HJ626: Commending James Frye.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 626
Commending James Frye.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 23, 2015
Agreed to by the Senate, January 29, 2015

 

WHEREAS, James Frye, who served for 27 years as principal of Indian River High School in Chesapeake, retired in June 2014; and

WHEREAS, James Frye, who has been an educator in the Chesapeake public school system since 1973, was most happy when he was out of his office, talking with students and staff, walking the halls between classes, and greeting people as they entered the school; and

WHEREAS, James Frye, who was reared in Chesapeake, graduated from Crestwood High School in 1967 and then attended Norfolk State University; before teaching school, he was a second lieutenant in the United States Army, serving as a military police officer; and

WHEREAS, after starting his educational career as a history teacher at Great Bridge Junior High School, James Frye became assistant principal of Crestwood Junior High School and later was principal of Truitt Junior High School; and

WHEREAS, James Frye then was named principal at the Chesapeake Alternative School and became principal of Western Branch Junior High School before taking the helm of Indian River High School; and

WHEREAS, James Frye took special interest in all of his students throughout his career and knew each and every one of them by his or her first name, speaking to them, asking them questions, and engaging them in conversation as he travelled the hallways and went about his daily routine; and

WHEREAS, known for wearing his suit jacket with one arm in and one arm out because he was always on the move at Indian River High School, James Frye proudly and lovingly referred to the students as his “Frye babies”; and

WHEREAS, James Frye is the inspiration for a character on Saturday Night Live; Indian River graduate and comedian Jay Pharoah asked for and received his former principal’s permission to create a high school principal for the television show, who also is named Mr. Frye; and

WHEREAS, generous and caring to his students and staff, James Frye frequently reached into his pockets to give some change to a student to buy lunch; he was deeply interested in the lives of those whom he supervised; and

WHEREAS, many students at Indian River High School studied under the “Frye plan,” a specialized educational plan that James Frye created to help ensure that students who were at risk of falling behind would be successful in high school and graduate on time; and

WHEREAS, on June 6, 2014, shortly before graduation, the students and staff of Indian River High School celebrated Mr. Frye Day, honoring their outgoing principal; and in December, James Frye was crowned Mr. Indian River Forever during a school pageant; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend James Frye for his many years of service to the students of Chesapeake as a teacher and administrator and for serving as principal of Indian River High School for 27 years; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James Frye as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration and respect for his dedication and leadership during a long and distinguished career with the Chesapeake public school system.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 626

Offered January 14, 2015
Prefiled January 13, 2015
Commending James Frye.
Patron-- Leftwich

WHEREAS, James Frye, who served for 27 years as principal of Indian River High School in Chesapeake, retired in June 2014; and

WHEREAS, James Frye, who has been an educator in the Chesapeake public school system since 1973, was most happy when he was out of his office, talking with students and staff, walking the halls between classes, and greeting people as they entered the school; and

WHEREAS, James Frye, who was reared in Chesapeake, graduated from Crestwood High School in 1967 and then attended Norfolk State University; before teaching school, he was a second lieutenant in the United States Army, serving as a military police officer; and

WHEREAS, after starting his educational career as a history teacher at Great Bridge Junior High School, James Frye became assistant principal of Crestwood Junior High School and later was principal of Truitt Junior High School; and

WHEREAS, James Frye then was named principal at the Chesapeake Alternative School and became principal of Western Branch Junior High School before taking the helm of Indian River High School; and

WHEREAS, James Frye took special interest in all of his students throughout his career and knew each and every one of them by his or her first name, speaking to them, asking them questions, and engaging them in conversation as he travelled the hallways and went about his daily routine; and

WHEREAS, known for wearing his suit jacket with one arm in and one arm out because he was always on the move at Indian River High School, James Frye proudly and lovingly referred to the students as his “Frye babies”; and

WHEREAS, James Frye is the inspiration for a character on Saturday Night Live; Indian River graduate and comedian Jay Pharoah asked for and received his former principal’s permission to create a high school principal for the television show, who also is named Mr. Frye; and

WHEREAS, generous and caring to his students and staff, James Frye frequently reached into his pockets to give some change to a student to buy lunch; he was deeply interested in the lives of those whom he supervised; and

WHEREAS, many students at Indian River High School studied under the “Frye plan,” a specialized educational plan that James Frye created to help ensure that students who were at risk of falling behind would be successful in high school and graduate on time; and

WHEREAS, on June 6, 2014, shortly before graduation, the students and staff of Indian River High School celebrated Mr. Frye Day, honoring their outgoing principal; and in December, James Frye was crowned Mr. Indian River Forever during a school pageant; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend James Frye for his many years of service to the students of Chesapeake as a teacher and administrator and for serving as principal of Indian River High School for 27 years; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to James Frye as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration and respect for his dedication and leadership during a long and distinguished career with the Chesapeake public school system.