YHS Teachers Who are Leaving

Ms. Lutts

Ms. Lutts is planning on working for the non-profit OUT Maine and will be a School Engagement Coordinator. She will be working with schools in order to create a more inclusive environment for all minorities – not only LGBTQ+ students but BIPOCstudents as well. She hopes to be able to bring accessible, and authentic conversations regarding intersectionality to schools.

Ms. Lutts will miss lunch, and being able to say hello to everyone on the daily. She will miss her students and colleagues the most. Ms. Lutts has many great memories from YHS. Some of her favorites include:

• walking the halls with Ms. Holbrook in dinosaur costumes
• giving a speech to the class of 2017 as their chosen speaker
• many Project graduations

Most importantly Ms. Lutts’s favorite memories will be with the people. The relationships she has built with so many are the most special, and she gets to take them with her.

Mrs. O’Connor

This summer two of her sons are getting married, so she has a lot of exciting events to look forward to. Next year she would like to become a Master Gardener, do more yoga, and have that time designated for reading, family and friends. 

Mrs. O’Connor will miss the relationships she has with students and colleagues; and miss those she taught as freshmen who have matured and grown into the people they are today over the years at YHS.

Some of her best memories are from the trips to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria that she took with the students. She loves seeing the excitement in their eyes when they see the beauty of these countries for the first time.

Mr. Francis

Mr. Francis will miss many things about York. Some of his favorite memories are of “Y-O-R-K York” chants echoing into fall night, from a packed blue and white student section. He will also miss his morning visits with Chamber Singers and the smiles he sees on everyone’s faces who enter the building. Most of all, he will miss the relationships built with students and colleagues. 

Next year Mr. Francis will be the Principal at Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine. Although he will be wearing maroon colors, he will most likely have a Columbia Blue and White shirt underneath it, he encourages you to say hello if you see him! 

Mr. Bowden

Mr. Bowden will miss his awesome coworkers and his students. He has enjoyed growing close to all the other science teachers, and wherever he goes next, it probably won’t be replicated.

Before Covid, Mr. Bowden loved to have parties with Trob’s pride. They would bring in a large bucket of buffalo chicken dip, play games of Mario kart, or Super Smash brothers, and listen to music.

Mr. Bowden is not completely sure what he plans to do after YHS, but that’s the fun of it! He is keeping an open mind and considering: online teaching, teaching somewhere else, working in a lab, etc. Mr. Bowden is honestly quite excited for the uncertainty of what he is going to do, and will enjoy wherever life takes him.