Festus R-VI Hall of Fame Inductee - Bernice Thompson
1992 Festus R-VI Hall of Fame Recipient
Bernice Thompson
Bernice Thompson is the perfect example of a caring educator who has dedicated her life to inspiring generations of young people in her classes and Festus Community to realize the joy and satisfaction that comes from learning. This perfect example is that of an excellent role model who has achieved master educator status through her leadership as mentor to many beginning teachers and her dedication and service to hundreds of students. Bernice’s “classroom” extends well beyond the limits of walls and buildings, spreading naturally throughout the community she lives in and serves. Daily, Bernice lives the lifestyle to which she taught youngsters to aspire – working hard, having self-confidence, aspiring to succeed, aiming high, loving family, and living by the Golden Rule.
Bernice developed an appreciation for the importance of education when her own education was temporarily halted because there was no local high school for her to attend. She continued her education when Douglass Cooperative High School was founded, and upon her graduation in 1941, she received two scholarships to Lincoln University in Jefferson City. In two years, she earned a teaching certificate and her bachelor’s degree. After a year of teaching in Ste. Genevieve, Bernice came to Douglass School, where she taught until 1959 when she came to Festus Elementary School. Her experiences have prompted Bernice to encourage youth to stay in school, so that they can more fully realize their potential. To instill this into her students, one of Bernice’s special teaching projects was the study of Missourians who worked hard and overcame hardships to achieve success and fame. As a teacher, she was aware of the difficulty in finding Missouri history material for her fourth-grade students. Bernice was inspired to write a book to meet that need. Her recently (1992) published book Famous Missourians, is an outgrowth of her continuing desire to help educators and children. It profiles Missourians who, like Bernice, have achieved noteworthy status.
Bernice has served her community in a variety of ways with membership in Business and Professional Women, Missouri State Teachers Association, Jefferson County District Educators Association, Retired Teachers Association, American Association of Retired Persons, Historical Society, Crystal City Park Board, and Jefferson College Community Strategic Planning Committee. She is an active member of Sacred Heart Church. She is chairperson of the A.C. Shropshire Scholarship Committee and co-founder and organizer of the Douglass Alumni Association, where she strives to keep the members, especially the youth, focused on their debt to the community. Although she is constantly helping those around her, she asks nothing in return.
Retirement from teaching in 1984 did not mean taking life easy for Bernice; instead, she directed her talents and energies into new projects. Realizing a need in her community, she began a free tutoring program in her home for students needing help with basic reading or arithmetic skills. Because of the high demand for her tutoring services, she must limit each student to one year in order to help other students who also need her special assistance. Continuing her long-standing desire to help children succeed, Bernice includes generous amounts of love and positive encouragement with her tutoring.
In a life filled with worthwhile accomplishments, dedication, and service, what is most noteworthy about Bernice? It is without doubt the positive Christian role model she presents in her daily life. She is a dignified, energetic, honest woman who loves and cares about all people. It is no wonder that hundreds of former students, whom Bernice still calls “my kids,” love and admire “Mrs. Thompson.”