Do you want to know what South High was like before the 2000s? Let’s find out from P.E teacher David McFarland and history teacher Joe Rosewell. These two teachers have been South High Patriots the longest in the building. 

Rosewell began teaching at South in 1996, but he left, and came back in 1999.

“First, I went to Parkway North and then Parkway Fern Ridge High School,” he said.  

There’s a difference between here at Parkway South and Fern Ridge, according to Rosewell.

“Fern Ridge Alternative High School–they only had 100 students and only 10 teachers and it was totally a different experience and had smaller classes and it was easier,”  he said. “At Fern, they didn’t have any homework either.”

Rosewell has one piece of advice to give to anyone new to this school or teaching in general.

“Be understanding of your students and try to get to know your students. Everyone is different and don’t expect everyone to fit in your expectations,“ he said. 

Through all those years being here, the population at South High has changed. In the early to mid-2000s the South population was often over 2,000 students. This year the South population is only 1525 as of press time.

Rosewell said he plans on retiring at the end of the 27-28 school year.

”When the freshmen graduate, I’ll graduate,” he said. 

Rosewell commented on all the changes the South High building has gone through.

“The building has been changed and they had to make extra classes. There were no downstairs classes in the history wing but now there is, that’s how South has been changing throughout the years I’ve been here,“ he said.  

Same with McFarland, who agrees with Rosewell.

“We had a thousand kids more than we do now. There were 2,500 students with less room because there wasn’t a science wing nor history wing,” he said.  

McFarland has been teaching at South for 31 years. He said he’s been here through 5 principals. 

From 1994 to  2024 P.E. definitely changed and McFarland commented on how it changed. 

”We focus on a much broader approach to fitness beyond just playing games, and we also offer a lot more lifetime activities like climbing walls, kayaking and yoga,” he said.

Throughout his coaching career, McFarland’s fondest memory is having the opportunity to coach teams that reached the state championship—twice in softball and once in baseball. Reflecting on the current state of student fitness, he believes that students are in worse shape now compared to when he started.

“Back then, not many students were involved in fitness-related activities,” he said.

Junior Hannah Truesdell is a legacy at South High–her 7 aunts and uncles attended South.

“One of my aunts had Mr. McFarland as her teacher; she’s now a specialist reader here at Parkway South,” she said.  

She said her aunt was actually surprised McFarland was still here because he coached her brother in baseball in the early 2000s.

Michelle Dempsey is one of McFarland’s colleagues in the P.E. department.

“David has seen it all and knows everyone and he can help in any tricky situation,” she said.

She’s seen McFarland make a huge impact in the school community.

“His P.E Mentoring class is really an incredible part of South High. He ensures all kids get equal P.E instructions and he also coached baseball and basketball for a number of years which made a huge impact on the community,” she said.