| Sources |
- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 58.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 30 Jan 2014.
School Days 2!
Honorable Mention Bringing the World to Sixth Graders— Sue Clark
BY DEBORAH BOYD
As a tuition-paying student at Newport Grammar School, I always valued and appreciated the level of education that I received during my eight years of attendance on “The Hill”. My opportunity of being able to go there was a privilege, not a right, and I never forgot it. Each year was filled with extremely capable and dedicated teachers who took their job as a calling, not just a paycheck. I can look back now and see that many of those paychecks were returned to the classroom in order to provide what was needed to teach and to assist those who were in dire need of necessities. We were all blessed beyond measure to have the level of instruction that we received, and I always was encouraged by my family to take full advantage of my opportunities there.
As well-rounded as the faculty was at the time of my attendance, one teacher stood tall among the others in my eyes. N.G.S. did not have departmentalization at the time until seventh grade, and I was blessed to get Miss Sue S. Clark as my sixth grade teacher all day long. Miss Clark was one of those teachers that lived and breathed her vocation. I am sure that she could have been anything in the world, but she chose to teach. Her love of gathering knowledge and passing it along to us was so evident. I thought that I loved to read, and then she taught me to love it even more. We were immersed in the great American writers: Steinbeck, Twain, Faulkner, Welty, and so many more. I can ask students today who Faulkner and Welty were, and they don’t have a clue. We lived out the Dust Bowl, the Civil War, and the Great Depression in that classroom through books, and it whetted my desire to know more. I also really enjoyed history and geography, and she brought it to life with stories from her vast world travels. Miss Clark would schedule a trip almost every summer with some of the older ladies of Newport; I believe one of them was Mrs. Cora Brown. One of my favorite stories that held us spell-bound on the edge of our seats was a particular trip to Russia, during which someone had packed New Testaments in their luggage in order to try to ”save” some of the Communists during the trip. Miss Clark did not find out about the contraband until the trip was underway, but that was not what got them in trouble. In a search of their bags, breath mints in a roll were found and the Russians were convinced that it was drugs that they were attempting to smuggle into the country. Miss Clark, in her early thirties, was by far the youngest of the group of ladies, and had to deal with convincing the police that they were entirely innocent, all the while knowing that the hidden New Testaments would get them in trouble just as much or more if found. All ended well, and the books were placed in hands of those who desired them. It seemed that every country or area in the world that we studied held a story from her or an artifact that she could present to the class to feel or smell. When my last day of sixth grade arrived and I returned to get my grade card, Miss Clark took me aside and led me to the cloakroom, where she had laid aside a silk tapestry from France. She gave me that beautiful piece of handiwork and told me to follow my dreams, see the world, and then never forget from where I came. What a powerful command from such an awe-inspiring woman!
Miss Clark was the first teacher that I knew of at N.G.S. to wear pants. That probably sounds silly today, but it was a big deal then. She had some serious back problems and asked permission from Mr. Vinson to wear them, because she stood most of the time or perched on a high stool and therefore the pants made more sense. Another thing that stood out was her diction. I still have never met anyone who could talk with such perfect grammar and pronunciation as Miss Clark. She set examples by her actions and what she said. She lived her lessons to us. To this day, I can still diagram sentences, and I wish that diagramming was still taught, because students could then see how and why sentence structure makes sense.
I loved to spell, and back then, the school spelling bee was a huge deal. She pushed spelling just as hard as everything else, and I loved it! The competition was fierce for room representative to the spelling bee, and I was determined. Winning that contest felt so good, and then the real push began. She bought me an official word book from the office, and we worked diligently on that list. I sat on that old auditorium stage and looked out at a packed house. Miss Clark invited my mother to sit with her. Round after round, the competition got smaller. I will never forget the word issued to me from Mr. McSween: riotous. I recognized the word, asked for the definition, and began to spell. When the end of the round finished, I was told that I had misspelled the word. I guess that my face just drained in disbelief, and then Miss Clark, who had been following in my bee book, stood up and said ”I contest!” That really rattled the judges, who probably had never had that happen before. The old huge tape recorder was played over and over while we all waited, and sure enough, I had spelled correctly. By this time, I was really shaken by all of it, and I made it a few more rounds and ended up in third place. Miss Clark had stood behind me, and my respect for her only strengthened. Of course, her immediate message afterward was that I now had to work to win the bee, which she got to see during my eighth grade year.
Miss Clark never took sick or personal days which, later in her life, came in handy. Years later, I returned to N.G.S. to substitute as a way to repay that school for all that I had received there. My son eventually was enrolled there, and I looked forward to him getting the opportunity to learn English and reading under the master. It was not to be, however. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Miss Clark went through every experimental trial that she could find, trying to beat the disease that was robbing her of her mobility. She had appointments, and I gladly stepped in and took her classes. Accommodations were made to reduce her need to walk those long halls and stand so much, but she called me in one day and told me that she was finishing the year and retiring. We sat and cried and hugged, which was the first time that I had seen her get so emotional in public. She regretted not having “Mr. T”, as she called him, for a student, but knew that it was time to prepare for another chapter. As the years went on, I made many visits to the house on Iris Place, usually with things from the garden or trees, but mainly to share company and great moments with the person who, outside of my immediate family, most molded my life and interests. The books were always present for as long as she was able to read, and there was always the request to know exactly everything that was going on in my life.
Great teachers have always existed. Some are appreciated right then, others later in life. I am so glad that one of those great ones stepped into my life and I realized it immediately, took full advantage of it then, and am thankful for the opportunity even more today.
- [S113] Manes Funeral Home, (http://www.manesfuneralhome.com), 11 Mar 2010.
(August 21, 1940 - March 11, 2010)
Sue Susong Clark, age 69, of Newport, died peacefully at Baptist Convalescent Center on Thursday, March 11, 2010, surrounded by her family and friends. Sue was a founding member of The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation in Newport, where she was active as long as her health allowed. She was a retired school teacher spending the last years of her career at Newport Grammar School. She always loved hearing from former students. She loved to travel and read. She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom M. Clark, Jr. and Margaret Susong Clark; and a brother, Tom M. Clark, III. She is survived by her brothers and their wives, Joe T. and Drema Clark, of Newport, Robin A. (Bo) and wife, Gail Clark of Knoxville and John M. Clark of Newport, several nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm, Sunday, March 14, 2010 at the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 304 Cosby Highway, Newport, TN 37821. The family will receive friends in the parish hall at the church from 2-3 pm, prior to the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers you may make a donation to the church or to the Stokely Memorial Library, 383 East Broadway, Newport, TN 37821.
Manes Funeral Home in charge
- [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 96457506).
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