Saying good-byes to grads, teachers

I don’t know how teachers do it.

Every year they say goodbye to students they have known and nurtured, sometimes for years and years. It’s got to be tough.

Having owned a newspaper since 2018, our team has seen freshmen throughout their high school careers. As we have now grown to owning three newspapers—The Texas Spur, The Caprock Courier and the Floyd County Hesperian-Beacon—we have watched the victories and disappointments of more than 150 graduates of the Class of 2022 through their high school careers.

To name only a handful, we’ve watched achievements of Erin Trevino, the strikeout queen of Floydada softball, Brandon Passmann, who sets records in long distance running at Guthrie, Erielle Coulter, who shone with One Act Play at Jayton, and Paige Bonham at Spur, who was one of the best in the state in BPA and FCCLA.

As I sit here reviewing graduation photos of proud and usually wistful parents and grandparents to run in this week’s newspapers, let us say that the newspapers join you in celebrating this rite of passage. We wish all graduates the best in a fulfilling and rewarding path ahead.

Speaking of good-byes, students aren’t the only ones to leave schools.

As 2022 comes to a close, several coaches/teachers/ adults who have played a large role in area schools are turning a new page in their lives. Jake Edwards, pastor of First Baptist Church in Jayton, Jayton city council member, Kent County Lions Club president and announcer at the Jayton Jaybirds football games, has answered a call to minister at Pottsboro, Texas. After six years in the Jayton community, he will be missed.

In Patton Springs, Eric Johnson, head football coach, will be leaving after four years to coach an elevan-man team in East Texas. In Spur David Castellon, head girls basketball coach, for four years and Seth McMinn, assistant football coach for three years, will be moving from Spur for new coaching positions. All of these men played a valuable role in teaching our young people and they leave big shoes to fill.

We’ve learned of numerous other educators who are departing their current posts after this year, as well. Good luck to each in their future endeavors.