As the 2012-2013 school year is quickly coming to an end, one familiar face will not be returning next fall. Mr. Thomas Morris, Social StudiesDepartment Head, will be retiring after the close of this school year. Mr. Morris has served the Walpole High Community for 42 years; his consistent devotion and love for his job will definitely make him hard to replace.
Mr. Morris is a History teacher at Walpole High and became the Department Head in 1986. From then, his responsibilities changed because he no longer just had to teach. “I’m in charge of supervising all the other history teachers, and informing them of changes in the social studies field as well as changes in state regulations,” Morris said. For a while Mr. Morris was in charge of every social studies program from kindergarten through 12th grade, a very busy schedule. Even though sometimes he would find himself eating lunch in a different school every day, Mr. Morris enjoyed getting to know all the students and watching them learn.
Principal of Walpole High, Mr. Stephen Imbusch said, “As an administrator [Mr. Morris] crosses every ‘t’ and dots every ‘i’. If he undertakes to do something, you can rest assured that it will get done.”
While many students know what it’s like to be close to their teachers, it is even more difficult for Mr. Morris to have to say goodbye to the plethora of students he has had over the many years at Walpole High. When asked what he will miss most about Walpole High, Mr. Morris immediately replied, ”the students, they are the most wonderful people.”
Mr. Morris has shown versatile knowledge over the years, as he has taught every level of every class that is offered in the History Department. Senior Kemble Lindh, who had Mr. Morris for AP U.S History, said, “I liked listening to his childhood stories; he always kept the class engaged. Although he was a challenging teacher, he always expected to receive your best work.”
Mr. Morris has genuinely enjoyed every moment of his experience here at Walpole High and has served as a resource to many. Mr. Imbusch said, “He has been here for so many years that he has become the ‘go-to’ person whenever I need to know why things are the way they are, or which policies have been tried in the past.” Mr. Morris can deal with his teaching staff and students in a unique way; he works exceptionally hard to make the right decisions, and to resolve any issues that may arise.
Although Mr. Morris will miss his students here, he has many things to look forward to after retirement. As a joke with probably some sincerity, he said, “I wouldn’t mind getting up later in the morning.” Mr. Morris has multiple hobbies he is excited to participate in more frequently including riding his bike, being outdoors, and playing tennis. On top of all that, Mr. Morris said he has “lots of history books piled up” that he is excited to finally get to read.
Mr. Morris’s friendly face and positive attitude will not be seen in the History Wing next year, and the entire Walpole High community will certainly miss him. Mr. Imbusch said, “I believe I speak for the whole school when I say that he has made Walpole High School a better place. We will miss him very much.” Mr. Morris is getting ready to say goodbye to his students and staff and hello to a new open schedule, which sums up the bittersweet feeling of retirement. Walpole High is the one who is suffering the bigger loss, for it is losing a teacher who, for forty two devoted years, has helped generations of students and enriched them in skills and knowledge that will leave a lasting mark.
