NATCHEZ &045; Some Natchez-Adams School District teachers are going to need a map to get to work next year.

The reorganization of the district announced last week will send teachers to unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar people, and though they all have worries big and small, most are putting on a happy face.

&uot;It will be my fourth year teaching, and this will be my fourth principal,&uot; McLaurin second-grade teacher Amy Smith said. &uot;I’ve just gotten accustomed to how Mrs. (Karen) Tutor runs things and now it will be a new building and new teachers.

&uot;It’s for the greater good, but we are still nervous.&uot;

Smith is one of three teachers on the McLaurin second-grade wing who will be making the move to Frazier Primary. Counterpart Karen Hinson admitted she didn’t even know where Frazier was, since up to this point McLaurin has been partnered with West Primary.

Currently, West and Frazier house pre-kindergarten through first-grade students, while McLaurin and Morgantown house second- through sixth-graders. Starting in August West will be for pre-K through kindergarten, Frazier will be first- and second-grades, McLaurin will be third- and fourth-grades and Morgantown will be fifth- and sixth-grades.

Robert Lewis Middle and Natchez High will be unaffected.

Margery Bennett, currently a second-grade McLaurin teacher, will step up to third grade in order to stay in her building. Bennett, who drives from Woodville each day, requested the position in order to stay in the same school with her car pool buddy.

&uot;I think it’s a plus,&uot; Bennett said of the overall changes. &uot;It’ll be different, but it’ll be OK.&uot;

The teachers received envelopes Monday sealing their fate for teaching location, but not all grade assignments are finalized and no one seems to be getting too comfortable.

McLaurin teacher Sandra Caldwell’s envelope says she’ll stay at the school, but she’s yet to receive her grade assignment.

&uot;I’ve got to work, and I’m K-8 certified,&uot; Caldwell said. &uot;So I’ll be here. I think it’s a positive thing for the district as a whole. The little ones don’t need the influence of the bigger kids.&uot;

One of the reasons the district has given for the reorganization is to limit the grades at each school to only two, allowing administrators and teachers to focus in on key grades. The change will also level off enrollment at each school to around 700.

By eliminating the north/south dividing line that previously has determined which school children attend, transfers from one school to another will no longer be a problem, Assistant Superintendent Larry Little said.

With grades confined to one building teachers will be able to collaborate on core principals and ideas.

At West, it’s the collaboration they already have that caused a flood of tears when they found out separation is coming.

&uot;We are like family,&uot; West music teacher Bobbye Wynn said. &uot;We don’t disagree with the concepts but we are losing friends.&uot;

First-grade teacher Lisa Lewis started her teaching career 13 years ago at West and always expected to retire from that building.

&uot;I’ve really got some ties,&uot; Lewis said. &uot;But this cuts down on competition (between schools). There are a lot of pros to this, I just want to see what the cons are.&uot;

Pam Hilton, who will be jumping from first-grade to sixth-grade math, and Lewis said they’ve heard some worries from parents who will have children at three different schools.

McLaurin teacher assistant Mary Armstead said she’s also been looking at the changes as a parent of an upcoming fifth- and sixth-grader.

&uot;This will be a big change for me, to have them in a school without me,&uot; Armstead said. &uot;But they’ll be at one school together. Overall I think it’s best for the kids. I think it’s a good move, and the ages will be together.&uot;