Savannah Reams: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Deep in the heart of Greenville lies a small school with a big spirit. The staff, faculty, and students at Greenville Elementary School (GES) represent the passion, resilience, and determination that you'll find throughout the town's history. Without a doubt, “it takes a village,” to achieve success-- a body of people working together for one purpose. When a body loses a limb, it loses strength and ability. At GES, every parent, volunteer, teacher, staff member and administrator is a part of the body, and each part is just as important as the next.
Terry Johnson is the head custodian at GES, contributing an amazing work ethic, a willingness to lend a helping hand, and a heart for children. Johnson's role at GES is a necessity to the school, students and community. He is going on his third year working at GES and couldn't be prouder to call the school his own. Johnson has many years of experience under his belt, having worked for the Madison County School district since 1998. Johnson has coached little league football for almost 25 years. In addition, Johnson served his country in the military as an aircraft re-fueler, and has also pastored two churches, noting that his relationship with Christ is first and foremost.
Terry Johnson has been happily married to his wife, Patricia, for 24 years. He was born in 1959 in Madison, Fl., and is the son of Curtis (Shirley) Johnson and Eva (Gus) Stevens. “I was born at home, in November,” said Johnson. He has fond memories from his childhood. “We had kumquats, plums, pears, pecan trees, black berries galore,” said Johnson. “I wish I was still there. It was a very beautiful place.” Not only did Johnson enjoy his time spent at his old home place, but he also learned many valuable lessons from his parents. “My father taught me to work hard always,” said Johnson. “He taught us to always take care of our family. My mother always taught us to 'put it in God's hands.' I remember growing up and going through a rebellious stage. She would say, 'I put you in the hands of the Lord,' and I always felt protected.” Johnson has carried these life experiences with him wherever he goes.
At GES, Johnson performs many roles. Not only does he make sure the school is spotless, he takes care of the grounds; helps administrators, staff and teachers with difficult tasks throughout the school; and, most importantly, he makes a difference in the lives of every student. You can always find “Mr. Terry” having a “heart to heart” with GES students. He teaches them the importance of following the rules, respecting their elders, and, especially, working hard academically. Johnson is able to follow up with many of his students at football practice, making sure they have completed their homework and responsibilities before hitting the field. However, the lessons don't end on the field. “We always say together, 'Is everybody alright? Yes sir. Anybody mad? No sir. Y'all love everybody? Yes sir. Do we care about color? No sir.' . . . And I've been doing that now for many years-- with my children, grandchildren, and the kids I mentor,” said Johnson.
Johnson works hard at Greenville Elementary School, not only because he loves the kids, but because he loves the school. “I love the atmosphere and the teamwork here,” said Johnson. “The custodians, cafeteria, paraprofessionals, teachers, the principal-- we're all just like a pie, and everybody has a slice. We're all just in it together, and I enjoy the power of it. I appreciate the friendship and the family relationships we have and I enjoy being here.”
On the upcoming school year at GES, Johnson remarked, “I am excited. We're just going to pull together as a family unit and we're going to help each other out and we're going to be there for each other. Some days it's going to be a little cloudy and others will be shiny, but if we just encourage each other and support GES, I feel like we can achieve anything that we want to and we can stand against anything that comes against us.”