Mrs Connelly is a passionate and kind teacher at GPHS. She is driven and hardworking, and has taught for a grand total of 36 years. There is no doubt that she has impacted many students' lives. For many students, she has made Advanced English a welcoming and fun experience. Mrs. Connelly said she knew she wanted to teach when she was “7 years of age... I set up a classroom in my bedroom—my dad found a chalkboard, my mom bought chalk and specially-lined paper. My "students" would be any of my friends who would sit patiently as I taught a little lesson.” She has always had a passion to teach, and with that legacy comes many heartbroken students facing the fact that she is leaving. 

This woman has impacted Grants Pass High School tremendously. She never leaves a student out and always makes them feel heard. She loves it when students are willing to explore with her, and always brightens her students' days. Mrs. Connelly deserves a kind send-off, with recognition of how phenomenal of a teacher she is. She has impacted so many lives. It will be hard to have such an extraordinary teacher like her retire, but she has taught for so many years and totally deserves that retirement! Good luck, Mrs. Connelly!

Mrs. Cowger is one of our outstanding chemistry and anatomy teachers. After working at Grants Pass High School for 24 years, she will be retiring. She has been a large part of our community at GPHS, and has always been involved with her students. Cowger believes heavily in the power of teaching and chose to teach because she loves "when a student understands something and it is like a light bulb comes on inside their head.  I also love to see the growth in learning and understanding that a student has over the semester or year that I have them in class. I live and teach for those moments!” It's obvious that Mrs. Cowger loves her students and loves to be involved with them. She has also impacted many students, including freshman Lilli Cook, who says that “Even though I struggle with the class, I love her teaching style and I really enjoy learning in chemistry.” Mrs. Cowger has heavily impacted her students' lives, and has helped bring our community together. Thank you for all of your teaching and care for your students!

Mrs. Lellis, one of our assistants working in the Special Education department, is retiring after 22 years. This woman is one of our hardest-working and kindest staff members. It seems that almost every single student has talked to her at least once! She is always in a bubbly mood, and always leaves a smile on students' faces. She says she has continued working here because of “The deep sense of purpose that comes from witnessing 'aha' moments, when students 'lock-in'."  She also enjoys "building meaningful, long-term bonds with diverse learners and the daily variety of the classroom, learning the slang terminology from students and the ever-changing environment filled with unpredictability and humor.” Mrs. Lellis has always had a passion for helping students, and loves to meet new people. She has consistently left a huge impact on the people she meets, even if it is only a one-time conversation. Grants Pass High School will miss her, but she deserves that retirement after 22 years of hard work! We wish you luck, Mrs. Lellis.

Mrs. Leddy, another one of our assistants in the Special Education department is retiring after 12 years. She has been one of the kindest assistants in the department, and is consistently helping others. Mrs. Leddy has loved the people she worked with, even though she did not imagine the community would be important to her when she started. She said, “At the time, I needed a job with good benefits, not realizing how much I would grow to love the job, students and all my coworkers.” She has met some inspiring people at GPHS, and has greatly impacted her coworkers and students. Mrs. Leddy has been working here for a good amount of time, and has definitely been inspirational. Good luck with your retirement, Mrs. Leddy!