IN HIS WORDS

Tom Wilson was one of the early believers and supporters of Sycamore School. An entrepreneur who founded a successful company that made dance clothes for competitive dancers, his two children attended Sycamore in its very first year of operation—1985. He remembers the struggles of those early years, why they stuck to their belief Sycamore was worth it, and how he and his family knew it was the right thing to be doing—in his words.

Founding Parent Tom Wilson Recalls the First Four Years of Sycamore

It’s early spring in 1985. Andy and Erin, our children, were in 4th and 2nd grades, respectively, in the Perry Township school system. Both were in the Perry IDEA gifted education program; it replaced regular classroom activity two half-days per week with a more advanced curriculum. I don’t think any of us were particularly happy with

Andy and Erin’s education so far; it felt unchallenging. The “straw that broke the back” in my confidence in the school system was when Andy’s daily teacher told us “Andy’s intelligence is his cross to bear.” Emily (my wife) and I wanted better for our kids but struggled for alternatives, as we weren’t at an economic level where opportunities make themselves available.

Jessica Welch, Andy and Erin’s IDEA teacher, called and introduced to Emily a plan to open a new school focused exclusively on gifted children and their education. She felt strongly this new school would provide well for both Andy and Erin. Mrs. Welch was heading the curriculum development as well as moving to the new school. Mrs. Welch as Andy and Erin’s IDEA teacher, Mrs. Welch, had already made an important impact on them, and we respected her work and thoughts.

I was driving north on the westside of

I-465 when my car phone rang. Remember car phones—the prelude to today’s cellular world? It was Emily calling. “I’ve just made a decision! Jessica Welch called me to tell me about a new school. We’re sending Andy and Erin there.” “Okay,” I replied. “What’s it called?” “No idea,” said Emily. “Where is it?” “Don’t know that yet either, and I don’t know how much it will cost, but Mrs. Welch is involved and she’s adamant Andy and Erin should go there.” That’s the short version of our introduction

Erin, Tom, and Tulips

to Sycamore School. We performed due diligence to the degree we could, recognizing the struggles our children were facing in their current schooling. Worst case seemed that the school would fail, and we’d need to look for something else. So, we dove in feet first. The early years of Sycamore were nothing like life in the school today. Starting a school is a huge undertaking, and daily stresses abounded. We weren’t involved in the initial planning and development; our first big exposure was attending the first school picnic—a couple weeks before the school opened. While there were plenty of picnic baskets and lots of fun, most of the time was spent in the hard physical work of getting an old, tired building and grounds ready for opening day. The school found a ready resource—parents! I think virtually all parents chipped in with time (and money) to get things rolling. Sycamore in the 1985-89 era had to be an adventure for the students; it certainly was for parents. Many investments were made by all. Teachers and staff worked long hours with low pay; parents provided loads of support, and students coped with (and delighted in) the quirky and often problematic building and trailers used for facilities. A determined entrepreneurial energy drove the school to succeed in those early years. Some were fearful of it, some thrived in it, and some pushed the school to success in spite of it. I joined the Board in fall 1986 as Treasurer. That year, and for several to follow, board members often brought their personal checkbooks to monthly meetings in case the event the we needed a boost to make payroll or cover some other big expense. My financial resources being quite limited, I contributed my time and work as a volunteer; it was often a second full-time job. The first several years of Sycamore were tenuous financially, and I think the SSA (Sycamore School Association) was really what got the school over the hump in the beginning. Most schools have a PTA; while the SSA is one, it operated on an entirely different level. I liken them to the SEAL teams in the Navy—elite performers who did what it took to get the job done. The money they raised, and hours put in supporting Sycamore were instrumental in the school surviving and thriving. I still have fond memories of fundraising yellow trash bags and hundreds of poinsettias; Andy and Erin recall the Noble Romans lunch pizzas. Once Andy and Erin started attending Sycamore, their attitudes and enthusiasm for learning took a significant turn for the better. They thrived in school and overall seemed happier with life. Each appreciated the different educational challenge, the variety, and being valued as an important individual. Andy was one of the four students in the first graduating class in 1989; Erin followed in the class of 1991. Sycamore School matured rapidly from its 1985 beginning; it had to in order to survive. The entrepreneurial spirit gave way to a more structured management, better defined curriculum, more stable finances, and a new facility - while the excitement that a new family and student feels walking into Sycamore today is different, one key item hasn’t changed— the joy and eagerness for teaching and learning that truly is a hallmark of the school. What was important 35 years ago that’s the same today? Sycamore proved that premier resources and facilities aren’t a requirement for an outstanding education (though they are nice and certainly make things easier). Everyone wants to be at school to teach, to learn. There’s a daily undercurrent of an ethos for everyone to “do good work and be somebody!” to paraphrase a quote by Andy Griffith talking to his son Opie. I’ve always been of an entrepreneurial mindset, and perhaps that’s why I was able to make a contribution at the beginning of Sycamore. I left corporate life in 1988 to start our business (Motionwear, a clothing manufacturer specializing in apparel for dancers and gymnasts). I left Motionwear in 2007, probably because I burned the candle too bright for too many years and needed a change. Nowadays I spend my time enjoying and restoring old MG sports cars from the 1932-49 era; Emily continues as a textile artist/hobbyist. Andy is a computer scientist in New Mexico, and Erin is a professional textile artist. Life is pretty good. •

What was important 35 years ago that’s the same today? Sycamore proved that premier resources and facilities aren’t a requirement for an outstanding education.

TOM WILSON