A Lasting Legacy
A look into the lives and careers of seven CHS teachers retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year

Marci Boland
“Mama” Marci Boland has been a member of the staff at Clayton High School for 29 years. “When I was at Clayton High, I would always go into her office and be able to talk to her for hours before school,” 2014 CHS graduate Katherine Ren said. “I felt comfortable talking to her about everything and she was always there to offer advice or give a pep talk when needed. She honestly treated all...

Barry Ford
His love for sports has been a constant in the equation of his life. As a child, he commanded a presence on the turf in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Teachers and several coaches asked me to play on an organized team when I was 10 years old. Teachers would point me out to coaches on the playground and the coaches would approach me in elementary school,” CHS physical education teacher Barry Ford said. And...

Karen Hales-Mecham
Find good and focus on the good. These are the two mantras of the retiring English Language Learners teacher Karen Hales-Mecham. With these two special mottos always in the back of her mind, Hales-Mecham has touched hundreds of students from different cultures and backgrounds during her time at CHS. From a young age, Hales-Mecham was determined to become a teacher due to her grandparents’ positive...

Rex Rice
District Science Coordinator Nathan Peck remembers that even before meeting Rex Rice, a seasoned veteran who has taught physics at CHS for 28 years, he had heard the name Rice throughout the teaching community. “‘Rex Rice, Rex Rice,’ I started hearing that name over and over for everything having to deal with physics,” Peck said. Rice’s presence and fame throughout the physics community...

Heidi Shepard
“Teaching keeps me more optimistic. I have hope for the future. Too many people get tainted by media that says ‘teenagers are doing this and that’ but I actually know what teenagers are doing,” CHS math teacher Heidi Shepard said. “I work with [teenagers] on a daily basis. I get to see what potential [teenagers] have and where [their] hopes and dreams are. Where I think it’s easy to get...

Sheri Steininger
When she is not working, she is going to alternative rock and country concerts. She is spending time with her kids. She is reading. She is writing. And she is making the most of her teaching experience. After teaching English for 33 years, Sheri Steininger has made her mark on Clayton High School and even more so on her students. Steininger has taught a variety of grades and courses, her favorite...

Sue Teson
“There is this verb: to be Teson-ized. If you have been Teson-ized, it basically means that you have been made tough, you have been made intellectually strong, rigorous,” CHS English teacher Adam Hayward said. “It means that you can go to any university in the world and if someone asks you to write a paper, do research, and think critically, you will be successful.” In 2009, Hayward, a colleague...

A Lasting Legacy
The Globe • Copyright 2025 • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in
Dear Donor, On behalf of the entire Globe newspaper staff, I extend our gratitude for your generous donation to our publication. Your support is instrumental in our mission to elevate the journalistic landscape of our school community. Your contribution comes at a pivotal moment for us. While our current distribution of under 400 copies per issue is commendable, we recognize that it only scratches the surface of our school's potential readership. Our objective extends far beyond the mere circulation of paper; it's about creating a well-informed student body and faculty, enriching our educational environment with timely, relevant, and thought-provoking journalism. With your support, we are setting our sights higher than ever before. Our goal is to provide every student and staff member with their own copy of our publication, ensuring that no voice goes unheard and no story remains untold. However, such a vision can only be realized with the backing of our community, and your generosity brings us one step closer to making it a reality. Your belief in our mission inspires us to strive for excellence in all that we do. We look forward to continuing this journey together and making a lasting impact on our school community. Warm regards, The Globe Staff