The 2025-26 school year marks a change in leadership at Northwood, with Mr. Gino Riffle becoming the new head of school. New leadership presents the opportunity to refocus on the school’s core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, courage, and compassion. In fact, Northwood’s school theme for the upcoming year is integrity.
A poster showcasing integrity, one of Northwood’s 5 core values and the theme for the 2025-2026 school year. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.
Northwood’s first formal dinner of the year was centered around the school’s Honor Code. Before dinner, the Honor Code was read aloud to the student body, and the signing ceremony was explained. As tables were called up for dinner, students and faculty would sign a physical copy of the Honor Code.
According to Northwood’s Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs Noel Carmichael, “the public signing hopefully will keep thoughts of integrity at the front of our minds throughout the year. Carmichael added that choosing the school theme of integrity “made us reflect more on our honor code. We always had kids sign a paper saying they understood and agreed to it, but it was just put away on a folder somewhere.” Carmichael believes that displaying the signed Honor Code will “revitalize this time-honored tradition in a new way.”
Emmett Fox ’28 signs the honor code as Lola Ferrillo ’27 and faculty member Ms. Stacy Prime look on.
Sasha Luhur ‘27 believes “the honor code is a promise to the school but also to ourselves to do our best work. Having us all sign the same document makes it a promise to our peers as well, which I think matches our school theme of integrity pretty well.”
Hudson Marshall ‘27 thinks, “It’s important that the honor code is displayed with our signatures. It keeps us accountable and helps you keep your integrity.”