The yearbook staff has started working on the 2025 Reflector. This edition is a tribute to the soon-to-be-old high school as the theme is “Here’s to old KHS, ” a part of the alma mater.
This is yearbook and newspaper advisor Amy Bates’s last year to be able to work on the yearbook. She has mixed emotions about this as she prepares to retire in December and potentially lose students who have become like her family.
“I’ve lost kids and lost family forever because y’all are here with me for four years, and then you leave, and some people look back and friend me on Facebook, but some people move on, and that’s how I’m supposed to prepare them for that, to just not need me anymore,” Bates said.
Brittany Cleveland will take over the yearbook and newspaper program when Bates retires. Bates feels good about leaving this year as she loves Cleveland and this year’s seniors.
“I have less worries about everything because she loves y’all already,” Bates said. “And I can’t think of a better group of seniors to leave it with. Y’all are great. You care about people, and you’re kind and you’re easy to work with. But there’s nothing like doing this job that doesn’t feel like a job, so I hope she loves it as much as I have.”
Cleveland was on the newspaper staff when she was in high school, which is different from the yearbook and definitely different than advising yearbook and newspaper.
“I’m so excited to continue to learn and to watch the students learn and for the new staff members,” Cleveland said. “We’ll get to learn a lot of it together. So I think that’s kind of exciting. And, but I’m very excited to see how it all comes together and watch the process.”
The Mirror and Reflector staff are both grateful for Bates and Cleveland.
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