CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – Olivia Jones and Tia Brooks have a combined total of over 53 years as educators in the Calvert County School System. They are associated with the Before and After care programs that the school offers. After working with them over the past year, I knew that I had to write this article.
As a school bus driver, I would see them every day, and observe what they do and how they interact with the kids. They always have a positive attitude and are upbeat, even when things get tough.
The school day for them starts with a lesson plan. Some of the activities include group gatherings such as all about me, book time, music, art projects, learning about weather, the alphabet, play time, and breakfast.
Olivia and Tia have a passion for working with children. They are kind, attentive, and the givers of good advice. Their teaching skills have been honed and it shows. They attend to minor cuts and scrapes with band aids, they listen to the kid’s stories, show patience, respond and attend to their sadness as well as their happiness.
They are effective disciplinarians, and their guidance continues as they encourage the students to play nice and be kind to each other. The kids absolutely adore and respect Ms. O and Ms. Tia, as they are affectionately called. I’m sure that they have become role models to many of their students over the years.
Ms. Tia says that the best thing about her job, is seeing the kid’s smiles. No matter how the day starts or ends, I always let them know “tomorrow is a new day”.
Ms. Olivia feels that “in school learning” is essential for the best retention of information. She also feels that the social aspects of school are an extremely important aspect of a child’s life.
These ladies face challenges every day. They say their reward is seeing how the kids progress. Ms. Tia says, “The best part is watching all that we plant in the children, bloom when they become productive citizens in our community”. They have both stated that their success would not be possible without the support and guidance from their supervisors, their principal, Calvert County Public Schools, and the parents.
Thirty years ago, Ms. Olivia, a single mother, wanted to wait until her daughter was of age to enter school to get a job. When that time came, she interviewed with the Calvert County Board of Education and was hired right away. This allowed her to take her daughter to school. A career was launched! The person that has influenced her the most over the years is her mother, Vera.
Ms. Tia grew up in Calvert County and attended Sunderland Elementary School. The biggest influences in her life were her Kindergarten teachers Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Parran.
Over the years both ladies have worked for many schools in the county including Angel’s Systems, Prime Time Children’s Center, Beach Elementary, Sunderland Elementary, and Windy Hill Elementary.
It has been my pleasure to work with both of them. They are an invaluable assest to the Calvert County school system. They always have a smile on their face and a kind word for me when I arrive and depart the school. They make my day.
Congratulations to Olivia Jones and Tia Brookes for their 53 years of dedicated and faithful service to this community. I hope to see them again when school starts up in the fall. Their students will never forget them.
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Thank you for writing this Mr. Alexander. You hit the nail on the head, they are both fabulous teachers and employees. Everything you said is so very true of them along with their recent staff member Mr. Hawkins. They make a fabulous team and the children and parents who are in the program are lucky to have them. As one of their supervisors I can attest to the quality care they give their students every day. They run a wonderful program for the students, and it is a pleasure to watch them interact with the students, families and staff at Windy Hill Elementary. Congratulations, staff on a job well done.