After teaching for 13 years at Boston Latin School, Physical Education (PE) teacher Ms. Sheree Holmes has announced her retirement.
Ms. Holmes first joined BLS in 1998 as girls’ junior varsity basketball coach, transitioning to teaching two years later. She then took a 14-year hiatus to assume the role of Athletics Director and middle school boys’ basketball coach at the Patrick Lyndon School in West Roxbury, after which she returned to BLS to continue her work as a PE teacher.
With her experiences at the School, Ms. Holmes’s presence cannot be overstated. Annie Xu (IV), who has previously had PE class with Ms. Holmes, expresses, “Ms. Holmes is really dedicated to her role as a PE teacher, and I can tell that she has a lot of experience. She really knows how to get the class running.”
Looking back, Ms. Holmes reminisces about her time at BLS, which includes the relationships she built with former students and the impact she has had on her students’ careers. One of her favorite memories was when a former student, now the mother of a current BLS student, approached her on Open House night and told Ms. Holmes that she became a teacher because of her.
Chisom Jones (II), a student who has built a close connection with Ms. Holmes since her sixie year, remarks, “Something that stands out to me about Ms. Holmes is her grip. […] I feel like she pushes everyone around her, especially her students. If she knows they’re capable of something, even if it’s just gym class, she’ll push you to do what she knows you can and obviously strives to make the younger generation better.”
Looking forward, Ms. Holmes plans to take advantage of her time in retirement to finally be able to sleep in, a luxury she had to forego due to the necessity of waking up early for school. She also wishes to use this time to reconnect with many of her hobbies, like golfing, traveling, reading, freshwater fishing and sewing clothes.
Ms. Holmes additionally hopes to spend more time with her family in her departure. In prior years, Ms. Holmes was unable to celebrate her niece’s birthday because it fell on the same time when school started. After her retirement, however, Ms. Holmes will be able to prioritize her family more, as she plans to fly to Texas to celebrate her niece’s 16th birthday this September.
As parting advice to students, Ms. Holmes says, “Stay committed to what you’re doing and finish strong. […] You’ve made it this far. Don’t give up. Continue to do what you’ve done over the past six years and finish strong.”