The newest addition to our Social Studies and English departments is Baylee Ridings! Ridings teaches our freshman, juniors, and seniors here at CM. She is originally from Granite City, graduating from Granite City High in 2018. Later, she attended Lewis & Clark Community College along with SIUE, graduating with a bachelor’s degree and teaching certification.

Ridings is not completely new to CM, though. She student taught with Jacob Carlson, one of our current English teachers. She also has been teaching sign language at Southwest Illinois College in Belleville since 2021 and currently directs a sign language club here at CM every Tuesday and Thursday after school.

Some of her interests include going on long drives, spending time with her cats, traveling, going to Disney World, and playing the saxophone.

Ridings says her favorite thing about CM is how tight-knit it is. “I love the positive atmosphere here, and my students have made every day a great day! I love getting to know them.”