Meetthenew CCHSteachers 2023-24
ClarkeCentralHighSchoolscience departmentteacherEnyaGrenados standsinfrontofherclassroom libraryinRoom307onAug.17. GranadostaughtatRussellCounty HighSchoolinSeale,Ala.and CedarShoalsHighSchoolin Athensbeforeshetransferredto CCHS.“It’sanewenvironmentto collaboratewithotherscience teacherswhothinklikemeandare supportiveofme,anenvironment whereI'msupportedand encouragedtoteachwhatisbestfor students,inmyownstyle,” Granadossaid.“Ilovebeinghere rightnow.It'sareally,reallygreat fit.IstillfeellikeI'mlearningalot. Butit'sjustsopowerfultobe learningaboutAthensthrough (students’)eyes,whattheynotice andwhattheyobserve.”
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CiyanaRamos PhotoCCHSCareer,Technicaland AgriculturalEducationdepartment
teacherChrisSugiuchiholdsa robotinRoom111onAug.16. AfterteachingatChaseStreet ElementarySchoolfor17years, SuguichiappliedforajobatClarke CentralHighSchoolatthe recommendationofformerCCHS sciencedepartmentteacherGabriel Wilfong.“Igettotakethingstoa higherlevelbecausehighschool studentsareobviouslymore capable(of)doingmore complicatedkindsofwork,” Sugiuchisaid.“Highschool) studentsareabletointeract,learn fromeachother,helpeachother outandteachmestuff,whichis reallycool.(I’m)takingthingsto thenextlevelwhereyoucan't reallydothatinelementary school.”PhotoandstorybyDaniel Cruz
EnglishdepartmentteacherErin KunyteachesherLiterature9class inRoom330onAug.17.Several membersofKuny’sfamily, includingbothofherparents,also workedasteachers,whichdrove hertowardstheprofessionfroma youngage.“Ijustwantkidsto knowthatthereisaplaceforthem wherevertheygo,andeverysingle kidthatcomesthroughCentraland especially,everykidthatcomesinto myclasshasaplacewithme,” Kunysaid.“Theycanlearn whatever(but)helpingkidsbe peopleiswhatIcareabout.“Photo byDanielCruz,storybyAnna Shaikun
Specialeducationdepartment teacherDanielInmanstandsinthe ClarkeCentralHighSchoolMain EntranceonSept.20.Inman previouslyworkedatCCHSasa long-termsubstituteteacherand joinedthefootballcoachingstaff lastspring,andisnowco-teaching historyforthefirsttime.“It'sall newtomeso(I’mstill)figuringit out,andit'sbeenawhirlwindjust tryingtogetmyfeetontheground, butit’sgood,”Inmansaid.“My (goalisto)helpstudents,teachers (and)theschoolbesuccessful.I wanttomakethecommunityand thisplacebetterbecausethisisas muchasmyhome.”Photoand storybyIsabelleDuncan
Specialeducationdepartment teacherAlexisHunter-Lononstands intheFreshmanAcademyHallway onSept.20.Hunter-Lononcoached trackandfieldatthecollegiatelevel forfouryearsbeforebeginninga careeratCCHSwithafocuson teachingfreshmen.“(Iwantto) buildrelationshipswiththestudents sothattheyfeelliketheyhave someonethattheycancomeand talkto,andalsocometoschooland learn(witha)differentdynamic,” Hunter-Lononsaid.“(Ilook forwardto)thegrowth(of)the students,especiallyninthgraders,at thebeginningoftheirschoolyear moresotowardstheendandhow they(will)mature.”Photoandstory byIsabelleDuncan
ClarkeCentralHighSchoolspecial educationdepartmentteacherMark MooresitsinRoom212onAug. 17.DuringhistimeintheBarrow CountySchoolSystem,Moore admiredCCHS’athleticprograms, andhascometoadmirethegeneral CCHScommunity,aswell.“Ilove beinghere.Ilovetheteachers,the students,theadministration.Ithas justbeenablessingsofar,”Moore said.“Ijust(want)tobesupportive ofthestudentsandletthemknow thatI'mherefortheminanyway possiblesothatIcanhelpthembe successfulthisyearand(for) whateverplanstheyhaveforthe future."
PhotobyIsabelleDuncan, storybyAnnaShaikun
EnglishdepartmentteacherEllie CongdonsitsinRoom323onAug. 17.Congdonservedasastudent teacherforEnglishdepartment teachersJessicaBradburyand JenniferTeslerduringthe2022-23 schoolyear,andhasnowbegunher careerasafull-timeteacher.“The reasonIreturned(toCCHS)and wantedtoworkhereisbecauseof thestudentsandthepassionand lovethatIhavefor(them),” Congdonsaid.“Ihavestudentsthat arealreadylearningalot,butIalso havestudentswhoarestruggling andI'dliketohaveeverybody strivingtodotheirbest.”Photoand storybyIsabelleDuncan
MathdepartmentteacherCole AukesstandsinfrontoftheCCHS
CeremonialEntranceonAug.15. Aukeswasmathdepartment co-chairEricMcCullough'sstudent teacherduringthe2022-2023 schoolyear,andhasbegun full-timeteachingthisyear.
“Everyoneheredoessuchagood jobsupportingstudentteachersand reallygivingthemtheopportunity toexperiencewhatit'sliketobea full-timeteacher,(so)thetransition wasn'tthatdifferent,”Aukessaid.
“Mygoalforthisyearisreallyjust toestablishmyselfasapartofthe schoolandas(a)partofthe community,thatwayIcanfeel moreintouchwiththecommunity andmoreintouchwiththe students.”
Photoandstoryby IsabelleDuncan
Clarke
CentralHighSchoolEnglish departmentteacherMeaghan GauleyassistsastudentinRoom 221onAug17.Gauleybegan teachinginNewOrleans,La.,in 2010,andalsotaughtatJohnson HighSchoolinGainesville,Ga., beforestartingatCCHS.“I'mreally excitedtobehere.EventhoughI'm kindofquietandkeeptomyself,I wantpeopletoknowthatI'mhere tohelp,”Gauleysaid.“Mygoal witheveryschoolyearisjusttolet kidsknow,inwhateverwayworks, thatthey'reimportantandloved, andthatit'smorethanjustliketheir Englishgrade.IhopeIhavesome sortofimpactonmystudentsas broaderpeopleandnotjustas students.”PhotoandstorybyJesse Dantzler
Fineartsdepartmentteacher
ShelynnScott,aClarkeCentral HighSchoolClassof1998alumna, playspianotoaccompanyher chorusclassinRoom261onAug. 17.Scottparticipatedinmarching band,All-Stateband,All-State chorusandindependentvoice lessonswhileshewasahighschool student,whichlaidthegroundwork forherlifeafterCCHS.“Ithink (highschool)preparedme(for teaching),especially,havingaccess toallofthesefunandneatclubs thatIwasinvolvedinand budgetingmytime.OnceIleftit was,‘Getup,getdownto business.’Youhavetoschedule, youhavetoprepare,youhavetodo alotofpracticingasamusician,” Scottsaid.“We'reknownhereto workhard.Wheneverybodyelseis takingabreak,Gladiatorsarestill going,andsothat'sbeenmyedge.”
PhotoandstorybyAnnaShaikun
Fine
artsdepartmentco-chairDr. EuniceKang(left)talkswith BehavioralSpecialistTerryLiggin (right)inRoom311onAug17. Withexperienceinbothspecial educationandfootballcoaching, Ligginhasfoundconnections betweendifferentaspectsofhis teachingexperience.“Iloveto coach,andwhatI'mdoingnow,it's stillcoaching,”Ligginsaid.“Ilike givingbackandproviding instruction.Andman,Ilovepeople.
Ijustlikeinteractingwithpeople, whetherthatbeadultslikemyselfor youngpeople,andjusthearing people'sstories.Ithinkthatcomes acrosswhenI'mdealingwith disciplineissues.Iwantyoutobe successful,butthere's(a)certain structurethatneedstotakeplacein yourlifetoallowyoutobe successful.”
Photoandstoryby Jesse
DantzlerEnglishdepartmentteacherAmy FloydsitsinRoom325onAugust 17.Eversinceshewasachild, Floyddreamedofbecominga teacher.“Inmyfifth-grade yearbook,theyaskeduswhatwe wantedtobewhenwegrewup,and bymyname,you’dsee‘teacher’ everyyearattheendoftheschool year.I'daskforworksheetsand givethemtomybrotherandsister andteachthemwhenIwaslittle.I justalwayslovedteachingothers,” Floydsaid.“ThegreatestimpactI wouldliketohaveisjustfor(my students)tobecomegoodcitizens.I wantthemtobegoodreadersand haveliteratureintheirlives.Butto me,(themostimportantthing)is creatingacitizenthat'sagood personoutsideofthissettingofa highschool,theyhaveagoodheart andthey'regoodpeople.”
Photo andstorybyLukeShannon
Socialstudiesdepartmentteacher
Michael“Chris”Bartlettstandsin frontoftheClarkeCentralHigh SchoolsignonAugust16.Bartlett rekindledhispassionforsocial studieswiththeassistanceofhis formerteacher.“(Afterhigh school),Iworkedfortheevil empireofSam's(Club)and Walmartforacoupleyears,andI justdidn'tknowwhatIwantedto do,”Bartlettsaid.“ButIraninto myoldworldhistoryteacherwhoI loved,andsheinvitedmetocome visitherclass,andIkeptcoming back.Thensheaskedmetoteacha lessonandwhenIdidit,Ijust knewthat'swhatIwantedtodo.”
PhotoandstorybyLukeShannon
paraprofessionalMashikaJohnson worksatherdeskinRoom208on August15.Johnsonservedas AcademicInterventionistatChase StreetElementarySchoolbefore hertimeatCCHS,butattributed hereducationalphilosophytoher experienceasaparent.“Raisingmy kids(and)dealingwith(them)ona dailybasis,youhavetohave patience.Thenwhenyou'redealing withotherpeople'skids,it'sa totallydifferentballgame.You didn'traisethem,theydidn'tlivein yourhouse,theydon'tknowwho youare,howyourexpectations affecttheirlife,”Johnsonsaid.
“Overtime,asyoustretchthat patiencemuscle,asyoustretchthat understandingmuscle,asyou stretchthatcompassionmuscle, you'llfindyourselfgettingintothe roleofbeingpatientorgivinga studentthespacetobeabletomess up.”
PhotoandstorybyLuke
EnglishdepartmentteacherPhilip Browndisplayshis“Classroom Rules”posterinRoom236onAug. 15.Brown,whooriginallymajored incomputerscienceatthe UniversityofNebraskaOmaha beforediscoveringalovefor English,hasencouragedstudentsto usehighschoolasaperiodof discovery.“Takingsomeofthose literatureclassesreallyinspiredme. Readingliteraturereallyhelpedme formmyownviewpointonthe world.Iwantedtobeforother peoplewhatmyEnglishprofessors incollegewereforme,”Brown said.“Iwouldsay(tostudents), ‘Takeadvantageofthistimeto experiencenewthings,pursueany opportunitythatappealstoyou. Don'tbeafraidofnotknowing everythingrightnowbecausethisis atimetolearn.’”
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byAnnaShaikunClarkeCentralHighSchoolSpecial educationdepartmentteacherDr.David SellscheckshisemailinRoom209on Aug17.Sellsservedasspecial educationdepartmentTeamLeaderat CCHSforfiveyears,brieflytaughtat PiedmontUniversityandhasnow returnedtoCCHS.“Thisisawonderful jobthatIlovebecauseIfeelthisis whereIfeelmostneeded.Itdefinitely comesfromaplaceofpassionfor advocacyandequality,intermsofthe outcomesforourstudents,”Sellssaid.
“(For)alotofourstudents,thepathto getajobatWalmartisverydifferent thanthepathforoneofourstudents(in thespecialeducationprogram).We focusedfortwoorthreemonthson learninghowtofilloutajobapplication, oritmaybeastepbackwherewe'rejust focusingonhowtowriteourname.The goalistocreatefunctional,independent adults,but(with)theresourcesandthe opportunitiesforindividualswith disabilities,there'sstillalotofroomfor growth.”
PhotobyJesseDantzler,story byAnnaShaikun
ESOLdepartmentteacherSarah Stennett,aCCHSClassof2004 alumna,standsinRoom905on Aug.16.Stennetthastriedto incorporatelessonsofpatienceand kindnessintoherteaching.“Itryto showmystudentscompassion becauseIdon'tknowwhattheirlife experiencesareorwhatthey experienceinthemorningsbefore theygettoschool.Sometimesthey justneedtheirspaceandsometimes theyjustneedahug,”Stennettsaid. “Kindnesswinseverytime.”Photo andstorybyAnnaShaikun
ClarkeCentralHighSchoolspecial educationteacherDaveonnPorter co-teacheswithEnglishdepartment teacherErinKunyinRoom330on Aug.16.AfterteachingatAlice JohnsonJuniorHighSchoolin Houston,Texasforoneyear,Porter wantedachangeofscenery.“The firsttwoweeks(atCCHS),Iwas losteverywherebutafteraboutthe firstweek,Ifiguredoutdifferent routestogo--alotoftrialand error.Noweverything(is)pretty smooth,”Portersaid.“(Ilook forwardto)completinga successfulfirstyear,toseemykids growfromwheretheystarted(and) seethekidsthatIhavetaughtfrom freshmentoseniors.”
Photoand storybyAzaKhan
Physicaleducationdepartment
teacherWilliamLancestandsinthe ClarkeCentralHighSchool breezewayonSept.19.Lancewas aspecialeducationdepartment teacheratCCHSforthreeyears, buttransitionedtothePE departmentinAugust.“(The positionsare)justdifferent,there's positivestobothofthem.Ireally missmyadaptivekids,butIgetto seethemthroughouttheday.(My) favoritepartisjustgettingtoknow thekids(and)building relationshipswiththem,”Lance said.“Alotofthemarestartingto cometomeforadvice,andthen seeingtheminthehallwayand beingabletoactuallyknowwho thesestudentsareandbeingableto callthembytheirnameandsay, ‘Hey.'It’sprobablybeenthebest part.”
PhotobyIsabelleDuncan, storybyLukeShannon
