Northwood School is making advancements in the curriculum. This school year, four courses are dual-enrollment courses that earn college credit through Paul Smith’s College. These new opportunities are going to give students more of an advantage when they graduate high school and enter college. Students who pay the modest fee and pass the class will earn college credit.

The four dual credit courses are Advanced Psychology of Sports Performance, Advanced Biology, Advanced STEM Research, and Advanced Humanities Research. These courses have existed in previous years, but only this year have they been enhanced with the college credit option. This exciting advancement for Northwood may help students stand out in the college application process.

Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs Ms. Noel Carmichael says the college-credit courses will boost Northwood’s academic profile.

“Dual credit courses allow us to focus on offering the classes designed by our own teachers rather than an external body. The syllabi are created by Northwood faculty and then undergo a review process with Paul Smith’s College to get approval. This allows us to offer more unique courses than the standard AP fare,” Carmichael said. “They also allow us to recognize students who do our research-intensive courses with college credit for their work. I think the ability to enter college with some credits already squared away is very attractive to families, both from a cost perspective and ensuring more academic rigor,” she added.

Balancing college work for collegiate athletes is a challenging task. During their season, student-athletes often try to lighten their load and stack their load in the off-season. Thus, being able to knock off credits in high school can go a long way. Getting those extra credits in high school may mean that students might not have such a tough time balancing academics in the future.

Students are excited about the opportunity to earn college credits while at Northwood.

“I think it’s a cool opportunity. If it is implemented more in the future that would be cool,” said Wyatt Wardlaw ’24, who is taking both Advanced Humanities and Advanced Biology.

Emma Hathaway ’24 is taking Advanced Psychology. “I think it’s good because it will be easier to do in high school than in college,” Hathaway said.

“I think it’s very beneficial because I want to pursue STEM in college and it’s good to get the credit out of the way,” said Jenny Tran ’25, who is taking Advanced Biology and Advanced STEM.

Teachers are also excited about the partnership with Paul Smith’s College.

“I think the dual credit courses are a great opportunity for students. It allows them to take a college-level class while still in high school. Hopefully, it’ll allow students to stand out in the college application process,” Advanced Psychology teacher Mr. John Spear said.

Ms. Jill Walker taught AP Biology for years. She also started the Advanced STEM research program at Northwood, so she’s familiar with challenging students with rigorous course offerings in high school. She said the dual-credit courses are “something that students can use while applying to college. Even seniors can use it because AP exams do not come out until later. For me personally, instead of teaching AP Biology, I get to teach the topics that I think are more important instead of teaching to the AP exam,” Walker said. “A large portion of taking an AP course is learning how to take the test,” she added.

Walker also appreciates independence from the College Board and AP. “It gives me more freedom to teach and engage in more productive learning. The bonus is that the kids automatically get college credit and a GPA boost. Not all schools are going to accept the credit, but some schools will. It is also important how it appears on a student’s transcript because it shows like an AP course does,” Walker said.

The consensus is this is a good opportunity for students. Everybody is excited about it and looking forward to the new school year.

Have you ever thought about what you feed your body in a day? Every morning, we start our day the same way, by seeing the same smiley faces of our kitchen staff members. I don’t think we ever actually take the time to think about all the hours of preparation needed to make all the food we eat. I spent a day with some of our kitchen staff members, and in this article, I will briefly describe a day in the life of Northwood’s kitchen staff members.

Jim (left) and Adam serve lunch. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

Jim brings a plate of “Friday Cookies” at a recent lunch. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

Adrianne prepares potatoes for breakfast. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

Adrianne and her famous chocolate chip pancakes. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24

One of Adam’s favorite meals to make. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

Adrianne’s arrives at Northwood at 5:30 a.m. She is the first one in the kitchen. “I start by getting a cup of coffee,” which is understandable at such an early hour. Once the coffee is done, she’s in charge of preparing the hot breakfast, which includes eggs, bacon, potatoes, and, of course, our weekly Friday chocolate pancakes.  An hour and a half later, she is ready to open the doors for Northwood’s community.

Jim arrives at 6:00 a.m. He oversees the cold breakfast. He cuts the fruits almost every morning and then places the yogurt, cereals, and cold beverages. He also takes care of our delicious cookies that we enjoy so much each Friday at lunch.

When breakfast is over at around 9:00 a.m., the preparation for lunch starts. The menu for lunch is packed. Students have the choice to have the main meal or go for a panini or sandwich, some pasta, a bowl of soup, a salad bar, and even a quesadilla bar. This year, lunch opens 15 minutes earlier than last year, which is practical for students who need to eat quickly before class or sports practice.

Adam Fisher is the executive chef. His day normally starts at 9:00 a.m. He starts by looking out for Adrianne and the other kitchen staff to see if they need anything, and then he gets down to business. He cooks for lunch and dinner. When I was with him, he was preparing lunch, so I asked him what his favorite meal to prepare was, and he said, “jerk chicken and some braised dishes like Asian pork.” Dinner opens at 5:30 p.m., but by 5:15 p.m., the line is growing.

There is a lot of variety in Northwood’s kitchen. Students can always get their vegetable and protein portions.

When we just stand in a line and ask for our plate of food, we don’t always realize the hard work that comes before receiving that plate. The Northwood kitchen staff show up every day and cook great meals. This article is dedicated to them. Please join me in thanking them.

Mr. Kelvin Martinez (standing) with students in the Language Lab (photo: Mr. John Spear).

For years, Northwood has had a conventional foreign language program. However, this year, the academic department is trying something different. Instead of organized classes in Spanish and French, Northwood is trying something new this year called the Language Lab.

The Language Lab, located in the library and open during select periods during the day, is where students studying Spanish, French, and other languages can conduct their studies more independently. Languages being studied at Northwood this year include German, Indonesian, Japanese, American Sign Language, and the traditional French and Spanish.

Eighty percent of the course is a letter grade given by that student’s language teacher, while another 20% is earned through “cultural events,” such as cooking, music, or dancing, amongst other activities possible. The goal is that in addition to learning the language, the student will also do their best to learn about the culture or cultures behind that language.

The primary objective of the supplemental cultural activities is for students to utilize what they’re learning in an authentic way. Another goal of activities like conversation clubs and movie nights is for our community to better understand one another’s cultures.

Reviews have been mostly positive. Many students who have taken a language in the traditional style of teaching consider the Language Lab a significant step forward. “I like being self-paced. Last year, I kind of felt held back in French class,” Jack Kroll ’25 said.

The three new international LEAP courses offered this year include an exciting sea kayaking trip in the United Kingdom, a trip that is going to explore the Caribbean Reefs in Puerto Rico, and a trip that revolves around the Marine Biology and Geology of Isabela Island in the Galapagos. Descriptions of all these LEAP courses were sent to parents by Ms. Marcy Fagan last week.

Since 2017, Northwood has provided students with LEAP (Learn, Engage, Apply, Perform). This program helps students engage and learn outside of a scholastic environment and helps build confidence and make connections that wouldn’t be considered because they haven’t had the opportunities.

Fagan has big ambitions for LEAP. “I want the LEAP program to put students on every continent within the next few years.” I think we can all tell that this is a very ambitious goal. However, this is not unreasonable as we have seen her put students on more than four continents already during recent LEAP programs. The Northwood Community is very excited to go on all these international LEAP programs in the future.

The current LEAP list for 2023 includes:

1. The Adirondack Athlete
2. Adirondack Farm to Table & Culinary Experience
3. Canines – Understanding Man’s Best Friend
4. Community Service for Early Childhood Education
5. Exploring Caribbean Reefs in Puerto Rico
6. Fly Fishing in the Adirondacks
7. Geothermal Sustainability in Iceland
8. Golf – A Swing Back in Time
9. Introduction to Woodworking
10. Marine Biology and Geology of Isabela Island, Galapagos
11. Mountain Rescue
12. Muskie Madness
13. Nutrition and Athletic Performance
14. Plein Air Painting in the Adirondacks
15. Sea kayaking in the United Kingdom
16. Slay the ADK
17. The Modern Circus
18. Rock Climbing in Red Rocks Nevada

Costs for these LEAP courses vary widely, from no cost to $4,100. For students who need help affording their preferred LEAP course, there is always financial aid. Most courses cost between $100 and $900, unless they involve international travel. Students interested in financial aid are encouraged to speak with Ms. Fagan.  She will instruct you to submit a written request on why you need financial aid.