WHS Teacher Appreciation Week!

With Teacher Appreciation Week, WHS journalism students wanted to take the time to write about some of the teachers that have made an immense impact on them across their years. I hope you enjoy reading their words just as much as I did. --Mr. Martin 

First and foremost, every teacher in Wethersfield High School is great in their own way. There are a couple of teachers that stood out to me the most during my four years in this school and they are Mr. Galivian, Mr. Sikora, Mr. Martin, and Mrs. Fitzgerald. 

Mr. Gallivan, I want to thank you for putting up with my annoying behavior when you had me during my sophomore year. You are one of the most determined teachers I know that has the ability to put up with kids who slack and try their best to be annoying. Sadly, our time together was cut short due to covid but every day I spent in your class trying to be funny and not doing my work. I'm glad you pushed me to pass English class and I would go back in a heartbeat to have you as one of my teachers again. 

Mr. Martin, I’ve known you for a little while now and I’m taking your class right now as we speak but you have impacted the way I want to strive for the better. You’re one of the four teachers that is always putting up with my attitude and you have the best comebacks and sarcasm of all time. But I really want to say thank you for taking the time to not get frustrated at every assignment I turn in late or when I don’t try. Instead of getting frustrated, you channel your somewhat frustration into helping me turn in my assignments, helping boost my motivation to get your classwork and other teacher’s work done, and lastly helping me have great motivation to graduate. You are a blessing to the staff and students of WHS and I will never forget the things you have taught me when I am done with High School. 

Mr. Sikora Never in my four years of high school have I failed your class but you did inspire me for lots of things. We both know I’m a lazy kid and hate doing assignments but during your classes and assignments, I feel like I can have fun and be more like myself when I am in your classroom. I like how you aren’t judgy. I discovered my passion for construction when I took your construction class last year. Thanks to you I will be able to do what I love after high school without making a million decisions about what I want to do with my life. You showed me that even working hard and getting stuff done can be fun as long as you’re determined and passionate about what you want to do. Whoever has you next in the incoming years of high school will have fun with you. Stay cool.

 Lastly, I want to say thank you to Mrs. Fitzgerald for always keeping me well organized. Whenever I would say I can’t do something because it’s late or it’s too late to pass the class you gave me the motivation to try and push myself past my limits so I could pass my classes. I like how you checked in on me every day whether it was for school or how I just was mentally and physically. You have been a lot of help in my path to success in passing class and school and for that, I will forever be grateful and thankful. 
-Carlos Vazquez 

During my time at Wethersfield High, I have had at least one conversation with every teacher. I've built very close relationships with a bunch of these teachers too. So picking one and writing an article about them is impossible for me. I can't pick just one teacher. All of these teachers have shaped me. If you had told me at any time in my life before my sophomore year of high school, that I will be going to college as a physical education major to become a physical education teacher I would not believe you. 

Before high school, I hated school. I never did my work, I never knew what was going on, I never listened but most importantly I never cared. I had zero motivation for school or my life in general. I had no structure, no direction, no help. At Least that's what it felt like. During the beginning of my freshman year, I was failing the majority of my classes and was struggling both inside and outside of school. I wasn't the person I wanted to be and I didn't have the motivation or structure to be better/be that person. I can't pick favorites, I love and appreciate each one of the teachers, students, and staff members that go to this amazing school. Being that I want to be a teacher myself I have pulled pieces and philosophies from everyone I have talked to build my own. 

I am beyond thankful for everyone in our great community, the lessons I've learned from them, the memories I've shared with them, and most importantly the growth that I've gained from them. I really can't put into words how grateful I am but I attribute any and all of the success to the people around me. As I said, I'm beyond thankful to everyone here and I can't pick favorites. But one teacher I really want to say thanks to is Mrs. Blanzaco. Without Mrs. Blanzaco I never would have gained the motivation to succeed or find what makes me happy. Without her, I would still be failing and I have no idea where I would be. I just know it wouldn't be a very good place. For those who do not know Mrs. Blanzaco is a tutoring teacher at Wethersfield High. She goes above and beyond to help people. Not students… people. She builds genuine relationships with everyone she meets. You can tell she is not working here to get paid, she's here because she truly just wants to help people, and that is exactly what she does. Mrs. Blanzaco got me on the right path. There is no value in what I've gained from her. But thank you Mrs. Blanzaco. For turning a stubborn, immature, mess Into what I want to be, something greater than myself. 
-Aidan Budaj

One of the most hard-working thoughtful teachers I have met here at WHS is Mr.Miller. I have just met Mr.Miller this year for Pre-Calc. He doesn't teach in any really crazy way, or he doesn't just crack jokes with students the whole class. He teaches the lessons, and makes some jokes here and there- but for the most part, it's pretty cut and dry. 
The reason I want to write this appreciative letter for Mr.Miller is because of his heart. And what I mean by this is I think Mr.Miller has a really big heart. My class for Pre-calc is wild, and it would probably be an understatement. My class can be really rude sometimes, sometimes we don't pay attention (myself included), a lot of the people just don't really care. Now a lot of teachers can probably claim this as well because as students we can be all of those things. 

But what really moves me about Mr.Miller is the fact that he continues to show up every single day with the same positive attitude and the same goal/drive to help us learn math. And yes, obviously, he has gotten mad at us a few times when we have pushed his limits- as any teacher should. But also the fact that on every single test, when those same students don't care about a single thing that Mr.Miller is teaching every other day with the same energy, he will always help them the best he can. This caught me by surprise the first couple times he did it. I would say to myself, "why is he helping these kids, they don't give him the time of day during regular classes." Now I wouldn't given it a second thought if he would just play it off and say something like "Well that's what we were learning about last class when you weren't paying attention." And I think that would have been completely fine because those kids didn't deserve it in my opinion. Why would Mr.Miller help them? Why? That's when I thought to myself, he does it because that's what teachers do. 
-Anduei Xhelaj

The most inspiring person I’ve met while here at WHS has definitely been Mrs. Duggins. She has only been teaching me for a year but I have known her since my freshman year. She has taught me life lessons about our history because she wants us to learn about how we began and how many things have changed.Mrs.Duggins is one of those people that you see way more than a teacher, she is a mother figure and inspires me to want to do more in life. 

She isn't just there to tell her students about WWI or WWII or The Civil Rights Movement, but she also connects herself with each of her students to make sure they’re okay in school and outside of school. She is bright and strong and cares so much about her students like they are her own children, and she wants everyone to graduate and do big things in the future. Mrs. Duggins loves her history class even though it might be challenging at times. Even though we as students might be challenging to deal with, seeing Mrs. Duggins' energy and her bright smile always brightens everyone's day. 

My grades have always been great in her class because she makes it interesting and fun, even though it is in the morning. I saw Mrs. Duggins yesterday and she had a talk with me because I was in a messy situation with an old friend. And she told me that I'm not a bad student and to hear that I might get in trouble made her upset with me. So we had a sit-down talk and she made me realize that the situation was really not important and I shouldn’t be interested in it. She is a very strong black woman and mother and I aspire to have the same mindset as her. She is a great teacher and an awesome person. Thank you, Mrs.Duggins.
-Shannon Menns
 

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The teacher I appreciate the most in WHS is definitely Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin is and always has been an amazing teacher. I have only had him once in my junior year and that is when we were online. Even online, he knew how to make teaching fun and he knew how to make us have fun. I now have him in my senior year and I look forward to his class every single day. I have the most fun in his class. I love how he has a full class discussion before starting the lesson every class. He makes everyone feel included and makes sure no one is left out. He makes his students feel cared for, he wants every single one of us to succeed. He doesn't want to see us ever struggle. 

Mr. Martin isn't just about teaching his students, he builds connections with us and creates a bond. He is a very open person and makes everyone feel comfortable. He makes everyone feel welcomed, he always says hi to all of his students in the hallways and puts a smile on their faces. Every time I walk into Mr. Martin's class, I know I am going to laugh and leave the class with a smile. I like how he doesn't just teach us things academically but he teaches us stuff about the real world. Mr. Martin is the teacher I will miss the most when I leave this school, there aren't many teachers like him. He has taught and helped me with many things and always made my school days better.
-Alexiana Rodrigues
 
I've been at this high school for four years, I have spent three of those years taking Italian with Mrs. Becker. Mrs. Becker goes beyond being a teacher and built a relationship with her students even during the weirdest 2 years of everyone's lives. Mrs. Becker would take us down to the language lab and instead of it being dreadful Italian practice, it was fun Italian practice. She had made her class very enjoyable and I looked forward to having her class every single day. In the times of Covid, it was dreadful and everyone lacked motivation and no one looked forward to school. Mrs. Becker had made the online class enjoyable and fun, she had played movies for us through the computer, on top of that she would check up on us through Google Classroom asking if everyone was okay. Her assignments always had something to do with us because she just simply cared about us, and that means everything not only to me, but to all of her students. Mrs. Becker's efforts as a teacher and as a friend have impacted all of her students. Although I didn't take her class for my senior year, she did teach me for three years here at this high school. Three years where I enjoyed learning Italian and going to her class whenever I had it. Thank you, Mrs. Becker.
-Nick Nasse
 
The teacher who inspired me the most in the school is Mrs. Rajan. I had her for my first two years in a row and she has shown me study skills that I will never stop using. We would do a lot of work during the period instead of homework, which I loved. She also has prepared me for what to do when I am given lots of work. Due to the hard work I put in her class, I can easily take on the assignments given by the teachers I have now. I never had to pull out my phone during her class because we were always learning and I never got bored of it. I had her class in the morning and she was always up and ready to teach us, I loved the positive environment in her classroom that she brings. If It was my choice, I wish I could take her class this year and last year. She is caring and understanding with students, She is also very good at motivating kids to do her work, she will give extra points and she is extremely reasonable when it comes to late work. As a senior now, I will carry what she has taught me into college and throughout my life. Thank you for everything you have done for me Mrs. Rajan, you are someone that I will always look up to. 
-Sawyer Hoon
 
I've never really had the chance to get a deep connection with a teacher and build a bond but that doesn't mean that there's not a teacher who has severely helped me out this year. For example, Mrs.Kapalczynski has been great for me this year, I'm the type of student who needs a sit-down and 1-on-1 moment to really grasp what is going on during the lesson, and she always finds times to talk me through it and my whole life. I was a D barely passing math student and this year with the help of Mrs. Kapalczynski, I have a 90% as my Year 1 grade, and for me that is extraordinary. Also she is very patient because we don't have the best class with students wise but she still manages to get to all of us and help every one of us through it. And she might not think we care but everyone in that class, really appreciates what she has done for us and the way she has changed our perspective on math. Because once you really understand math and actually know what you are doing, you actually start to not dread it every minute. I've never thanked her for it but now I have to appreciate her a little more. Thank you Mrs.Kapalczynski
-Brandon Rodriguez
 
Dear Mr.Mirizzi and Mrs.Malizia, thank you very much for the first 2 years of my high school career. Being in your class was very enjoyable and I felt at home. You guys don’t understand how much I appreciate you two. You guys are the sweetest souls I have ever met. You’ve helped me get through hard times in school. Not only did you guys help me, but you guys also helped me learn to be a good person. Not a lot of people have what it takes to help those In need of help. Both of you have done a great job with the ESL students and other students. It takes a lot of hard work to work with and communicate with students that speak a different language. I have all the respect for you for doing what you guys do. As a kid coming from a different part of the world, we have a hard time fitting in but you guys make it easy for us to learn English and meet new people. I love how you guys interact with students like one of your own kids. You make us feel welcomed into this school. I don’t have anything much to say left but thank you for all you have done.
-Ehlwe Htoo
 
My favorite teacher here is Mr.Martin. I've had Mr.Martin two times for The American Dream and currently journalism. He has taught me so many things and I am always looking forward to his class. He is extremely funny, a good teacher, and very smart. I have learned a lot through the way that he teaches. He makes sure that he is clear and we all know what we always have to do. When we get an assignment from Mr. Martin, he gives us enough time and does not rush us like some other teachers do. He gives us so much in-class time to get our work done. 

My favorite thing about Mr.Martin and what sticks out the most is the relationship he has with his students. He doesn't just act like a teacher and like he is in charge of us. He treats us like friends and really tries to learn more about our lives. He checks in on us to see how we are doing in our lives and in school. Another thing that really sticks out about Mr.Martin is that he doesn't ever just sit at his desk and he is always walking around to check-in. He really engages with his students and is a really good overall person and teacher!
-Arianna Shink
 
The most inspiring teacher I've had at WHS is Mrs. Kapalczynski. I've never liked math nor been good at it. I've always dreaded going to math class. This year, with Mrs. K as my math teacher, I don't dread it as much...I repeat, AS MUCH. Mrs.K made me realize I'm not as bad at math as I thought, I just needed someone to explain it a certain way. She explains everything in this certain way where concepts make much more sense to me. She's always available for extra help, which I have taken advantage of. Her class is very interactive, but you also don't feel pressured to always know the right answer. My class specifically, always has a whole bunch of questions throughout the entire class, which she very patiently answers and explains. For a math class, I enjoy it. I can tell Mrs. K puts everything she can into teaching us and doing everything she can to get us to understand it. I have never enjoyed math and didn't think I ever would. Not saying I enjoy it now...however, it's somewhat doable with Mrs.K as my teacher. Thank you for everything, you the bestest:)
 -Ava O'Neil
 
One of the most inspiring teachers I had during my junior year of high school was Mrs. Ryba. She always has a positive attitude towards the students which encourages us to listen and do our work. She wanted us all to succeed in her class and was insistent on us studying a week in advance of taking our quizzes or exams. She was one teacher who I believed truly cared about each and every student. Mrs. Ryba encourages her students to email her if they need advice or are confused about an assignment. She genuinely wants to help out the kids who are struggling in her class and will not let them fall under the other students and get unnoticed. Mrs. Ryba is known for being a stickler of following the rules, but personally, it shows that she actually cares about us and wants only the best for her students. She is one of my favorite teachers that I have had at WHS, mainly because she is such a nice and genuine person. Thank you for all that you do Mrs. Ryba, I know it is not an easy task dealing with kids our age 24/7, but you do a great job with it.
 - Mia Popowycz
 
I am very grateful for all of the teachers that I've had at Wethersfield High School, but this year, I am particularly grateful for Mrs. Niemiec and Mrs. Becker. I have had many fulfilling conversations with these teachers, especially while they are on bathroom duty, and they always make waiting to go to the bathroom a fun time. I find that with Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Niemiec, I can have important conversations regarding Italian/linguistics and psychology, respectively, as well as conversations regarding other topics, like how they spent their weekend, the newest Taylor Swift song, and applying to college. I am very grateful that I've had Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Niemiec as support systems this year, easing the symptoms of my senioritis and making school a better place with their kindness and flexibility. Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Niemiec are teachers who support the success of their students both academically and emotionally. 
- Taylor Moran 

The most inspiring person I've met while here at WHS has definitely been Mrs. Leuschner. I had Mrs. Leuschner for all 4 years of my high school career, and it has been great. She has taught me to be a better person, and to grow as a student, friend, sister, and daughter. Through her amazing, fun work, I've learned that mistakes happen, and all you can do is pick yourself up and fix the problem. Never give up. She is a sweet, kind, passionate, hardworking teacher. Even though she deals with chaotic, huge classes, she cares about her students and wants them to succeed. She has helped me express my creativity and find other hobbies, such as sewing and cooking and baking. She is the best and I want her to know that I appreciate her as a human being. Mrs. Leuschner is someone you can trust. After going through rough patches, she has helped me get through the tough days. She is an easy-going person, and I'm so thankful. Thank you, Mrs. Leuschner, thank you for being the best teacher. 
- Krystal Engel
 
The person that made me the most encouraged and inspired me in my WHS career was Mr. Martin. It might not show through my grades as I put in as little effort as possible but, this class might have been the only class that I looked forward to. With Mr. Martin's and my counselor's help, I was able to come up with a plan for my future education, which is to go to community college for the first 2 years into 2 years at a bigger college. When I was younger, I never knew what I wanted to become but, recently I was finally able to focus on business due to my dad's large online business. Without the help of Mr. Martin during the beginning of the year, I would have been lost in a panic not knowing what to do with my poor GPA last year.

 During my time with Mr. Martin, I was able to hone my writing skills by miles. Now I'm able to write exactly what I want without worrying about anything. Before Mr. Martin's class, I was never confident about my writing as I was always self-conscious about things. With my skills improving, I was able to improve myself in my dad's business as well. There is a reason why Mr.Martin has won teacher of the year as he is very caring for his students. For me, I was never worried or anxious about his classes as he was always flexible with his due dates. If I had something going on he was there to help and understood the situation. I think that the difference between Mr. Martin's class and my other classes is that his stories were actually humorous (for the most part) compared to other teachers. In any other class when a teacher started talking about themselves students usually end up zoning out including myself, however, with him, it kept the class more engaged and fun. Mr. Martin's humor created a small period of time of laughter that kept me more engaged in the task at hand. For me, Mr. Martin holds a special place for me since without him I don't think I would have grown the confidence that I have now. Thank you. 
-Sinan Uzun

The most inspiring person I’ve met while here at WHS has definitely been Mrs.Sanhueza. I only had Mrs.Sanhueza for one year, but she taught me life lessons (and Spanish) because she actually cares about us. Mrs.Sanhueza is one of those people that you see beyond a teacher and inspires the students she’s in touch with. She doesn’t only teach us Spanish, but she connects herself with each student to make sure they’re okay in school and outside of school. She is kind, passionate about her teaching, and caring in the ways that she cares for her students as they are her kids, and she wants us to succeed. Mrs.Sanhueza loves her culture and inspires us because of that. We had a pretty rowdy class and I can imagine it wasn’t easy to deal with everyone. Even if she didn’t know it, she would brighten our days with her huge heart and her desire to be there with us. She is a great teacher, more importantly, an awesome person! Thank you Mrs.Sanhueza, 
- Elizabeth Strom
 
One of my favorite teachers at WHS is Mr. Martin. I only had Mr. Martin for the last semester of my senior year, but he's taught me so much about how to improve my writing. He genuinely cares about us students and wants to see us succeed. He takes time to meet with us one-on-one to discuss our writing or just help us with whatever we need. His class was one of the first classes that I actually felt noticed and appreciated in. Most teachers just lecture in front of the board and don't really make an effort to get to know us students. I look forward to Mr. Martin's class because it's a great way to end the day. He does a great job balancing a fun joking attitude and a serious teaching attitude, which helps create a good working environment for us students to work in. I'm incredibly thankful for having Mr. Martin as a teacher and I appreciate everything he does for his students.
-Adrianna Cruz
 
One of the most inspiring teachers that I've met at WHS has been Mr. Sikora. Although I only had Sikora for one year, he has been one of the only teachers that showed he really cared about his students. He accepted everyone for who they are and treated everyone with the same respect regardless. Not only that but he encourages us to do whatever we wanted with our lives and to really chase our dreams. Personally, he was very supportive whether it was in school working on school assignments or taking time out of his day to come support our hockey team. He was always asking about what was going on in our lives he really built relationships with his students. No matter what he was always in a good mood never failing to put a smile on my face and one of the best teachers I've had in my time at WHS.
 - Colby Quinn
 
Mrs. Malizia, I want to thank you for your amazing work as an ELL teacher, for your personality, thank you for always wanting to help your students and always giving your best, thank you for always trying to help me get ahead as a student and as a person, more than my teacher I see a friendly figure in you and it's great! I wish everyone could see and recognize the great effort you make every day with your students and all the time and effort you put into them. Thank you for trying to keep me going every day and guiding me through this long journey of high school to the final goal, you have helped me both academically and personally, always being there for me in any situation that comes my way and that means a lot to me. Thank you for your love and for being the best teacher ever!
-Madeleyni Lazala Gomez 
 
The most inspiring person I met this year was Mrs. Becker. I had her my Freshman and Sophomore years for Italian. These two years were the best. I looked forward to your class every day I had it. She taught me a lot and all new things. We did fun activities on Fridays. We colored, we tried Italian food, made tea, etc. It was really fun and an enjoyable class where we didnt have to worry about anything else. She is a nice and kind person. She really loves her job. She cared about us and always was interested in what was going on in our lives outside of school. She liked hearing about how are sports went. She made her classwork when we had the online school and was really helpful while online. She is a great teacher and an amazing person. Thank you Mrs. Becker.
-Bella Bonfiglio 
 
The most inspiring person that I've met while being here is definitely Mrs. Bradley. I had her for a couple of years, and she's an amazing person for who she is and how she respects people. she's a person that is sweet and understandable, while also doing her job as a teacher. The times I've had her I was so excited for her class every time, even if I was a bit of a pain in the butt. She's one heck of a great person, I still remember how she helped me during my mental breakdown when I had to go into the bathroom to collect myself. Every time I pass by the hall for the bathroom, I have to remind myself to not stop and talk for my entire class period and finish what I have to do. She's such a great person, and I was lucky to have known her during my time here at WHS.
 - Nick Minnix
 
A teacher I appreciate a lot has to be Mr. Gallivan. He’s an overall stand up guy who during the Covid year was super supportive and adapted to the challenges we all were dealing with in his class while also keeping it engaging. Each and every class was super fun and engaging with more than just standard lecturing but actual conversations about all of the stories we were covering. The bits of comedy he added to these conversations definitely helped keep me engaged. In all honesty, had it not been for him I would not have done nearly as well that year. And for that, I'm very appreciative of him as a teacher. Thank you so much for teaching here at the high school. 
-Nick Roman

The teacher I look up to the most is definitely Mr. Bowles. I've had Mr. Bowles as a teacher since my freshman year as a band, and electronic music production teacher, and I feel I have learned the most from him and I really appreciate what he has done for me. He has helped me reach some of my musical goals, and I could never thank him enough for that. Not only is he a great teacher, but he is a great person too. I can't think of a single person that dreads his class or anything he does because he makes class fun and he doesn't treat you like a subordinate. He treats you like he is one of your friends and I think that really helps people learn from him. 
-Aidan Cook
 
I think the best teacher I have had this year has to be Mr. Sand. I only have 1 semester with Mr. Sand, but I can tell by his enthusiasm, excitement, and energy that he loves what he teaches and he loves his job. Someone that loves what they do I think does the best at it. He stays focused during his lessons but also while making us laugh by cracking jokes. I think he is a great teacher because when I’m in his class, I am not bored nor in a bad mood, and he is always doing something. He teaches us about the reality of things and gives us a realistic idea of how the world really is. By him giving such good and positive energy makes the class want to have the same.
-Jake Donahue 
 
Happy Teacher Appreciation week! Mrs. Ricardi has been my teacher for Marketing 1 and 2. She truly loves what she teaches and always makes class fun and engaging. To me, she has been nothing but patient, compassionate, and attentive. As the advisor of the DECA marketing club, she helps us immensely with reviewing our projects and speeches. I don't think I would have succeeded in my DECA competition without her. She inspires us to pursue our interests with excitement and hard work, which made the journey all the more worthwhile for me. Thank you for being such an amazing teacher and helping me discover my passion for business.
-Irma Guster

The most inspiring person that made an impact on my life that I’ve met while here at WHS has definitely been Mr. Sikora. He really cares about the students and also makes sure we are actually learning, he is very helpful and is teaching us some great life skills from cars to construction to manufacturing. From all his classes, you can learn something that you will never forget and maybe use on a daily basis. I have really learned a lot from taking all his classes like instead of paying someone to do it for you he teaches us to do it and save money, I will really miss him since this is my last class. Thank you, Mr. Sikora. 
-Jordan Pineda
 
A teacher I appreciate is Mr.Kieras. Every day my classmates and I walk into his class, we just know it is going to be a good time. The atmosphere of learning that he creates is fun for him and his students. Our class may be a little tough, and the stuff we learn may not be easy, but we all enjoy it. This class is very unique in the way we learn and are as a class as a whole. This is what I enjoy the most. I can speak for everyone in the class when we say that we walk in every day ready to learn and have a great time. Thank you Mr.Kieras for making your class as enjoyable as possible. 
-Nick Farrelly
 
A teacher I appreciate the most here at WHS is Ms. Alexopoulos. Not only is Ms. A an amazing teacher, but she really cares about her students well being. Her class is very organized and she always offers help. Ms. A goes out of her way to help students who are struggling to accommodate everyone. She asks us about ourselves and genuinely cares for each of her students individually. If you are having a bad day, she will notice and check in on you. She is a kind, down-to-earth teacher. It's the little things like that, that make a teacher mean so much more to the students. 
-Elena Rivas
 
One teacher here at Wethersfield High School who has been great in his first year teaching has been Mr. Spessard. As a physics teacher, he engages us with meaningful labs and enjoys teaching us. He is passionate and is easy to connect with if you need anything at all. He makes it extremely easy to converse with him about topics within the class, and those outside of school as well. He is helpful when you are struggling with a topic and loves having fun with us in class. To all of his students he is not just a teacher, but a friend as well. 
-Josh Gstell
 
One of the most helpful people that I’ve met here at WHS is Ms. Alexopoulos. Although I only had one half-semester class with her, I could tell how genuinely she loved what she was teaching. And with that love for the topic, she was eager to teach us and have us understand the importance of what we were learning. Even with the struggles of Covidand our rowdy class, She always took the time to explain things clearly so nobody would be behind and made the classes as fun as they could be.
 -Layton Johnson
 
New to teaching but one of the best is Mr.Spessard. Mr.Spessard may be new but he he has made an impact on me and other students. In the short time I've known him, he's only shown kindness and understanding. Im, sure he doesn't know but he makes people excited to learn and want to show up to class. Thanks for making a class no one liked before physics into a class that all seniors don't want to skip and making it enjoyable with the fun labs and interactive teaching. Thank you.
-Adam Jensen
 
Mrs. Lavoie is one of my favorite teachers at WHS, she makes statistics easy to understand and I've never had a low grade in her class. Mrs. Lavoie works with her students efficiently and at the right pace for them. Our class can get a bit rowdy, but she always knows how to keep us on track and it's clear that she wants the best for us. Mrs. Lavoie's class is never a dreaded experience for me and she always carries a good mood leaving the rest of us ready for the day as well.
-Kareen Khadar
 
The best teacher I have had this year has to be Mrs. Campbell. I have had Mrs. Campbell as a freshman in high school and a senior. The thing that I liked most about having her is that I never have dreaded her class. As much as some of the stuff she teaches I may not pursue in life, I always found her classes interesting and a way to calm myself down if I was having a bad day. She is always just in a good mood and lights up my day every time I walk into the room.
-Ethan Malloy
 
A teacher I appreciate is Mrs. Bradley. I've only had her for one year and even though it is a difficult class, she always makes sure that we have all the resources we need. She is always quick to offer help and willing to help with assignments. She takes her teaching seriously and takes how her students are even more seriously. Being one of the most caring teachers I've ever had, I won't forget her as one of my teachers. 
- Nicole Partridge
 
One of the nicest teachers I have met at WHS is Ms. Rajan. I had her sophomore year but have continued to stop in and say hi since then. I feel as if I can talk to Rajan about anything and she will listen and give me good feedback and advice. I have talked to her about a lot and it is so nice to be able to have a teacher that I feel like I can share anything with. Thank you for letting me have someone to talk to. 
- Evan Munger
 
A teacher I would like to take the time to appreciate is Mrs. McKenna. I have had Mrs. McKenna for freshman honors English and senior Myths and Legends and my time in her classroom has been awesome. Mrs. McKenna is a light of enthusiasm of kindness for many of her students, including myself, and sincerely cares about her students. Thank you for being awesome Mrs. McKenna!
 - Tea Tola

The most inspiring teacher I met at WHS has been Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin is an easy guy to relate to and is very friendly and kind. He treats us with respect and lets us be ourselves in class. He allows us to share our true thoughts and opinions and treats us like adults.
-Ethan Torres

One of the people that has inspired me the most while at WHS has been Mrs. McKenna. I don't have any classes with her anymore but she really helped me gain strength during a hard time I was and still continue to go through. Just by the way she teaches and engages herself in her students' lives you can tell that she genuinely cares about everyone and would do anything to put a smile on our faces. 
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She's one of the best teachers I've ever had and I'm so grateful I got to meet her here at WHS. When I first told her the situation I was going through, she gave me a hug and just made me feel so welcome and secure in her class. I always felt safe there and I can't believe I got the chance to meet someone as amazing as her.  
-Anonymous