At the end of the school year seniors spread their wings and go off to college or work. Some BDHS teachers, sadly, will be doing the same.  

Ms. Neta Lowe, Ms. Jasmine Reed, Mr. Lucas Monson, and Ms. Sheryl Massie are four of the BDHS teachers that will not be returning for the 2019-2020 school year. 

Ms. Lowe, who teaches oceanography and forensics, will be moving to Norfolk, Nebraska to be closer to family. Her husband served in the U.S. Marine Corp for 29 years, and Norfolk, Nebraska was their last duty station. In Nebraska, she will teach 9th grade physical science and 12th grade physics—the best of both worlds.  

“I remember walking into the office over the summer,” Ms. Lowe said about her first time at BDHS. “Ms. Mack, whom I had never met, walked up behind me and hugged me because she was relieved that they [had] found an Earth Science teacher.” 

Ms. Reed, who teaches Spanish, will be moving to Arlington, Virginia after accepting a position with Alexandria City Public Schools. She will continue to teach Spanish 1, but now at the middle school level. In addition to teaching, she will also be looking to join a Latin dance team in the D.C. area.  

“My favorite memory of BDHS is when my students last year secretly planted cut-out SpongeBob memes around my classroom,” Ms. Reed said. “To this day I’m still finding them.” 

Mr. Monson, who teaches Latin, will be moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado to teach in his home town at a prestigious school. He will be teaching Latin as well as some electives on Classical topics to students ranging from 7th to 12th grade. 

“I would like to be remembered as the eccentric teacher who hopefully allowed [his] students to gain a richer insight for and understanding of the discipline of learning Latin and Classics, and to incorporate that understanding into their perception of the world,” Mr. Monson said. “[As well] as the dude that played DnD with his students.” 

Ms. Massie, who teaches Chemistry and Physics, will be moving to Knoxville, Tennessee to be near her daughter attending university. She will be teaching Physical Science and Chemistry at the same high school that she attended 9th grade at. As an added bonus, Ms. Massie’s family still lives in Knoxville as well.  

“The only thing I want BDHS and my students to remember about me is that I cared passionately about teaching and that I cared passionately about their success,” Ms. Massie said. “Also that I have a wicked sense of humor and an excellent artistic side.” 

While teachers, administration, and students alike at BDHS will miss the wonderful people leaving, they all wish them the best. Moving to a new place or even a place someone is very familiar with is challenging. Having to leave behind the friendships they have made here is no small feat, but the teachers need not worry about being forgotten. Every single one of the BDHS teachers that accepted a new opportunity need not worry about being forgotten anytime soon.  The close-knit community that BDHS is a part of will no doubt make sure of that. 

“Leaving is harder than I thought it would be,” Ms. Massie confessed. “I will definitely miss my dance team, my clubs, and my classes. I will miss my department and my coworkers. I will miss being a tiger.”