Chris Turner would tell you not to credit him with the amazing results of Independence Elementary’s Serving Our Community Kids Style (SOCKS) program.
Instead, he would tell you about how much work the parents and teachers do to make SOCKS day a success each year.
Others would say he is being modest, that the principal’s role is vital to the program and that he keeps everything running smoothly.
The Michigan Community Service Commission agrees with those who think Turner’s work made a large impact. They recently awarded him the 2006 Outstanding Service-Learning Administrator Award.
SOCKS started two years ago at Independence as a way to incorporate community service into the student’s curriculum. One day a year, every class in the school works on various projects to benefit the community.
‘The nice thing about that program is that we tie what the children are doing for service to the curriculum benchmarks for their subject area,? Turner said. ‘For example… our fourth graders make blankets and donate them to Beaumont Hospital to give to patients in the intensive care unit and they tie that to their math.?
Whether they’re making fleece blankets to donate to local hospitals or visiting senior citizens, every student takes an active role in helping those around them. The program worked so well, that the MCSC took notice quickly.
‘When the people from the Michigan Community Service Commission came to visit the SOCKS program, they were very impressed with the whole attitude of the school in terms of it’s relationships with the community and community service,? said Dave Reschke, deputy superintendent for Clarkston Schools. ‘I felt that Chris had done a lot as principal to set that environment up at the school, so I nominated him.?
The MCSC agreed that Turner’s work meant a lot, and awarded him on Feb. 16 at a ceremony in Flint.
‘The SOCKS program is outstanding and it wouldn’t have happened in that school without Chris’s support… so we’re proud of Chris,? Reschke said.
Though he started as a teacher in Ferndale, Turner has been a principal for the last 15 years, and 12 of them are in the Clarkston School district. He started as principal of Bailey Lake Elementary, but moved after Independence Elementary opened seven years ago.
Turner liked the idea of the SOCKS program because it allowed students to see how much of a difference they could make by experiencing the impact first hand.
‘It’s taking that service project and taking it to the next step of seeing the results, not just putting money in a jar and not knowing what happened,? Turner said.
Turner likes to give credit for the SOCKS program to parent Kim Viazamko, who became the chairperson for SOCKS.
‘Frankly, Kim is the one who makes SOCKS day happen. I’m the one who says go for it,? Turner said. ‘It’s really a group effort, and it’s spearheaded by Kim and a number of parent volunteers who do all the work.?
‘Chris is a little modest about his involvement in this,? said Viazamko. ‘Truly, he is in charge of everybody and everything that transpires in this school and he holds a great deal of respectability. We have, on average, 750 people all working at the same time on the same day, so it was a leap of faith a little bit to put that in the hands of parents and he’s involved with every step.?
Viazamko said she was not surprised when Turner won because she sees how much work he does to make SOCKS day work and how Turner’s relationship with parents and teachers makes everything work well together.
‘I believe that inherently, children want to help. They want to make a difference… and they don’t know how and then they start to think they can’t because they’re just children,? said Turner. ‘So in a school setting, if we can provide that environment for them to be involved in the service projects that are tied to curriculum that does makes a difference and they know that because they see it… then we’ve really fulfilled a very important need. We’re teaching children to be lifelong involved in citizenship and in service, not just isolated incidents and I think that’s extremely important.?
Turner said he sees the difference these programs make in his students; noting that they now come to him with ideas for fund-raisers and the desire to run collection drives. Turner said distilling this kind of attitude was easy in the Clarkston area, which he said is ripe for the giving mentality.
‘We’re in a very fortunate area here. We have children that want to give. We have parents that are very generous, not just with their money but with their time, their talent and their energy,? Turner said. ‘Our children know that we’re fortunate to have a lot of what we have and they want to give as well.?
Turner himself has lived in the Clarkston area for nearly 20 years with his wife Sandy. The couple has three children ? Jeffrey, 13, Rebecca, 12 and Meredith, 8 (soon to be 9).
‘I love Clarkston,? Turner said. ‘I have no intention of going anywhere… I think it’s a wonderful community. I love the community feel to our schools, our neighborhood, the parks. I think it’s a wonderful area to raise a family.?