As a math enthusiast herself, teaching students the wonders of numbers is the perfect job for Julie Cassidy, one of Etowah’s newest teachers.

“I just kept taking math classes in college because I kept making A’s, and each year my counselor would ask what I wanted to take, and I would say, ‘Well, sign me up for another math’, and she suggested being a teacher,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy grew up in Chicago, and majored in math at Georgia Southern. She got her master’s degree in Math Education at the University of Alabama. This is her 26th year of teaching, the last eight spent as a Woodstock Wolverine.

“Just getting to know the kids is my favorite thing about this job. They are so sweet. Everyone actually wants to learn; no one is wasting time in the bathroom or skipping and sitting in the lunchroom. Mr. Ball is also just so involved and genuinely concerned. It’s amazing,” Cassidy said.

Etowah’s campus size overwhelmed Cassidy at first, but every day she gets more and more used to it. Mr. Ball and his energy really pulled her toward Etowah and this job opportunity.

“He really loves this community and the students, and that really drew me in. I mean, he’s just amazing. I remember during a pre-planning meeting he showed a video of him at all the elementary schools and giving out all the grad rags. It’s not just about Etowah; it’s about the whole community. I cried,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy views Etowah as one of the best schools where she has ever worked. The students always seem eager to learn, and the administration team is always on its feet.

“They are wonderful and very consistent,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy’s favorite thing to teach is Pre Calculus, specifically trig identities. She says it is fun to “torture” the kids with it, but she also makes it fun to teach.

If you have been to Cassidy’s room, you would notice the huge tomahawk behind her desk.

“The very first school I worked at, one of the seniors made a huge tomahawk at Sequoyah behind my desk to remember me by,” Cassidy said.

Being married to a member of the military really changed her outlook on life. It is so dear to her that she pushed Bert’s Big Thank You on to Etowah this year. Students hand wrote over 2,500 letters with Cassidy spearheading the effort here.

Cassidy has two daughters, Gracie and Abby, and two cats. In her free time, she likes to shop around downtown Woodstock, go to Braves games, and spend quality time with friends and family.

Cassidy enjoys teaching math and is excited to help students learn as much as they can.