After the recent retiring of former Westborough High School health teacher Mrs. Brown, WHS is fortunate enough to gain another amazing health teacher: Ms. Ellmore. Since midterm exams are over, Ms. Ellmore is now teaching both freshmen health classes and one P.E. class. She is very excited about her new opportunity at Westborough High and hopes for a promising first semester.

Ms. Ellmore grew up just a few towns over from Westborough in Milford, Massachusetts. Following her high school graduation and a little bit of time off due to career exploration, she attended Bridgewater State University, where she majored in health and secondary education with a minor in psychology.

Ms. Ellmore’s love for teaching started at the early age of sixteen when working at a preschool. This is what ultimately compelled her to obtain her teaching certificate for infants and toddlers. Although she enjoyed the job, she later realized she would prefer to work with older students. She combined her love for teaching with her passion for health and became a health teacher for older kids.

When asked why she loves to teach, Ellmore comments: “I think just being able to have a conversation, and being able to kind of relate with them. I like just being able to talk to students and get to know them.”

Although she was not aware of the age group she would be teaching at WHS, she stated that so far she really has been enjoying teaching the freshman class. She commented that not only does she feel that she can relate to them due to their age, but that they are both fairly new to our school and are still learning and figuring it out, just like she is.

As for her love and interest in health in particular, it all started with her father’s cancer diagnoses. She looks back on that difficult time as when she was really able to figure out what she wanted to pursue in terms of a career. Ms. Ellmore focused on her father and his condition, always curious about what was happening with his health: “I think my father’s cancer diagnosis is what got me so interested in health because it was so important for me to be able to help him. ” This shift in her family’s lifestyle ultimately led her to where she is today.

Ms. Ellmore says that she is looking forward to so much in the next semester, and hopefully also in future years at WHS. Although she couldn’t point out a specific portion of the health curriculum she loves to teach the most, she mentioned how her goal is to make the whole class enjoyable to the kids, because health is so important. She hopes that where her fresh outlook, health class is not something students will dread. Ms. Ellmore mainly is looking forward to possible future years, as she currently is a long term substitute and hopes to get the job permanently after the semester ends.

Although new to our school and still meeting people, Ms. Ellmore is very willing and excited to get to know both students and teachings. She is friendly and outgoing and ready to put her heart into teaching what she’s most passionate about. If any students of WHS need a teacher to just talk to and destress, Ms. Ellmore and definitely the person to go to.

Photo by Abby Papetti