads: "Be kind, be clean, be loyal, be honest, be obedient, do your best, be a good loser, use self control, respect others' property."

Visitors at a West Hill Assembly always are amused to watch the children file out to return to class. Asked about this innovation, Miss Hickok replied, "Why shouldn't they whistle, all boys and girls whistle and I like to whistle myself. In this way we all whistle together.

Retirement will not bring relaxation to Miss, Hickok. She plans to devote much time to the garden of her home on Ward St. and as she puts it, "really learn to cook." She intends to make her home in Ilion permanently, saying "My boys and girls are all in Ilion and I intend to stay and watch them grow up and go into homes of their own."

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