Northwood Life – The Mirror

Varsity Hockey to Compete in New League

October 4, 2024 by Michael Peluso

The 2024-2025 season is a big year for the Northwood Varsity team with lots of changes. The varsity team has only 7 returning players from last season and many new and young guys. The biggest change from last year’s team to this year is the schedule they will be playing. Last year, the Varsity team played in the United Tier One Hockey League, an 18u league. This year, the Huskies moved to a new league, the Northern Schools Hockey Conference, a more challenging 16U league.

This conference includes top programs from the Northeast area like Bishop Kearney Selects, Gilmour Academy, Nichols School, Stanstead College, and, of course, Northwood. This is a very important change for Northwood’s varsity team. The competition will be better, player development will be better, and there will be more eyes and recruitment from the Varsity team.

The team huddles before a game. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Coach Jeff Miller emphasized competitiveness. The varsity team is a very talented group of primarily younger players this year, and their coaches know that the challenging games are the ones that will benefit them the most. “Our record last year against U16 teams was 9-8, we want competitive games, it doesn’t get more competitive than that,” Coach Miller said.

The players also seem to be excited about this change. Third-year goalie Cash Lawrence ’25 said, “I am really excited for our first games in this league. I think it’s going to make for much more competitive and exciting games.”

“I can’t wait to compete against the highest-level prep teams,” newcomer Chase Brock ’27 said.

This change will be beneficial to the future of Northwood as well. These highly competitive games will help develop players, build confidence and ultimately prepare them for the next level. This will likely result in more players making the jump from the varsity team to the prep team. This will also be a big factor in recruiting younger players. The top guys will obviously want to play against other top teams, and the new league will provide them with that opportunity at Northwood.

The team’s first league event will take place October 26-28^th at Stanstead College in Quebec. The team will play 4 games that weekend, one against each team in the league. They will have another one of these events in Buffalo at Nichols School later in the year. There will also be a playoff and championship in Rochester at Bishop Kearney’s rink.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Peak Pathway Profile: Randall Learns Boat-Building

October 4, 2024 by Li Feng

Alex Randall ’26 with the canoe he built over the summer. Photo provided.

The Peak Pathways Program, Northwood School’s exciting evolution of its successful Independent Initiatives, has returned! The program is structured in a way that provides students with a unique opportunity to engage in a year-long, self-designed exploration of a topic or field that aligns with their future aspirations. Northwood continues to foster an environment where students learn and actively engage in research and critical thinking, transforming education into a lived experience.

This summer, Alex Randall ‘25 undertook an ambitious project: constructing a 15-foot canoe in his garage. He is preparing to build a second, larger canoe as part of the Peak Pathways Program, which encourages students to apply their skills to real-world projects. His initial canoe served as a test, using cheaper materials to minimize mistakes and learn the fundamentals of boat building. “I wanted to gain some first-hand experience before diving headfirst into a new project,” Alex explained. “I started with cheaper materials to avoid making costly mistakes.”

Guided by his grandfather, an experienced boat builder, Alex tackled a foreign process. The project involved bending different widths of wood to form the canoe’s shape, followed by applying fiberglass to waterproof the wooden planks. One of the more challenging skills he mastered was steaming wood to make it flexible enough to bend. Reflecting on his learning experience, Alex noted, “One of the most remarkable skills I had to master was bending wood through steaming. This technique softens the cell walls, allowing the wood to become flexible.”

Alex Randall works on the wooden canoe he built over the summer. Photo provided.

While rewarding, the project was not without its difficulties. Balancing the time between his summer job and the demands of canoe construction was tough, and the extended periods of waiting for glue to dry often delayed progress. Nonetheless, Alex remains committed to refining his skills through this experience.

Looking ahead, Alex plans to build a second, larger canoe with greater width, depth, and more intricate details than his first attempt. This next phase of the project will push his skills further as he continues to grow through Northwood’s Peak Pathways Program. By allowing students to design their projects, the Peak Pathways Program equips them with practical problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills. Programs like this prepare students for a rapidly changing world by promoting their strengths and encouraging them to take ownership of their learning, making them better prepared to adapt and innovate.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

Nine Students Elected to Class Councils

October 4, 2024 by Sasha Luhur

Northwood’s class councils for the 24-25 school year were elected on the 24^th and announced the next day. Below are our new student councils:

9^th Grade (Class of 2028):

Landon D’Arco ’28

Emmett Fox ’28

10^th Grade (Class of 2027):

Maxwell Notley ’27	Marley Tracy-Deuss ’27
Sasha Luhur ’27.

11^th Grade (Class of 2026):

Aston Ferrillo ’26	Hamish Riddell ’26
Jacob Slagel ’26	Yosef Spear ’26

This year’s class councils are set to improve the Northwood community. Landon D’Arco, elected to 9^th grade council, is excited for his new role, “I decided to run for class council because I wanted to take a leadership role in my grade so I could make positive changes. I’m excited to represent the ninth grade and making sure my classmates’ ideas are heard.” New sophomore Marley Tracey-Deuss has a similar view, saying: “I just want to help people and make a difference in the community. I was very surprised to be elected, and a little nervous. I am new here so I don’t know yet what I can really do to help, but I am a fresh pair of eyes who just wants to do the best I can for everyone.” These new voices will give our class councils a different perspective and help balance decisions.

We also have repeat members on the councils. This will be Aston Ferillo’s second year on student council, this time on 11^th grade leadership. He spoke a bit about the election results: “I’m glad to have been re-elected to student council. I think that it’s great being able to advocate for my grade and organize events to make the student experience just a little bit better.”

Leigh Riffle, who is in charge of the class councils, spoke about restarting the councils. “Stuff got lost when COVID hit, and now we’re slowly getting our heads above the water. Before COVID, the way the school was structured, the classes spent a lot more time together and were a closer community. We changed to Team Deans instead of Class Deans during that time, so the class community needs something else to bring it together now. The past two years, especially this year, we’re trying to bring back that class camaraderie that got lost for a little.” When asked about how the student council role has evolved over the years, Ms. Riffle said, “The idea of the class councils has always been that you guys are the voice of your class, but I also hope that the councils will work together to create more student initiative. I mean, last year, when the 9^th and 10^th grade councils put together the Valentine’s Day formal, that was one of the most successful activities we had all year. Students talked about that for the rest of the year and wanted more of that, so it shows that the class councils have an eye for what students want.” She says the goal is to increase student initiative on campus and have voices from all grades. Having formal elections this year helped to establish the process, and the student council is set for a great school year ahead.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

A Day in the Life of a Skier in Chile

October 3, 2024 by Sydney Kuder

Photo by Raychel West of Sydney Kuder ‘25.

The Northwood ski team has been in Valle Nevado, Chile for over a week in a half, and have loved every second of our time on snow and off.

Every ski day in Chile starts bright and early at 6:00 AM. First, the team has breakfast in the dining hall, then gets ready on the hotel’s first floor. A lot happens before we click into our skis; we use a variety of bands and stretches to warm up our muscles before we hit the slopes. Cara Dempsey ‘25 does hip mobility, ankle mobility, and muscle activation with bands before she eats breakfast. I like to use a band for activation and a lacrosse ball to roll out my feet before stuffing them into ski boots.

Once the team is ready to go, we trek outside around 7:15 am. The sun doesn’t rise in Valle Nevado until 7:35, so we load the first pomma while it’s still dark out. I love to lap with Cara in the morning before we jump into the course. We do slow drills to warm up and inspect the course thoroughly before we begin running it. We run the course for about two hours once we’re warm and ready to go. In that time, we get around 5-8 runs in. So far, we have skied four days of Slalom and six days of GS. After running the course, we’ll help our coaches pull the gates and bundle them. Most days we freeski after gate training for about an hour. Valle Nevado this time of year has plenty of snow and a lot of terrain open, making it the perfect hill to explore.

After training, we tune our skis before study hall. Tuning entails sharpening to maintain edge steepness and waxing using paste wax to keep our skis fresh and sharp. Depending on the day’s conditions, tuning can take up to an hour if our skis are dull.

We have dryland some days, where we stretch or do ladder and hurdle drills with our head FIS men’s coach, Seppi Stiegler. If we don’t have dryland that day, we have study hall from 1-3:30. Raychel West runs our study halls, ensuring we’re keeping up with our schoolwork and staying on top of assignments. After study hall, we review our videos from the day with our coaches. Our coaches usually shoot 3 runs of us skiing in the course every training session. During video, we look at our entrance to our turns in the course, and our overall technique while skiing. Our coaches give us feedback on what to work on the next day.

For the rest of the day, we have dinner as a team and relax before bed. Our coaches heavily enforce a very strict bedtime of 9:30 p.m. Because of our early wake-up calls, we strive to get as much sleep as possible.

The ski team has two days left on snow in Chile and can’t wait to make the most of it. We travel back to Northwood on Friday, September 27.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

Loher Named to the 2024-25 National Team

October 3, 2024 by Jack Kroll

Henry Loher 26’ Ski Jumping during 2024 Junior National Championships. Photo Provided.

The Northwood community congratulates Henry Loher ‘26 who was named to the 2024-25 U.S Ski Jumping Team last week. Henry was one of the four athletes selected for the National Development team, which he qualified for by winning the U16 Junior National Championship last February and the overall US Cup series last winter. Being on the National Development team will give him priority over other jumpers for both national training camps and international competitions.

After his strong winter last year, he set the goal for himself to “compete in my first FIS Cup before the end of the next winter.” Henry is set to complete that goal next week by traveling to Estonia for his first-ever international competition, which will be at the FIS Cup level. Henry says he is “super excited to get to travel the world competing and hopefully come away with some FIS points.”

NYSEF/Eastern Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Head Coach Colin Delaney. Photo by Monica Whitt Photography.

NYSEF Ski Jumping head coach Colin Delaney attributes Henry’s success to “two years of really focusing on specific off-hill training for ski jumping. He has put in another good summer of work on and off the hill, and I’m hopeful for some strong performances in his first international competitions.”

As Henry comes up on a major career milestone, he has been reflecting on his journey. Henry would like to thank his “Mom and Dad for always being there for me and helping me to become the jumper I am today. I would also like to thank all my coaches over the years, especially Colin Delaney who has really taken my jumping to the next level.” Congratulations, Henry, and good luck in Estonia.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

“Husky Health” Promotes Wellness

October 3, 2024 by Jesse Schoch

As a school full of many student-athletes, physical and mental health play a crucial role in everyday life. This year, a new newsletter, Husky Health, can be found around campus in classrooms, bathrooms, and even dorm halls. But what is Husky Health, and why should students care?

Ms. Tara Wright is one of the newsletter’s editors and the School Psychologist. “Husky Health is a student-centered newsletter that provides vital information and resources for physical and mental health.” She speaks about the newsletter’s contents, which contain various tips and strategies to provide the school’s athletes with the best well-being. Wright describes her partnership with the school’s Nurse and Athletic Trainer to engage all athletes, whether on the ice, on the Turf, or in the Fitness center. She told me the newsletter would be updated to suit the year’s conditions better. “Future editions will include nutrition, sports psychology, athletic injury prevention, healthy habits for illness prevention, mindfulness and emotional well-being.”

Why should athletes give their attention to the newsletter? “We are asking students to submit topics for us to cover,” says Wright. “The goal is to provide an additional way for students to learn about interesting health topics. We would like to see this expand to include lots of student topic suggestions.” Hockey player Cash Lawrence ‘25 suggests elaborating on the importance of washing hands. “Washing hands is especially vital during allergenic seasons such as spring and fall,” Lawrence said.

As the school year’s first month ends, we hope to see more updates about how Northwood athletes can continue to improve their psychological and physical health.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, 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

Artist Van Slyke “Finding the Ordinary: A Portrait of Everyday Shared Spaces”

October 3, 2024 by Cedric Lemaire

Ms. Ingrid Van Slyke. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Lake Placid is a beautiful place. That is exactly what Northwood’s very own award-winning artist and art teacher, Ms. Ingrid Van Slyke, is trying to capture in her series called Finding the Ordinary: A Portrait of Everyday Shared Spaces. Her series will consist of 52 oil paintings over a year, which will require her to average a painting every week.

Finding the Ordinary captures the “non-touristy everyday places that Lake Placid has to offer,” says Ms. Van Slyke. This effort sheds light on the Lake Placid local perspective and changes the audience for the artwork. Often, when Ms. Van Slyke’s work is displayed in galleries, “buyers are from out of town and not local residents,” she says. Her series aims to “allow locals to be the audience for my art—so now the parent that passes the stop sign every day to drop their kid off at school can have a painting of that.”

Ms. Van Slyke had already completed 22 paintings when she got the news from The Adirondack Lakes Center of the Arts (ALCA) and the New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA) that she had been awarded a grant for her project. Her 52 paintings will be displayed in the Lake Placid Main Street Library, which fits the theme of her series and is welcoming to her target audience.

Ms. Van Slyke’s series will avoid landmarks such as the 1980 arena or Whiteface Mountain, which she expects to be appealing to locals who can now have a piece of art and a piece of community. As a result of her efforts, her art will go directly back into the community.

All proceeds made from the gallery will go to Mercy Care for the Adirondacks. Mercy Care is especially important to Ms. Van Slyke because they helped her mother when she was struggling with illness. It is truly inspiring to see an artist work so hard to support the efforts of her community, so please, if you see Ms. Van Slyke, congratulate her and thank her for giving back to her community.

Ms. Van Slyke’s project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.

The back side / lake side of the library. Photo provided.

The John Brown Road. Photo provided.

Ms. Van Slyke’s early-stage piece starting as a sketch of reference photo. Photo provided.

Ms. Van Slykes Studio. Photo provided.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Family Weekend A Celebration of Community and Awareness

October 3, 2024 by Griffin Beam

The Husky welcomes families to campus. File photo.

Northwood School is full of anticipation as Family Weekend approaches, offering a fun lineup of events that will be good for students, families, and the wider community.

Sporting Events for a Cause

Some of the highlights of Family Weekend are the spirited athletic events, notably Pink the Rink and Pink the Pitch. These hockey and soccer games, respectively, will feature Northwood athletes dressed in pink as a form of awareness in the fight against breast cancer. Attendees are encouraged to wear pink to show their support, and there will be fundraising initiatives throughout the events. All proceeds will benefit the Fitzpatrick Cancer Center in Plattsburgh, ensuring that this weekend contributes to a meaningful cause.

Student-Led Conferences

Family Weekend also provides a good opportunity for students to showcase their academics. Families are invited to meet with teachers to gain some insight into their children’s progress and upcoming subjects. One of the standout features of the weekend is the student-led conference, where students create PowerPoint presentations to highlight their work and academic goals so far. This allows students to show off their accomplishments while sharing their academics with their families.

Students Share Their Plans

I caught up with a couple of students to hear about their plans for the weekend. Clay Fuller ‘25 is heading home to Wisconsin to celebrate his birthday with family. Meanwhile, Liam McGahay ‘27 is looking forward to attending the Pink the Rink game and participating in the Signature Academic Program. Both students show the different ways in which the community embraces Family Weekend—whether by spending quality time with family or enjoying campus activities.

A Tradition of Enjoyment

Family Weekend has a good tradition at Northwood, consistently delivering a fun and engaging experience for all involved. Whether students choose to return home or invite their families to campus, the weekend shares a sense of community and shared experience. Past years have shown that this event not only strengthens family ties, but also enhances the school spirit.

As the countdown to Family Weekend continues, excitement is noticeable among students and faculty alike. With a blend of athletics, education, and community support, this year’s Family Weekend at Northwood promises to be a great experience for everyone involved.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Girls’ Hockey Players Enjoy Rare Off Weekend

October 3, 2024 by Sophia DeAnzeris

Girls’ hockey players Laura Dyke ’25 and Kate Elbrecht ’26 on Mountain Day. Photo: Mr. Jose Coss.

We are lucky enough to live, go to school, and play our sports in Lake Placid, so when the rare occurrence that a Northwood team has an off weekend happens, Northwood students take advantage of their home and its accommodation.

This past weekend, the Girls Hockey Team had their first off weekend. Some used it as a chance to go home for the weekend, while some stayed and used the town and the campus to its full potential.

First-year senior Meghan Crowley ‘25, was one of those students who made their way home for the weekend. “I wanted to be able to see my friends and family after not being able to see them for a bit since being here,” said Crowley. “I definitely enjoyed being able to see them, but I was also ready to get back to school on Sunday night and get back at it on Monday.”

While being at home is something that some players do not take for granted, many feel that staying back in Lake Placid this weekend was the move. Kate Elbrecht ’26 is new to Northwood and the team and experienced her first off weekend back on campus. “We roller-bladed all over town. We went and got Starbucks and spent time at the beach playing spike ball and jumping off the dock. We spent time together around campus and watched the Prep game in the living room.” Elbrecht explained. “I’m so glad I stayed on campus this weekend. I was able to hang out with my team and make memories around Lake Placid.”

Returning students did their job of showing the new students the ropes of a typical off weekend while also doing their normal weekend activities around town and campus. This also allowed the team to bond early in the season off the ice.

“I enjoy having a rare weekend off. I get closer to the team, and we have a lot of fun and have a lot of time to bond as a team,” Jorja Gillis ’25, a third-year senior forward, said. “This weekend, a few of us went out to dinner and showed the new girls what we do in town and back at school.”

With always having something to do around campus, student-athletes at Northwood are never bored.