By Tim DeLouchrey
Sports Editor 

After a 37 year career here at WA, psychology teacher Sandy Whittemore has announced that she will be retiring this June. She is the longest standing teacher currently at Westford Academy despite being only 58 years old, and has made countless lasting contributions to WA.

Whittemore’s career has been defined by a passion for helping students, whether it be academically or emotionally and has been appreciated by many students and staff alike. Other notable contributions include the creation of Peer Counseling as well as developing the Psychology branch of the history department. Both Psychology and Sociology have become integral parts of many students’ schedules. Not only has she grown the program into the popular choice of elective, but all of her students’ AP scores have always been either 4s or 5s.

“I hope that the program I started will continue to grow,” Whittemore said. “I hope that it’s a solid program now and that it’s not just dependent on a personality. I hope that kids will want to take that. We have so many different sections and different people teaching that and I think that’s a good thing. I think that different personalities bring different things.”

But it is Whittemore’s love of teaching that she will be remembered for the most.

“She would ask me over the last seven years, ‘can you open up on a Sunday evening?’ She drives from Princeton, Massachusetts on a Sunday evening to prep her students. She doesn’t get one dime for it. She does it because she wants her students to be successful. That’s unbelievable. That is a true teacher that just absolutely understands that it’s about kids first,” said principal James Antonelli, a former student of Whittemore’s himself.

Antonelli added, “Mrs. Whittemore is part of the reason I’m in the education system.”

Whittemore has spent the majority of her life dedicated to teaching. She cited seventh grade as the year she decided she wanted to be a teacher for the rest of her career and specifically credited her science teacher Mr. Clearmont.

“I was inside doing a make up test for Mr. Clearmont in science and he was sitting with a student and giving him a talk about how he had to turn his life around and it was just so passionate and I remember thinking ‘I want to be him!’ I just saw a side to teaching that wasn’t just behind the desk,” recalled Whittemore. “I saw that it was talking to students about issues and I thought that was what I really like and that really set me in the direction of teaching and I give Mr. Clearmont full credit for that.”

It was the right time to retire according to Whittemore, as her daughter is getting married in the coming year and she will be busy with that. Following her retirement, Whittemore plans on doing many of the things she never had time for.

“I want to take some piano lessons and maybe some art classes,” said Whittemore.

Volunteer work, traveling, and swimming is also on her to do list. She used to teach swimming lessons and hopes to get back into that. She has given lessons to babies, teenagers, as well as done some work as a lifeguard.

Prior to recreational activities however, Whittemore says the first year will probably be more about “house repairs and the wedding” so that she can get the serious things out of the way.

“I’ll travel when my husband retires,” said Whittemore.

When she first started teaching, she went on a cross country backpacking trip with her husband. Despite thoroughly enjoying this, she says that she would now prefer to “stay in nice hotels.” As far as destination is concerned, Italy and England are priorities because Whittemore has family in both of the countries. Another trip she is interested in is a cruise to Alaska.

“I’m from New Hampshire and I grew up in the White Mountain area and I love the hiking. My sister and I used to do the Appalachian Trail and I just love the whole wilderness thing,” said Whittemore. “I love winter and the snow and all of that. Alaska just seems so wild and I love it.”

Whittemore has been rewarded with a career she defines as “the best job there is.”

The students appreciate her as well. According to senior Mary McCarthy, Whittemore is “one of the few teachers that actually show that they care that much.” McCarthy added, “She will be missed.”