Raider Nation,

I wanted to take a moment to say goodbye. I am leaving the classroom to join the Communications Department here in Wylie ISD.

Building the WEHS journalism program when we opened our doors in 2007, advising student publications has been my life for the past 15 years.

What started as a 124-page yearbook and a print newspaper, has grown into a 252-page yearbook, a full-color magazine and an online newspaper. 

What I appreciate most about my time here is that I can reflect back on moments by visiting Blue Print and share those moments with our readers. I’ll miss reminiscing about historic moments with my students:

You don’t know what Big Man on Campus is? Let me show you a video.

You didn’t know that a former student was convicted of murder? Brooke attended every day of the trial and wrote about it.

63-0. Every Raider, past, present and future, needs to know the significance of that number.

From being pulled out of my classroom and dragged to the professional library to answer to all of our principals about a drug-related story we posted that had CBS News contacting them to my students winning a multitude of awards, so many memories have been made in room 826 (and 414 and 125). All of them positive, we only ended up on the news for worthwhile reasons–every journalism teacher’s ambition.

By the way, I recall Mr. Williams’ exact words as he finished reading Ash’s story by the time I entered the professional library: “This is a good story. Parents need to read this story.” What was the scariest moment of my professional career turned into a moment of praise and appreciation. Read Ash’s story that caused the commotion here. 

As my youngest, Tatem, who by the way, I was pregnant with during East’s inaugural year, enters as a freshman next year, and my oldest, Tori, returns as a senior, I regret not getting to be in the same school with both of them together. Yall make sure they are nice to each other for me, will you?

Blue Print celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and the yearbook, its 15th. I think this was a great year to close the book on my teaching career. It’s time to turn the page to a new adventure as the communications coordinator. I’ll still get to do what I love, I’ll just be doing the writing instead of teaching it.

I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Kimberly Creel who will be taking over the program that I love so much. I know that she will continue its legacy. I leave you in good hands. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for WEHS student media.

Farwell Raider Nation! It’s been a wonderful ride!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Thedford

WEHS journalism adviser 2007-2022.

#AlphaStaff

P.S.

Sorry if I went overboard on the photos; I had so many more that I wanted to include. Nineteen years of teaching can’t be contained in one photo essay. 🙂