Finding Family Inside of the Job: The English Department Adds Two New Members to the Tree

The 2026 English Department staff gathers for a celebration honoring Amanda Wallice’s retirement, who was a long standing member. Wallace now works for a virtual school model and DJ VanHoy took over her position. Photo Creds: Sarah Kanipe

Carrie Bradbury, Senior Editor and Review Desk Lead for the Powderhorn

Birthday celebrations, weekend dinners, and daily lunch in the staff room are only the beginning for the Watauga High School English Department’s staff culture. In addition to their offices being close together at school, the staff of the English Department is also a tight knit group of teachers outside of work. 

Each English teacher has their own respective classes to teach, but they also have jobs outside of educating students. Teacher and department head Sarah Kanipe plays a special role in particular. As the Department Chair, Kanipe stands as the bridge between the staff and administration, communicating any comments or concerns that the department might have.

“Department chairs are supposed to act as sort of a liaison between your department and administration,” said Kanipe. “There are eleven of us in the department so ten of them can bring their issues to me and then it’s only one email or one conversation with the admin.”

Kanipe’s work extends beyond communicating with administration. It also encompasses supporting the teachers around her. Most of the English classrooms are on the same hallway, but some, such as Mrs. Robinowitz, are located on other floors. Distance between classrooms means that Kanipe must also spend valuable time supporting them outside of the school day.

“I really like to be a supportive role because they are my friends,” said Kanipe. “I like to boost them up when they’ve had a bad day, to help lessen their load.”

Communication is a necessity for teachers when it comes to supporting those around them, but equally important is finding valuable time to spend together. As one of few departments that eat lunch all together in the lounge, it is safe to say that the English Department understands the importance of staff bonding. 

“Our department is incredibly close at school and outside of school. Every year we have a Christmas party at my house, everyone comes and we play games. We have a potluck,” said Kanipe. “We like to make sure that we’re spending time together as people and as teachers, and we make sure that our new teachers feel welcome in that too.”

Shifting staff is not new for Watauga County’s English Department. However, this year posed an especially difficult challenge. With the retirement of Ms. Wallace and Ms. Lord's relocation to Asheville, there were two big holes that needed to be filled in the department over the summer.

Isabella Lantz is the first new teacher to move in, although she is not entirely foreign to Watauga High School.

“I graduated from App State last semester in the Spring of 2026 with an English secondary degree,” said Lantz. “I student-taught here at the high school with Ms. Lord. I loved everyone that worked here so when the job opened up, I kind of thought, ‘okay, that’s a no-brainer.’”

While teaching freshman and sophomore English classes, Lantz is also weaving her own studies into the schedule. Lantz is currently getting her masters degree at Appalachian State and has one credit hour a week of classes.

”I definitely would say my calendar is full right now of deadlines and due dates,” said Lantz. “The English Department has helped me out so much being a first year teacher.”

After years of sitting in class, learning tips from other teachers, and coming up with lesson plans during her time as a student teacher, Lantz is finally able to bring her visions to life in the classroom. 

”I have had all these ideas about school for four years, like making lesson plans and reading all these books, and I’m so excited to actually enact that in my classroom,” said Lantz. “I am excited to have relationships with students again, it’s something that you miss so much when you are in college.”   

Because of Lantz’s prior connection to the department through her student teaching with Ms. Lord, she got to skip the step of getting introduced to the other English teachers.

“I think it is a hard transition if you’re going into a whole new district or a whole new school and you don’t know anyone,” said Lantz. “But I really lucked out because I knew everyone. I knew the classroom I was coming into.”

In stark contrast, DJ VanHoy, the other new addition for the department, is coming into the school year 30 days late. Although the timing is not ideal, VanHoy’s familiarity with the county and prior teaching experience make up for it.

“I’ve always loved Watauga and thought it was a beautiful place, and then as time has gone on, I’ve heard amazing things about the staff and the students,” said VanHoy. “So when the English position opened up, there weren’t a lot of reasons not to apply for it.”

Being in a different county has made it hard for VanHoy to meet the other teachers and participate in the start of the school year at Watauga, but English Teacher Emily Grogan has reached out to make sure VanHoy stays up to date.

“She was nice enough to meet me a couple weeks ago and answered all my questions for me over dinner. And then she let me into my classroom so that I could start stashing stuff in there, but she is the only one I’ve met so far,” said VanHoy. “They have added me to the English teacher group chat and they all seem super nice.”

Providing lesson plans, setting up the classroom, and including VanHoy in important conversations has allowed for her transition to be as seamless as possible.

“I feel like I’m missing out,” said VanHoy. “I’m a little stressed about it, but the other teachers have made it as easy on me as I could possibly ask of them”

Stepping into a school that already has a strong staff culture is something that VanHoy cannot wait to experience, and it is safe to say that she is counting down the days until she can join Watauga High School.

”Anything in the English department, I’m into,” said VanHoy. “I’ve heard nothing but good things the whole time, so I’m excited.”