Caleb Tenner
Conducted by: Zavion Patterson
Caleb Tenner is a 15-year-old sophomore at Natchez High from Natchez, Mississippi. He is the linebacker on the Bulldogs football team and though he is new to the environment, he is eager to start his year off on a positive note!
Zavion: What was your first day back at school like especially with regard to Covid-19 and having to wear a mask?
Caleb: The first day of school was good, very exciting, and I didn’t know [the school] wasn’t that big as it looked.
Zavion: Did you prefer virtual learning or are you excited to be back at school?
Caleb: I am excited to be back on campus because I'm not very interested in learning virtually.
Zavion: What goal do you hope to achieve this school year?
Caleb: This school year I would like to be on the honor roll and get in SOAR if they still have it going this year.
Zavion: What elective does the school not offer that you would like to see?
Caleb: There really isn't an elective that I would like to add. The electives that are here now are good enough.
Zavion: If you could be a principal for a day what rule would you have changed?
Caleb: I would change the shoe policy and let the kids wear crocs and slippers.
Zavion: What is one thing on your bucket list you would want to do before you graduate high school?
Meet your Teacher!
Conducted by: Ty'Reon Meredith
We stopped by room 49 to meet one of Natchez High’s newest stars. Mrs. Kiara Gains is from Natchez, Mississippi and has worked in the school system as a librarian assistant for 4 years. This year marks her first as a teacher! Her alma mater is Alcorn State University, where she earned her degree in education. When we asked Mrs. Gaines what made her want to become a teacher, she reflected on her time here at Natchez High School, “When I was here Coach Wesley was still here and he always told us 'Don’t let me see you in jail', he was always somebody who really cared about his students and he definitely inspired me to try to make a change in my students' lives.”
Ty’Reon: How does it feel to come back to school after doing virtual for almost a year?
Mrs. Gaines: To be honest, I was not so happy [with] virtual because a lot of kids were not getting what they needed on virtual, I rathered that in-class setting, hands-on, face-to-face, but to look at the rate [COVID] is going/cases going up. I am trying to prepare myself to go back virtual.
Ty’Reon: How did Covid affect the way you interact with your students?
Mrs. Gaines: Covid affected the way I interact with my students by having to social distance, limiting group activities, it does not allow me to build a relationship with them, like I would usually do: that pat on the back, that handshake, you know that physical!
Ty’Reon: How does it feel to have kids being back in the classroom?
Mrs. Gaines: Well it was a good idea starting off, everyone was wearing masks, keeping hands sanitized, we [were] looking towards a smooth flow, but with being in school longer, the kids are getting relaxed, throwing away their masks, not keeping their hands clean, and not just in our school district but in others as well the cases are just as high, and I’m a little apprehensive.
Teacher Inspiration
Mr. Michael Anderson is from Fayette, Mississippi and has been working in the Natchez school system for two years as an English III educator. This year he is very excited to teach African American History as well. When we asked Mr. Anderson what made him want to become a teacher he told us, “I worked in corrections for some odd years and I noticed the trend of black kids coming in from not making great decisions. So, I said to myself that I wanted to make an effort to try to [curb] that trend early in their lives and I thought the best way to do that was through education.” As a veteran educator, we asked him for an inspirational quote he might offer to the new students coming into Natchez High this school year and he had the following to say:
"Less than my best is Failure." - Mr. Anderson
About us
Email: kylasmith@natchez.k12.ms.us
Phone: (601) 445-2863