North Hills Christian School recently held a celebration for one educator, whose faithful service has spanned the majority of the school’s 55-year existence, 45 of them to be exact.
The school hosted family, friends, and former students of Doris Plummer, sharing memories and celebrating her 45-year career at NHCS. The event culminated in honoring Doris by unveiling a rebranding of the A.I.M. department (Academic Individualization and Modification), renaming it ‘The Doris Plummer A.I.M. department’.
“Doris’ priority has always been to see every student reach his or her God-given potential” shared North Hills Executive Director, Maria Lowder.
With the vision to focus on the needs of the individual student, Doris created the A.I.M. department at NHCS more than a decade ago. From its humble beginnings of two part-time instructors and approximately thirty students, the program has grown to include a director, an assistant director, and twelve staff members serving nearly one hundred students on campus. Doris also created and developed the VICTORS program 3 years ago for students that have deeper learning or behavioral challenges. This has enabled NHCS to reflect the body of Christ more fully, understanding that God gives everyone unique gifts and talents and that children with learning challenges also deserve access to Christ-centered education.
Plummer’s calling to North Hills was truly a divine appointment. As a soon-to-be 1978 college graduate from Millersville University, Doris was waitressing at a local restaurant in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was during one of those shifts that a patron of the restaurant, Mr. Robert Smith struck up a conversation with Doris. He told her he was from Salisbury, NC, and was on the board of a small Christian school searching for an elementary teacher. Doris packed her bags, and the rest is history.
Doris has held many roles during her career at NHCS. As a classroom teacher, she has taught numerous grades and subjects including music, drama, algebra, geometry, consumer math, statistics, apologetics, and Bible. She also held administrative roles as assistant principal and most recently the A.I.M. Director.
She has truly lived out her calling on the campus of North Hills. Her love for her career is evident in her willingness to do whatever is needed, displaying a work ethic that is hard to match in this day and age. She is usually the first to arrive on campus and many times the last to leave, once sharing with a staff member. “When I’m getting ready to see Jesus, I will wish I had more time to help a student.”
Doris has impacted the lives of countless students and their families and had the blessing of seeing the fruits of her labor in many of her student’s lives. One example near and dear to her heart was the work she did with her Summit classes and more specifically her Summit class of 9 students in 1995 when they tackled the topic of abortion. The students felt led to have a memorial service for the unborn because these were indeed children of God and they needed to be remembered. The students also raised $1,500 to purchase a bench that remains today in Rowan Memorial Park etched with these words: “In Memory of the Unborn” 1973 – ____, the date of the Roe V. Wade Supreme Court Decision
Seeing more fruit of her labor, Another of Doris’ students, Matthew Kuhn argued before the Supreme Court for the defense of the state of Kentucky’s dismemberment abortion ban in 2021. After his argument, he said, “NHCS showed him how to seek and defend Truth”.
Lowder shared her appreciation of Doris’ service, “North Hills is eternally grateful for the way she lives out the mission of the school, a mission she helped to craft, “Equipping the Hearts and Minds of Students to Impact the World for Christ”.
While Doris is stepping away from her role as the director of A.I.M at the end of this year, she will continue to support NHCS and the A.I.M. department in a part-time capacity.