Welcoming new faces

This year John I. Burton is welcoming several new faces to its faculty.  Among those is Kayley Phillips, our new biology and anatomy teacher. On August 21, I had the pleasure of interviewing her. As a young child, Mrs. Phillips always loved being around and interacting with children, which inspired her to become a teacher. Some of her other inspirations were, Suzy Coffey, a teacher at J.J. Kelly High School. and Mike Olde, a professor at UVA Wise. One of the main things that got her interested in science is how it is always changing. 

Ms. Phillips has lived  in Wise County all her life. She attended J.J. Kelly High School, and after she graduated she attend Mountain Empire Community College.  She then transferred to the University of Virginia's College at Wise.  During college she worked as a pharmacy tech and after graduation she did her internship and substituting at Union High School.As you can see, she loves living close to home. She says her family is a big part of her life, and she wants to stay as close to them as possible. 

Ms.Phillips favorite subject to teach is biology because it's simply a mixture of chemistry, ecology, physics and anatomy. As far as teaching goes she says, "As long as I'm in the room doing what I love, I'm always having fun."  Oustside of school she spends time with her family and fiancé. Overall, she loves Norton and how welcoming it has been. She says the coworkers have made it easy to get around and be comfortable. My best wishes go out to her and her students this up coming year!