The Oracle asked seven retiring staff members their favorite memories or things about South. Here were their responses:
* All other retirees and their departments are listed at the very bottom
John Blix–CTE
“I am grateful to my boss Dawn Hall, who hired me 11 years ago, and gave me a chance to come here and show what I could do. I was not a traditional teacher with a background [in education], I worked for over 20 years in the business world. I am thankful that I was hired, even though I didn’t fit the mold as a traditional applicant coming into high school. My colleagues have been wonderful [and] I have learned a ton from all of them. I wouldn’t be able to have these delightful moments without the help of [my] colleagues and the great atmosphere [of South] to teach in. I [have been] an advocate from the start for [South] girls to believe in their leadership, and see themselves as succeeding in business classes and going on to major in business in college if that’s what they want to do. The thing I’m most proud of [is] that I had some part in [South] girls enrolling more in business classes, seeing themselves succeed, and be a part of business. All the things that I just mentioned happen because I have great colleagues, and a great administration. We’re all one family, and the reality is the teachers are part of the union, administration is administration, and they work well together. Not all districts have that, but ours [does].”
Danita Fitch–World Languages
“The students here are amazing. Over the course of 30 plus years, students’ needs change, but the students are still all great individuals, and the families are wonderful. The [South] community is very wonderful in that sense, and the people who work here are amazing. From our custodians to the teachers, they really do everything that they possibly can to support students and support each other, and that’s what makes it special, because it’s not like that in every school.”
David Hartman–Student Services
“The collaborative spirit [at South] is tremendous. The degree to which they care about students’ social and emotional health leads us to feeling very valued. I will always be grateful for the people I’ve had the privilege to work with on [Student Support Teams]. I think about those relationships as lasting relationships that I’ll treasure. I have the best job. I’ve loved every second of it. I’m not counting down the days [until I retire], I love this job. It’s interesting [to be] retiring and feeling like I’m not ready to retire. I feel fortunate for that. I’ve been thrilled to work here and will take a lot of warmth from this place. I hope that people, when they think of me, think that I cared about kids a lot and I worked really hard.”
David Kane–Social Studies
“The thing[s] that bring me the most joy is knowing that the stuff we’re learning in class will push a student into a career path that they didn’t know they would be interested in. Oftentimes, I get emails [from] former students who are in college now, who say they really liked my course and now it’s their major. Even through LinkedIn, I sometimes see students doing things in the real world that we did in school, that got them excited. [I also treasure] the relationships that I’ve built with all the students. I really feel that I meet students at their own level, and that I connect [with them]. Getting to know them, especially the seniors. It’s really exciting to see them on the verge of a new chapter in their life. Knowing that they’re nervous and excited at the same time [is] rewarding.”
Kimberly Larson–Student Services
“The kids here are so friendly. I’ve been to other high schools, and the atmosphere doesn’t have the same feeling like [at South]. I love that [South] has really engaged kids. I love that in Student Services, kids are comfortable coming and checking in [and] talking to adults about stuff that might be tough. [South] has such a positive, friendly studentbody. I’m going to miss it.”
Nancy Stickels–Special Education
“I haven’t done the straight road of teaching. I’ve played many different roles here: [teacher], substitute, long-term substitute, coach. It’s given me the opportunity to see all different departments at South, meet all different students, be involved in different activities, and do other things in my life besides teaching. Something always drew me back [to South]. Even though I went other places, I always felt at home back at [South]. I always came back and kept reinventing myself.”
David Kane–Social Studies
“The thing[s] that bring me the most joy is knowing that the stuff we’re learning in class will push a student into a career path that they didn’t know they would be interested in. Oftentimes, I get emails [from] former students who are in college now, who say they really liked my course and now it’s their major. Even through LinkedIn, I sometimes see students doing things in the real world that we did in school, that got them excited. [I also treasure] the relationships that I’ve built with all the students. I really feel that I meet students at their own level, and that I connect [with them]. Getting to know them, especially the seniors. It’s really exciting to see them on the verge of a new chapter in their life. Knowing that they’re nervous and excited at the same time [is] rewarding.”
Matthew Whipple–Social Studies & Academy
“I had a great opportunity to work with highly motivated students, [through the] Academy program for 16 years while I was here, and during that time I was able to, with my colleagues, build a really unique curriculum. [But,] anything that I’ve done here in this school, I’ve not done alone. It would be the height of arrogance to suggest anything less. I’m surrounded by incredibly warm, bright, motivated, and talented scholars in this department. What profound good luck have I had to be here? I got to go here, I got to be a part of this as a student, and I still feel very strongly that [being here] made a huge difference in my life. I know not all high school students make that connection to school, but that’s part of the reason why I came home to teach here, because the place mattered to me.”
*ALL OTHER RETIREES AND THEIR DEPARTMENTS:
Scott Bish (Buildings & Grounds)
Melissa Brown-Harris (Security)
Michael Chernyavsky (Buildings and Grounds)
Ken Flaws (Security)
Daniel L. Hicks (Social Studies)
Charles Murdoug (Technology)
Christina Pak (Student Services)
Jennifer Pearson (Special Education)
Anthony Reilly (Buildings & Grounds)
Lisa Meinhard Sly (Educational Services)
Karla Sorkin (Glenbrook Off-Campus)
Frank Stankowicz (Security)
Photos by Stuart-Rodgers Photography
