Schelly (Kerley) Smiley is our next Alumni of the Week.
I graduated from Thompsonville High School in 1990. After graduation I attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for 2 years and graduated with an Associates of Science degree in 1992. In June of 1992 I married Greg Smileya Johnston City native. I then worked at Marion Memorial Hospital for several years as a phlebotomist and lab tech.
In 1999, I returned to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale to complete my bachelor's degree. In May of 2005, I graduated with a degree in elementary education. In August 2005, I started teaching and I am currently completing my 17th year as an educator. I have taught 8th grade, 7th grade, 1st grade, Kindergarten and coached volleyball for many years. In 2013 I returned to school and completed a Master’s Degree in School Leadership. The last five years I have been a principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Johnston City, IL.
Greg and I have two beautiful daughters, Allison and Ashley. Allison is a speech pathologist and Ashley is a school social worker. I am extremely proud of both my girls and all their accomplishments. We have been blessed with one grandson, Jase Johnson.
It is hard to believe I have been out of high school for 31 years. When I look back to my school years I have many great memories. My favorite sport in high school was volleyball. Mr. Warren was my coach from 5th grade through my Senior year. His competitive drive made the game fun. Thank you Mr. Warren! While I was a coach at Johnston City, I had the opportunity to coach against Mr. Warren, that is a special memory for me. I also have to mention all the fun I had in Ms. Blades business classes! She made learning fun and I am grateful for that. I really enjoyed my time as a “Tiger”.
🏀 There is a sign up sheet in the office for any high school boy interested in playing basketball in the fall. Dates for summer open gyms will be given soon.
• Any JH or HS student planning on participating in sports next year can pick up a sports physical form in the office.
Parents/Guardians: Just a reminder that all school textbooks and electronic equipment must be turned in by the last day of school in order to receive a report card. The last day of school is Wednesday, May 26.
We just wanted to share with our school community the compliments our FFA students and instructor, Mr. Jones received on their performance this weekend from State FFA officials. Congratulations again and we look forward to great things in the future for our FFA.
Just a reminder that all electronic equipment (Chromebooks/Hot Spots) for 8th grade students must be turned in tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be the last day to bring money for #TeamCooper.
K-4th Grade Guardians: Electronic Check-In Day is Friday 5/21/21
These items include: Chromebooks, Hot Spots, Chargers, and The Chromebook Cases. Please make sure your child brings these items to school with them on Friday.
Congrats to Mr Jones and our FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team for getting 3rd at State. Congrats Seth on getting 3rd in State Chairperson and Alexis for getting 2nd in State Floor person.
Congratulations to Kenzi Clem for passing all her multiplication facts!!
Thompsonville is needing to hire a HS Volleyball Head Coach and a Grade School Basketball Head Coach. Anyone interested in one of these positions please email bharris@tvilleschools.org
Kendall Marvel graduated in 1988 and is our next "Where Are They Now" alumni.
A Southern Illinois native, Marvel began playing shows in bars at 10, and eventually moved to Nashville to pursue a career in songwriting. Shortly after arriving in Music City he penned Gary Allan’s first Top 5 hit “Right Where I Need to Be” and went on to have cuts by Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, Brothers Osborne, Jake Owen, George Strait, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, and more. His monthly Kendell Marvel’s Honky Tonk Experience shows at Nashville’s Exit/In became a hot ticket in town, where he played a mix of originals and classics and was joined by notable guests including Cody Jinks, Brothers Osborne, Alison Krauss, Foo Fighters, Randy Houser and Ashley McBryde.
In 2017, Marvel released his debut solo album, Lowdown & Lonesome and in October 2019, followed up with his second album Solid Gold Sounds, which he wrote and recorded in a matter of days and was co-produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and David R. Ferguson. Marvel and Auerbach co-wrote nine of the album’s 10 songs that reflect on his life as an accomplished songwriter, singer, father and husband. “It was very easy and collaborative,” Auerbach says. “These songs had to tell the story about Kendell and his life as a songwriter because I wanted that to be a focus, too. He’s not craving the stage or craving the spotlight. This record comes from a humble place, which I really love.” “Kendell has this amazing voice, and when he backs it off a little bit, it opens up and sounds humongous,” Auerbach says. “It’s so resonant and the microphone just eats it up. We got him to sing a little softer on this record, not to actually sound softer, but so we could turn him up louder.”
Marvel’s father worked as a welder in the coal mines of Southern Illinois and would frequently bring his buddies home to listen to his five-year-old son, who had an unusually deep singing voice for a kid. By 10 years old, he was singing with the band in a local dancehall.
At 14, Marvel’s life took a tragic turn when his older brother was killed. His parents divorced shortly after that. For a fresh start, he transferred to a different high school, where he met his future wife. Basketball games and local gigs were keeping him up late – and teachers kindly overlooked his morning naps in the classroom. When he was around 17, he was introduced to an artist manager and music attorney in Nashville through a mutual acquaintance. Although Marvel wanted to be a recording artist, he heeded their advice about learning to write songs, too.
“So I honed my craft,” he says, “and my motto was ‘I’ll try to write with people bigger than me.’ I still do that. There are always things to learn.”
After high school, Marvel jumped into performing full time, but feeling burned out and needing to support a growing family, he took a job at a tire factory and essentially gave up on music. Then out of the blue, the Nashville attorney called to check in. Marvel lied and said he was still actively involved in music – and then realized it was, as he calls it, “do or die time.”
At 28, Marvel moved to Nashville. An artist development deal with RCA didn’t pan out, so he turned to songwriting, allowing him the flexibility to see his kids grow up. “I wouldn’t change anything about that,” he says firmly.
Today his deep songwriting catalog offers hits like Gary Allan’s “Right Where I Need to Be” and Chris Stapleton’s Grammy-winning single, “Either Way.” Country artists like Brothers Osborne, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Lee Ann Womack have cut his songs, too. Meanwhile, witnessing the rise of individualistic artists like Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, and Sturgill Simpson encouraged Marvel to get back in the game.
“Those artists were saying things that most people weren’t saying, and they were writing what they knew,” Marvel observes. “They were doing it on their terms. That’s inspiring for a guy like me. Everybody wants to do their own thing, and if you can do that, and be your own person, I think you’re a fool not to do it.”
Some of Kendell's favorite memories from high school include:
Playing music with my shop teacher, JW Groves when I should have been learning how to weld and playing basketball.
We are having a "Kahoot" of a time learning new math problems! Who says math can't be fun!
Thompsonville Schools is looking for a dayshift Maintenance/Custodian person. Salary will be negotiated and based off experience. Send a resume to bharris@tvilleschools.org if you are interested.
Parents of 8th grade students! Due to a number of 8th graders being quarantined, we are rescheduling Freshmen Orientation. It will now be held Thursday, May 20 at 5:30 in the new gym.
Congratulations to Emma Coffey for passing all her multiplication facts!!
Just a reminder that May 19th at 5:30 will be 8th grade graduation in the gym. 6:15 will be the High School Baccalaureate at the First Baptist Church. High School Graduation will be at 7:00 in the gym.
8th grade students and parents! Freshman Orientation will be held next Monday, May 17 at 5:30 in the new gym. We hope to see you there!
This Week's Where are they now Alumni is Corbett Toussaint (Neal)
Name: Corbett (Neal) Toussaint
Graduation Year: 1995
Bio:
After graduation, Corbett attended Shawnee Community College where she earned an Associates of Science degree while playing volleyball. She then graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2000 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biological Sciences and Microbiology, and a Chemistry minor. Corbett then attended Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science where she earned a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree in 2004. After graduation she completed a three year residency program in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County and Advocate Illinois Medical Center. After residency, Corbett accepted a position as an Assistant Professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science where she worked for three years. In 2010, she and her family relocated to Columbia, South Carolina where she opened Toussaint Podiatry Clinic in Prosperity, South Carolina. Corbett closed her clinic in 2015 due to an unfortunate medical issue effecting her dominant arm and hand, and began pursuing a career in historical research and genealogy. In 2019, she earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and began independent contract work for individuals, museums, historical societies, and law enforcement agencies. She is currently the Director of Operations for Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, a 501c3 that owns five historic properties across along the east coast, where she manages the day to day operations of the organization as well as informational technology, and continues to pursue both genealogical research for lecture and publication purposes. Corbett lives in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband (Philip), twelve year old son (Stewart), and ten year old daughter (Cecilia).
Best Memory:
Volleyball. I can’t thank Jerry Warren enough for his kindness, encouragement, and patience.
Accounting and Typing Classes with Gaye Blades
Today is National Nurses Day! We would like to recognize and thank our school nurse, Kelsey Head for all she does for students and staff. We appreciate you Kelsey!
Students teaching students!
