Hamish Riddell

What is Design Thinking?

January 30, 2024 by Hamish Riddell

Design thinking, also known as user-centered design, is a five-step problem-solving process (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test/refine) that helps people create better products, services, and policies. Design thinking centers the user and requires that the ones designing the solution deeply understand and define both the problem and the people who experience the problem.

Ms. Stacy Prime, Northwood’s Chief Innovation Officer, teaches the Design Thinking course at Northwood School. “In this out-of-the-box introductory course, students become real-world problem solvers and learn the five stages of the design thinking process: to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, & test/refine,” Prime said. “Faced with design thinking challenges, students leverage industry standard tools and processes to create innovative solutions to problems of their choosing. Part design studio, part think tank and makerspace, this hands-on and minds-on course takes place at the Innovation Hub and requires students to grow as critical and creative thinkers, communicators, and collaborators,” she added.

Ms. Stacy Prime, Chief Innovation Officer (Photo: Michael Aldridge)

Prime added an insight into why Design Thinking is included in the Northwood curriculum. “We want Northwood students to have the best education possible and be ready to be leaders in any field they pursue. Introduction to design thinking, along with entrepreneurship, 3D modeling, and robotics, represents new fields of learning that are growing in relevance,” Prime said. Design thinking can help students become leaders that the world is so much in need of: better problem solvers who can listen and collaborate with other people to develop great solutions to the world’s most vital and important problems.

Design thinking can also be applied to students’ learning experiences in general. “Most importantly, we want students to design a personalized path to success that centers their happiness and well-being. Students can apply the principles they learn in design thinking to their own lives, unlocking new opportunities and solving meaningful problems,” Prime noted.

Design thinking skills are applicable to students’ future careers. “The skills learned in design thinking are useful in any career field,” Prime said. “By taking a design thinking class, students learn how to solve problems for and with a specific group of people. Students also learn how to think more creatively and critically, which are two of the most valuable skills that employers look for in the workforce, according to the World Economic Forum,” added Prime.

Design Thinking is a great class to gain insight into how the process can benefit us. Many people worldwide use Design Thinking to solve problems and improve products and experiences. Design Thinking is a great way for students to find a passion and use creative skills to solve problems.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Baker Hits 100-Goal Milestone

January 25, 2024 by Hamish Riddell

Mitchell Baker ’24 (with ball) in action at home in the fall of 2023. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Australian Mitchell Baker ’24 has finally hit the 100-goal benchmark. Reaching this milestone is just a step in the right direction for the Georgetown soccer commit. No other Northwood soccer player has scored more goals in their career.

Baker downplayed the milestone and focused on his team. “It’s great that I achieved this goal, but I am focused on scoring more and improving to help the team succeed,” Baker said.

Baker has been at Northwood School for two years and recently re-classed from a Junior to a Senior. He started out his career in Australia at Melbourne Victory and has now been scoring left and right for Black Rock and Northwood all over the country.

Mitchell Baker (#17) watches one of his more than 100 goals reach the back of the net. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Another reason this feat is so unbelievable is that Mitchell was only introduced to the goal-scoring striker position when he arrived at Northwood. “It was very difficult for me when I first started playing striker here. It is extremely different to center back, and I had no previous experience. I watched professional strikers like Erling Haaland in hopes that I could emulate parts of their game. Coach Komar, Coach Kelvin, and Coach Moodey helped develop me in this position. They were constantly available for feedback and always gave beneficial advice. I am very grateful for them,” Baker added. To be able to adjust that quickly and succeed is a great accomplishment.

“It’s great to see him as a friend and teammate get the 100-goal mark. I’ve seen him work hard on and off the field so it’s good to see it paying off. He deserves it,” teammate Leo Doyle ’25 said.

Baker said he wanted to shout out Syracuse commit Sachiel Ming ’24 for his numerous assists. “Sachiel was my teammate my first year and now my final year, and he’s been a crucial part of reaching this goal. Sachiel was also my first roommate who helped me settle at Northwood. He is like a brother to me. Every day, he pushes me on the field to my limits. He has been a huge part of my success at Northwood,” Baker added.

Mitchell also credits Northwood and Black Rock. “All the people at Black Rock and Northwood have enhanced my performance on the field and have changed me as a person. Seeing my development so far at Northwood has been fantastic, and I hope to continue in the future,” Baker said.

Mitchell has many things to look forward to and hopes to score just as many at his future college, Georgetown.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

Chess Club Brings School Together

November 15, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

Chess Club founders Nathaniel Wright ’25 (left) and Trey Frantz ’25. Photo provided.

Chess Club is the newest addition to the Northwood extra-curricular catalog. The Chess Club was founded by Nathaniel Wright ‘25 and Trey Frantz ‘25, who said, “We wanted to start this club because chess has become a new passion for us both. We thought it would be a great way to be more inclusive in school and get some new bonds going.”

Chess is a game of strategy and patience; Nate and Trey have clearly mastered that as their 2-week-old club has over 50 members. Northwood School strives for unity and interdependence. Creating a new club shows the true spirit of Northwood. Nate and Trey spoke about starting a club for the educational purposes of the students at Northwood. They strive for excellence and thought that an addition of an extra-curricular that focuses on everybody talking and bonding is just what the school needs.

Members of the Chess Club play in the library. Photo provided.

“The Chess Club has gotten to an almighty start. We are holding a tournament, and I cannot be more excited. I honestly cannot believe how successful this club is, it is one of the greatest decisions I made.”

Chess Club participants are driven to get a higher rating so they can receive more prestige and a “Chess Club Instagram edit.” Some of the Instagram edit stars include Noah Moodey ‘25 and Jacob Brunton ‘25. The balance between socializing and getting better at a world-renowned game keeps bringing people to the chess board. Founders Trey and Nate are overjoyed with what has happened with the club so far and are excited for the future.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Humans of Northwood: Samuel Rudy ‘24

November 15, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

I am from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, and I am a ski racer. I grew up in a small town of about 3,000 people, which is like Lake Placid. Throughout my childhood, I loved playing sports and being outside. I played soccer, football, baseball, and basketball and am currently ski racing. A huge hobby of mine is fishing. I love to fish.

Before I came here, I attended a public school which was much different than Northwood. I found out about Northwood through friends who also came here to ski. This is my second year at Northwood, and I could not have asked for anything more. I’ve enjoyed every aspect of living here in Lake Placid and being part of this community.

Spending time with the ski team is something I enjoy more every day. After Northwood, my main goal is to ski in college at the highest level I can and major in aerospace engineering. Aerospace engineering is something I have been interested in for quite some time. I have grown fond of it and find it intriguing. I hope to pursue this passion in college and see where the dual passions of skiing and aerospace engineering can take me.

As told to Hamish Riddell ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

World Affairs Club Hopes to Educate and Unify School Community

November 7, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

Students at a recent World Affairs Club. Photo: Hamish Riddell ’26.

The World Affairs Club is a new student club at Northwood. Founded and run by Sydney Kuder ‘25 and Cecilia Keller ’25, a group of FIS ski girls who hope to bring attention to important events happening in the world to our campus.

“We want to inform students on what’s going on in the world around them from a source they can trust, they’re fellow students,” said Keller. “We believe that if young people are properly educated on current events, they will feel empowered to provoke change in the world.”

Kuder and Keller realized last year that few Northwood students had much knowledge of the important global events happening around the world, and they wanted to change this.

The World Affairs club has already gathered a small group of participants who are a part of the group. Leo Doyle ’25 is one of the club’s members. “I think that this new addition is going to be great for the students to branch out and gain knowledge of current events in a fun and safe place,” Doyle said.

One of the club’s goals is to make news broadcasts every week and share them with the Northwood Community to try and enhance student’s awareness of current events in this world.

“I think this club will be a very positive addition to the Northwood community. The school tends to be organized by sport, but this club will help students branch out and connect worldwide, which we think is beneficial.”

The World Affairs club is creating a platform to allow students to explore the issues they feel are most important and engage with their peers in a safe environment to create change in their world.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Humans of Northwood: Ahmed El Ganainy ‘24

November 1, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. My name is Ahmed El Ganainy. I am on the Soccer team, I am a senior, and this is my second year at Northwood. Growing up, my life was very nice. I lived in Cairo my whole childhood, but my family is originally from a small city called El Sharqeya.

I love to cook whenever I am bored, and I have acted in the Arabic version of Saturday Night Live. Not many people know that about me. Before Northwood, I attended the British International School of Cairo for 11 years, and my previous soccer club was Called Zed FC and was considered one of the country’s best soccer teams.

I decided to come to Northwood because of the world-class soccer program and good academics. My goal is to attend the best university I can. I’ve enjoyed my time at Northwood immensely, and getting to know people from all over the world has been, and still, is, remarkably interesting to me.

Being a part of the U17 soccer team last year, I enjoyed the time I had. I was injured for most of the season, but those unfortunate events did not stop me from being with my teammates and making sure I still had that team bond.

This year, my relationships with all my teammates are good, and we have an amazing group. I hope we can win our league this year and play some good soccer. After my Northwood career ends, I plan to study Sports Management in college whilst continuing my soccer career to achieve my dream of becoming a pro soccer player. If this dream does not work out, another dream of mine would be to become a worldwide agent and scout for young players and teams.

As told to Hamish Riddell ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Brac Kelley ‘24

November 1, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

My life growing up was pretty average, I would even go as far as to say it was a little bit boring. As a public-school kid, my life leading up to Northwood, I had zero exposure to private school life and being a boarding student. The three main sports I played growing up were Football, Lacrosse, and Hockey. Football was my favorite sport as a child, and I miss it a lot.

I like to say I am a copy of my older brother. I have been a part of every sport he played and every class he has taken.

Before Northwood, I played hockey under Russian coaches, one of the coolest things I have been involved in. They know hockey like no one else. I played on my first girls’ hockey team for an AA travel team during my freshman year. We were given a vague indication about prep schools and a little insight into them. We did some research. One of the schools was Milbrook, another was the North American Hockey Academy, and finally Northwood School. I came to Northwood for a tour in January of my freshman year. I loved the school and instantly decided to come here.

My time at Northwood has been a roller coaster. My first year was completely different because of COVID, and I had to adjust to that. I would say that my junior year (2021-22) was my best. We were still getting hit by small COVID blasts, but overall, that was my best year.

My relationships with my teammates have been up and down. Every year is different, every girl is different. You will make a best friend every year, but that has nothing to do with how next year will pan out. With new girls coming every year, no year is the same, so it is always something to change and adjust to.

Looking to the future, I plan to attend a Division 1 school for hockey and hopefully get into physical therapy afterwards, but no one can predict the future so who knows what it holds. I have loved my time here at Northwood and look forward to what’s to come.

As told to Hamish Riddell ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Sérgio Neto ‘24: Humans of Northwood

October 31, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

I am a soccer player from Brazil. My life growing up was pretty normal. I guess it is what you expect from a kid. I played a lot of soccer, hung out with my friends all the time, and spent time with my family, too.

Growing up, I always tried to manage both athletics and academics, which is remarkably similar to what everyone does here in Northwood, so I guess doing that at a young age has helped me here at Northwood.

I actually played in a showcase at Northwood last year (2022), and I thought it had a great soccer program. I knew it was a great school by looking at it and doing some research. I saw it as an opportunity to engage in high-level athletics and academics so that I could apply to good colleges, which is what I really want to do and achieve since coming here. I talked to Coach Jon Moodey about coming here, and thankfully, everything turned into a reality, which I could not be more excited about.

I have only been here for just over a month, but I love it. I thought moving from Brazil to the U.S. was going to be a hard transition, but the Northwood community made it an extremely easy transition, so I thank everyone who has helped me during this time. Everyone was so receptive and welcoming, and that made it so easy.

Joining a new team is always scary. Since being in Brazil, when you are new, people make it hard for you to feel welcome or to feel like you belong and to be part of the team. Everyone was very kind and appeared to be glad someone new had arrived. As of now, the players have been my closest friends and have supported me on and off the pitch. They have not only been encouraging me to be a better player but a better person.

Looking past Northwood, I plan to go to a good university where I can continue playing soccer and further my academics. I am super glad I made this move and cannot wait to see what the future holds.

As told to Hamish Riddell ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

More Time for Science Labs

October 12, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

Northwood School has implemented new science lab blocks for the 2023-2024 school year. Each Tuesday in the fall and spring, blocks of time before and after lunch are dedicated to science labs. The labs are extra periods of time during the school day that science teachers can use for labs, field trips, and extra help sessions. When students aren’t in a lab, they can take advantage of math and writing extra help in the academic building.

Sophia MIller ’24 (front) and other students explore Cobble Hill during a field trip in Ms. Fagan’s Adirondack Science class. Photo: Ms. Marcy Fagan.

Ms. Walker shows a sheep brain (from left) Brac Kelley ’24 and Gracie Hurlbut ’25 in Advanced Biology class. Photo provided.

Students in Adirondack Science explore Lake Placid by boat. Photo: Ms. Marcy Fagan.

Students and teachers give lab time high marks.

“I like the new science blocks. I can use them to help students and go out on field trips,” physics teacher Mr. Ben Leblanc said.

“They are incredibly valuable. In the past, we would have to split labs into 2 or 3 days, but now we can finish a lab in one long block,” science teacher Ms. Marcy Fagan said. “In the past, students might have to miss a class or two if we took a field trip, but now we do not need to have kids miss other classes,” added Fagan, who teaches Science of the ADKs, Biology, and Human Biology.

“My physics class has used them for labs and experiments. They’ve been a requirement but highly useful,” Trey Frantz ’25 said.

All in all, it seems like many people are in favor of the new science lab blocks, and it’s a good improvement for the students to benefit from.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Formal Dinner: A Popular School Tradition

October 11, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

Sachiel Ming ’24 (left) and Noah Moodey ’25 at a recent formal dinner. Photo provided.

Formal Dinner is a long-standing tradition at Northwood School. At one point in time, students wore a coat and tie to every class and meal, so every dinner at Northwood required formal attire. Now, once each month students and faculty at Northwood School meet in the dining hall in formal attire to enjoy an elegant meal cooked by Executive Chef Adam Fischer and his miraculous team.

It is an event that most students find fun and look forward to. “I think there’s a comedic duality to it, in the sense that it’s fun and funny,” Noah Moodey ‘25 said. The students get assigned seating at each dinner. The seating arrangement differs whether it is advisory groups, open seating, or completely random. Mountain Day was on September 27, so for the recent formal on the 26^th, the assigned seating was by Mountain Day hiking groups, allowing students and faculty to get to know each other before the climb.

Students gather in their formal attire and take photos at the famous fireplace in the living room. Students also like to take photos outside when the weather is nice. “I love being a part of formal dinners. The food is great,” Jace Donawa ‘25 said.

Formal dinners often follow with an event of some sort, including a dance or a performance of some kind. Students enjoy these events because they get to meet new people and practice socializing with people they would not normally speak to.

“I am looking forward to seeing all the guys and girls dressed up and looking good and smart. I am looking forward to experiencing this prestigious tradition for the first time,” Said El Eyssami ‘26 said before his first formal.

Formal dinner is a great way for the school to get together and enjoy each other’s company.