Chiefs have been logging into Zoom, turning on their cameras, and learning at home for about two weeks now. Lots of changes have occurred at Kempsville High School since the last time a classroom was full of students. KHS has welcomed nearly 15 new teachers, and another four teachers are adjusting to new positions in the school. Tucker Blythe, a new Entrepreneurship and Business Academy World Studies and Government teacher, is experiencing all of these challenges right alongside students and his fellow teachers.

Blythe, a Virginia Beach native and 2014 Cox High graduate, is familiar with the community atmosphere of the area and has heard many great things about the environment at Kempsville. Before this year, Blythe was very involved with the Virginia Beach Leadership Workshop and even presented at the 2020 Kempsville High School Leadership Workshop. These events gave him the opportunity to experience what Kempsville is all about.

According to Blythe, “teaching had always been on the horizon for [him].” After graduating from the University of Virginia, he attended William & Mary for his Masters in Education. His plans to become a high school teacher were cemented after a period as a student-teacher at York County High School and several interactions with the students and teachers of Kempsville High School.

Like everyone else, Blythe had to adjust to the new Covid-19 safety measures while navigating the new world of online learning. Even so, he has had a splendid time getting to know all of his students and co-workers. He is pumped to be back in school as long as all kids are “safe and comfortable with face-to-face interactions in the building,” with students being Blythe’s top priority.

This year, Blythe joins forces with Kelly Swanner-Duran on the 2020-21 SCA Advisor Team, taking over for Drew Midgette who took a new position as a school improvement specialist. Blythe noted that he is extremely thrilled to get the SCA up and running amidst the new normal of 2020, and he’s hoping to select some fresh executive officers to “help make Kempsville High School feel like the home everyone knows and loves again.”

Blythe, like many of the Kempsville High School students and teachers, is eager and optimistic about what’s in store for the rest of 2020 and is hoping to make it an excellent first year as a teacher at Kempsville High School, as well as an excellent first virtual year for everyone.