With AP exams past, the seniors gone, teachers are cleverly weaving movies into their curriculums and as we begin to say goodbye to the 2015-2016 school year and soon to our beloved building. The year is quickly winding to an end and we also must say goodbye to two impactful SPHS teachers: Math teacher Mrs. Fernandez and English teacher Mrs. Trimble both are retiring this year after a combined 67 years of teaching.
When asked how she felt about leaving, English teacher Mrs. Trimble responded, “I feel ready. It’s been a really great career for me and my family, but at this point I’m ready to try something else and have a little more leisure time.” She also remarked very candidly that what she’s going to miss the most is “the students,” going on to say “I’ll miss the daily interaction with kids and watching the lightbulb go on when they get excited about something.” Mrs. Fernandez too is feeling bittersweet about the end of her 40-year teaching career. “When I told Mr. Bathras and when I told the department chair I broke into tears,” she said, “I’ve done this for a long time. It’s a huge change and I love teaching. I love coming to school every day; I love seeing all of these wonderful people every day, but it’s a lot of work… I’m pretty proud that I’m still enthusiastic about teaching and I still love my students and love coming in here every day.”
They both agree, however, that there are parts of SPHS they won’t miss. Mrs. Trimble remarks, “I won’t miss the bells, I won’t miss the early mornings and I won’t miss a lot of the stuff we had to do in the past few years that seem to be not related to teaching, all the testing.” Mrs. Fernandez said she won’t miss time demands of teaching, adding, “It’s very challenging as a teacher to find time to do what you love to do, which is create good lessons, but also what you have to do because of directives from other places.”
Next year we leave behind not only the old school building as we transition to the new school but some of our greatest teachers. These women will be missed by faculty and students alike, though everyone who knows these two teachers wishes them the best in retirement. “I’m definitely going to miss the way [Mrs. Fernandez] interacts with us in the class and how she always no matter what kind of help we need she’s always there to help us out. She’s a really great person and I’m gonna miss her around the school,” Sophomore Kaitlynn Lily and student of Fernandez said, “It’s actually really sad. She’s been one of my favorite teachers throughout the year. She’s such a great teacher and she’s so nice and it’s going to be really disappointing to see her go.”
Fellow teachers who have known these two and worked closely with them will be impacted by their departure too. Mrs. Harrington, English teacher and close colleague of Mrs. Trimble for twelve years has a great bond with her. “She has always inspired me as a teacher because she cares about students, but she also cares about delivering rigorous instruction and she’s always very organized. She’s a very serious teacher but she’s also kind to students. We’re all sad to lose her. She’s a fantastic teacher, especially with the younger students,” said Harrington. Trimble has taught a variety of English classes here at SPHS, such as English 10 and Academic Writing. “We’re excited [Mrs. Trimble’s] starting the next chapter of her life where she can continue to explore her love of reading in her free time, and garden and do yoga and all the things that make her life rich besides her job.”, concluded Harrington.
As Mrs. Fernandez told her students as her last words of wisdom and advice, “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. There’s going to be good days and bad days and in any profession you have, but if you just keep moving, keep trying to do the best you possibly can then when you look back at your career you’ll be happy at what you’ve accomplished.”
