Mary Ward will be new to the faculty at Fleeta Junior High School this year, but she’s not new to teaching.

Ward, who taught at Andalusia Junior High School last year will eighth grade at Fleeta Junior High School, and said that she is excited to start the new year.

This will be Ward’s sixth year teaching science. Before teaching at AJHS she was teaching in Live Oak, Fla.

“I was teaching agricultural science in Florida,” Ward said. “But I love teaching regular science now because it is much more broad.”

Ward got into teaching after being influenced by several of her teachers in Milton, Fla.

“As a student I had several great teachers,” Ward said. “They made such a positive impact in my life, so I want to do the same thing for my students.”

Ward earned her degree in agricultural science from the University of Florida.

She hopes to create a passion in students for science.

“I hope to create a passion and interest in science in my students,” Ward said. “While also making it fun and interesting.”

One thing that challenges Ward is the vast amount of information that she has to teach her students with so little time.

“That is the challenge with science,” Ward said. “It is so broad and if they get caught up on one subject and love it, it is hard to move on to the next one.”

While she is not in the classroom, Ward likes to support her two daughters while they play sports, as well as fish and hunt.

She and her husband, Baynard, have two daughters, both of whom attend school in Straughn.