With Mrs. Gifford retiring, the Pilgrim Perspective is losing someone very special to us. We all wanted to break some “newspaper rules” and use first person to say goodbye and good luck to her. 

Emma: I know I’ve only known you for this trimester, but I feel like I’ve been in your class forever. I look forward to your class everyday. You’re able to push me past my limits and force me to do more than I usually would. You’ve been classified as my favorite teacher from the first day of this trimester. You’ve always been there for me and I feel as though I could tell you anything. Thank you for such a great trimester. I hope you have a great time filled with love and happiness during your retirement. And always remember, “Nice Matters.”

Jay: When I walked into your class on the first day of class I felt really uncomfortable. I was used to classrooms that were brightly colored with no decorations while your classroom was like a home. It had artwork and cute, inspirational messages which made me really nervous. As the trimester went on I got more and more situated with your classroom and it was one of the best parts of my day. I’m really sad that I only got one trimester to be in your class. While journalism is awesome, having you teach it is much more awesome. You are one of the most caring teachers that I have ever met. The life lessons that you have taught me, are much more important than any English rule I have learned. You are truly an inspirational teacher that I look up to.

Sydney Holzwart: Joining journalism was a big step getting out of my comfort zone. I joined journalism so I could become a better writer. Yes, in the long run I became a better writer but I’ve also met some pretty great people and made some great memories. Writing has always been a big passion of mine but I wouldn’t have gotten better if it was for my classmates, my friends. Everyone is super close and that is something to always hold onto. Mrs. Gifford, you’re always bringing out positive energy and giving positive feed back to your students.  It helps me look at the bright side of things. Thank you for making my experience on becoming a writer great! xoxo

Meghan: Even though I only had you for this trimester I’m so glad I did. When I first moved here I was scared, worried and I didn’t really know anyone. I’m so happy I took this class and met amazing and great people. I made some amazing and hilarious friends and I always look forward to this class. I find myself walking in here with a big smile on my face. I will truly miss everything about this class. I really feel like I can be myself and nobody will judge me. I remember when I found out I was going to have you as a teacher and my mom and Uncle Andy were so happy and told I was going to love having you. Thank you for making my first time at Plymouth great. 🙂

Samantha: I could never truly show the thanks your deserve for being the woman you are. But here is a start. You’ve given me the most amazing sense of understanding life. I love how you listen to each student that walks in your doors. It amazes me when you tell your stories and how affective and life changing they are. You have been the most influential teacher I’ve had the privilege of getting to know. I’ve had you as an english teacher and now a journalism teacher and never once have I dreaded coming to class. You have helped me so tremendously much. I hope that retirement brings you the utmost joy. You will always be in my heart and forever in my thoughts when it comes to nice mattering! Thank you for everything you’ve done and influencing all of us. I wish you the absolute best.

Cam: This class has been one of the few that I actually liked this trimester. None of my other teachers provided pizza and cake, so you’re winning in that regard. All jokes aside, I appreciate how nice and caring you are as a teacher.

Eric: I don’t think that I could ever write enough to actually show this magnificent teacher how much she means to me. I remember signing up for journalism because I had extra time and I had absolutely no idea what else to take. I heard horror stories of Mrs. Gifford and was scared of her because of her collar that she always put up. By the end of my freshman year I loved the class and even though I couldn’t take journalism my sophomore year, I signed up for English Honors because it was a guarantee that I would have Mrs. Gifford. She believed in me even when I was ready to give up on homework and had lost all of my motivation. I will never forget this woman because she is a true inspiration and even though she won’t be here to remind me, I will always remember that “nice matters.”

Mrs. Gifford, I wish that there was a way to show you how many lives you have touched. Just remember that you are the best teacher that I have ever had and I strive to be as calm as you are. The most important lesson you ever taught me was that life gives you moments to be proud everyday. Getting your homework done, finishing an article, even just waking up and doing something is a moment to be proud. I hope that you’re proud of everything that you have done. Good luck to you, whether you’re knitting, praying, or traveling, I hope that you find happiness on your new journey.

P.S. You should probably start reapplying your make-up right about now. 😉

Taylor: Dear Mrs. Gifford,

Thank you so much for this year! You helped me more than you could know from talking to people to my school work. My favorite memory of you was in second trimester when you started trying to make me go to lunch and you told me that if I didn’t go to lunch that you would come with me and sit with me until I did it myself. You gave me a safe place where everyday this was the place that I could come and not worry whether I would have someone to talk to or whether or not people would judge everything I did. It was a place that I was able to be myself and you gave me that. Mrs. Gifford, you helped me through so much this year and without you I don’t think I could have made it; without you I wouldn’t have any of the friends that I have now. So thank you for everything

Thank You so Much!

Taylor

Alicia: When I first stepped into your classroom sophomore year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Everything was so much different than what I was used to. The desks were arranged in groups instead of rows, the schedule was lenient (at least in my first year of Journalism), and the atmosphere was relaxed. It took some time to adjust, but I think it worked out for the best because my writing has improved tenfold each year I’ve had you as a teacher. I wasn’t worried about the class, mind you. I knew you were a great teacher in English class, and I expected you to be the same in Journalism, and I wasn’t disappointed. Thank you for giving me the means to be interested in writing again, and for inspiring me to join the student newspaper at Emory University once I graduate. Thank you for being an awesome teacher. I hope that you’ll have time for fun during your retirement, like you deserve. I wish you the best in whatever you choose to do. (Hopefully you’ll visit our class next year to check up on how we’re doing!)

Yasmine: It was only one trimester that I have had you as a teacher, and I’m really glad that chose this class. The first day that I had stepped into journalism, I had thought that coming up with new articles nearly every week was going to be difficult, but it turned out to be the easiest and fun thing to do. At first I really didn’t know anyone in the class except Samantha, and know since we interacted with one another, I made some new friends by just being in journalism. I had always enjoyed listening to you give advice to your entire class, and always telling us stories, along with interesting facts. I love how you always had a smile on your face, and managed to stay so calm when we got out of hand. Thank you for the journalism experience, and I think that I will forever remember you as a caring person. I won’t forget that “Nice Matters.” I hope to one day see you in the future.  I wish you the best. 🙂

Janessa:

Dear Mrs. Gifford,

My sophomore year when you one day just started talking about retiring and you said that you would retire the year I graduate, I really didn’t believe you because I saw how much you liked teaching and that even though there were times we weren’t the greatest you were someone we could count on. I am and will never be good at goodbyes so none of us will take this as one, this is just a thank you for everything you have done for us. Whether you know it or not you have changed everyone including me for the better, and taught us how to be stronger and stay positive. Even through a crisis or an unexpected event you showed me that it wasn’t the end of the world, at least for the time being. I was lucky enough to have you as an English teacher and a Journalism teacher and the most important thing you taught me were the life lessons you gave every once in awhile. Those came very few and so little that they stuck with me the most and for that I thank you. For you the ending is just a new beginning at something great and so as we all head off to summer I wish you the best and hope you will enjoy everything you have planned for retirement. Here’s to “Because Nice Matters” and a new beginning 🙂