History department welcomes Ms. Kemp

Photo and story by Samantha Coe, Staff Writer

September 19, 2023

ROCKLAND- With a last-minute resignation from a teacher over the summer, former librarian Ms. Janyce Kemp stepped in to teach history for the 2023-2024 school year.

Mr. Brian Smith found a new job closer to home and decided to leave the Bulldogs, so Ms. Kemp stepped in. 

She said she “had a history teacher back in high school who was super inspiring and a really great teacher. He showed me that I was smart and could be a good student, so I wanted to give that back” Ms. Kemp said. 

She went to UMASS Boston and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history. 

Mr. Richard MacAllister, the head of the history department, explained how she always had a passion for history and wanted to become a social studies teacher. 

“Just knowing how successful she’s been in the building, it was an easy decision to put someone of her caliber in our department,” MacAllister said.

According to Mr. MacAllister, Ms. Kemp “has an incredible personality, she has a very motherly approach, but she has a very kind approach to her students. She’ll listen to your pain and she’ll try to motivate you and lift you up and she’s always an open ear and is full of positive advice.” 

Senior Alice De Andrade added, “She understands really well the importance of teaching methods and tries her best to find a fit for the class, she’s presented herself to be very flexible which helps a lot”. 

Everyone is very excited to see what this year will bring with Ms. Kemp and hopefully, she will become a permanent teacher in the future, and very excited to see who the new librarian will be. 

“It’s going to be a great year!” Ms. Kemp said.