At the end of this school year, 20 South teachers will enter a new chapter of retirement after a successful tenure at South, Principal Dr. Barbra Georges said.

In order to retire, teachers need to ad- here to state requirements, Georges said. These rules have to do with how many years they’ve been teaching for and what they ’ve contributed to within their school and community, Georges said.

One of these teachers that have met all of these requirements is Kathy Coskey, Math Teacher and Onward House Club Sponsor. Coskey is sad to leave her pas- sion for teaching behind at South, but is looking forward to the new chapter of retirement.

“I’m [have] a lot of gratitude for a won- derful career here,” Coskey said, “Leaving will be very bittersweet. I’m looking forward to retirement, but I’ll miss my colleagues and the environment.”

Another retiring teacher is John Meyer, Social Studies Teacher. He was involved in the Peer Group program, Academy, and was the Varsity Boys Basketball Coach from 1998 to 2006, Meyer said.

Meyer has enjoyed being involved in different South activities, such as trav- eling to Germany on a foreign exchange student trip with the Academy program, Meyer said.

“[The trip to Germany] was something I really enjoyed,” Meyer said, “Working with the Academy and Peer Group have been [the] highlights of my career.”

Both Coskey and Meyer emphasized how much they value the strong commu- nity at South and their relationships with colleagues, Meyer said.

“I enjoyed working with students and fellow teachers,” Meyer said. “I’ll miss a lot of those relationships. ”

Spanish Teacher Amy Norwood is also retiring this year. She echoed Coskey’s and Meyer’s adoration for South’s teaching community and the positive environment. In her 34 years of teach- ing, Norwood also pointed out how much she learned from her students and how they have bettered her as a teacher.

“When I find myself frustrated with a student, I [try to] take a step back and realize [they might be] going through [something],” Norwood said, “[Now], in life, I know to [do the same thing].”

All 20 retiring teachers have left their mark on the South community, Georges said. She is greatful for the contributions and dedication every- day.

“We’re sad to see so many of [our teachers] go but happy to see them starting the next chapter of their lives,” Georges said.