Employee of the Month (August 2006)

Allen Middle School Custodian Named Employee of the Month

Educators have a tremendous impact on children. But there are some school personnel who are not educators-yet they teach students valuable life lessons that are not necessarily learned in a classroom.

Thomas Smith is a custodian at Allen Middle School . While his job involves cleaning, sweeping and dusting, his passion is the well-being of students. Smith knows all of the student's names and instills upon them the significance of a strong work ethic, the importance of honoring one's parents and joy of respecting oneself.

In front of cheering staff, students and friends this morning, district officials informed Smith that he was selected Guilford County Schools' Employee of the Month for August 2006.

Communication, Relationships and Teamwork

Raised in an orphanage, Smith quickly learned how to communicate with children of all ages from diverse backgrounds. Smith spent seven years in the Army, where he learned the value of relationships and teamwork. He extols these qualities to the students at Allen Middle, a school where approximately 74 percent of the students qualify for Free and Reduced lunch status.

"A lot of these kids come from single-parent homes," said Smith. They need somebody to talk to. That's why I do what I do."

A humble man, Smith is soft-spoken, but his actions speak loud and clear to students and staff. He is truly a role model to those at Allen Middle.

As Employee of the Month, Smith received a $50 gift card from Sam's Club, which has partnered with GCS to support the employee recognition program.

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens who are college/work ready.

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.