With a new principal and new superintendent, things are expected to be different. Along with these changes, Tunstall will also be saying goodbye to four teachers:

Mrs. Patty Rigney has been teaching biology, advanced biology, and advanced placement biology at Tunstall for ten years and twenty nine years altogether. After retirement, she plans to spend time with her family, ride horses, and train dogs. Her favorite part of being at Tunstall was interacting with her students and the staff.

“We have an amazing faculty. I will especially miss Coach Potts and the way he motivates his students with humor and intelligence. I will miss Mrs. Aherron who was my right and left hand while I was hurt, and Dave Myers who taught with me my first year of teaching many years ago and then were reunited again when I came to Tunstall.”

As she looks back on her teaching experience Rigney says, “I don’t have one single event that stands out, but the sum total of all my years here have been happy.”

English 9 and 11 teacher, Ms. Susan Grey, will also be retiring after teaching here for twenty three years. Her favorite memory of being at Tunstall was seeing her classes achieve good SOL scores. She will especially miss the “wonderful students and faculty members” but looks forward to visiting her Murrells Inlet home more. She also hopes to travel to Spain.

Coach Lane Woods will also be leaving this year in eagerness to “travel across the United States in his camper,” after teaching advanced gym, health, and ninth grade gym at Tunstall for fifteen years. Recalling the past years, coaching the players of the baseball and football teams to district championship wins have been his favorite memories.

Another teacher will be transferring to Dan River next year, Ms. Melissa Aherron.

“I live two minutes from [Dan River], it’s my community, it’s where I graduated- it’s like I’m going back home. My children also go there so I can be a Wildcat all the time,” said Aherron.

She has been teaching at Tunstall for seven years and has taught biology, advanced biology, environmental science, and physics. Aherron will be filling the biology and environmental science position at Dan River.

She is excited for this new beginning, but will miss her former students.

Although these teachers will be missed, this is a time for them to fulfill their dreams and try new things.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Aherron.