The official newspaper of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
By: Srinidhi Ananth, Michael Miller, and Isha Patlola Last October, WW-P superintendent David Aderhold issued a letter to parents to address the high stress levels in the district. This letter stirred up controversy in the community, and ever since then, the school district has been progressively working on addressing the concerns of students, teachers, and parents. According to the WW-P […]
By: Lei Lei Wu and Shaun Robinson In its September 2016 issue, New Jersey Monthly Magazine released its biennial state high school rankings. North came in at number 2 on the Top 100 list, out of a total 337 public high schools in New Jersey. However, this year the magazine changed its ranking criteria. They considered, for the first time, student participation in visual and performing arts classes. Additionally, the magazine looked at, according to njmonthly.com, “the percentage [of students] taking an AP or IB class of any kind,” as opposed to the number taking an AP class in solely math, science, social studies, or English. With North’s extensive music and art programs, as well as the popularity of […]
Bharati Ganesh On September 18, hundreds of supporters congregated in Princeton for the grand opening of the Hillary for New Jersey State Headquarters. People talked excitedly among themselves and looked around, hoping to catch glimpses of local representatives. The “H” logo was plastered on shirts, hats, bags, and faces. The kickoff was organized by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization […]
From scanners in the Lower Dining Hall to a new running track, change has been everywhere this school year. The cafeteria wasn’t unaffected—over the summer, the district and Sodexo, WW-P’s food managing company, worked toward improving lunch options. In previous years, students had new options of Boar’s Head sandwiches and soup; the school now provides biodegradable instead of Styrofoam lunch trays and supplies halal meat for students on certain days of the week. At the end of last year, Sodexo began to use new vendors to provide halal meat in the cafeteria for Muslim students. For Anthony Kowalak, the Sodexo Operations Manager for WW-P, the changes regarding halal meat balance the need to be considerate of students’ dietary restrictions and […]
by Diana Tang and Lei Lei Wu This year, the school district has removed finals and midterms from the high school curriculum. Students will no longer have to take the three part midterms and finals; they will now have four full days of school at the end of the year, which were previously designated as shortened finals days. Why has […]
At the end of the previous school year, Financial Literacy was redesigned to be a 2.5 credit course, the state requirement, and the Board of Education decided students would be allowed to take this course during their study hall. These students alternate between going to class and staying in study hall for each four day cycle. In other words, a student will attend Financial Literacy for four days then go to study hall for the next four, and the pattern repeats. Financial Literacy can still be taken online over the summer, but the decision to allow students to take it during study hall was made to accommodate those enrolled in a similar elective all four years, like Band or art. […]
by Zehra Madhavan and Hannah Mitlak During the weekend of October 16, North students came together for Homecoming weekend, which involved a football game on Friday night and the Homecoming dance on Saturday night. North Student Council organized the event under the guidance of Victoria Bartley and Matthew Gore, this year’s new Student Council advisors. Spirit Week began earlier in […]
—By Ally Santa Maria & Julia Bannon— For the first time in six years, North’s Science Olympiad team did not come in second at this year’s State Tournament. They came in first, beating South for the first time since 2009, and are now on their way to nationals at the University of Nebraska on May 15 and 16. Science Olympiad […]
The contract of North art teacher Nishan Patel will not be renewed, despite impassioned pleas from students and parents, a list posted on WW-P’s website yesterday afternoon confirms. The list, which names the untenured teachers whom WW-P Superintendent David Aderhold will recommend for contract renewals at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, does not include Patel’s name. Patel told students about his […]
Community Middle School’s dress code policy has provoked widespread concerns among students, including a petition started by a group of eighth-grade girls. The policy has sparked conversation at North and on social media about girls’rights. On April 15, CMS administrators sent an email to all parents saying that “clothing that disrupts or inhibits education” is not permitted at school. The […]
A summery breeze rustles gold and silver stars that don the walls of the Lower Dining Hall. Shimmery decorations are a signature of this event—after all, this is a Knight on Broadway. On Saturday, April 18, the choir department hosted its first ever cabaret—that is, a musical performance held as audience members eat and drink at tables. The choir hosts […]
The Institute for Political and Legal Education (IPLE) class found out three months ago, after competing at the statewide “We the People” competition, that it would be going to nationals for the second year in a row. But how did it get there, what has it done to prepare, and what does an IPLE class even look like? IPLE is […]
The deadline for scheduling changes may have passed, but with the end of the year approaching, many students still aren’t sure what to take next fall. This year conversations are especially interesting due to the inception of some unique new classes. If you’re out of the loop, don’t worry: here’s the scoop on the Program of Studies’ new offerings for […]
More than 150 North students held a sit-in in the main hallway during lunch last Thursday to protest the firing of popular art teacher Nishan Patel. The demonstration was the climax of a week-long social media campaign that has elicited impassioned tributes to Patel’s teaching and drawn nearly 400 petition signatures. The students, holding signs that said “Je Suis Patel” […]
After the WW-P Board of Education implemented limitations to the controversial Option ii program, members of the community voiced mixed opinions. Many claimed the Option ii restrictions are beneficial to students because they stop them from bypassing a course simply to bolster their college applications, while others asserted that the new rules would hold students back from pursuing their passions. […]
Option ii has always been an academic tradeoff for school systems. Although it allows students to progress further in certain subject areas, sometimes they do not properly learn the information, which can lead to students enrolling in higher level courses for which they are unprepared. In December, the WW-P Board of Education approved limitations to the Option ii program, limiting […]
