Books!
Mrs. Roach: This was my first year here, in fact last Friday was my one year anniversary, and I’ve really enjoyed it. My son Kyle, was a 2008 Mayde Creek grad – and played basketball, so Mayde Creek has always been dear to my heart. I was excited when I started here! I love the staff. They have been great. The kids are great and I’ve really gotten to know all the student aides. I’m going to miss them! That is going to be hard.
The hectic part of the year is going on right now–book returns, and that’s when I started last year. They broke me in really on my first day of work last year on the book returns. But I like it. I like being busy. The busy season is the beginning and the end of the school year. You know, I’m just happy to be here! I came from the corporate world, so totally different for me, but I feel like this is less stress. I love the hours and the summers off.
I am going to lose a little bit of my room with the construction, so I’m anxious to see what that is going to look like. Also, I will be working out of two bookrooms next year. I’m a bit disappointed that I’m going to lose my office neighbors across the hall (Mrs. Meador). I do hope teachers come and say hi to me because I won’t see them coming off the elevator and I won’t have the office next door, so that’s going to be a little different next year.
#RamPride
Advice for new teachers from Mrs. Jones: You have to first love kids. And you have to be there for them and all of the issues that they have in their life outside of school. Secondly, you have to fall in love with Mayde Creek and fall in love with what the Creek stands for. You should get involved. Be a part of the culture here at Mayde Creek. And as they say, Ram Pride never dies. If you do not love the job and wake up loving what you do, find something that you love to do and wake up excited to do that job each and every day! There will be days that are hard, family issues, etc,., however, keep your chin up and a smile on your face, loving your job. After being here for 30 years, almost half of my life, I have the Ram Pride in me. And you will continue to see me around this place, even after I retire. I’m going to substitute and volunteer for the PTSA!
Always be kind
Mrs. Hughes: I have a long history with Mayde Creek High School. All three of my girls went here. Class of 1999, class of 2001 and class of 2004. And before I started working here, I volunteered here for a lot of years. I love it here and love these ladies (Ms. Blanchard and Ms. Pierce) that I work with. It makes a huge difference in your work when it is a fun environment and you are able to help each other and make it through each day. I look forward every day to just being here and interacting with the kids.
I’ve had several different roles here over the years. I started here in attendance, then I went to be a secretary. I was secretary for several principals and I loved that. Then I became a registrar, but I really love the attendance office, and that’s where I am now. The beauty of it is getting to work with the people you like and it is a team effort, so you are never by yourself, and you have the interaction with the kids. So it is the best of both worlds. I really do love it here. One thing I always try to tell the kiddos is to always be kind. Always treat others like you would want to be treated. We never know what the other person’s day is. Kindness goes a long way. And first impressions are everything. you can never take back a first impression. Think about what you say and think before you speak.
Stories from the Attendance Office
Ms. Blanchard: I’m having a great year. I just turned 60 in December, and my daughters who both graduated from Mayde Creek, gifted me with a surprise to take me to Paris because I’ve always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. So, this summer, June 9th, I’m getting on a plane with my two daughters and we are going to Paris! Turning 60 is pretty awesome! Jackie, my daughter who graduated in 2006, ran cross country. My youngest daughter, Tori, graduated in 2010 and she was a cheerleader here. So I’m having a great year! Oh, and on my 60th birthday, I went to new York!
Ms. Pierce: I have been here, at Mayde Creek for quite a few years. I’ve gone through five principals now and through two renovations, this one will be the third one. Both of my children went here. My son, Damion graduated in 1997. He was in journalism. He wrote for the Ram Page. My daughter Megan, also went here. She graduated in 99. She was into a lot of sports, mostly softball. I’ve always enjoyed working at this school. My children weren’t zoned to go here, but I chose to bring them here. It is a good school. The teachers are great and everyone gets along. I really enjoy all the people that work here and I like being here with the kids. I’ve always liked being here and have never thought about going anywhere else. I enjoy coming to work every day because I can’t wait to see what has happened overnight from these two (Ms. Blanchard and Mrs. Hughes). They’ve always got something exciting going on. I like hearing their stories!
**It was beach themed day on campus, hence the cute beach bag and the hat!**
Sharing our stories
Background: These students are newcomers to the US and to Mayde Creek. They have lived here for less than a year and are all doing an amazing job in school, learning English, sharing their dreams, and absorbing as much information as they can to better their lives. I was amazed by their courage, their inspiration, their laughter and love of life. These are their stories.
Orlove (from Angola): I came to United States of America because my family and I were looking for good conditions of life. In Angola, the conditions aren’t so good like here. Some schools have conditions like they are missing materials, and the hospitals have really bad conditions. Also, I came here because I want to graduate, go to the college and University, but I don’t want to do all these things in any country, I want to do that here because I know that here I have a really good quality of education, so that I can find a really good job anywhere.
Kevin (from Honduras): I came to United States for various reasons. One of is because my country is very dangerous and many violence, so my mom decide to send me to here. Another reason is for my studies, they was better here than in my country so has a future better for my life. Arriving here was not easy, but look, I am here, and not I think to give up until I get to my objective.
Jerry (from France): My name is Jerry. I came from France the most beautiful country in the world. But I landed in Texas in a city called Houston. At the beginning, I didn’t like it because my english was bad and my accent horrible for me; only for me. I just knew that girls love when I speak. Now that the language is not a problem this country is lovely. I’m very proud to study in here, in USA, and have the opportunity to follow my dreams.
Hoang (from Vietnam): Lived in the United States of America is the first thing I need to do for my dream to become true, and for my life was better because in my country; my family was pretty poor so we can’t do anything for the dream or make a life more fun with trips or to camping or anything else. The God had gave us a chance. My parent told to the family: “We’ll go to U.S.;” I can’t believe that moment came, but I’m living here now and my life is better than ever. I think my dream can become true.
Abdul (from Kurdistan-Iraq): My name is Abdul and I am from Kurdistan-Iraq. I am moved to the U.S.A. because the war pushed me to leave there and ISIS started killing people in my religion of Yazidi. And the U.S.A. is the most perfect country to live a safety life, freedom, good person, respectful, that things I couldn’t have in my homeland because I lived in the Muslim country, then just killing, hurting people, fighting with everybody. My life in the U.S.A.is completely changed with everybody. The school, the teachers, the people, I am so glad with them. School is different than the school I goes to and I got my dreams. Finally, the new beats in my heart, no more because no more war, no more bad life. I am so far from ISIS because then are starting killing men and boys and selling womens in our country around Iraq. God blessed United States of America.
Nadia (from Morocco): America is a beautiful country everyone wishes to live in it, but to decide to come to it without your parent is a very hard step. I came to this country last June; I came because I want to change my life, and follow my dreams, to become some thing important in this life, to build my future, to become a helpful person, this is my dreams, and I will work hard until I get to them; I didn’t come to have fun and play; I came to study and show to my self how smart I am.
Nurse Freeman
Nurse Freeman: I’ve been at Mayde Creek for a little over two years. This is actually my first go round in school nursing. Previous to becoming a Nurse, I was a Medical Assistant for 10 years. I worked in every capacity from Internal Medicine to Pediatrics. After becoming an RN, I mainly worked in the hospital setting as well as in nursing homes. What I like most about being a school nurse is the kids. Most of the time they are really receptive to me, I think that it is because of how I approach them. I feel like I’m in a sweet spot where I can relate to them, but at the same time, I can talk to them from a mentor perspective. I’m not with them all day, so when they come into the clinic, it’s a different outlet for them. I try to teach them to respect their elders by first showing them respect. One of the ways that I do this is by not calling them boys and girls. I call them young men and young women because in fact, that is what they are. Addressing them in this manner sets the stage for a mutual level of trust and respect. I try to always talk to them in a manner that shows them motherly love. I enjoy working with what I call “My Creek Babies”.
It is an interesting thing. When people ask me how many children I have I tell them “3 at home and about 3000 at work”. When I see my student’s from Mayde Creek while I am out in the community, they always recognize me and they are very friendly when they speak.
When I share medical information with my students, I am able to break it down to where they can easily understand what I am talking about. When they understand the information they are given, they are more likely to take heed to it. High school students are at an interesting age. Although they are still children living in their parents’ homes, they want to be adults. I try to impress upon them that a huge part of being an adult is taking care of your health. I encourage them to make sure that they are doing what they need to do, and to not wait until the last minute to do it. One of the things I try to encourage my seniors to do is to take the initiative on getting their Meningitis Vaccination as soon as possible in anticipation of graduation. Most student’s last had this vaccination during their 7th grade year. A booster shot is required for those planning on attending either college of the military. I encourage them to get the vaccination prior to graduation due to the increase in price once they are no longer Secondary students.
I really like working at Mayde Creek. It’s like a big family. Everybody has each other’s back. I think we have an awesome team from housekeeping to security on up to administration. We are very cohesive and we work well together. Everybody jumps in and takes the lead in their own lane while keeping an eye out for each other. As a staff member, I feel well supported. That is something that is imperative to me when I am spending so much time in one place. You don’t want to spend time where you don’t feel supported, where you don’t feel like if something goes down you are on your own. I don’t feel like I’m on my own here. Mr. Edwards is an awesome and fierce leader. I really enjoy working with him, I really do. He’s had my back in a few situations. The culture of the staff members here at Mayde Creek is very colorful. I love the diversity of the student’s as well. The school spirit that staff members and student’s show make coming to work fun. You never know what someone will come up with to express their love for the Creek.
Social Studies, Special Education, and Athletics!
How is being a high school co-teacher at MCHS different than the classroom teaching position you held before?
Coach Hebert: You get to experience a variety of students with lots of different learning levels. You get your higher lever, then you get your lower level kids.It’s a good variety of how to help and who you can help. I love it here at Mayde Creek. The kids are great, the faculty is so helpful and I really love being a co-teacher. Coach Christman and I really click and it works well, we are a good team. I feel more comfortable with the Social Studies aspect. We plan once a week and I feel very involved with that. I think too, in coaching and in the classroom, I have probably learned more this year than in my 17 years of teaching as far as basketball knowledge and U.S. History knowledge. For 10 years I was stuck in the first part of U.S. history and now I’m learning the 2nd part. It’s fascinating and I love it. It’s making me grow as a teacher and as a coach. The teachers here, and the coaches, like Coach May, they take their time to really make sure that I’m learning. It’s great.
The Books that Bind us!
Mrs. Fry: One thing that we have just started is a new group of students (we are still working on the name, maybe advisory committee, maybe Ram Library Council) to get involved in making some decisions about the library. We have a great group–students who are fans of the library and use the library a lot, we want their opinions and we also want to involve more students who may not know what the library has to offer. We have started with about 20 students who volunteered or were recommended by teachers, who are giving great input on what they really like about this library (what works well) and making awesome suggestions about how to improve the library. They are very knowledgeable about books and genres and they want to see more organization in the library. They would like the library to be shelved by genre, more like a bookstore. Our books are labeled by genre, but not shelved by genre. The student library group has also created some tags for books to make recommendations to other students because they love the books. What they want our student body, our community, to know is how many great books are in the library. So we are doing some staff picks (like you’d see in a bookstore). The students have created some labels and those will be on display when we come back from Spring Break.
Another thing–It’s really cool. I didn’t so much think they would go in the direction of how to improve the aesthetics of the library, but they are all about how they want it to look. That was fun for me, because oh my gosh! They want their space to be their space! With the renovation, we are hoping to include some of their suggestions with furniture arrangement, artwork, with some new murals. The class of 2016 gave a generous donation to the library for artwork, which we will use once the renovation is done. We are really hoping to incorporate some of their ideas to improve the library!
We have a great mixture of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. So we will have our foundational group to start. Several students have invited their friends. That was part of my goal, that this would not be a static thing, it will grow! The library renovation will start in January of 2018 and hopefully be finished by August. In the meantime, the library group is already making changes with their staff picks and doing some library promotions. Watch for some of our members on an upcoming episode of Ram TV!
Keeping it Clean
Cirenia: My favorite part of working at Mayde Creek is keeping it clean. I have worked here for 7 years. I like my job here. I like working in the cafeteria and the hallways and keeping them clean. It’s nice to keep the cafeteria, the floors, the hallways, and the bathrooms clean. And I like working here because of the people. I like working together as a team with the other custodians. We have good teamwork. We all like working together.