Six new teachers are settling into WHS this fall and many of them were drawn to Warsaw through the connections they already had here.
Noah Marshall is a new history teacher, Kaya Lynch and Tim Willis joined the English department, and Brandi Laramie is a new math teacher. Retired WHS teacher Anita Campbell has returned part time for speech and drama, and art teacher Julie Gemes joined the high school after teaching art at JBMS for several years.
One of the things that drew history teacher Noah Marshall into teaching at WHS this year is the fact that he has known coach Ryan Boyer since when he was in school.
“One of the things that made me want to teach here was the people that work here, especially coach Boyer because I have known him for a long time. He used to coach at Smith Cotton, I had weight class with him and he coached both of my older brothers in football,” Marshall said.
Lynch also had a connection to Warsaw High before she began teaching. She graduated from WHS and was grateful that there was an opening because she has always wanted to teach back at home.
“I have always wanted to teach and it allows me to have similar schedules as my children. I chose Warsaw because I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else,” Lynch said.
One thing that Lynch loves is that fact that it feels like she’s back at home.
“It made me feel like I was coming back home, because there are many people here that I went to high school with. It makes me really happy and less nervous to begin teaching here,” Lynch said.
Math teacher, Brandi Laramie, feels the same way when it comes to Warsaw being home.
“I grew up here and have family here and I love the community – this is home,” she said.
Laramie is a 1997 WHS graduate.
Marshall admits that the first months have had a few bumps in the road. The first few weeks have been focused on learning names and finding classrooms.
“Trying to learn everyone’s names, including teachers and students, as well as not knowing where anybody’s classroom is has been very difficult,” Marshall said.
Laramie is focusing this year on making students share connections and relationships around her classroom as well as getting them to feel more confident in math.
“One of the things I am struggling with is for me to build relationships with the students so they can grow mathematically and feel more confident in math after this year,” she said.