It’s back to school time, there’s no doubt about it now.

Recent high school graduates are shopping to furnish their dorm rooms and getting ready to enter college.

There’s a back to school tax holiday this weekend.

Stores are stocked with school supplies and school uniforms.

And, in case there’s any doubt, drive through the parking lot of any local school and you’ll see the vehicles of teachers and staff who are preparing for the school year.

It’s always upset me more than just a little when people make comments insinuating teachers have an easy job. (I think I’ve mentioned before that my mother is a teacher).

You’ll hear comments like, “they have the

entire summer off.” Anyone who has passed by one of these facilities knows that’s not the case. For several weeks now, many teachers have been working to get their rooms ready for their students to arrive. They’ve been purchasing supplies and preparing lesson plans.

We have some students here at The Selma Times-Journal who will leave us soon.

The newspaper has been fortunate this summer to have some incredibly talented, and hard working interns.

Blair Miley, who was the sports intern this summer, has already left and will be attending Auburn University at Montgomery this fall.

Blair did a terrific job. Some of you may have seen the faces of your children and read baseball and softball game recaps on our “Kids of Summer” page. For the most part, that was Blair’s work – photos, stories and even page design.

We’ll also be losing Rett Rivers this week. Rett worked in the sports department, but also filled in anywhere he was needed.

He has learned to design pages, and put together today’s front page. Rett has been a dedicated member of our team this summer, and he’ll be missed. We wish him luck as he heads to Samford University in a few weeks.

Lyndsey Weber has worked for about a year in our composing department.

Many of the ads in the paper were designed and put together by Lyndsey. She’s been an essential part of that department during her time at the newspaper.

Lyndsey is leaving us to enter her senior year at Central Christian School.

Another student employee – who has been long-term – is Hailey Davis.

Hailey’s been with us for three years, working mainly in the newsroom. Fortunately, we’re not losing Hailey, although she will be entering her freshman year at Wallace Community College Selma in a few weeks.

We appreciate these young adults who have became a part of our news team.

We wish them well in their future endeavors, and hope they make their way back to Selma.

Tammy Leytham is editor of The Times-Journal.