Guidance counselor Priscilla Greenwood had a boy named Fletcher on March 13. “That baby stage is just really fun,” Greenwood said.
Greenwood is one of at least six teachers who added a member to their family during this school year. For Greenwood though, parenting is not a new endeavor. Greenwood already has a daughter named Grace who will be three in April.
“I’m also excited to see my daughter be a big sister,” Greenwood said.
Preparing for maternity or paternity leave takes planning, organizing, and time.
“I am overwhelmed with making sure everything is in order with the long term sub and making sure to get everything done before I’m out,” Greenwood said.
Like Greenwood, English teacher Anilise Loomis is expecting a kid in the spring on March 28.
Loomis has a 19-month-old son named Emerson and is also excited to see her son meet his new sibling.
“I am looking forward to the first moments with him. First snuggle, first time revealing his name to my friends and family,” Loomis said.
Being pregnant can also be challenging with enough sleep and keeping up with school work.
“I routinely grade at home in the evenings. Fatigue during pregnancy makes this more challenging,” Loomis said.
New dad and social studies teacher Cameron Poole had a son in the fall named Cade who is five months old.
As a first-time parent, Poole is trying to find a good balance between work and home responsibilities.
“Being a teacher and dad is kind of hard at times. If I don’t get enough sleep I take it out on my students. Nah, I’m just joking. Just as far as sleep goes, it’s not too bad,” Poole said.
Although there are some struggles, there are also more cherished moments.
“My favorite part is everything. How he reacts, when he laughs, when he’s sleeping. Everything’s good,” Poole said.
Like Poole, English teacher Mattie Rudolph is a new parent and thinks one of the hardest parts is giving her attention.
“Teaching is also emotionally exhausting because I need to build relationships with students and you care so much about them and when a student is struggling, it causes you to struggle,” Rudolph said.
Time is also a struggle when caring for a child and trying not fall behind with class plans or grading papers.
“Teaching especially with the content I teach requires a lot of out of school time and balancing time to be my son,” Rudolph said.
Being a parent has excitement that Rudolph looks forward to see her son reach milestones.
“My favorite part is watching him grow and it is so cool to see signs of his personality and start to build a relationship with him. It’s pretty great,” Rudolph said.
Currently physics teacher Jennifer Meyer is on maternity leave with a girl named Willow Ann. Meyer will be returning to school on April 16.
Assistant principal Shenita Mayes came back from maternity leave on the week of March 5 after the birth of her daughter Ari.