Amelia: Wheeler Walls

We're going back to Wheeler High School!! My husband is going to be principal at Wheeler. The school is such an integral part our lives, especially Amelia's so I am writing about it.  I titled the post, "Wheeler Walls", because those walls have seen many parts of Peter's life, my life, & our children's lives.

My 1st teaching job-I was around 22 years old when I first walked into Wheeler. I was hired as a supply Chemistry teacher. I was young and learning what teaching was all about. I had graduated college with a Biology degree and had intended on going to Medical school. However, as a child, I was always playing school/teacher. I thought I wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps and become a doctor. And more honestly, I thought in my early 20's I knew what I wanted in all aspects of my life.  Reality was not so kind. I met a wonderful group of science teachers at Wheeler and I began to see my future in teaching. One of the biology teachers was, Peter, my husband now. I think we spoke five words to each other the semester I was there.  Our paths crossed, but we really didn't "see" each other. My personal struggles with a relationship consumed my after school hours. I finished my semester at Wheeler and got offered a science teacher position at McEachern High School. I walked out the door and didn't look back.

One year later-Science Inservice- Peter and I have different versions of this day, funny how that is.   It was a county wide science inservice meeting at guess where?.. Wheeler High School. The facts are a year later, my life had changed. I had made some positive changes in my life over that year. They came with extreme heartache, but I knew it was for the best. I was not in a relationship, and come to find out neither was Peter. So on the second time when our paths crossed, we "saw" each other. Isn't it crazy how you can meet someone again later and with circumstance/timing your viewpoint changes?   Seven months later, we got engaged. A year and half later we got married on a cruise ship in the summer...because that's when teachers get married.

Wheeler before kids- Peter was still working at Wheeler all this time. He was Freshmen Football coach one year. He broke his arm at practice. I learned that I should not sit in the parent section at the games. They don't always agree with the coach's calls...and I always do. We enjoyed hanging out with all the Wheeler Science teachers.  I quickly learned as a teacher you bring your work home. Not just those papers to grade, but your students lives are in your thoughts. Us teachers would hang out and have "shop talk", which means let's talk about work. We would share funny test question answers, stories of rebellion, & stories of breakthrough moments with students. Wheeler was/is a diverse student population. It sits in the Marietta suburbs of Atlanta. Wheeler has a new building and new programs. It has old traditions and a sports case that boasts hugs trophies from years past. The challenges are what made Peter stay at Wheeler for so long, it's what makes me miss teaching, and it's why we are eager to go back.  The basketball team has always been entertaining to see courtside.  Friday nights on the sidelines of the football field are memorable as well.   My children were small when Peter left Wheeler for Kell High.  They remember some of the sporting events, but now as older children are really excited to cheer beside their dad. Speaking of children...my next Wheeler memory...

Wheeler Tennis vs. Colin's announcement-Peter played high school and college tennis. His family is a tennis family. He loved coaching tennis at Wheeler!! In 2005, Peter proudly brought home this huge tournament trophy that Wheeler tennis had won. I eagerly waited for him to tell me all about it. And then I "one up'd him" with "I'm pregnant!" The trophy had lost. I had won.

Peter's love of students- As I mentioned before, teachers think about their students after work hours. Peter loves relationships and community outreach. I don't tell this story very often, but it's what us teachers have to face. Some of our students will succeed, some will make bad choices, and some will have tragic endings. One particular day, I drove with our two toddlers, Colin & Kendall, to Roswell for a mother's playgroup.  Peter knew I was in Roswell. Two policemen entered his office at Wheeler (he was athletic director/AP at this point.) They told him there had been a fatality accident in Roswell. He thought it was us. They put the crash scene picture in front of him and asked him to identify. It was his student aid who had been on a job shadow in Roswell. I felt so bad for Peter. One, because for a split second he thought it was us. Two, because he had lost a student. It's something you don't learn in those education classes. Over the next week, Peter attended all the events surrounding the student's death. Peter's compassion and love of his students was known and felt and leads to my final Wheeler story...

Peter's students and staff rally around us/Amelia-Our 3rd child, Amelia, was born in 2009.  Friends and some of the Wheeler community knew that our days were filled with doctor appointments and the diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for Amelia.  When we were faced with the huge costs of getting hearing aids, which were not covered by insurance, the staff secretly started raising money. The student organizations also pitched in.  They presented a huge check to Peter at his desk one day. That check helped our baby get her 1st pair of cute pink hearing aids and some speech therapy. He was overcome with emotion. You can click on this link to see the letter he wrote to the Wheeler Staff/Students:
see letter Peter wrote to the staff & blog post about it in 2010
Over the years many have reached out to ask us how Amelia is doing. We owe part of her success to Wheeler for helping us.

So if "Wheeler's walls" could speak they would tell you all of these memories. They have seen us walk by in dark days and in happy days. Peter loved Kell & Palmer, but it's time for him to go back to Wheeler. It's time for him and us as a family to give back to Wheeler. They have given us so much.
Pictures I found the other day from our old Wildcat Days!! Looking forward to this new chapter.