Hidden in a nook on the first floor, math and computer science teacher Jason Townsend enthusiastically teaches his last year of classes before retirement. His booming voice resounds off the blue...
Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
• February 23, 2022
After a 28 year long career in education, including 12 years as head principal, Dr. Jeremy Mitchell announced his plans to retire in July. Read on to learn more about his journey and his contributions...
Smiling in the science hallway, greeting students during passing periods and caring for his snake, science teacher Anthony Piccinni has decided to retire after this year since joining the staff in 2011.
“[This...
After 17 years of nurturing and cultivating students for their futures, business teacher Laura Glenn has announced her retirement.
Before Glenn began teaching high school students, she worked as a certified...
Physics advocate and optics guru, Ellen Wilke is retiring after teaching physics for 22 years.
Wilke did not start off as a teacher: she started off as an engineer. However, when her engineering job...
![Math and computer science teacher Jason Townsend explains how to graph algebraic equations in front of the class. Townsend teaches algebra, calculus, and computer science. "I love teaching calculus [because] calculus [is] more challenging [and] more interesting to me. Granted, if you're a good teacher, you find ways to make [all math] interesting for your students and you challenge yourself to do it differently all the time,” Townsend said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Townsend-900x721.jpg)
![Principal Jeremy Mitchell sits in his homecoming float and waves to the students lined on the sidewalk for the homecoming parade. During homecoming week, he enjoyed getting to build connections with students. “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to work for,” Athletic Director Brian Kessler said. “[He] pulled off homecoming, [when] nobody knew what it was going to look like. It happened, it was great, it was beautiful, and [students] loved it.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IMG_0579-900x600.jpg)
![Anthony Piccinni poses in his classroom with his class pet Kaa. Piccinni has been Kaa’s owner for 22 years and he has become a big part of Piccinni’s identity. “[Kaa] and I have done birthday parties, visited preschool classrooms and taught lessons in elementary schools,” Piccinni said. “Giving him away is hard, not because of a deep, emotional connection, but because he is a part of a significant aspect of my life that is coming to a close. I will miss being a classroom teacher, and he has been a part of the classroom and the experience.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/piccinni-900x600.jpg)
![Business teacher Laura Glenn helps junior Walker Piles with an assignment in class. Throughout her time of teaching, Glenn has taught Accounting, Web Design and Intro to Computer Science and Technology. “The thing I’ll miss the most is working with students and sharing knowledge with them,” Glenn said. “[It’s] really exciting to see how just a little bit of what I might’ve introduced them to here has turned into a career for them and something that they are excited about.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/DSC_0375-900x600.jpg)
![Revolving a metal sphere around a Barbie doll, physics teacher Ellen Wilke explains the mechanics behind electricity. However, as much as Wilke enjoys explaining electricity, she would much rather explore optics. “I really like [optics],” Wilke said. “Wave optics are a really cool thing and allows you to work with material science, which is what my undergrad was, to work with the crystalline structure of substances. There’s so many cool applications of optics. The basics will start with mirrors and lenses. Then, it’s all about light and the reflection of light, and the different applications with lights and lasers.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WilkeExperiment-900x598.jpg)
