Some teachers are remembered for the subject they taught. Others are remembered for the way they made students feel. For many Pickens County students, Mrs. Kaye Chastain is remembered for both.
A member of the Pickens High School Class of 1965, Mrs. Chastain spent 27 years teaching in Pickens County before retiring in 2007. She believes teaching was simply the gift she was given. “God gives everyone gifts. My gift was teaching.”
Early in her career, Mrs. Chastain learned a lesson that would shape the kind of teacher she became: students respond best when they know their teacher genuinely cares about them. “The best way to get them to respond is to love them,” she said. That didn't mean Mrs. Chastain's classroom didn't have rules. She expected respect, didn't tolerate talking back and believed students needed structure. But she also wanted every student who entered her room to know they were welcome and loved. And she wanted them to learn lessons that had nothing to do with English. Be respectful. Be kind. Stand up for others. “It doesn't cost anything to be kind.”
One of Mrs. Chastain's most meaningful traditions came during students' senior year. Every year, she created a book for her seniors filled with life lessons, quotes and “food for thought.” Inside was something even more personal: an individual letter written to every student.
Years later, a former student told her that during a difficult time in college, he pulled out that book and read it again. That meant a great deal to her to hear. At Christmas, students received apple ornaments from Mrs. Chastain, with seniors receiving special gold apples.
We asked Mrs. Chastain what she would want to experience if she could walk back into her classroom for one day, and her answer isn't a particular lesson. She would want another lightbulb moment. That moment when a student who has struggled suddenly understands. “They mastered it. They understood it. They got it.”
Her AP students might also remember gathering at her house for a pizza party before their big test. For Mrs. Chastain, teaching was always about more than delivering a lesson. She explained it perfectly: “I am passionate about my students' learning. I am not passionate about teaching. There is a difference.”
Throughout her time at PHS, other teachers helped shape her career too. Mrs. Chastain remembers Sandra Payne as a wonderful, soft-spoken teacher whose techniques she used in her classroom. And then there was Karen Sewell, the friend who could always make her laugh. The two apparently learned they probably shouldn't sit together during faculty meetings.
Some of the greatest evidence of Mrs. Chastain's impact came years after students left her classroom. She remembers seeing former student Keith Petty working at Dairy Queen and telling him he needed to go to college. He did, and eventually became an educator in Pickens County himself. Another time, while eating at Ably Asian, someone handed her an envelope. Inside was a $100 gift card and a note containing only a few words: “Honors English, 9th Grade.” Those moments help explain why former students still bring up Mrs. Chastain's name decades later.
Today, she and her husband, Jerry, have been married for 57 years after meeting in 8th grade and being together since they were 16. They have two sons, Colby and John, both physicians, and three grandsons.
When asked what she hopes people will remember when they hear the name Kaye Chastain, her answer says it best: “I hope they remember a lady who found her niche in the world of education and made a career of it and loved every minute of it.”
And perhaps former students will also hear the words Mrs. Chastain sent them out the door with: “Don't speed. Wear your seatbelt. Always remember that I love you.”
Were you one of Mrs. Chastain's students or colleagues? Share your memories of her with us. We'd love to hear it!

Congratulations to our August Staff Members of the Month!

For 31 years, Stephanie Hall called Pickens County School District home. She began her retirement in July of 2023.

Her career began at Tate Elementary, where she spent 14 years teaching kindergarten. She later served at Jasper Elementary as an academic coach and literacy support specialist before returning to Tate as an Assistant Principal and then Principal.

If you ask Stephanie what she remembers most, her answers aren't about her titles or programs. They're about people.

One of her favorite parts of an ordinary school day was morning drop-off. Whether she was greeting students at Jasper Elementary or welcoming them as principal at Tate, she loved starting the day smiling, saying hello and seeing students happy to walk through the doors of their school.

Celebrating students was important to her, too. She remembers recognizing students during morning announcements for showing good character and making sure there was always a morning shout-out for something positive.

And then there was the Tate Elementary auditorium.

Stephanie remembers sitting there as a child in the 1970s watching Tater Patch plays. Years later, as a teacher and principal, she watched that same space become a gathering place for talent shows, wax museums, animal shows, award ceremonies, White Christmas and countless other moments that brought the school together.

"It was a place for all to come together and feel like a family."

That idea of family seems to sum up Stephanie's 31 years in PCSD pretty well. She says she learned through the years that working with students is about more than the subjects being taught.

"Love and patience were just as important as the subjects I taught."

Today, the part of education she misses most is simple: the students, teachers, and staff she worked alongside. From the custodians, bus drivers, parapros, food service, teachers, office staff and counselors, she is most proud of how everyone worked together to make school great. Her advice to new teachers: focus heavily on your classroom routines, rely on veteran teachers, and do not be afraid to ask questions.


Stephanie was born and raised in Pickens County and is a product of our schools. She has been married to Bill Hall, a teacher at JMS, for 33 years. They have four children. Sydney is working on her Physician Assistant degree at Brenau University, Will is a senior at Kennesaw studying to become an Electrical Engineer, Zadie is a senior at PHS, and Ray is in the 7th grade at PJHS.


Stephanie, thank you for 31 years of loving students, celebrating the good in them and helping make our schools places where our students felt like they belonged.

Were you a student, parent or coworker of Stephanie Hall? Share a favorite memory of her in the comments. We'd love to hear it!