Back in 2001, I came out of my short retirement and began driving a school bus for Beech Grove City Schools. I quickly learned just how most everyone on staff enjoyed their positions. Every day they are assisting in making Beech Grove City Schools a special school system for students, parents and the entire staff.
I am still connected with several of the teachers, administration staff, bus drivers, former students and parents. We get together for breakfast and lunch. We sometimes visit each other over the phone and lots of us are friends on Facebook.
A few days ago, I found out that a middle school teacher was a top 10 finalist for the Indiana Teacher of the Year. Jonee Adamson-Sutton is the visual arts teacher at the middle school.
I believe that I met Jonee during the 2004 school year. She was teaching at one of the schools that I drove students to and from each day. She was always very helpful to the students as they arrived at school and in the afternoons as they were headed home on a school bus.
I did some quick research and found out that there are over 1,750 schools in Indiana. There are also about 63,000 licensed teachers in our state. Jonee is one of them and is being recognized and honored.
I pulled up Jonee’s Facebook page and discovered that she is planning a nine-day trip to Japan. This trip is open to all 7th grade to senior students and parents (at time of travel). The travel dates will be during spring break of 2025. She is holding the first parent meeting on Thursday, Aug. 31 at Beech Grove Middle School.
Jonee has a good bit more information about the Japan trip on her Facebook page. She also has pictures and information about class projects and some of her other projects. There are several.
I believe that Jonee and our now departed dog, Stuart, were pretty good friends. Stuart was friends with many teachers and students at Beech Grove Schools. As I was looking at Jonee’s Facebook account, I saw that she has a pet painting business. I told my wife, Lyn about that and she is gathering photographs.
Jonee’s husband is also a teacher. They even work in the same school system and building. There is a Facebook video of Jonee and a student singing Happy Birthday to Mr. Sutton.
Can you imagine being ranked in the Top 10 of a group numbering more than 60,000? I feel very honored to be friends with so many of the staff and students from Beech Grove City Schools.
Congratulations, Jonee!
Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools. He can be reached through email at fdshonk@aol.com.