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Staying Connected
October 11th, 2010By Nicole Larsen
Staff Writer
Two weeks ago, Westford Academy was plagued with an inconvenience-an internet connection failure. Teachers and students throughout the building faced the challenge of re-working their day to accommodate this untimely setback. Online lesson plans and iPass become irretrievable; printing homework and web browsing in DLT’s are no longer an option.
For students like, junior, J.C. Davis, an internet crash presents a challenge. He said, “It affect[s] my day because I like to put a lot of things on buzzword, and I can’t when the Internet is down”.
Needless to say, the current dependency on the Internet shows just how essential it is to every day academics.
However, teachers and students are not the only people in the building affected by an Internet outage. Ms. Millerick, the WA Computer Technician, and Ms. Gosselin, the Staff Instructional Technology Specialist, are the leading ladies who keep our connection up and running.
Millerick, when asked about the recent Internet problem, said that Westford Academy was affected by a town-wide issue, adding that “even the Police Station, Fire Station, Town Hall and all the schools were down”.
In order to diagnose an Internet issue and solve it, Millerick must follow numerous steps to restore a connection.
“I use a tool on my computer to monitor the internet, and I have a little Bible I use…with networking troubleshooting in it, and I follow some command prompts…we then go to the wiring closet and reboot…we got our router replaced which was [the issue] this [past] week,” said Millerick.
When asked if this process affects her day, Millerick said, “It adds stress to my day because the teachers get upset that they can’t get the attendance in, and if a class was in session and they were teaching it online it affects that, it’s very stressful”.
Ms. Gosselin, who also works as a back-up to help restore the internet, said, “It makes things very chaotic because we have to rethink the way we’re doing things…And basically coordinate to make sure everything is up and running…that’s [when] I’m running around.”
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Dan Twomey bounces into Westford
September 15th, 2010By Nicole Larsen & Nate Tashjy
Staff Writers
Mr. Twomey, the new athletic director, poses for a shot outside. Photo taken by Nicole Larsen
Q. Were you interested in sports in high school? If so, which sports?
A. In high school I played soccer and basketball…I was primarily a basketball player growing up my whole life.
Q. Where did you work previously?
A. I spent seven years in the Groton Dunstable Regional High school system, two years as a teacher and a coach and then the last five years as the athletic director there.
Q. How did you come to work at WA?
A. For me, Westford Academy is almost twice the size of Groton Dunstable and there are a lot more programs…it’s a great opportunity, it’s a super community, it’s a great high school…the principal and the administration are all wonderful people who work here; coaches, students and parents are excellent. So professionally for me, moving here was a good move…it’s a bigger program and a set of new challenges for me and I’m ready for it.
Q. How does WA compare to other schools?
A. [It's] very similar believe it or not…the students from Westford might know some kids from Groton Dunstable and probably have some of the same views on things…similar type families. So believe it or not it’s very similar, but there are a lot more teams and programs here so that will be different…but it’s a very similar type environment.
Q. What is your favorite sport?
A. Oh boy, tough question…my personal favorite sport…you know, I’m a basketball guy, I’ll put that out there. I love all the sports; every single sport offers something different for the teams and the students. For me I still enjoy playing pick-up basketball so I continue to do that and enjoy doing that…I love trying new sports, there are some new sports here that I haven’t experienced that I’m looking forward to getting to know, like swimming and wrestling…that they didn’t have at Groton Dunstable.
Q. Anything that you enjoy doing in your spare time?
A. My wife and I had our first son just about four and a half months ago, so now my time when I’m not here at Westford Academy…is spent with the little guy and my wife…and my son’s name is Patrick, he is just a blast and I hope everyone gets a chance to meet him, he’s a smiley little guy.
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A sweet exchange from Bavaria
March 2nd, 2010By Nicole Larsen
Staff Writer
When someone says Bavaria, Germany, what comes to mind? Chocolate, lederhosen, maybe yodeling.
Actually, Bavaria, or Bayern in German, has more to offer than these timeless associations.
Even in this modern generation, stereotypes about people from other countries are still relevant. And although technology offers opportunities for global communication, some people have yet to take advantage of this.
Westford Academy, true to our mission statement, is trying to bridge international gaps-starting with the German exchange. This program, headed by German teacher Michael Joyce, celebrated its twenty-ninth anniversary and is more influential than ever because of the websites and connections available for today’s students. Read the rest of this entry “
