Helen Wilson

Staff Writer

Brace yourself, R.J. Reynolds High School is swapping textbooks for diapers in an unexpected ‘teacher takeover.’ Five of our special educators are preparing for or have already experienced a baby boom like no other!

   Teachers choose to be around kids all day, learning how to raise their own one day.

   “I’ve spent my entire career in Winston-Salem helping to be a positive example to other people’s children,” EC Resource teacher Joel Zendel said. “Now I get the opportunity to be a role model to my own.”

   All teachers at Reynolds care for us as if we are their kids, but we forget how excited they are to have children of their own.

   “I have a lot of anxiety and constantly worry that something will go wrong,” Social Studies teacher Holly Wilcox said. “But I’m also really excited and can’t wait to meet my baby! I know my life is about to change forever.”

   Students should no longer complain about being tired at school because teachers can make it on time with little or no sleep with a newborn.

   “So far, it’s just the unknowns and the stress related to all the things that can go wrong and that we need to consider,” math teacher David Vuckovich said.

   It’s important to take each day as it comes and to focus on whatever current situations there are.

   “The most difficult part is the uncontrollable situations that are presented in pregnancy,” Zendel said.

“Will the baby be full-term, and will they be healthy? Will the mother be healthy and have no medical complications? The challenge became taking each day at a time and not getting jostled by good or bad news.”

   When expecting a baby, people go through significant changes, both emotionally and physically. It can be overwhelming which gives an opportunity to lean on others for support. 

   “As a society, we should be a little more focused on helping people and making their lives easier,” Vuckovich said. “Some parents have to stop working when they have a kid because childcare costs are too expensive. We need to do a better job of supporting people, and giving longer parental leave is a way to do that.”

   Along with the unknowns and mysteries of pregnancy, parental leave is a very controversial topic for teachers planning for a baby.

   “I won’t be able to take any paid leave from Reynolds because I have not been a WSFCS employee for more than a year,” Wilcox said. “It’s important to remember that anyone who is expecting a baby will have to consider the financial consequences they may face if they aren’t in a job that guarantees paid leave.” 

   Even with the opportunity to take parental leave, it still doesn’t seem like the regulations are fair.

   “While I am thankful for four weeks, I wish non-birthing parents receive the same period (eight weeks) as birthing parents receive,” Zendel said. “This would allow for more opportunities to bond with your newborn and help out your significant other.”

   A major and long-awaited leap forward into equality is now in play.

   “I am very thankful that North Carolina now pays for women to have maternity leave (about time!!!),” Dancing Boots Coach Hannah Plaxe said. “This just passed this past July so I barely made the cut.”

   Balancing pregnancy with a full workload is very challenging, but also rewarding. It’s important to ‘keep your eye on the prize.’

   “Being pregnant is hard, especially when you’re working a full-time job,” Wilcox said. “I’m also taking online classes to complete a Master’s Degree, which adds more stress to the experience. But, my coworkers here at Reynolds have been understanding and supportive, which helps a lot!” 

   Everyone must be in it together because pregnancy is not easy, many struggles and setbacks come with it.

   “While we were preparing for the exciting arrival, we were also dealing with some personal struggles,” Zendel said. “Noa and Banks’ [Zendel’s children] grandfather, Randy Richardson was battling pancreatic cancer. Randy’s full name is Randy James Richardson, ironically giving him the initials RJR. The preparation for Noa’s arrival was a balance of being excited about this new arrival and praying that Randy would be able to fight cancer long enough to see the arrival of his granddaughter. Unfortunately, Randy missed meeting his granddaughter by 5 days, passing away from a 19-month battle.”

   You will never know what goes on behind closed doors, so it’s always a good idea to be kind, as it can go a long way.

   “My partner’s family was supposed to throw a shower for us during winter break, but unfortunately, we had to cancel because we both got COVID-19,” Vuckovich said. “The math department was great and threw a shower for all three of the math teachers having babies. We got a nice start on stocking up on diapers.”

   However, pregnancy is all about celebrating, and there are so many ways to do so.

   “We had cupcakes prepared for us with a colored filling, and when we bit into the cupcake, we found out his gender!” math teacher, Lucas Galbier, said.

   Pregnancy is an exciting, lengthy time of anticipation. 

   “I used AI to blend my photos with photos of my husband to see what our baby might look like,” Wilcox said. “Hopefully, my kid turns out this cute!”

   The preparation, announcing, and decorating when you are expecting is one of the most surreal moments.

   “There is no real big theme for the nursery,” Zendel said. “I created a DIY accent wall, and my wife was in charge of the decorations. The colors are blush, navy blue, and white.”

   Having gender-neutral themes and clothes keeps everyone open-minded, and creates more fun to let the baby experiment with what they like. 

   “We will not find out their gender until they are born,” Vuckovich said. “We don’t want a lot of gendered clothing, and this is an easy way to start that conversation with people.”

   The feelings of joy and positivity, when the baby arrives, makes all the hard work pay off.

   “Our child only eats, sleeps, and poops right now, and he isn’t able to play with his toys or respond to book reading (though we try!),” Galbier said. “However, he gurgles and smiles, and he’s starting to lift his head more often.”

   Nothing is more rewarding than a successful process, resulting in a healthy baby, and happy parents.

   “We have felt incredibly lucky and blessed!” Plaxe said. “Very thankful to be healthy myself and to have a healthy baby!”

   Parenthood brings an appreciation for the little things and a deeper understanding of the world.

   “The days can be long and stressful, but every day is an opportunity for a milestone,” Zendel said.

   9 months later, and everything becomes worth it. After all the emotions, hard work, and perseverance, it’s officially game time!

   “Your perspective on the world changes when you have a child to care for,” Galbier said.

   Here at RJR, we plan to support and uplift all teachers, especially those who are expecting or have recently had their children. Their lives are about to change drastically, for the better.