The student-run newspaper of Northwood School in Lake Placid.
Thank you for visiting The Mirror, Northwood School’s student-led newspaper. Classes resumed online on March 18, and The Mirror’s staff, who have dispersed to three states and four countries, are committed to chronicling life at Northwood from the student’s perspective, especially now that students have left campus.
(Missing from photo: Hadley Swedlund ’20)
Image: CDC
For just the second time in Northwood School’s 115-year history, the school is closing its campus in response to an emergency. Head of School Michael Maher announced the move via email on Wednesday, March 11 and Assistant Head for School Life Mr. Spear elaborated and answered questions at a hastily-announced school meeting that evening. They explained the move was intended to help stop the spread of the global pandemic known as Coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. The last time school operations were suspended in response to an emergency was during World War II.
Maher’s letter to the community is below. The Mirror will have continuing and extensive coverage of the situation beginning this week.
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Mr. Michael J. Maher
Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2020 at 7:30 PM
Subject: Important Message from Mr. Maher Re: COVID-19
To: Northwood CommunityDear Northwood Community,The COVID-19 virus has continued to spread, and many parts of the United States and the world have been impacted. All of us are concerned about how the virus will affect our daily lives over the next weeks and months. To best protect the health and well-being of our campus community, we need to focus on reducing its possible effects.
While New York State and Essex County have both declared states of emergency, currently there are no confirmed cases at Northwood School, or in Lake Placid and Essex County. Given the rapid spread of the virus and its proximity to our dense residential community in Lake Placid, itself a destination for millions of visitors each year, we have made a series of decisions we believe are in the best interests of our students, faculty, and staff. The aim in all our deliberations has been to move quickly and thoughtfully to minimize, as best as we can, the risk of exposure for members of our community while continuing to fulfill our educational mission.
I have consulted with Northwood School trustees and school leaders, as well as experts in public health, and colleagues at other boarding and college institutions. I have concluded, after careful analysis, that Northwood School will cease all on-campus programming and transition all instruction online as of today, March 11, 2020. Tomorrow we will prepare students for online learning and assist them with their travel arrangements. Student departures may begin as early as 2:00 pm.
We plan to resume on-campus instruction and other programming on Monday, April 27, which will leave four weeks for classes, AP exams, and other year-end activities, including commencement and LEAP. Of course, resuming on-campus programming at that time depends on the status of the coronavirus. We will monitor the situation closely and communicate regularly with everyone in the Northwood community.
We come to this decision with mixed emotions. We believe it is the most effective approach to protect our students, faculty, and families. This allows us to do our part to contain, prepare for and cope with the spread of the virus.
As social distancing is becoming a new normal, distance learning is an effective means to continue to educate and be responsible for outcomes for our students. Northwood School is fully equipped to migrate to online learning and we are confident that students and faculty will transition effectively. We are committed to supporting our students and teachers throughout this process.
We recognize that this communication raises a significant number of questions, which we will address in communications to follow. We ask for your patience as our students adjust to this news and we properly formulate individual return and transition plans.
If you have any questions, you can reach John Spear, Assistant Head for School Life or Dr. Laura Finnerty Paul, Dean of Academics.
Thank you all for your understanding, your patience, and your partnership during this challenging time.
Regards,
Michael Maher
Head of School
March 11, 2020 — Dr. Laura Finnerty Paul, Northwood School’s Dean of Academic Affairs, today announced the Honor Rolls for the second trimester of the 2019-20 school year, which concluded on Thursday, February 13.
DEAN’S LIST
Upperclassmen (Gr. 11 & 12): Minimum weighted GPA of 4.00 with no grade below B+
Underclassmen (Gr. 9 & 10): Minimum weighted GPA of 3.70 with no grade below B+
HIGH HONOR ROLL
Upperclassmen (Gr. 11 & 12): Minimum weighted GPA of 3.70 with no grade below B
Underclassmen (Gr. 9 & 10): Minimum weighted GPA of 3.30 with no grade below B
HONOR ROLL
Upperclassmen (Gr. 11 & 12): Minimum GPA of 3.30 with no grade below B-
Underclassmen (Gr. 9 & 10): Minimum GPA of 3.00 with no grade below B-
EFFORT HONOR ROLL
Attained at least three “excellent” grades, with no effort grades below “good.”
March 5, 2020, is our fourth annual giving day called Ring the Bell for Northwood. Students around campus are wearing their blue Ring the Bell t-shirts to class and alumni and families around the world are showing their Northwood pride by making gifts to the Northwood Fund. Students representing each of the four Peaks have submitted entries into the annual video competition and the winner will be determined at a special school meeting today at 11:30 am.
Every March, our Northwood family around the world — alumni, students, parents, friends, neighbors, faculty, and staff — come together for Ring the Bell, a 24-hour online fundraising event. Ring the Bell supports the Northwood people and programs that are important to achieving the school’s mission of fostering growth in young people so that they may engage their world and lead lives of consequence.
Excitement for Ring the Bell for Northwood has been building as Huskies everywhere have watched daily videos leading up to the event.
The annual fundraising effort, organized by Northwood’s Advancement Office, is using a new platform to communicate with alumni, parents, and friends of Northwood and inspire their support The primary goal of Ring the Bell 2020 is to celebrate our school and support the people and programs we all care about most. We hope to reach 400 donors today and surpass the goals of previous years — join us and Ring the Bell for Northwood!
Five nights a week, from 7:45 to 9:45 PM, all boarding students at Northwood must be in their rooms, the dining hall (for supervised study hall), or the student center (for group study) with their assignments. Yet the 57 seniors are now offered the opportunity to use the Innovation Hub as a study space during study hall.
Many seniors enjoy this privilege because the new facility allows a more collaborative working environment. Maggie McNeil ‘20, who was one of the first seniors to study at the Hub, said, “I like the Hub because I can cooperate with other seniors in my class whenever I have any questions regarding homework or assignments. I also like that I don’t feel as if I’m trapped inside a tiny space. I’m able to think more freely in an open space.”
Another way this experience benefits seniors is by giving them the freedom and responsibility that they will have in college. Senior Lexi Hooper said, “I think studying in a space other than my room will definitely make the transition between high school and college easier. It’ll help me get a little accustomed to what life will be like in college.”
Shuttles to the Hub leaves campus at 7:20 and 7:30 PM from Sunday to Thursday. Underclass students who take classes at the Hub are also permitted to study in this new learning facility; however, study hall at the Hub may be restricted for students, both seniors and underclassmen, who violate facility rules.
For the 2020-2021 school year, Northwood School will introduce the Advanced Scholar Programs that will encourage achievement and accelerated instruction to high-performing students.
The first program to be offered, Advanced STEM Research, will provide a platform to engage in independent research within the fields of biological sciences, physical sciences, behavioral sciences and engineering. Students with a deep interest in scientific discovery will have the ability to design and implement their own research projects throughout this year-long honors-level course. By engaging in literature research, generating a testable hypothesis, implementing an experiment and analyzing the results, students will develop the mastery to critically think about the scientific world. Formal presentations, or publications, of the results at the end of the year will further develop the students’ communication and critical thinking skills.
“We are very excited to provide a catalyst of encouragement for Northwood students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” states Jill Walker, Dean of Faculty, Science & Math Faculty.
Enrolled students must hold an interest in problem solving and a deep desire to conduct independent research. Depending on the students’ interests, mentorships with regional scientists may be arranged to support the student with expert advice and exposure to a higher level of academic engagement. Placing a special emphasis on research directly related to systems within the Adirondack Park will further develop the relationship between Northwood School and the community and foster with these young scientists a deeper awareness of their living environment.
“The new Advanced Scholar Programs, alongside the official opening of the Innovation Hub at Northwood School, fortifies our commitment to excellence in academics,” states Michael Maher, Head of School. “Our talented and accomplished faculty are poised to teach and inspire an interest in advanced thinking.”
Four Northwood students recently earned recognition for their photography and video skills. Ms. Darcy Norfolk, Northwood’s Marketing and Communications Director, congratulated the winners of Northwood’s photography contest for capturing the incredible winter beauty surrounding us in Lake Placid and the Adirondacks:
1st place (tie): Haley Donatello ’21 and Peppi DelliQuadri ’22
2nd place: Macie Eisenhart ’23
3rd place: Cisco DelliQuadri ’20
The winning video: also by Haley Donatello ’21
Peppi DelliQuadri ’22 (First Place – tie)
Haley Donatello (First Place – tie)
Cisco DelliQuadri ’20 (Third Place)
Macie Eisenhart ’23 (Third Place)
Video Contest Winner:
Haley Donatello ’21
After a big snowstorm hit Lake Placid and upstate New York, the Northwood community was sent back in time to the days when socializing was a thing.
Source: https://downdetector.com/
The snowstorm hit Lake Placid early in the early evening last Thursday and continued until late night Friday, leaving behind over twenty centimeters of snow. With the exception of the skiers, all the Northwood athletic teams were home hosting all sporting events. As a result, many teams had difficulty making the journey to Lake Placid. Fortunately, all visiting teams arrived safe and sound. All Northwood teams competed and fought hard with all teams winning their games.
The snowstorm, however, was the least of the students’ worries as widespread internet outages forced students to adjust to living without WiFi. The timing was difficult because it came at the beginning of the last week of the trimester, which is typically packed with tests, papers and other major assignments. Everyone struggled, faculty included. Teachers were unable to teach their planned lessons, and students were unable to complete assignments. But most heartbreaking was that students were unable to talk to one another through their phones. With Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram down, students seemed unable to communicate with each other.
Source: Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Students suffered. Ashlyn McGrath ‘21 said, “it was awful, I didn’t know what to do as everything I normally did wasn’t accessible. I couldn’t do anything: homework, TikTok, social media, or talk to my parents as a result.”
It was all bad for everyone, though. Bernardo Simoes ‘20 used the internet outage as a time to try different things. “As I was unable to connect to any internet, I spent my time listening to music and reading a book.”
Academically, the Wi-Fi outage caused many setbacks; however, faculty are being very helpful and flexible as students did their best under the circumstances. But the bright side was that students were forced to talk to each other. It was observed that roommates who normally speak very little to each other, preferring instead to text or Snap, were forced to use their words when the internet was down. “The struggle was real,” said one Husky.
The internet blackout kept all Huskies off social media and prevented them from completing their academic assignments, but the Northwood faculty worked hard to make this time easier for all, and WiFi has since been restored and students are ready for February Break.
Last year in November, four beginners joined Northwood’s Robotics team. After two and a half months of designing and programming robots, they participated in the VEX Robotics Competition at Queensbury, NY. James Zuo ’23 and Tiago Pinto ’21 (Team #12946Y) finished 15th among 60 teams. Anja Martin ’22 and Quy-An “Q” NguyenLe ’23 (Team #12946Z) came in 7th overall. Northwood also placed 16th in the driver/programming skills challenge.
“We have well-designed robots for both teams. James recently added an innovative sliding system to lift his robot higher, and he is still building. Q and Anja just redesigned their claw. So the robots will keep getting better and better in between competitions,” said Mr. Jeff Martin, Department Chair of Innovation, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship (IEE). “James takes Computer Programming class and did most of the programming for both robots,” added Mr. Martin. His teammates were in co-curricular Robotics and worked on the robots twice a week.
Brain Bette ’22 coached both teams at the competition. He took Robotics class and competed at the VEX Robotics competition last year. This year, he not only helped everyone in his team cooperate but also encouraged his teammates to work with teams from other schools. “The coach’s job is to talk to the driver so that the driver doesn’t get tunnel vision and to find out other teams’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses,” Mr. Martin said. “And Brian did just that.”
Although waitlisted for now, Northwood’s Robotics hopes to compete in state championships—perhaps even in world championships. Mr. Martin said, “I think we have enough accumulative points to make it to state championships.” And if they win state championships, they will head to Louisville, Kentucky for a global competition. Last year, Bette and Paul Han ’19 came in 8th place in states. Mr. Martin believes that with practice and commitment, the team can break last year’s record.
With the opening of the Innovation Hub fast-approaching, the team looks forward to the expansion of the Robotics program. “Robotics is open to anybody. Anybody who loves robots can come hang out at the Hub,” said Mr. Martin. He added, “Robotics is cool.”
If they make it to state championships, Northwood’s Robotics team will travel to Syracuse, NY on February 29th.
Su Hae (Jessica) Jang ’20 (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)
Senior Su Hae (Jessica) Jang is one step closer to winning a National Merit Scholarship, which can mean thousands of dollars each year of college scholarships, which can make a big dent in Jang’s tuition bill. Jang is one of 15,000 finalists among the more than 1.6 million entrants into the competition.
“I was really surprised to hear that I was named a finalist because the first time I heard it was from Mr. Spear in journalism class and before then I had no idea I would be a finalist.” Jessica Jang ‘20. As of now, Jessica wants to major in environmental science but she is also really interested in history and sociology. She is keeping her options open because she has a lot of interests.
Aside from being the highest-ranked student in the class of 2020, Jang rows for Northwood’s crew team, is an RA in Bergamini Dorm, is a student-leader of the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, a leader of Northwood’s Sustainability Committee and for two years has been the editor-in-chief of The Mirror.
The National Merit Scholarship is offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Each year, almost 10,000 students receive scholarships based on their PSAT scores and other accomplishments. There are three main types of National Merit Scholarships: National Merit $2500 scholarships, corporate-sponsored scholarships, and college-sponsored merit scholarships.
According to the organization’s web site, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) was established in 1955 — a time in which there was concern that the United States was lagging behind in the cold war scientific race, but the public was indifferent to rewarding intellectual accomplishment. In response, the National Merit Scholarship Program was founded to identify and honor scholastically talented American youth and to encourage them to develop their abilities to the fullest. Through this nationwide competition, National Merit Scholarships are awarded to program Finalists and Special Scholarships are awarded to other high performing participants who meet a corporate sponsor’s eligibility criteria.
