By Emily Williams
A crowd boasting members of the Homewood City Schools family filled BridgeStreet Gallery on June 25 to celebrate the career of Edgewood Elementary School Principal Dr. Patricia Simpson, who is soon to spend her first fall in 36 years outside of school doors.
The party was coordinated by Simpson’s husband and, while Simpson said it was a packed house, one guest she was particularly thrilled to see was one of her former kindergarten students from Shades Cahaba Elementary School, Emily Wilder, who just so happens to be an Edgewood kindergarten teacher.
Simpson’s 36-year career has taken her from a kindergarten classroom to the principal’s desk, but the constant has always been Homewood.
“I have always, for all of my life, wanted to be an educator,” she said. “It was truly my life’s dream.” According to her, achieving her life’s dream at both Shades Cahaba Elementary and Edgewood Elementary was a bonus.
“If you were to say you have stopped learning, I would have to assume that you are dead,” she said.
The statement is particularly true for an educator, who must constantly learn from their students and adapt to their needs. Simpson said that the strength of the Homewood school system is that administrators and educators have the freedom to grow and innovate their lessons alongside their students.
“In the classroom, the impact that a teacher has on a kid’s life is immeasurable,” she said. “As a principal, you get the opportunity to support and help the teachers themselves so they can put their focus firmly on the students’ needs.”
When Simpson made the transition into the position of administrator and principal, she found she had left a distinct mark in the classroom to maintain her kindergarten legacy.
“This is something that any of my former students would definitely remember. In my classroom, we had this cast iron bathtub that the kids would read in,” she said. “Well, that tub has remained in that classroom at Shades Cahaba ever since.”
While cast iron stands the test of time, methods of learning are constantly advancing and evolving.
“Preparing for the year was always an awesome but daunting challenge to undertake,” she said. “Over time, the work lessens in terms of classroom prep, but a teacher has to stay relevant with their methods of teaching. Lessons need to remain fresh in order to keep the students actively engaged.”
Simpson found that there were a few subjects that have always held the interest of young children; dinosaurs and prehistoric lessons never lose their luster.
As a bonus, Simpson was able to see her two sons through the Homewood City School system, though she said the two probably had their fill of the elementary setting.
“I’m sure they have some tales to tell,” she said. “I used to bring them with me to school during the summer and they would help me set up my classroom. They would set up books, help with decorations and I’d have them washing tables.”
All of those extra hours spent in the schools didn’t seem to deter them from the area. Jarod is an officer with the Homewood Police Department and Jason is a magistrate for the city of Hoover.
As for what is to come in Simpson’s retirement, she is happy to say she has no lesson plan, but she said she will never be fully removed from her former position.
“Educators never retire,” she said. “I often find myself teaching everywhere I go. I work with children in my church and sometimes even in the grocery store. You always continue to help those around you in whatever way you can.”
From the time she announced her retirement to the Edgewood Elementary student body, Simpson received countless letters, notes and drawings from children, but one of her favorite final memories was a musical performance.
“Our fifth-grade excellence program sang ‘Ain’t too Proud to Beg,’ which was absolutely wonderful,” she said.
The song choice was particularly touching, as Simpson’s brother is one of the original members of The Temptations.
“The performance was choreographed and planned by the fifth-grade teachers and our wonderful music instructor, Allyn Lee,” Simpson said. “One of the many strong aspects of the Homewood City School System is the strength of our fine arts. It all goes back to great instruction.”
Simpson’s son was a member of the Homewood High School band, which gave him the opportunity to join the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band.
As she said a final farewell to her fellow educators and staff, a painting hanging on the wall in the BridgeStreet Gallery depicted the front of Edgewood Elementary. In the painting by Homewood parent Karen Marcum, named “Before the Bell,” Students can be seen filtering through the doors, and standing on the sidewalk is none other than Simpson, in the very spot she took every morning during her time as principal.
“Words cannot describe how appreciative I am to have had the professional opportunities that have been afforded to me in Homewood,” she said. “I leave the school knowing that it is in great hands under the leadership of Dr. Matt Kiser as principal and Assistant Principal Laura Tate.”
