On Sept. 18, 2023, Spanish 1 and 2 teacher Kaitlyn Mann put her notice in to resign from her teaching position at Gibson Southern. Her final day at Gibson Southern will be Oct. 27, 2023.
Not only is Mann leaving her job, but she is also leaving her home state. Her fiance has accepted a new job near Columbus, Ohio and she has decided to move with him.
“My fiance accepted a job over in Ohio,” Mann said. “It’s about six hours from here, and he starts November 1. It’s not possible for me to commute. That is really the whole story; he accepted a new job, we both have to move and I have to go with him. It’s closer to his family, so that’s [another reason] why we’re moving. It made more sense, and it is a better job for him.”
While she is excited to see what is to come for her in life and with her career, Mann wishes that she could have stayed at Gibson Southern longer. She has enjoyed her job and the community.
“I definitely wish I could have stayed longer, as I have really enjoyed Gibson Southern,” Mann said. “I’m going to miss the students and the community. I’m going to try to find a job at a school somewhere else, hopefully still as a Spanish teacher. So, I am excited for a new school, but at the same time, I do wish that I could stay here a little longer. But, I’m really excited to see what comes next.”
Mann’s message to students and to the staff and faculty at Gibson Southern is that she has truly enjoyed getting to interact with the community and will miss it. She appreciates all of the experiences that she has had at Gibson Southern and wishes everyone the best.
“My message to students would just be that I’ve truly enjoyed being here,” Mann said. “I’ve loved being their Spanish teacher these past two and a quarter years. I will really miss the community here at Gibson Southern. To the other faculty and staff, I appreciate the welcome and kindness they’ve all shown me. As much as I will miss this place, I will still be teaching in some way, somewhere. I don’t know where that journey will lead me. To my students, I wish them all the best. I hope whatever Spanish teacher takes my place has as much fun, truly enjoys getting to know everybody and has as great of a time here as I have.”
In addition to being a Spanish 1 and 2 teacher at Gibson Southern, Mann was also in charge of advising the Spanish Club. In Mann’s absence, the Spanish Club faces an uncertain future.
“We will talk with the new teacher that comes in and then the current teachers to see if that’s an option to continue it,” Gibson Southern Principal Jon Adams said. “Obviously, we would like to continue it, but that will have a lot to do with the teachers and their schedules and things like that.”
On October 10, 2023, Claudia Kinnaird was officially hired as an addition to the Spanish Department. She starts on November 1, 2023. Her teaching assignment has yet to be announced as the school board reviews what is needed within the department.
