Mitchell Baker

Much Activity Planned for Students During Extended Break

December 16, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

A group of students will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania during a January LEAP Course. (Photo: © Sergey Pesterev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The first Semester will be over in less than two weeks, and we will commence the holiday break. During this period, the F.I.S.U. World University Winter Games will be held in Lake Placid from 12-22 January 2023. There will be more than 2,500 participants from over 50 countries. As a result, Northwood students and faculty will take a longer break and return to campus at the end of January.

The extended break allows international students to return home after a busy year. From mid-January, special off-campus programming and L.E.A.P opportunities are planned, and several sporting teams are traveling to various locations for competition. Students are so excited to participate in these activities.

The U17 and U19 Soccer teams are traveling to Puerto Rico to compete in the Next Level Winter Invitational Cup. Teams from all over South and North America will come to participate in this high-level competition. The team will stay in Puerto Rico from January 23rd to the 29^th. The team will tour Puerto Rico for the first few days and participate in several cultural activities before the competition starts. Christopher Green, a sophomore at Northwood, said, “I am really looking forward to going home and spending quality time with my family over Christmas. I am also looking forward to the Puerto Rico trip because I can’t wait to embrace Puerto Rican culture.”

“I’ve never been to Puerto Rico, so I am super excited to visit a new place in the world as well as catch up with my teammates after a long break,” said Hamish Riddell ‘26.

The Hockey teams also have exciting schedules and will look to add to their stellar performances so far this season. The Prep team will start their journey at Merrimack College for the True Cup challenge during the first weekend of January. The boys will meet back up in Buffalo for a training camp before heading to Detroit, MI for a PHC League event, followed by the MacPherson Tournament hosted by St. Andrews College in Aurora, ON.

The Varsity team will report to Salem, NH on January 12th as that will be their home base for an eight-day period where they’ll play games against Bridgton Academy, The Holderness School, The New Hampshire Monarchs, Avon Old Farms, and Salisbury. Then they return to Lake Placid for a slate of home games during the last weekend of January.

The Girls Hockey team will begin their January in Wellesley, MA for a showcase league event, followed by a short stint in Chazy, NY, a few games at St. Lawrence University before making their way to Philadelphia and Minnesota for the final two weekends in January. All teams are excited about what’s shaping up to be a great experience!

The L.E.A.P program offers a variety of courses. There will be 4 L.E.A.P programs, including an exhibition to hike Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, an exotic adventure to Saint Lucia, an art intensive in New York City, and voluntary work for the exciting F.I.S.U. Games. Mrs. Fagan, the coordinator of L.E.A.P, stated, “These L.E.A.P courses are for students who are not competing with their sport. All the courses are exciting, and the students will have an amazing experience.” An extremely exciting course offered this winter break is the Kilimanjaro adventure. This will be the first time in Northwood history that students will stand on top of one of the seven summits. The summit of Kilimanjaro is just below 20,000 feet (about the length of 60 city blocks)!

The overwhelming feeling is that the Semester and flown by so fast, and everyone is looking forward to the holiday break to reunite with family and friends. Happy holidays

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

Update on Northwood Soccer Alumni in College

December 15, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

With the College Soccer season over after Syracuse defeated Indiana in a tight penalty shoot-out to win its first College Cup, we thought it was worthwhile to review the seasons of Northwood alumni plying their athletic talents on the College stage.

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Class of 2022

Kendin Basden – Kenyon College (Div. 3)

Kendin appeared in 12 games for a total of 150 minutes this season with the Owls finishing the season with a 19-2-1 record.

Colter Cheney-Seymour – SUNY Plattsburg (Div. 3)

Played 13 games, recording 274 minutes of action. Made his collegiate debut versus Castleton on Sept. 7 and scored his first career goal against the Spartans. Played a season-high 51 minutes versus St. Lawrence on Oct. 25.

Connor DeAngelis – Lafayette (Div. 1)

Connor is yet to see game time with the Leopards.

Liam Doyle – Stanford (Div. 1)

Appeared in 20 games, including five starts for a total of 750 mins with five goals and two assists. Stanford came second in the Pac-12 behind Washington and lost to UNC Greensboro on penalties in the round of 16 in the College Cup. Doyle scored some cracking goals this season with his trademark bend.

Sebastian Green – Notre Dame (Div. 1)

He played in all 17 games as a defender and midfielder in his first season with the Fighting Irish, who finished the season with an 8-7-2 record overall and 3-4-1 in the ACC conference.

Aristide Gry – UNC – Chapel Hill (Div. 1)

Did not see any action this season.

Slater Loffredo – Brandeis University (Div. 3)

Played 11 games, including three conference games, with the Judges finishing the season 6-8-2 and 1-6 in the conference to finish 8^th.

Pablo Obrador – Coastal Carolina (Div. 1)

Played 69 mins over six matches off the bench as the Chanticleers finished the season 5-5-6 overall and 2-1-5 in the conference finishing in 5^th place.

Iu Pentinat – Coastal Carolina (Div. 1)

The Spanish GK played 16 mins in 1 match for the season.

Tomas Restrepo – Omaha Nebraska (Div. 1)

Tomas played in 5 games for a total of 76 mins with 1 goal as the Mavericks finished the season 8-6-2 overall and 5-2-1 in the conference to finish in 3^rd position.

Calem Tommy – North Carolina State (Div. 1)

Tommy featured in 17 games, including nine starts for the Wolfpack for a total of 885 minutes and two goals and three assists. The Wolfpack finished the season as the wooden spooners in the strong ACC.

CLASS OF 2021

Arnezha Astwood – Omaha Nebraska (Div. 1)

Appeared in 12 games for a total of 517 mins this year as a Sophomore, having played in 14 games for a total of 782 mins in his Freshman year.

Jalen Commissiong – University of Connecticut (Div. 1)

Featured in 3 games for the Huskies, including two starts for a total of 137 mins this season.

Alvaro Garcia-Pascual – Coastal Carolina (Div. 1) / Marshall

Garcia-Pascual was named first-team All-Sun Belt after finishing the regular season as one of the top scorers in the conference. His ten goals are tops in the conference, as are his points per game (1.47) and goals per game (0.67) averages. Alvaro appeared in all 16 games, playing 1068 minutes. After an impressive season, Alvaro has signed with Marshall for 2023.

Andrew Mazza – Bucknell (Div. 1)

Played 59 mins over four games in the 2021 season.

Kenji Mboma Dem – Omaha Nebraska (Div. 1)

After being named to the All-Summit First team in 2021, Kenji started 16 games for 1198 minutes with six goals and eight assists this season.

Luc Mikula – Coastal Carolina (Div. 1)

Started and played 90 mins in 14 games plus two from the bench for a total of 1338 minutes for the season.

Calil Neme Filho – St Lawrence (Div. 3)

Did not make an appearance in 2021 and was not on the roster this season.

Luke Smith – Omaha Nebraska (Div. 1)

Featured in 14 games, including 12 starts for a total of 995 mins with one assist.

Marc Wharfe – Rider (Div. 1)

Marc transferred to Rider and played in 7 games for 207 minutes this season.

CLASS OF 2020

Ryan Combe – University of Vermont (Div. 1)

Transferred from Akron to play 12 games and 399 mins this season.

Lucas Rodriguez – Colgate University (Div. 1)

Played a total of 32 mins in 3 games.

Mateo Rodriguez – Cornell University (Div. 1)

After a promising freshman season with 739 mins in 12 games, Mateo played 90 minutes in one game this season. Cornell had a great season, making it to the 3^rd round of the College Cup before losing to a late Syracuse goal. Cornell finished 2^nd in the Ivy League to Penn.

Eitan Rosen – Boston University (Div. 1)

After making the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Eitan played in 18 matches, including 14 starts for 1090 minutes.

Bernados Simoes – Trinity College (Div. 3)

Starting GK in all 15 games for 1307 minutes.

Jonathan Sinclair – UNC Chapel Hill (Div. 1)

Did not see any action this season.

Marcelo Suarez – Hobart & William Smith (Div. 3)

Transferred from UC San Diego and played in 15 games this year for the Statesmen, starting in 5 for a total of 574 mins.

CLASS OF 2019

Christos Athanasiadis – Azusa Pacific (Div. 2)

Transferred from Saint Mary’s College of California and featured in 2 games for 43 minutes.

Cory Booth – Hope International (NAIA)

Did not see any action and is not on the roster.

Vicente Castro – Northwestern (Div. 1)

Castro featured in 9 games for 563 minutes, including one goal and three assists for the season.

Diego Dutilh – Creighton (Div. 1)

Diego managed 281 mins coming off the bench in 14 matches as Creighton continued its stellar year, reaching the semi-final of the College Cup, losing in a close match to the eventual winners Syracuse.

Mark Keiffer – Colgate (Div. 1)

Did not see any action in his first three years and was not on the 2022 roster.

Prince Loney-Bailey – James Madison (Div. 1)

The Dukes missed winning the Sun Belt Championship, beaten by National #2 ranked Kentucky 0-2. Prince appeared in 11 games, including 5 starts this season for 515 minutes.

Pedro Paggi – Luther College (Div. 3)

Played in 20 matches for a total of 461 mins in 2019 for the Norse but is no longer on the roster.

Inaki Rodriguez – Michigan (Div. 1)

Saw action in 15 matches with 13 starts this season, with two goals and one assist in 947 mins of playing time. Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2020, 2021).

Alex Schalkwyk – Darthmouth (Div 1)

Featured in 14 games, including ten starts for a total of 464 mins with three goals for the Big Greens. Dartmouth finished 4^th in the Ivy League with a 3-4 tally in the conference.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

From Cairo to Placid – Student’s First Snow

December 5, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

Ahmed smiles as he experiences his first snow outside the school’s main entrance (photo provided).

Ahmed El Ganainy, a junior from Cairo, Egypt, started at Northwood School this year. Having lived in Cairo his entire life, Ahmed had never seen snow before this week. Cairo stays mild or hot most of the year, with temperatures often hitting 92 degrees F in summer and 65 degrees F in winter. Wind and sandstorms are common, and pollution contributes to uncomfortable afternoons in the city. Now, nearly 8,000 miles away, Ahmed is in Lake Placid and experiencing tremendous amounts of snow.

Coming to Lake Placid was an eye-opener for Ahmed, with the Adirondack region featuring nature at its best. Sparsely populated, extremely quiet except for wildlife and trees everywhere was the opposite of traffic jams and horns in a crowded major world capital.

Last week, Ahmed saw snow for the first time. The last time it snowed in Egypt was on the 10th of January 1855 in the mountainous southern region of Sinai.

He was walking between buildings and saw white flakes falling from the sky. “At first, I didn’t really know what it was,” Ahmed exclaimed. “I had to ask people if it was snow. It was such a surreal moment. Magical, actually.”

Ahmed said, “It was a truly incredible moment seeing snow for the first time. I wanted to tell my family. I spent half an hour playing in the snow with my roommate Sam. I felt like a kid. I was so excited and immersed in the moment that I didn’t even feel the sub-zero [Celsius] cold. The pure joy I experienced from the snow will never be forgotten!”

Before coming to Northwood, Ahmed didn’t know what to expect. It was a brave move for him. However, he’s enjoyed life at Northwood, and the fact that the school has become more diverse every year makes moments like these so special.

So, look out for Ahmed on the slopes at Whiteface this ski season!

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

The 2022 Soccer World Cup

November 19, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy (Photo: FIFA).

We’re counting down the days to the start of the 2022 Soccer World Cup which will be held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December. It will be the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world and Qatar’s selection was marred by allegations of corruption as it beat out Australia, the USA, South Korea, and Japan to win the right to host. Qatar has faced strong criticism due to the treatment of foreign workers involved in the preparation and is seen to have high operational risk. 6 of the 8 stadiums to be used are in the city of Doha which is great for the players but how will the city cope with the influx of people? Given that Qatar is a Muslim nation and hence alcohol is prohibited, World Cup organizers have created “sobering up” zones for intoxicated fans to avoid arrest. Fans are supposed to stay in the zone until they are sober.

The World Cup is the world’s biggest sporting event with an audience of 3.6 billion at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This World Cup is projected to have 5 billion viewers. That’s 2/3 of the global population! The World Cup is a soccer tournament held every 4 years. 32 teams compete from all over the world for the prestigious FIFA World Cup trophy. Given that the Northwood soccer team has players from 20 countries, there is a lot of excitement amongst the team. The World Cup is a perfect opportunity for all students from diverse cultures to come together and watch the World’s biggest sporting event.

Leo Doyle a Sophomore at Northwood expressed, “I can’t wait for the World Cup to start. I will personally be going for Japan (because Ireland didn’t qualify). This will be my first experience watching the World Cup away from home, but I am sure that watching it in the living room with people from all over the world will be fantastic.”

For many students, this will be their first time watching the World Cup at Northwood. The Northwood community is going to try its best to make the Northwood World Cup experience one to remember. There will be games streamed in the living room and anyone can go along and watch.

Ahmed Ganainy a junior here at Northwood said, “I am very disappointed Egypt wasn’t able to qualify for the World Cup; however, I will be supporting Argentina. This is Lionel Messi’s last World Cup. He is the greatest soccer player of all time and deserves to win the biggest accolade in soccer for his country.” There are several people at Northwood whose countries haven’t qualified for the 2022 World Cup; nevertheless, everyone will enjoy watching soccer at its best.

Lohkoah Paye is an American Junior at Northwood and is excited to witness arguably the greatest American soccer team of all time. He believes, “This American team is the best I have ever seen. We have an easy group, meaning we can easily get through to the knockout stages. Some of the key players to watch on the American team will be the ‘Lebron James of Soccer,’ Christian Pulisic.” America has a lot of players in the English Premier League and other international leagues.

The favorite to win this tournament is the mighty Brazil, who has the most world cup wins with 5. Brazil has a scary squad, led by the likes of Neymar Jr, Vinicius Jr, and Alisson. France won the last World Cup in 2018 and is another favorite. France, however, must overcome the World Cup curse. For the last 4 World Cups, the team that has won the previous World Cup has been knocked out of the group stage. The World Cup curse is infamous. Fans think the curse will be lifted after France make it out of its group. France is in a group with Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia.

Australia, my home country is the true underdog. Australian soccer fans are saying that it is the weakest Socceroo Squad ever. Australia has found it hard to replace the likes of past legends like Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, and Tim Cahill.

Key players to watch for this tournament are Harry Kane (ENG), Kylian Mbappe (FRA), Kevin De Bruyne (BEL), and Ballon Dor winner Karim Benzema (FRA).

This World Cup will be extremely entertaining, and Northwood encourages everyone to come along and watch the games or else you will have to wait until 2026. The World Cup matches will be at 5 am, 8 am, 11 am, and 2 pm ET. They will be streamed on Fubo TV and Peacock in the living room. So come on down and watch and wear your team colors! This will be a World Cup to remember so make sure you’re part of the action!

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

On the Road with the Soccer Teams

November 10, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

The 2022-23 soccer players on a recent road trip (photo provided).

The boys’ soccer teams recently traveled to Ohio to play in the Midwest Prep Showcase. On route to the tournament, the teams were privileged enough to train at the Penn State University facilities. After an intense training session, the boys got to experience a top-level, division one soccer game between Penn State and Ohio State University.

After the fantastic stop at Penn State, the team traveled to play in the two-day tournament hosted by Western Reserve Academy in Cleveland, Ohio. Sophomore Noah Moodey expressed, “The road trip was quite boring, but it was a fantastic experience at Penn State.” The team was really grateful for the opportunity to train at such a great school. “The matches we played in were really good for the team,” Modey added. “We got to play in front of top college coaches, which is something we don’t get to do every day.”

Members of the U19 soccer team on a recent road trip (photo provided).

The teams went on to participate in the showcase the following day. The U19 team drew its first game 1-1 against Western Reserve. Sam Knauf ’24 scored a crucial goal in the first half to give the U19 team the lead. After a tough second half, both teams came out as equals. Turner Jackson ‘23 said, “We worked really well as a team, and I think we deserved the win. I think we have improved immensely since the start of the season, which I am really excited about.”

The U17s’ first game was a 5-goal thriller against Scotland High School. The 17s came out with a 3-2 win with Mitchell Baker ’25 scoring 2 goals and Jace Donowa ’25 scoring the game-winner. After the match, Donowa remarked, “It was a very tight game; both teams were extremely physical. I thought we deserved the win and luckily, we came out on top.”

The second game for the 19s was not as promising. The boys fought hard but lost 2-1 to Kiski School. Thebe Mosehathebe ‘22 scored a beautiful volley toward the end of the game; however, it wasn’t enough to clinch the victory. It was a disappointing loss for the U19 team, but they will certainly be back stronger than ever.

The U17s won its second game 6-1 in triumphant fashion. The goal scorers were Baker (2), Donowa, Tyler Bedortha ’25, Christopher Green ’25, and Anayo Etumnu Jnr ’25.

After the first game on Saturday, the team was lucky enough to watch Kenyon College play Hiram College. Northwood alumni Kendin Basden ’22 played for Kenyon. His former team supported Kendin passionately throughout the game, and they were extremely excited to talk to him afterward. Lohkoah Paye ’24 said, “I really enjoyed seeing Kendin play. It has been a long time since I last saw him, so it was really nice to catch up and talk about how life has been.” The connections you make at Northwood are immortal. Seeing Kendin play motivated many members of the team to keep working hard to achieve their goal of playing college soccer.

The bus ride home was very long and tiring. The boys and coaches worked extremely hard over the weekend, so it was vital for the team to get some rest on the bus ride back. Lots of the players completed homework assignments and got some well-deserved rest. The weekend was fantastic overall, and the team and coaches were really pleased with the results. Both teams learned a lot and are willing to work hard to come back stronger.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Mosehathebe Earns All-American Honor

November 8, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

Thebe Mosehathebe ’22 (photo provided).

Last week Thebe Mosehathebe ‘23 was selected to represent Northwood and play in the All-American High School soccer game. This marks the 5th year in a row that Northwood school has had at least one player selected in the High School All-American team. Northwood has had seven All-American soccer players in its five-year collaboration with Black Rock Football Club.

Mosehathebe has been at Northwood since his 9th-grade year. He has emerged as a leader on the U19 team and continues to bring a determined, passionate energy to the team. His accomplishments are admirable and inspirational to everyone at Northwood.

The All-American High School soccer game is an annual event that takes place in December. 45 seniors are chosen to represent their high schools and compete in a high-quality match. The 45 players are divided into two teams based on the location of their schools.

Mosehathebe is undecided about his university choice, and this match is a fantastic opportunity for uncommitted athletes to display their talent in front of college coaches. The All-American High School game will have scouts from nearly every Division I program in attendance.

Mosehathebe has influenced many of the players on the younger team. He has been welcoming to new students and is always there to help the younger players. “I am really inspired by Thebe. He is a role model to many of the younger guys here at Northwood,” said Jace Donowa ‘25. “I am enormously proud of him and wish him the best of luck at the game,” Donowa said.

Diego Green ‘25, a new soccer player at Northwood, agreed. “Thebe was so welcoming to me when I came. I am grateful for the impact he has had on me this year. We play the same position, which is great because he helps me a lot with my game,” Green said.

Mosehathebe displayed his trademark modesty when reflecting on the achievement. “It is a great honor to have been selected for this team. Having been here for 4 years, I have seen people achieve similar awards before me. I have learned a lot from the seniors in the past couple of years and so I would say that I had amazing role models. To train every day, compete, and sit in the classroom with such driven people from the age of 15 can only have positive effects on someone, which is something I am incredibly grateful for.”

Thebe Mosehathebe has been outstanding so far this season on and off the field. His actions have inspired many students to be better. He deserves this accomplishment and all of Northwood is supporting him. The students at Northwood are immensely proud and wish him the best of luck at the All-American game on December 10th.

Filed Under: People, Sports, Top Story

Much Anticipation for Spooky Spirit Week

October 28, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

On Halloween week, Northwood will have its annual Spooky Spirit Week, which allows Northwood students to express themselves in a scary comedic fashion. Students have the opportunity to escape the dress code and instead wear Halloween-themed outfits.

Each day of the week will have a different theme starting with a generic Halloween costume theme. The following day becomes more exciting moving to the new “Adam Sandler Day.” Participants will get to wear extremely baggy clothes just like Sandler. This is a new addition to Spooky Spirit week that students love.

Head’s Council Member Turner Jackson ‘23 is enthusiastic about Adam Sandler Day. “I cannot wait for it. I have some clothes in the locker that I cannot wait to pull out. You will have to wait and see on Tuesday what I wear. I do not want to hype it up too much, but everyone will be amazed,” Jackson enthused.

After the exciting Adam Sandler Day, there will be a “Dress as the Elders Day” which will be interesting to see what students and faculty bring to the table. A perfect way to finish off the week is “Twin Day.” The idea behind Twin Day was to allow students to collaborate with their friends and be creative.

Enthusiasm for Spooky Spirit Week has waned in recent years; however, this year the Head’s Council is dedicated to publicizing the event. “We want a strong community that participates in school activities,” said Head’s Council member Abby Sinclair ’23. “This year we are really determined to make this event more successful. The Heads Council has been working hard to ensure the success of this event by meeting several times a week,” Sinclair said. “They have decided to make theme outfits more accessible for students so more students can take part in the event,” she added. It is important for students to not feel self-conscious when dressing up and instead take the opportunity to be creative and enjoy themselves.

On Monday, after an amusing school day, there will be a party held at the indoor turf led by special guest D.J. Crisp. Jackson said “D.J. Crisp is making a guest appearance. He has appeared at several smaller parties, but this will be his breakout event. I cannot wait to have him work the Halloween party.”

Study hall is canceled on Monday, which will enhance the popularity of the party. Despite the cancelation of study hall, students should still be cautious of their schoolwork and should make sure they stay on top of their work.

The Spooky Spirit Week this year will be epic. Northwood encourages all students to take part in the events hosted because this is a perfect opportunity to express yourself. Students who decide not to take part in the event must wear dress code attire. The week will be a superb week at Northwood, so make sure you attend the party on Monday, and you maintain an optimistic mindset all week.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Humans of Northwood: Junior Happi ‘23

October 27, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

“I can eat a whole loaf of bread and three cups of hot chocolate for breakfast and dinner in one day. My favorite meal is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I am 19 and I grew up in Zimbabwe. Growing up in Zimbabwe was exceptionally good and peaceful. I grew up in a deeply religious and athletic family. My family was very cultural and disciplined, which has helped me at Northwood. My hobbies are playing soccer and socializing. I have a lot of free time this year, so I am looking for a new hobby that will keep me busy. I like to make people laugh so in my free time I love to socialize. I came to Northwood to further my education and to prepare myself for college soccer. Northwood has been vastly different than back home. The diverse personalities and cultures at Northwood make life here extremely interesting. My favorite thing about Northwood is the snow. I had never seen snow before coming here. In the future, I hope I will attend a very good university that will provide me with the opportunity to play professional soccer. In 5 years, I hope I am drafted by an M.L.S. team and I am constantly growing as an individual.”

As told to Mitchell Baker ’25. Photo provided.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Food Service Gets High Marks

October 27, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

Some of the Northwood food service team while they prepared for lunch recently. From left to right: William Mott, Adam Fischer, Adrianne Peck, and Jim Bennett (photo: Mr. John Spear)

The school year is off to a fantastic start. Students from all over the world are adjusting to Northwood life. A major part of life at Northwood is the food. The food here at Northwood is extremely diverse. Several dishes from all over the world give students a taste of different cultural foods. Food in general can be a source of happiness and can unify people. This year, the Northwood chefs have stepped it up a notch. The food has been sublime and there have been several new dishes that have pleasantly surprised returning students.

Cedric Lemaire ‘24 has been impressed with the food. “It has been very pleasing so far. The food has improved, and I am all for it. The chefs have also been hardworking and polite which makes the whole dining system more attractive.” He also noted the chefs are always good at making new students feel welcome. “This year my favorite meal has to be Jerk Chicken and rice. The seasoning on the chicken is unreal. My favorite dessert must be the chocolate pie,” added Lemaire.

An incredibly significant part of the food here at Northwood is the kitchen staff. The Northwood community must appreciate the challenging work the staff put into making meals every day. Leo Doyle ‘25 said, “My experience with the kitchen staff has been excellent. I am happy that the staff is extremely nice and positive. It has been a lot easier settling in because of them.” Leo already has a favorite dish. “The fried chicken and chips is the best. The fries are super crispy and tasty, which complements the crunchy fried chicken. My favorite dessert must be the ice cream sandwiches. Ice cream is such a subtle way to end a meal,” he added. Fried chicken has become a new favorite for many students this year. “The food here is surprisingly better than what I anticipated. I heard negative things about the food at Northwood, but it has turned out much better than what I heard,” Doyle said.

The Northwood food has been great so far, which has pleased numerous students. The staff is working harder than ever, so it is particularly important that we recognize their demanding work. Hopefully, the food at Northwood will keep improving as it is a major part of life at Northwood.

If you have any suggestions or feedback, make sure you contact the kitchen staff. Every week they ask for suggestions in the weekend meal survey.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Family Weekend to Feature Student-Led Conferences

October 1, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

Next weekend, beginning October 7th, Northwood will have its annual family weekend. Family weekend allows families from all over the world to come and experience Northwood life. Parents will get to experience classroom life as well as co-curricular activities. For many students, this will be the first time they have seen their families since the start of the year. There are several events over the weekend that will easily welcome and entertain families from all over the world. The soccer and hockey teams will display their talent on family weekend with home games.

A major addition to this year’s family weekend is student-led conferences. Student-led conferences were trialed with last year’s ninth-grade class. Ms. Noel Carmichael, humanities teacher and academic dean, played a significant role in the success of the student-led conferences last year. “I am really looking forward to the student-led conferences this year,” Carmichael said. “The student-led conferences are an opportunity for students to be in the driver seat for their educational journey. Students will have the opportunity to present a PowerPoint discussing their highlights, success, and challenges so far this year.”

The student-led conferences are a terrific way to let students take charge of their conference rather than them being disengaged in a normal parent-teacher conference. Ms. Carmichael is aware that not all families will be able to attend family weekend. She expressed, “We are aware many families can’t make it which will mean several students will have to do their student led conferences virtually.”

Ms. Wright is a teacher and a parent here at Northwood who attended the student-led conferences last year, and she believes that “The student-led conference was a wonderful way to learn about my child’s Northwood experience, from his perspective. The self-reflection was honest, and the goals were well thought out. Overall, it was a vast experience as a parent, and I enjoyed having my child guide his own conference.” It is safe to say the student-led conferences are a fantastic addition to this year’s family weekend.

The student-led conferences, one of the many major events of family weekend. There will be several events that will portray the exquisite Northwood experience to families. Many families are coming to Northwood next weekend and the students cannot wait. Students are looking forward to the much-needed break after a hectic start to the year and they cannot wait to share their experience here at Northwood with their families.

A full schedule of Family Weekend activities can be found here.