Karen Sipes couldn’t stay away from teaching.
Sipes, an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Highland Middle School, originally retired in 2015 but soon returned after she was asked repeatedly to help fill in at different schools due to short staffing. She decided she wasn’t done teaching because, in her words, “I care, and I want to help.”
Altogether, Sipes has mentored thousands of students over a half century in the profession.
“Making a difference in a kid’s life and seeing them change and grow is amazing, especially in middle school,” Sipes said. “We had sixth, seventh and eighth for a while, and it was incredible to see how much they grew.
“A little kid didn’t want to speak up and was shy … and before she leaves eighth grade, she’s playing one of the Indians in Peter Pan and loving it.”
Hannah Davis, a co-teacher with Sipes, said Sipes brings a level of enthusiasm to the classroom that connects well with her students.
“The kids love being in her class,” Davis said. “She’s always super hyper and ready to go, and always just so alive. She loves it every day, and always brings the energy, even when she doesn’t feel like it.”
Ellen Finney Pickett, the principal at Highland Middle School, said Sipes has great relationships with the students, which makes her an asset among the faculty.
“She is a strong, solid, well-respected veteran here at ACS, as well as at Highland,” Pickett said. “She’s extremely well thought of. I really do believe she mentors a lot of the teachers around her.”
Pickett said Sipes’ connections to the community allow her to tap expertise from places like the Mainstage Theatre and the Alley Theatre to help support her students.
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin as part of their Tuesday features about local educators.