An exciting development for Heritage this year includes the introduction of a new teacher. Ronnie Natola graduated from a high school in Cleveland, Ohio. After high school, he says that he went to and graduated from Lee University. Mr. Natola says, “The main reason I got into education was because my wife and I needed money, and I decided to take a job watching two autistic boys. I would watch them for hours upon hours upon hours. It kind of gave me a passion for special education. After that, I went to go get my master’s degree in special education.” As a student, Mr. Natola says that he struggled a lot because the teaching he received was more like a lecture and, “less relational.” Later on, he says he had a teacher who helped him to look at things a different way. He explains that Heritage is different from other schools because he feels like “our leadership at this school leads by example instead of just saying what should be done.” Mr. Natola wants to help students have a safe space where they can be vulnerable. During his career, he has also been coaching baseball. In fact, he says that a lot of people call him coach because he has been coaching for around 15 years. He also coaches baseball here, as an assistant for Coach Dinger. Mr. Natola says that he loves being here at Heritage because it has such a great community, he says, “I think that everybody is super nice to each other.” He goes on to mention his two sons, whom he wants to attend Heritage. He says, “I don’t just want my kids to go there, I want them to be in the community.” Mr. Natola is excited to be a part of the Heritage family, and is looking forward to his bright future here.
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Heritage’s New Teachers: Coach Natola is Here to Stay
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About the Contributors
Alyx Quist, Entertainment Editor
At 16-years-old, Alyx is a co-editor of the Heritage High School newspaper. They have been in Journalism since their freshman year. Now, as a junior, it is their third year in Journalism. They joined Journalism late in their freshman year, and have loved it ever since. Alyx strives to do their best in school, and they hope to learn as much as they can throughout their high school experience. Their favorite things to do include reading, writing, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. Alyx only has a few close friends and cherishes each of them dearly. When they read, they prefer to read YA novels, their favorite being "Legend" by Marie Lu. Alyx loves to read a good rom-com to pass time. A few of their favorite music artists are Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodgrigo, and System of a Down, even though they usually only listen to Chappell. At home, they have three cats and five dogs. They hope to graduate from Heritage and plan to go to a college here in Georgia, though they still don’t yet know what to major in. Alyx is excited to make new friends in Journalism, and can’t wait to start working on the "General Journal!"
Briley Simpson, Yearbook Editor
Briley Simpson is entering her fourth year as a staff member of the HHS General Journal. She enjoys reading all the articles that get published and loves coming up with new ideas of things to cover. As this is her senior year, she is excited to once again help with the yearbook "The Legacy." She and staff member Allie Boyd are Co-Editors of the book. Briley also occupies her time by participating in clubs such as the Musical Theatre Tech team, BETA, SGA, NHS, NEHS, and the Lady Generals Soccer Team. When Briley is not thinking about school, she turns to her bookshelf: a place where she feels the most comfort. Reading is one of her most enthralling pastimes. While she dives into a new story, she also likes to listen to music. Taylor Alison Swift is, of course, her #1 artist on Spotify and has been for the past five years. All in all, Briley is both overcome with sadness and optimism as she enters her final year of High School. She hopes that the work she accomplishes in Journalism will in fact leave a legacy!