As winter settles over campus and fresh snow brightens the grounds, Northwood shifts into its winter schedule—a routine that begins with morning athletic practices and continues with afternoon academic classes. The schedule is designed primarily for skiers, who benefit from better snow conditions early in the day; with daylight saving time, afternoon skiing would mean training in the dark.

The 2025-26 Winter Schedule.

As a third-year student, I prefer the winter schedule, but for newcomers, it’s an entirely new experience.

“The schedule changes are something I haven’t experienced before, but the adjustment so far has been easy, and I feel more energized throughout my day,” said Luke Lalonde ’26.

For some students, the school day can feel longer, with first-period classes beginning at 12:40 p.m. and the last class ending at 5:05 p.m., followed by a flex period. Lalonde noted one benefit of the change: “Something I did not like about the fall schedule was that sometimes we would finish practicing and then have to go to a workout that overlapped with dinner time, so we’d miss half of dinner. That was sometimes frustrating.”

While the transition takes some getting used to, the winter schedule offers a refreshing shift in daily rhythm. Quiet, snowy mornings set a calm tone for the day, and with practices completed early, athletes can turn their attention fully to academics. Evenings feel more relaxed, and many students appreciate the balance created by this structure.

As the season continues, the routine becomes second nature. The campus settles into a rhythm that feels productive, grounded, and connected. For many, the winter months bring not just colder weather but also a renewed sense of energy, focus, and community.

As the snow keeps falling and the days grow shorter, students find warmth in their routines and friendships. The winter schedule may begin as an adjustment, but by the end of the season, it becomes a meaningful part of campus life—a time that reminds everyone just how close the Northwood community truly is.

Stats class with Mr. Giacin. Photo by Justin McLeod ’26.

Two months into the 2025–26 school year, Statistics has become an unexpected favorite among Northwood students—thanks in large part to first-year teacher and assistant prep hockey coach Mr. Giacin, whose energetic and creative approach has made data come alive in the classroom.

Statistics teaches students how to collect, analyze, and organize data. The course covers probability, averages, graphs, and making predictions based on patterns. Overall, the goal is to understand how data works in the real world and to apply it to solve real problems and make informed decisions.

“The most fun lesson in stats class has been the educational movies. I have really enjoyed the movies Mr. Giacin picked for the class,” Harry Vant ’26 said. “The project we’re working on now—comparing Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid to find their Z-scores and determine who was more dominant in their MVP season—helped me understand Z-scores much more,” Vant added.

“Mr. Giacin’s teaching skills make stats class easier to understand through projects, speeches, and movies. I don’t seem to fail in his class,” Vant said.

Ryan Demers ’27 shared a similar perspective. “I like how I am learning to connect what we’re studying to the real world instead of just filling out packets and equations,” Demers said. “I learned how to use an Excel sheet for a Z-score project, and my group was able to get an A-,” he added.

“Mr. Giacin is a great teacher who makes stats class easy and enjoyable for many students like me. I am excited for the rest of the year,” said Demers.

Reflecting on his experience so far, Mr. Giacin said, “This first year of teaching statistics—two months in—has been a blast, with many students enjoying the class with laughter and smiles.” He added, “The stats teacher before me, Jeff Miller, has been very helpful in giving me ideas to make my class fun and enjoyable for my students.”

“I am very happy with the batch of students I have this school year,” said Mr. Giacin.

Overall, stats class has been a great experience for many students—and there are surely more good things to come.

Photo by Inspirit AI.

As college application season reaches its peak, Northwood seniors are navigating a hectic yet career-defining process. Everyone’s college journey is different, as students at Northwood have a wide range of priorities. Many athletes are hoping for a prestigious commitment and scholarship, while others are simply casting a wide net to keep their options open.

“It was stressful at the beginning and transferring from a different school, but I got it figured out and settled down. I am trying to play ACHA hockey next year, so I applied to schools with strong club programs and academics,” said first-year goalie Ethan Nau ’26. He applied to a handful of schools, including College of Charleston, George Mason, Ohio State, Elon, and South Carolina. “I wanted to apply to a variety of schools to give myself options. I am intending to major in finance.”

“I applied to Babson, Villanova, Colgate, and Queens,” said soccer player James Martin ’26. “The process was straightforward for me. What took the most time was revising the supplemental essays and questions, but Reno did an excellent job assisting me. I plan on majoring in business.”

“I am playing junior hockey next year, but I still applied to schools as a backup plan. I applied to Canadian universities Carleton and Queens—one for education and one for business law. I am still working on applications to American schools such as St. Lawrence University, Clarkson, Hamilton, and Arizona State University,” said second-year goalie Owen MacLean ’26. “The process was less stressful for me because I viewed it as more of a contingency plan, but I still took it seriously and applied to schools with a balance of athletics and academics.”

As the Class of 2026 waits eagerly for decisions to roll in, uncertainty mixes with excitement about where they will spend the next four years of their lives. Forty percent of seniors have already submitted applications, and the total number sent is approaching 200. There will surely be articles later in the year covering acceptances—so stay tuned!

Ben White ’27 and his group had a chance to win – until they used baking powder instead of baking soda – in their recipe. Photo provided.

Northwood held a weekend cookie-baking contest before Thanksgiving break. It was a quiet weekend on campus, with only the girls’ hockey team, a few skiers, injured soccer players, and independents at school. There were many creative cookie designs.

The contest winners have not been announced yet, but it is expected that one of the girls’ hockey teams will take the top spot. Benjamin White ’26, who won the last competition, did not perform as well this time.

White’s team attempted to bake sugar cookies with Hershey Kisses in the middle. The team had hoped to defend Ben’s title as champion, but they unfortunately used baking powder instead of baking soda. Reflecting on the mistake, team member Tziyon Morris ’26 said, “I think we would have won if we had used baking soda. No one really stood a chance, but it was just a little laziness that got to us that night.”

Student bakers took over the kitchen for the event. Photo provided.

“Yeah, I had a long day and forgot to use baking soda, but I honestly think the cookies were good either way,” White added.

The girls’ hockey team entered several baking groups with different cookie designs, and one of their teams ended up creating the best cookies. Cora Major ’27 said, “It was very fun but stressful making the dough. We could never tell whether we had the right amount of something, but the cookies still came out well. It was a nice activity for a boring weekend.”