Bowman Hills School

Pam and Jimmy Rhodes Memorial Scholastic Fund

Pam and Jimmy were much loved teachers at Bowman Hills School.

With their talents they instilled a love of music and learning in the hearts of many students through the years. Gifted and passionate about sharing their love of life and the Lord, the Christ-centered education they provided continues to ripple through the lives of those they taught. This fund was originally created by Cleveland Fellowship to honor and remember them by supporting the families and students of Bowman Hills School.

Pam and Jimmy loved their community as well and touched many lives with their involvement with Bowman Hills Church and Cleveland Fellowship. Members of both churches are faithful supporters of the Bowman Hills School and its mission to educate for eternity.

Remembering Pam & Jimmy Rhodes

“Mrs. Rhodes was my choir teacher in grade school at Bowman Hills. I was picked on and made fun of by many kids because my clothes and hair weren’t as nice as theirs. I loved to sing! She chose me for multiple solos over the years and even honored me at the end of one of year as best all around choir student. Her recognition of my talent gave me a much needed boost of self confidence and, although I still endured some teasing, things improved for me. In fact, my whole life is about singing and music to this day! I have often wondered if it weren’t for Pam Rhodes where I would be today!”
— Kim Clark Kingry
“I have so many wonderful memories with Mrs. Rhodes! She was such an amazing teacher, mentor and friend. Mrs. Rhodes taught me in 1st and 2nd grade. She was my favorite teacher. I’ll never forget her singing songs every morning in class, reading to us in the afternoons, and letting us watch ‘I Love Lucy’. She also took a special interest in my brothers and I and would have us over to swim and bake cookies. We loved spending time with her and always looked forward to those days. I know I speak for so many students when I say how much I miss Mrs. Rhodes. She was such a blessing to everyone she knew!”
— Eden Koliadko Leeper
“I have more fond memories of band at Bowman Hills than I can list, but one that sticks out in my mind was when I was acting out of character and goofing off. One day during rehearsal my stand-mate and I decided to play the piece that we were rehearsing with our trumpets upside down. Basically, we were pressing the valves with our thumbs, which is obviously not the preferred method of trumpet playing. When we finished the piece, we giggled quietly and started whispering to each other about how clever we were. Mr. Rhodes complimented the band on what a great job we had done and then he turned to my stand-mate and me. He said that he would like to personally give us a round of applause for coming up with a new method for trumpet playing. He apologized that we were obviously bored with the music and applauded us for our ingenuity. Then he announced that he would like everyone in the band to focus on my stand-mate and me while we demonstrated this new technique to the rest of the group. He gave us the down beat and we began, again with our trumpets upside down. Bright red with embarrassment and burning up inside, I don’t know if I’ve ever been more nervous in my life. We stumbled our way through it, completely embarrassing ourselves. Mr. Rhodes was someone who I respected greatly. I hated that I had been caught, and I hated that I had disappointed him, but he definitely taught me a lesson that day. Looking back on my experience with the Bowman Hills band, I find it amazing that he was able to get such good music out of children with hardly any musical experience at all. While most of us headed to Collegedale Academy after Bowman Hills, Mr. Rhodes’ legacy continued at CA as countless Bowman Hills alumni persisted as musical standouts in high school, a true testament to Mr. Rhodes as a teacher and a motivator.”
— Garrett Nudd
“I was a student at Bowman Hills from 1981 to 1989. Mrs. Rhodes was my choir teacher the majority of that time and I loved her! She spent endless hours practicing and preparing us for church performances, programs & school musicals. And although there were moments of frustration, she just kept pushing us to do better until we got it. Mrs. Rhodes always made me feel like I was special to her. But I’ve come to realize she made us all feel that way, like we hung the moon.”
— Kim Kurzynsky Turner
“I thought she could be the real life Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus.”
— Former Student
“I remember in her class in 1st and 2nd grade when we would lie on the floor during story time and we would play with her fancy bejeweled shoes because we thought they were so neat. I remember from a young age, probably in 1st grade, she always made a point to tell me often that God had a big plan for my life and that He was going to use me in a big way. And I remember the day my senior year of high school when she called and told me she wanted to talk to me, that she and Jim had been praying and they believed God had big plans for me and that they wanted to pay for my college if I would go to Southern and go into nursing. I cried and cried and knew it was an answer to my prayers. I worked so hard to still get every scholarship I could and even finish a semester early so they didn’t have to pay as much. I was determined to make her proud! And then it came full circle a few years later when I was taking care of Rondi when Blake was born. I loved her dearly and I knew without a doubt that she loved me and prayed for me and believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. It effected my life in a powerful way and I will be forever grateful to her.”
— Jenny Crigger Smith
“Mrs. Rhodes made learning come alive. I remember she asked me one day as a class illustration whether I would like a dollar or eight quarters. When I chose the quarters, I explained why and then I got to keep them!”
— Former Student
“Mrs. Rhodes was always on the forefront of fashion and I always looked forward to seeing what she was going to wear on any given day. My freshmen year, my friends and I were playing in the talent show together. Before the show started, I saw her walk in and I ran up and gave her a huge hug. I instantly made a comment on the crazy zebra-print jacket she was wearing and, without missing a beat, she told me that I should wear it. So without hesitation, she gave me the coat off of her back and I performed on stage in front of everyone wearing Mrs. Rhodes crazy jacket. I always loved her sense of humor and kind heart. That’s just who she was. Mrs. Rhodes will always hold a special place in my heart.”
— Brad Clifford