Teachers decide between buildings

With the new high school coming during the 2020-2021 school year, teachers in the junior high faced the decision to move to the high school or stay at the junior high. Teachers could either stay and teach sixth, seventh or eighth grade, or they can move and teach ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth. Since ninth grade will be moving to the high school when the school is done, ninth grade teachers got to pick first to see if they wanted to move or stay. Then the spots opened up to other teachers in the building.

Only two ninth grade core teachers are staying at the junior high to teach a younger grade.

“I primarily decided to stay because of the other positions that I hold at the junior high.  I am the cheer coach and one of the National Junior Honor Society advisers. I didn’t want to give up those positions by moving to the high school,” ninth grade English teacher Autumn Barry-Kyle said.

“I am hoping to stay here and teach eighth grade. I will only have three years left at that time before I retire, and I’d like to stick with what I know,” ninth grade math teacher Lisa Plummer said.

One eighth grade teacher decided she wants to move to the high school for a diferent experience.

“I began my teaching career as an English teacher and after 10 years of teaching English I wanted a change. So, I moved to teaching reading. Well, I’ve been teaching eighth grade reading for 13 years now, and I feel it is time for another change, so back to English I go,” eighth grade English teacher Jennyfer Wilson said.

Wilson will be starting off teaching ninth grade when the new school is open, but the curriculum could change after that.

The move can benefit teachers, so they get a new experience.

“I think it will benefit me because it will be a change, and I’ve recently been looking for a change in my teaching career,” Wilson said.

Foreign language class is an elective for ninth-twelfth graders only. Consequently ninth grade foreign language teachers move to the high school.

“Research shows the younger you are the better the chances of learning a new language.  Starting world languages in eighth grade would provide students an increased chance of becoming proficient in a second language,” ninth grade Spanish teacher Patricia Leonard said.

Ninth grade English teacher, Connor Chywski, is moving over to the high school to continue teaching ninth grade.

“I enjoy teaching ninth grade very much, and I want to continue to teach this grade level.  Moving to the high school presents some great opportunities. I enjoy working with older students and welcome the opportunity of teaching higher grades that comes with this move. I think the move will yield wonderful things for our district by having a four year high school building. I am excited to be a part of the new, innovative setting where twenty first century learning will flourish. I know that both teachers and students will thrive in this new atmosphere,” Chywski said.