Alice Snodgrass is usually out front, assisting and making sure others are enjoying themselves.
On Saturday night, Snodgrass enjoyed the limelight herself, taking in the sweet accolades from others before being honored at the Heart of Education Banquet at the McDonald County High School.
Snodgrass and her late husband, Ted, were honored by the McDonald County Schools Foundation for their efforts in promoting education.
"I know what kind of work goes into an evening like this," Snodgrass said Saturday evening as friends and well-wishers gathered around her in the McDonald County High School Lobby. "It's nice to be honored like this."
Snodgrass worked behind the scenes, as well as front and center, as a McDonald County Schools Foundation board member for 10 years. She said she learned in October that she and her husband would be honored at the event that landed on Leap Day.
The couple served in education for 30 years, 14 of which were in McDonald County. Ted served as Pineville Elementary principal, junior high athletic director and Anderson Middle School principal. He also served in the Missouri National Guard. Alice served as the high school library media specialist.
She said her husband's decision to move them to McDonald County to pursue careers in education "was one of the smartest decisions he made," she said. "We both taught for the same school district," she said. "This is a very welcoming community."
As Snodgrass received friends, others mingled about to take a look at numerous works of art created by McDonald County students of all ages.
High school culinary arts students offered special hors d'oeuvres to sample, while the White Rock Rooster Robotics Club members showed off their creative abilities.
Sandy Hughes, who said she has attended every annual banquet, believed the change in format facilitated better access. The hors d'oeuvres are usually served amongst the attendees who sit at tables in the lobby area. This year, people could walk up to the sampling table and interact with the culinary students, she said. The tables this year were located in the gymnasium.
Hughes says she believes it's important to support teachers and likes to learn about their needs in the classroom. She also finds it interesting to learn more about the scholarship program.
The food samples, the artwork and the music performance all make for a good evening, Hughes said.
"The music department is phenomenal," she said. "There's always something to be happy about."
In the gym before dinner, Kaidan Campbell said he was doing his part to help make the event a success. Campbell said his day started at 9:15 that morning by loading up the trailer for the high school's show choir. The group competed in Webb City, then drove down to the banquet at the high school for a performance.
Campbell was recruited by his grandma, Stacy Campbell, to help with the stage crew. In his first year of helping, Campbell says it takes him and about five others about 20 minutes to set up the equipment. The junior, who is an award-winning powerlifter, boasts he can carry five or six drums at a time.
Campbell enjoys being behind the scenes. He loves orchestrating all the details to come together in the perfect storm.
He's the magic?
"Yes, ma'am," he said, smiling.
Campbell's younger brother, Jackson, likes being on the other side of the stage. He says he knows that the behind-the-scenes crew and musicians have a critical role in performance.
"I am very appreciative of the job he does so we look good," Jackson said.
The program featured the Presentation of Colors by the MCHS JROTC Color Guard, performance by "Rhapsody N' Rhythm," a video and the Heart of Education award presentation, among the highlights.
Foundation board president Gary Wasson said the banquet is the seventh annual such event, which continues to grow each year. Past award recipients include Ross and Vicki Babbitt, the Thorton family, Dr. Scott Goldstein and Mrs. Susan Davis-Goldstein, the Don Underwood family, John B. Willis and Dr. Amy Oxner McGaha and Maj. Scott McGaha.
General News on 03/05/2020