As we approach these final days of the 2018-2019 school year, we also prepare to bid farewell to our fearless leader, Dr. Gillespie. As only secret agents can do, we managed to pull off an extraordinary elementary surprise for him outside his office. Coordinated by Ms. Shortridge, bright and early Thursday morning, the entire elementary school, “snuck” across the road and gathered outside Dr. Gillespie’s office window. Ms. Evelyne was in on the plot, scheduling an “important meeting” for him at the time of our arrival.
While it is difficult to keep over 100 people quiet, Dr. Gillespie did seem surprised to see us when he opened the front door of the administration building, and we broke out into song. He opted to take a selfie to capture the moment forever.
As part of the surprise, Dr. Gillespie was presented with an original pagne blazer and a beautiful drawing / painting by designed by Ms. Shortridge and created by Ms. Yoko. Part of the uniqueness of the piece was that each student had signed his or her name on the frame and placed a fingerprint on the canvas that served as the background for the picture, which featured some special memories of Dr. Gillespie’s time at TASOK. It was fun to see the look on his face as he examined the one-of-a-kind artwork.
We will certainly miss Dr. Gillespie, but we know he will be a precious gift to his new school in Uganda.
Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Gillespie!
