"They want to be loved, and they give love willingly," said Mr. Atticks, who had indicated in interviews that primary school students often don't have the fear that someone might be unkind after they reach out to them.
Ms. Chastain said that her son, Luke, a second-grader, has told her, '" Mr. Atticks knows me. He knows my name.'
"To have a kid say that about a principal of 600 students really means something," Ms. Chastain said in an interview after she spoke in the school's gymnasium about Mr. Atticks' contributions to the school district since arriving as the principal of Hill & Plain School in New Milford in 1980.
"He's really nice to everyone," said Kate Sterk, a former student, who is now in the fifth grade at Sarah Noble Intermediate School in New Milford.
"You drop off the most important thing in your life, your children," Mr. Atticks told the parents who assembled in the school's gymnasium and stage area last Friday night.
"It is a tremendous honor and responsibility," Mr. Atticks said.
"I'm not retiring because I'm tired of coming to school," he said of his scheduled departure Feb. 12.
He said that he wants to spend more time with his wife, Mary, and their five children and their children's families. "I also want to spend more time on my golf game," Mr. Atticks said. "I'm the worst golfer."
"He has promoted character education," Superintendent of Schools JeanAnn Paddyfote said.
"Tom is a man with character who can be a character," Mayor Pat Murphy said with a laugh before she presented him with a proclamation and announced that she and Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R-Brookfield) are naming Feb. 12 "Thomas Atticks Day."
Mr. Atticks, who was born in 1945, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut at Storrs in 1970, a master's degree from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain in 1978 and a sixth-year certificate in educational administration from UConn in1984.
"We have such staff longevity here, and it is primarily due to Mr. Atticks," Ms. Chastain said regarding the atmosphere at NES.
Mr. Atticks also was noted for maintaining high morale during his many years at Hill & Plain.
Patricia Gilletta, who formerly was on the NES PTO board, said that Mr. Atticks "was at every meeting" of that group.
"He gave his input," she added. "He wanted to make sure that everything was for the children."
Parent Jane Sterk, Kate's mother, said that her son, Matthew, a second-grader, tells her that he hates it when he's sick and can't come to school because of the learning environment that Mr. Atticks has helped establish at NES.
Mr. Atticks said he was proud that the voting results of last year indicated that the Northville district was one of two voting precincts that helped provide the margin of victory for the school budget in the town referendum.
The event included a slide show with photographs of Mr. Atticks dating to his youth.
"Thank you for bringing your children to our school house," he said after receiving the proclamation and the tributes.
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