By Reporter Alexa Allred
January 16th was the last day of first semester and also Ms. Merrell’s last day as a Layton High teacher. She announced two weeks earlier that she would be moving to teach at Viewmont High School because of family circumstances. Even though she has left, she is still impacting her students.
Some of her former students are still receiving her daily emails which contain her happy and miserable thoughts. Thoughts that she would share from books she had at the end of every class period would create a classroom of laughter or a thoughtful silence. “I read her emails every night,” says Senior Lauren Kershaw.
A legacy is something that lives on in the hearts or memories of those that have been influenced and Miss Merrell’s legacy was a legacy of kindness and honesty. “She always had a smile for everyone she passed in the hall,” says Kershaw. She is easy to approach, but you better be ready for the truth because her responses when you visited with her were candid and honest. Senior Lara Wayman said that Ms. Merrell was always there to talk to.
“People would say Ms. Merrell’s weird, but I say she’s a genius,” said Wayman. “She was one of the best teachers here and having her leave makes people open their eyes to her impact.” Kershaw also said, “She was one of those teachers that actually cared about you and wanted you to succeed.”
Ms. Merrell gave her goodbye to her students the last day of the semester. It was a tearful, hug filled farewell. She showed a scene from Dead Poet’s Society then gave her students a marble to remember her and the class. She kept the marbles in a jar that she said was unbreakable, until it broke, leaving a hole she calls her Layton High hole.
January 16th was the last day of first semester and also Ms. Merrell’s last day as a Layton High teacher. She announced two weeks earlier that she would be moving to teach at Viewmont High School because of family circumstances. Even though she has left, she is still impacting her students.
Some of her former students are still receiving her daily emails which contain her happy and miserable thoughts. Thoughts that she would share from books she had at the end of every class period would create a classroom of laughter or a thoughtful silence. “I read her emails every night,” says Senior Lauren Kershaw.
A legacy is something that lives on in the hearts or memories of those that have been influenced and Miss Merrell’s legacy was a legacy of kindness and honesty. “She always had a smile for everyone she passed in the hall,” says Kershaw. She is easy to approach, but you better be ready for the truth because her responses when you visited with her were candid and honest. Senior Lara Wayman said that Ms. Merrell was always there to talk to.
“People would say Ms. Merrell’s weird, but I say she’s a genius,” said Wayman. “She was one of the best teachers here and having her leave makes people open their eyes to her impact.” Kershaw also said, “She was one of those teachers that actually cared about you and wanted you to succeed.”
Ms. Merrell gave her goodbye to her students the last day of the semester. It was a tearful, hug filled farewell. She showed a scene from Dead Poet’s Society then gave her students a marble to remember her and the class. She kept the marbles in a jar that she said was unbreakable, until it broke, leaving a hole she calls her Layton High hole.