Indian Head, MD – Indian Head resident Thomas Gordon has three children who attend Charles County Public Schools – an elementary schooler, a middle school student and a high school freshman. Since 2005, he has spent numerous hours and days volunteering at Indian Head Elementary School and is well known for his long-term commitment to the school.
Gordon said volunteering at the school is a joy. “I enjoy helping out at the school and seeing the kids grow up. I am fortunate to have a flexible schedule in that I can see the kids, interact with other parents and watch the kids have fun,” he said. Indian Head staff and students are fortunate too in having a committed parent volunteer such as Gordon. So much so that they nominated him for the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award (PIMA). Gordon was recently named the semifinalist for Charles County and is in the running for the state award.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) created the awards program to recognize Maryland parents who have made contributions to public education and to highlight the positive impact parents have on public schools. The award recognizes parents from school systems in Maryland, and features five levels of criteria: communication, volunteering, learning, decision making and community collaboration.
Gordon’s commitment to Indian Head Elementary includes supporting the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) program, helping to maintain and monitor the school’s Dojo Cart in which students select prizes from for modeling good character, and coaching Destination Imagination and robotics teams. His support even includes bringing a horse to school.
Gordon is a U.S. Park Police Officer in the mounted division and has not missed a Career Day at the school in the past five years. He often leaves from a 12-hour work day and heads right to Indian Head to start his volunteer time. One of his passions is talking with children about their future goals. He said he was honored to be recognized for doing something he enjoys.
“I am overwhelmed by this gracious and unexpected recognition. I think about all the parents and guardians that help with homework, with team and club practice, with encouraging words, and with all of the logistics that help the school experience run smoothly. I’m just lucky enough to be able to do some of that during school hours at Indian Head Elementary; the best school in the best town in Maryland,” Gordon said.
Staff at Indian Head see Gordon as a role model for children and appreciate his outreach to students, desire to give back to the community and willingness to spend hours of his time supporting children. He is well known for always having a smile on his face and taking the time to stop and spread good thoughts and cheer to put a smile on someone else’s face.
Angela McDonald is a longtime secretary at Indian Head and wrote a letter of recommendation for Gordon’s nomination. In her letter she describes Gordon as a blessing to the school and said his passion is inspirational. “Mr. Gordon gives so much of himself to benefit the life of a child. His passion and zeal are truly inspirational to us all,” McDonald wrote.
Gordon is heavily involved in the schools’ PBIS activities and spends his mornings manning the schools’ Dojo Cart. This school year, Indian Head launched an online recognition system using a Class Dojo program in which students receive points for positive behavior and good character. The Dojo Cart includes all types of rewards from stickers and pencils, to note pads, stampers and bookmarks. Indian Head Principal Timothy Rosin said the students benefit from all that Gordon contributes to the school, but most importantly the patient and kind manner in which he praises children.
“Mr. Gordon has an impressive longevity record as a volunteer serving the Indian Head Elementary School community. The students have benefited from Mr. Gordon’s daily presence in his continual effort to recognize students in a positive manner. Nominating him for the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award is to recognize him for impacting the lives of our students,” Rosin wrote in a nomination letter.
Gordon also spearheaded a Keeping Kids in Coats program in which he worked with school staff to identify students who were in need of winter coats. He and his wife Bertha, who is the Indian Head parent liaison, helped raise funds to buy coats and handed them out to students in need. Gordon was also honored with the Volunteer of the Year award at Indian Head to recognize his exemplary leadership, cooperation, creativity and hard work.
Gordon said he was taken “aback” when he learned he was nominated for the PIMA award. “I was really honored and surprised. I enjoy coming to the school and volunteering and do not think of it as work. I would be here anyways and really enjoy watching the kids learn and grow,” he added.
Gordon will be recognized at a special ceremony on June 3, where the five finalists and the state award winner will be announced. The statewide winner and finalists are eligible for a cash prize to further their efforts to improve the public schools they represent. The PIMA program is supported by several organizations including the Maryland Parent-Teacher Association. For more information about the awards program, visit the MSDE website at http://marylandpublicschools.org/pima/.
Charles County Public Schools provides 26,300 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
