JT Wint

Humans of Northwood: Addison “Add” Truscott ‘25

February 11, 2025 by JT Wint

“Most people don’t know that I have played thirteen sports, two of which were soccer and hockey.

“I ended up at Northwood because, well, my mom went to Northwood and graduated with the class of 1992. And it was always a thought that I should go to Northwood. I almost came to Northwood my freshman year, but then I decided I wanted to try public high school. It didn’t really work out for me, so I ended up here and I liked that I could do robotics all day and that I would have hands-on, smaller classes.

“The most rewarding thing for me about my time at Northwood is going to sound cheesy, but I’ve found that I have grown a lot as a person. That I have become more independent, mature, and confident. That’s really rewarding, especially looking back on where and who I was freshman year.

“I have had a lot of great classes at Northwood, so it’s really hard to pick a favorite. I will say that Reno’s AP Lit class was hilarious, but I absolutely love the freedom that comes with the Advanced STEM research class. I created my own project and built it. That’s pretty awesome!

“If I had to give advice to a new student, I would tell them that the Northwood experience is what you make of it; get out of your comfort zone, be yourself, and pursue every opportunity you get.

“Being at Northwood and living in the Adirondacks has given me some great outdoor opportunities. I have always loved the outdoors, but life just kind of made it hard to be outside. So, I’m glad I’ve been able to get outdoors again and go kayaking, rock climbing, camping, etc. I definitely don’t have access to that anywhere else.

“After I graduate, I’m going to go to college and do research. Super far into the future, I hope to get a PhD. I am hoping at some point, though, to take a year off and live out of a van to travel and explore.”

As told to JT Wint ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Jesse Schoch ’25

February 10, 2025 by JT Wint

“When I’m not at school, I like to go for runs on the newly constructed rail trail by my house. The part of the trail that goes from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake is about 9 miles. I have only covered 4 miles round trip so far, but every day I push myself to reach a farther point down the trail.

“The other thing I like to do when I have free time is to produce my own beats. I make all different genres of beats, but my favorite types to make are either drill or trap beats. I have been making beats for three years now. I produce my beats on my computer using FL Studio, one of many commonly used software systems that producers in the music industry use. It takes me about an hour to make a simple beat, but rock and country beats take up to a couple of days. I have my own little home studio with speakers and a keyboard, and I hope to start recording full-length tracks over the summer.

“For my co-co at Northwood, I have been doing crew for the past three years; however, this year was the first year I’ve competed in a race. It was the Head of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga Springs, NY. I didn’t get the results I wanted, but I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to race and realize everyone needs to start somewhere. I hope to continue rowing in college next year.

“Out of my three years at Northwood, I have most enjoyed all my new opportunities. From the LEAP trips to the winter carnival, I have met so many nice people. My favorite class was math class with Ms. Rose, who was the girls’ hockey coach last year. Although it was a tiny class, she always made it fun, especially when she brought in her dog, Zury!

“I am super excited for college and hope to become a sports filmmaker or rapper. I have always loved bringing my energy to the table, although I feel like I’ve lost that side of me in high school. I hope to get it back during my older years. I would love to become a well-known rapper who can inspire the next generation.”

As told to JT Wint ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Robotics Team Warms Up with Off-Season Competition

November 12, 2024 by JT Wint

Photo provided.

On Saturday, November 2, 2024, Northwood School’s robotics team, Team 6300, traveled to their first competition of the year and came away with a 3rd place win. Jeff Martin, long-time robotics coach and mentor, and a small group of the team (Add Truscott ’25, Cambrie-Elizabeth Encalade ’27, Wang Lun “Will” Wong ’27, and Jingxi Zhao ’27) traveled to Ballston Spa’s High School to compete in the New York Tech Valley Robot Rumble.

Photo provided.

True to his student-centered and student-driven coaching style, Jeff Martin deferred to veteran team member and captain Add Truscott ‘25 to share her perspective on the competition and season. Add said, “We had our first off-season competition last Saturday, which was the 2024 game called FRC ‘Crescendo’ (see link below for video). In this competition, there are qualification rounds that last for about half the day during an off-season event. In qualification matches, there are two alliances competing against each other. Each alliance has 3 robotics teams that make up it. Qualification rounds are all round robin, where alliances are randomly selected and switched every match. The purpose of qualification matches is to gain ranking points. Ranking points, in theory, show who the leading robotics team is, but in reality, they are not a good measure of a quality robot. The top 8 ranked robot teams become team captains for the elimination rounds. Elimination rounds function in a double-elimination tournament style. The top 8 ranked robot teams pick two other robotics teams to join their alliance. Then the 8 alliances compete against each other until a winner is determined.”

About their performance, Add added, “We got third in the competition. But if you break it down, it’s not a feat. There were 13 teams competing. This means during the elimination rounds, we only beat one alliance. However, that does not mean our robot was not good. In fact, our robot was one of the most functional robots there. It consistently earned the most points in each alliance and did not break down. We even kept up our streak from the regular season of getting the highest score of the competition. So, I think our robot did exceptionally well. But that’s not the only thing that did well. The people on our team did great, too. Cambrie and Willow were both on the team last year, but they had new jobs compared to last year in this competition. In that regard, I saw great improvement in both. Will had to learn how to use all the controls for the robot and performed incredibly well under pressure. Willow drove the robot and shot into the speaker, Will climbed and shot into the amplifier, Cambrie was the human player and gave game pieces to the robot, and I [Add] was the coach, meaning I guided the rest of the drive team in and outside of each match and worked out strategies.”

Looking ahead, Add said, “I’m always looking forward to the next season. But I am especially excited for this upcoming season. Maybe it’s because it will be my last, but I also think it’s because there are so many new people and so much room for learning and growth. You can’t predict anything; it’s amazing. Last year, we knew we had a good driver and could assume we could get far in competitions; this year, the possibilities are endless. I’m excited to see what this year’s robotics team can do when it comes to building the robot and the team aspect. Crossing my fingers that we qualify for world championships.”

Team member Cambrie-Elizabeth Encalade ’27 added, “Tech Valley Rumble was so fun. It was our final competition with the New Leaf robot before we started taking it apart and rebuilding it for the new season. Since it is off-season, it was more of a practice competition for us and most teams to prepare for the new games. This was my first time being a human player, and I was also a technician. Our team graduated a lot of players last year, so we are a lot smaller now, and we need everyone to be on the field for every round. It also gave our newest member, Will, the chance to get used to First Robotics and the opportunity to see what it is like being on the field. We had a great experience and bonded with the teams we competed with, and we also bonded together as a team. Now we are just waiting for the new season game requirements to drop so we can start on our new robot. I am working on a new design for a logo and T-shirts as well as a new name for our team #ripnorthwoodiantrashpandas.”

Each member of Team 6300 brings enthusiasm and a skill set that is important to the team dynamics and the fun they have. Stay tuned to hear about more success from Team 6300 as their season ramps up in March.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

With Open House, A New Admissions Cycle Begins

November 5, 2024 by JT Wint

The Husky greets new and returning students on opening day in September 2019. (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

On Saturday, Oct. 26, Northwood held its annual fall admissions Open House and welcomed 14 prospective students and their families to tour the campus and the downtown Hub. Guests heard from the head of school, Michael Maher, and engaged with faculty and students to learn about Northwood’s programs.

Ms. Elenor Mandigo, Assistant to the Admission Office, said that the fall open house is a very important day for the school. “We typically have between 11-16 families in attendance every year,” Mandigo said. “ Although we only enrolled 2 of our visitors from last year’s Open House, in the years past we have enrolled as many as 6,” she added.

Northwood’s admission staff includes six full-time members, including Mr. Gino Riffle, Ms. Mandigo, Mr. Jeff Miller, and Ms. Carrie Wardlaw, but they also get help from the athletic coaching staff and all members of the Northwood Community, including the teachers and students.

“Many students who inquire about and apply to Northwood have been referred to us by alums, current students, coaches, and local community members,” Mandigo said. “The rest find us online or by consultants. The admission team also travels to many junior boarding schools to meet prospective students as well as attend consultant fairs,” she added.

Ms. Mandigo and the admission office were grateful to have a lot of help to make the day a success. “It’s a team effort by all of us and such a great day to showcase the school,” Mandigo said. “Sitting on the panel at the Hub to answer questions from the visiting families were Add Truscott ‘25, Alex Randall ‘25, Sasha Luhur ‘27, and Cara Dempsey ‘25. We also had 8 students (Teegan Wardlaw ‘25, Jacob Slagel ‘26, Ella Malloy ‘25, Jacob Brunton ‘25, Kenna Gillis ‘27, Luke Salibello ‘25, Rylie Griffiths ‘25, and Sydney Kuder ‘25) as tour guides to show the families around,” Mandigo continued.

“Helping us on our panel and along the tour route were Steve Reed, Ingrid Van Slyke, David McCauley, Tara Wright, and Jill Walker,” Mandigo said. “During the campus tour, these faculty members spoke a little about who they are and what they do at Northwood School. On the panel at the Hub were Stacy Prime and Trevor Gilligan,” she added.

“I enjoyed answering questions from prospective students and giving my honest opinion about the school and its programs,” Alex Randall ’25 said. “It was interesting to think that at one point I was one of those students in eighth grade, nervous about coming to Northwood and how I would perform at a higher-level school. I hope I did my best to give them an honest portrayal of the school,” Randall added.

“I spoke about my Advanced STEM Research project: the process of building a robot, lessons I have learned, and what my future will bring me,” said Addison Truscott ’25, who participated on the panel. “I also got to tour the families around the robotics lab, teaching them about the robotics team and class. It was a pleasure to answer questions from families and meet potential Northwood students,” Truscott continued.

We hope to see many of the 14 visiting students enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Humans of Northwood: Colton Cushman ‘25

October 30, 2024 by JT Wint

“I have lived in many places: Mexico City, Mexico; Michaleen, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Suzhou, China, but I have been living in Saranac Lake now for the past six years. Other than Portland, where I had lived for 4 years, this is the place I call home. I can’t say that I have a favorite place I have lived in because they are all so different from each other.

“I picked Northwood for its FIRST-level robotics program (they build bigger robots) and the outing club. I was really interested in NOC because I had taken an outing program at North Country School, and I liked it, but mostly, it was because Northwood was super close to home, so I could be a day student. It also helped that at least 4 of my friends from North Country School also went to Northwood.

“I like pretty much any outdoor activity like rock climbing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, kayaking, etc., but I think my favorite outdoor activity would be backpacking. I also like designing and inventing things. For example, I designed a sliding door that turned a corner and a ceiling-mounted bed.

“My favorite year at Northwood would be my junior year because I got to go on many NOC trips such as the climbing trip to Redrocks, NV, and the kayaking LEAP trip to Wales. Both trips were very fun. I was also in the Peak Pathways program that year, which allowed me to build a model airplane and make an idea I had. My senior year has also been going great this year.

“I have been interested in flying for a long time. Both my dad and grandfather (his dad) have their licenses, though neither of them has flown recently, so I wanted to get mine, too. I soloed two years ago, so I have flown alone but haven’t gotten my private pilot license yet. I hope to get it sometime in the future.

“Something most people don’t know about me is that I went to school in Suzhou, China, for 4^th grade. Though my Mandarin is now a bit rusty since none of my schools after 4th grade offered Chinese, I am taking Mandarin 1 in the language lab to try to relearn it.

“After high school, I plan to go to college for engineering—specifically, aero/astro engineering. Mostly astro, because I love designing and creating things, and after that hopefully get my private pilot license.”

As told to JT Wint ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

CARE Helps Again with Annual Lake Placid Winter Clothing Drive

October 29, 2024 by JT Wint

The Lake Placid community is hosting its annual winter clothing drive held at the Adirondack Community Church on Main Street. The timing could not be more perfect, with snow falling already. The clothing drive provides donated winter wear of all types to local residents who need coats, fleece jackets, underlayers, gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, socks, snow pants, boots, and other articles of outerwear people use in cold weather.

Photos provided.

The handout will be held on November 1st from 5:00-7:00 PM and November 2nd from 9:00-11:00 AM. It is co-chaired by Mrs. Tara Wright, Northwood School’s School Psychologist, and Zach Clark, a resident of Lake Placid. Mrs. Wright has volunteered with the annual drive for the past seven years and said, “Northwood School’s CARE club has been a tremendous help by hanging signs, collecting donations from bins all around town, and then helping to sort the donations.”

“The Lake Placid community is fortunate to have the support of Northwood School and CARE to help facilitate this event,” Wright said. And then she jokingly added, “I really appreciate the collaboration with CARE because it has saved my back.” She is happy to have help from CARE students who are doing a lot of the hard work that goes into carrying, sorting, and organizing the gear to be distributed out into the community. Northwood School’s Black Rock FC soccer club and the Adirondack Sports Council also made two large donations to the event.

While volunteering his time and effort hanging flyers and collecting clothing from around town for the third year, CARE member Griffin Beam ‘25 said, “I think what CARE is doing is very helpful for the community for the upcoming winter season because it is very important that everyone has winter coats to stay warm in the cold weather. It also feels good to know that not only am I supporting the cause but I’m actively helping out with it.”

It’s not too late to donate to this important cause. Collection bins are located around Lake Placid including Mrs. Wright’s office at school. Please consider making a donation which can be monetary or new or gently used clean clothing.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Family Weekend Rapel Showcases Student Leadership

October 15, 2024 by JT Wint

“It’s not the falling that matters; it’s the hitting the ground that matters,” said Alex Randall ‘25, joking around with the students and parents who attended the rappelling event on Saturday, October 5, during Family Weekend. Jokes aside, the three Northwood Adventure Sports (NAS) students and Director Bobby O’Connor provided a fantastic opportunity to hike and rappel from the cliffs on Cobble Hill on a beautiful fall morning. Three families attended the session and had a unique experience. Riley Ward ‘27 and her father, Tim, Dave Randall, father of Alex Randall ‘25, and Lisa Wint, Team Dean and Mother of JT Wint ‘25. Each of them rappelled for the first time.

Photos provided.

“It just sounded like a fun way to spend the morning,” said Dave Randall. “The experience was great. The climb and rappel were a lot of fun, but what I really enjoyed was watching the NAS students showcase their skills and leadership. I do not often get the chance to see them in their ‘element,’ and this was a great way to do that,” Randall added.

“It was great teaching, and leading is always fun,” said NAS student leader Colton Cushman ’25. “My favorite thing about NAS is doing what I like, climbing, hiking, and more.”

“I’m so glad I had the chance to rappel with Bobby and the three dedicated seniors in the NAS program,” Lisa Wint, Northwood’s Independent Team Dean, shared. “I like to get out of my comfort zone now and then, and although I am not the best rock climber nor a fan of heights—and I did not appreciate Alex’s little joke about sliding off the cliff side—I had a great time rappelling and can’t wait to do it again!” Wint also commented on the exceptional student leadership. “It was great to see the boys take charge and demonstrate their climbing skills. I had complete confidence in them the entire time. And given that it was Family Weekend, it was also cool to be on the rope side by side with my son,” Ms. Wint added.

“Our first family rappel off Cobble Hill was a success!” Bobby O’Connor said after the event. “Mainly because of the parents and students who participated. They made this such a fun event! We hope to make this an annual Family Weekend outing,” O’Connor added.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Students Pursue Their Passions Through Peak Pathways

October 12, 2024 by JT Wint

One of Northwood’s most unique and creative academic offerings, which began in the 2023-2024 school year, is the Peak Pathways Program. It requires students to design an entire course and create their own curriculum/learning space based on something they are passionate about. Ms. Stacy Prime, director of the Peak Pathways program, is excited about the many interesting projects in the works. For example, Jacob Brunton ‘24 is learning Croatian so that he can have a conversation with his grandmother in Croatia, and he is creating an itinerary for his family to revisit her homeland. Two other students in the program were happy to share the progress and direction of their projects.

Michael Peluso ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Michael Peluso ‘25 said that he is working on a Pathway in the sports recruiting industry to start his own agency someday. “I want to better understand the relationship between hockey players’ advancement and the need for an agent or advisor as players grow up,” Peluso said. “I want to be an agent or an advisor, and this work will help me understand the process better, like what agents must do and how they build connections. Then I want to start to network myself to make these connections and build a network I can keep for the future. Pathways stresses making real-,world connections so I’m going to try to focus on that this year and just getting my knowledge from those who have done this for years in the industry,” Peluso added.

Loélie Lachapelle ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Loélie Lachapelle ’26 is diving into the creative area of interior design by making mood boards and developing a portfolio for her future. She shared her vision for her Pathway, which sounds very ambitious. “For my project, I was looking at my 25 ideas and I realized that I could do every one of them into one single project,” Lachapelle said. “I will be working on creating my own interior design portfolio, which I’m very passionate about. Interior design has always been a huge interest of mine, and this project is the perfect chance for me to explore that interest while learning new things about the field. Throughout this process, I’ll be working on different design projects where I’ll dive into things like color theory, furniture placement, and lighting. I want to understand not only how to make a space look good but also how to make it functional and comfortable for the people who use it. I plan on coming with a new design every week or so,” she added.

Lachapelle’s Peak Pathway will allow her to explore her interest in interior design. “I’ll experiment with different design styles, from minimalistic to more creative and bold approaches, which will help me figure out my own style as a designer,” Lachapelle said. “I’ll also be working on practical skills like creating mood boards, drafting floor plans, and learning how to communicate design ideas clearly. As I move through each project, I’ll reflect on what I’ve learned and improve my designs based on new concepts and techniques. I realize that to improve, I need to look beyond just my own ideas, so I’ll be reaching out to industry resources and learning from professionals. I’ll be consulting with a real-world expert from my hometown, who will provide valuable guidance and help me refine my designs. With her input, I plan to elevate my portfolio to a professional level, ensuring it is as polished and complete as I can make it. This project is important to me because it combines my passion for interior design with the opportunity to learn and grow in a field I am excited to pursue in the future,” she said.

As the 68 students enrolled in Pathways classes wrap up the term, we look forward to seeing the evidence of their hard work through a final product and/or performance.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Real World

Peak Pathways Have Students Design Their Own Curriculum

October 3, 2024 by JT Wint

Have you ever thought it would be cool if there was a class that would let you create your own curriculum, learning space and design an entire course yourself however you wanted based on something you are passionate about? Well, Mrs. Stacy Prime did with the Northwood Peak Pathways Program, which started in the 2023-2024 school year and is now in its second year running.

The Inspiration for the Program

Ms. Prime shared that the program started by “building off some of the success that the school had in the independent study program that was here previously, and the Advanced STEM research and Advanced Humanities research classes where there was definitely already some energy and opportunity. And, personally, in my career as an educator, interest projects in independent studies and passion projects have always been core to the education that I want to instill and bring to students.”

Ms. Stacy Prime, Chief Innovation Officer and Director of the Innovation Hub, is leading the new Peak Pathways program. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Highlights from last year

In discussing the success of Peak Pathways, Ms. Prime had a lot to say. “Some things I would highlight are that lots of students who had never, actually most students had never done anything like that before got involved. I think 99% of the kids we polled had never had the opportunity to design their own learning experience. So I think right there is a huge value add for students to be able to do that while they’re still in high school and not wait as that’s usually reserved for college programs. Another highlight was that we had nearly 100 kids doing independent study-type work for likely the first time in the school’s history. And that just felt like a great opportunity to learn. I think we, the faculty, also learned a lot, and it was very cool for kids to earn certifications, to be able to speak about their experience in their college interviews, and to be able to make meaningful work products that they then shared with the community.”

Program changes in year two

At the end of the school year, Ms. Prime and other school administrators used feedback to refine and improve the program. Ms. Prime said, “We had a lot of data points and feedback last year about ways to improve the program. We definitely learned a lot, and something that came up was that some students felt like they could benefit from more structure and more support, like increased expectations and also increased support. So, over the summer, one of my passion projects was putting together the curriculum into a workbook that could be entirely student-directed so that they could work at their own pace and have resources in one central location. And I think that’s grounded the experience in a really beautiful way. We also recognized that the buckets for the pathways weren’t as useful as students’ individual project ideas. So, we are matching students with guides later this time, recognizing that students change their minds a lot as they figure out what they want to do. We’re also requiring more real-world connections and experts to be involved because some of the most successful projects last year included a lot of real-world connections. We will do a much more robust second quarter focus on real-world connections.”

Student projects

In the first semester, 40-50 students are enrolled in the Peak Pathway program, pursuing many different interests, such as creating interior design portfolios, learning new languages, making wooden guide boats, and earning certifications. Stay tuned for future articles highlighting individuals’ programs and progress.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Northwood’s Outdoor Program Gets a Facelift

September 24, 2024 by JT Wint

Rock climbing, ice climbing, whitewater kayaking, backcountry and alpine skiing, fly fishing, and hiking are some activities that Northwood students enjoy. In previous years, the school program designed to get kids outside to experience the Adirondacks was called the Northwood Outing Club (NOC), but it recently underwent a name change. During the summer of 2024, it was renamed the Northwood Adventure Sports Program (NASP), more commonly called “NAS.” The program director, Bobby O’Connor, is a highly qualified and experienced outdoor/adventure professional and former Paul Smith’s College recreation professor. Bobby earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Expeditionary Studies from SUNY Plattsburgh and holds many licenses and certifications for guiding, instructing, and wilderness and avalanche first response.
O’Connor joined Northwood in the fall of 2021 because he felt that he had hit a plateau in his career, and he saw this as an opportunity to take the reins from the legendary Don Mellor. “I guess the opportunity to have something fresh and new with the potential for growth was really exciting to me,” O’Connor said.

When asked why the program was given a facelift, Bobby said, “The change from Northwood Outing Club to Northwood Adventure Sports Program came for a number of different reasons. One is just the lingo that’s being used in the industry now. The term Outing Club, in my opinion, has been pushed out of the industry. Adventure Sports is viewed as a catchier phrase for marketing purposes. Also, clubs are often perceived as student-run and may not be funded at the level of programs run by faculty with definitive budgets. So, in short, I feel that making this change updates our program to more modern terms and validates the fact that we’re more than a club. We’re an actual staple outdoor program that is training young individuals at a pretty high level and executing some pretty serious expedition style trips, both within North America and internationally.”

Photo courtesy of Eric Adsit.

Bobby’s excitement for the coming school year is obvious when he talks about the success and growth of his program and he said, “I’m excited for the trips we have on the itinerary for the year and we’re pretty busy this fall. I’m excited to take students to Japan to ski. I’ve never been there, and I think that’s going to be a really powerful life changing trip for a lot of these students. But I think what I’m most excited about is just the crew of students we have in the Northwood Adventure Sports Program this year. Among them we have a really strong group of seniors that are going to be graduating in May, and they’re really taking the reins on leading a lot of these different trips, and also just teaching the general hard and soft skills. So, I’m super excited to spend one more year with them, watching them grow and then seeing where they end up a year from now.”
The program currently has 15 students participating full-time or part-time for their co-curricular activities. Keep a look out for pictures and more information about their upcoming adventures.