University School Weekly Update
July 16 - July 22, 2023
ETSU and University School are both pleased and saddened to announce the retirement in January 2024 of our beloved SRO (School Resource Officer), Officer Clifford âCliffâ Hudson. Officer Hudson has served our nation as a police officer for over forty years which included time on the streets of Cleveland, OH and Cleveland, TN before joining ETSU public safety twenty-seven years ago. It has been our privilege to have Officer Hudson assigned to University School by ETSU for twenty-five of those years. Officer Hudson embodies the life and the soul of the school and welcomes students, faculty, and staff at the door every morning with a huge smile and a cheery, âGooooood MORNING!â
Officer Hudson is ever present in our lives; he is often the first person to arrive at school in the morning and the last to leave at night. Officer Hudson is loved by all, and he makes it his business to know every adult and student that he encounters on a personal level. He doesnât just need to know who you are; he needs to know YOU. In return for your story, you own a fragment of Officer Hudsonâs heart for the rest of your life. Officer Hudson is University Schoolâs very own Andy Griffith. He has a badge, a gun, and a bullet proof vest, but he has never fired his gun and has only drawn it once when policing the streets of Cleveland, OH. Keeping the peace at and ensuring the safety of University School is his number one priority, but Officer Hudson defines that peace and safety a bit differently than your average police officer. Yes, he would physically defend us all and sacrifice himself if it meant saving one of us, but what makes him unique is his concern for our inner peace and our emotional and social safety.
Officer Hudson has been a pioneer in expanding the role of SRO to include caring for the whole person that he serves. Officer Hudson received his M. Ed. In counseling from ETSU, so that he could focus his policing efforts on preventative programs and interventions with students to reduce the need for police intervention with minors. Officer Hudson has given countless hours of service to University School beyond his contracted hours as the leader of the chess club, the gaming club, the mock trial team, and Model UN. He attends every sporting event possible in all seasons and in all weathers. He attends every school event, and he is always good for a donation to any fundraising event ever conceived. Officer Hudson serves University School tirelessly, but his wife of 35 years, Myrna Hudson, and their children and grandchildren are excited to spend more time with him beginning in February.
The Faculty and Staff will host a reception in honor of Officer Hudsonâs retirement on January 26 after school. The main office is accepting donations towards a gift, and there are cards to sign if you would like to. We invite former faculty, staff, and students to post memories and congratulations to on the school's social media pages or to send cards and well wishes to:
Officer Cliff Hudson
PO Box 70632
Johnson City, TN 37641
The University School Foundation is looking for a parent or guardian to join our board in the role of treasurer. Knowledge of QuickBooks and basic book keeping is helpful but not necessary. Please contact Dan Van Zant at vanzantd@etsu.edu if you are interested in joining us!
The University School Foundation was pleased to welcome our teachers back to school last week with a special surprise. Every classroom teacher received a $100 Amazon gift card to use for their classroom or classroom project for the new semester. We canât wait to see what you can accomplish in 2024!
We will be starting JAM THIS Thursday (1/25) from 3:15-4:30 PM. We will meet every Thursday at 3:15, except for our Spring Break.
SAVE THE DATE for our annual JAM fundraiser, "Pickin' in the School-Yard", which will be held Saturday, April 13th from 10am-2pm at University School. If you have attended before, you know not only will this be a time when you can see what your child has learned in JAM, but also to celebrate Appalachian music and culture. More info on that to come.
