FAMILY FIRST
Pg. 9-11
Students share experiences working in the same environment as their mothers
May 2026
CONTENTS
more about us about the cover
3 | Editorial
In honor of Mothers’ Day, we featured mothers who work at Staples and their kids who attend school with them.
Inklings News is uncensored, unedited by administration, and does not allow for prior review.
Opinions
The Editorial Board determines editorial opinions that are authored by the Editors-in-Chief. Inklings News serves as an open forum for the public and welcomes letters to the editor and other submissions. Send signed letters to inklingsnews@westportps.org. Submissions will not be edited prior to publication.
Advertisements
Inklings News reserves the right to not publish advertisements that promote products that could be harmful to student health.
Membership
Inklings News is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association and supports the Student Press Law Center.
The decisions of Inklings News and Westport Public Schools are made without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other discriminating basis prohibited by local, state or federal law.
2
New AP testing attendance policy alarms students.
4 | PowerSchool
Lawsuit
What you need to know about the Powerschool lawsuit and how it effects you.
6 | Mother’s Day Card
Write your mom a heartfelt Mothers’ Day card!
must-reads
8| Internship
Julian Gravelle ’26 returns to Costa Rica for a unique internship.
12 | Summer Movies
Must watch movies coming out this summer!
13 |Wreckerfest Re-Do
Annual Wreckerfest event reimagined.
Nate Gerber ’27 calls out Mother’s Day for falling short and challenges you to finally give your mom a day that’s actually about her.
New Policy
After a ParentSquare sent out to all students, staff and parents, Staples policy practices have been altered from past years.
Creative Directors
Chloe Mitchell & Ella Turner
14 | We The People
Unit 4 We The People team returns home with a win.
18 | Superlatives
Guess which teacher would be most likey to...
19 | Bulletin Board
This months exciting upcoming events.
Family Faculty
A look at the unique bond between Staples students and their moms on staff, where home and school life come together.
Meet the 2026 Valedictorian, Isabel Jo ’26 and Salutatorian Uma Choudhury ’26 for who they are beyond academics.
Editors Katie Brill
Editors-In-Chief
Avni Krishna & Camilla Garfield
Managing Editor
Ann Marie Maccaro
Associate
Managing Editor
Lily Ashford
Business Manager
Ellie Kirkorsky & Eva Matviyenko
Advisors
Joseph DelGobbo & Mary Elizabeth Fulco
Sutton Bulkley
Cody Feuerstadt
Reya Halper
Matthew Leary
Leo Murstein
Liv Perry
Shift in AP practice undermines student performance
“Y”
students deserve a school approved absence
The Editorial Board voted unanimously in favor of this opinion.
Finishing an AP exam feels like crossing a finish line after enduring three or four hours of intense focus, pressure and performance. But this year, that finish line will immediately be followed by another race: more class.
AP exams are one of the most hectic two-week stretches for students. In the past, it was standard for students to be excused from all classes on the day they had an AP exam. This year, however, the administration has ended that practice and is reinforcing a school policy that has not actually been upheld for over a decade. According to an announcement sent out by administration, “Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled classes before and after their specific exam times.”
This spring, 673 Staples students will be taking 1,456 tests, according to the Staples guidance department. This serves as a powerful reflection of the school’s academic rigor. But that rigor comes with real
demands. In the past, students used the excused time to review material or just take a needed break to mentally decompress. Expecting students to complete rigorous exams and then return to full academic engagement is not a measure of resilience; it is a strain on performance.
For example, students enrolled in AP English Language and Advanced Forensics will have a particularly difficult day on May 13. These students will take the three-hour AP English Language and Composition exam in the morning and then immediately return to class to participate in a mock trial that is an equivalent to a final exam. This back-to-back scheduling of summative assessments does not measure a student’s true ability in either subject. It promotes burnout.
The administration argues that returning to classes after AP exams is similar to what occurs on in-school SAT days. Since SAT/PSAT students must return to class after their test, the administration reasons AP students must do the same. Yet, this equivalence is flawed.
Treating AP exams the same as the SAT overlooks key differences in both purpose
and impact. The SAT is a single standardized test required to be taken by all students to graduate and is typically followed by a lighter schedule and leniency from teachers who are less inclined to give tests or introduce difficult content, as noticed by the board. In contrast, AP exams span two weeks, often requiring students to sit for multiple, high-stakes tests on consecutive days while still managing regular coursework, projects and assessments.
AP exams also carry greater academic and financial weight. At approximately $120 per test, they represent a direct investment and performance can translate into college credit or advanced placement. School-administered standardized tests like the SAT do not carry the same consequences because they can be retaken, nor do they require the same level of preparation across multiple subjects in a limited timeframe.
Given these differences, it is reasonable to treat AP testing as a distinct academic undertaking. Allowing students time to rest and reset between exams is not an accommodation of convenience, but a recognition of the cumulative cognitive load
they face.
Attendance will also become more of a problem. Many parents will likely still call their children out of school, promoting the very skipping culture the school and teachers have been attempting to move away from. In addition, students will now incur a penalty for that excused absence, in contrast to receiving the fully excused school activity “Y” absence that had been provided in previous years. So, a student who takes multiple exams and has a parent call them out from attending their classes would have their number of absences ramp up, and possibly place them at risk for losing credit.
This abrupt change in practice is another example why decisions that directly affect students’ academic performance should include student perspectives. In this case, broader consultation with established student channels like Student Council, the Board of Education student representatives and Connections, could have strengthened both the rollout and the outcome. Flexibility during AP testing is necessary for students’ success and should not be treated as a concession.
Graphic by Chloe Mitchell
PowerSchool lawsuit
What you should know about the potential $17.25 million settlement
Creative Director
Students and parents of the Westport school district received an email on March 31 detailing how to bene t from a $17.25 million settlement in a class action suit against PowerSchool Holdings LLC for allegedly sharing private student information.
In the case Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC, a student referred to by the initials Q.J. claimed that Naviance, a subsidiary of PowerSchool, was working with a company entitled Heap to share student data without permission. While defendants denied fault, they still agreed to the settlement.
Due to Connecticut’s strong student data privacy laws, Naviance has not been an accessible app in the Westport Public Schools since 2023.
“ ese laws are designed to protect student information and ensure that companies entrusted with that data are held to clear, enforceable standards,” Director of Technology Natalie Carrignan said.
Principal Sta ord W. omas Jr. sent out an email explaining that in the past three years, students have used Scoir for college and career exploration, as it abides with the state’s privacy laws; nevertheless, anyone who logged into Naviance from August 18, 2021 to January 23, 2026 is eligible to receive money from the settlement. e settlement has not yet been approved by the court, but according to the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, a “preliminary estimate” by one attorney is that each student would acquire around $50.
In terms of Westport schools, Carrignan believes that this case is a testament to Wesport’s process in considering the types of apps they provide to students.
“[ e case] reinforces that our insistence in contracting only with companies compliant with the Connecticut student data privacy law is the correct course of action,” Carrignan said.
Carrignan also said students can more e ectively ensure safety when it comes to digital security at school.
“My best advice is for students to use the vetted compliant digital resources we have approved,” Carrignan said, “rather than alternative programs they might nd and want to use instead.”
Ella Turner ’28
Graphic by Leo Murstein ’29
Nate Gerber ʼ27
Event Manager
IYour Mama gets one day: try not to mess it up
And even if your mama ma’s tired. She’s overworked. at is why I, along with the Ministry of Motherhood (Or M.O.M., an association that I
the year. “In what upside-down, logic-defying, alternate universe is a celebration of mothers dishonest?” you might ask as you clutch your Labubu and stagger backwards onto a faux leather couch.
But, when looked at objectively and with a scrupulous eye, it is easy to see that the 24-hour period the Hallmark card company declared as a day for celebrating mothers is often just… more work for mothers.
nds time to squeeze in a special brunch (that she likely booked herself), how celebratory can she really be when she is expected to go to work the next day? If you ask me, this is just further evidence of patriarchy’s oppression. Let me level with you. Your ma-
Let’s start by considering the day of the week on which Mother’s Day falls: Sunday. Sundays are always overscheduled with soccer games, ballet recitals or School of Rock concerts. It’s your mama’s special day, yet she often spends it running around doing your bidding.
founded at the behest of my mom), propose a nationwide week-long paid leave for mothers this Mother’s Day. Here’s the one wrinkle: mothers aren’t all the
same in their beliefs and practices, especially in regard to relaxation. For some, a day o means breakfast in bed and a jar of Nutella. For others, it means you leave her alone so she can binge watch “Heated Rivalry.” Or it might even mean you book her an extended foot massage at Sun Re exology with a handsome 20-something Colombian masseur named
“ at sounds over-the-top, and uncomfortably speci c,” you might say. And to that I re-
Pasqual. spond: precisely. favor.
You are privileged to have a national holiday ABOUT HER on YOU for the past 13+ years. Now it is time to return the If you want your mama to enjoy Mother’s Day, you must tailor the day to her wants and needs. You know your mama better than any Hallmark card. It’s time to put her rst like she always puts you Afterall, she brought you into this world. She can still take you
enjoy Mother’s rst. out of it.
Graphics by Chloe Mitchell ʼ28
Ella Turner ʼ28
Ella Turner ʼ28
Graphic by Katie Brill ʼ28
Photograph by Ella Turner ʼ28
Graphic by Lily Ashford
School enforces class
attendance despite AP exams
Will Enquist ʼ26
Paper Managing Editor
Sophie Smith ʼ26
Editor-in-Chief
Parents of Staples students received a ParentSquare message clarifying the attendance policy for this year's Advanced Placement (AP) exams. On April 24, in the letter, Principal Sta ord W. omas Jr. explained that on exam days, students taking an AP test are expected to attend their scheduled classes that are not disrupted by the exam. is is a notable departure from past practice.
AP exam blocks begin either at 8 a.m. or 12 p.m, with most tests ranging from three
to four hours. In previous years, many students were only on campus for the duration of their exam, arriving late on the day of an afternoon test or departing school grounds early after a morning one. omas’ message asserts that this practice was never an approved or sanctioned school policy.
“Any such [absence] arrangements were made at the discretion of families,” e message reads. “Students are expected to follow their full daily schedule unless
otherwise approved through standard attendance procedures.”
Students will now only be excused for periods that overlap with their testing window. By contrast, in previous years, students’ testing would be marked in PowerSchool a school activity for the entire day.
Students are expected to follow their full daily schedule “
- Principal Stafford W. Thomas Jr. “
“[In] previous years [AP testing]
would be school activity or Y, which is a eld trip,” grade level assistant Jake Sullivan said.
Students have also noted the change in practice from prior years of testing.
“In the past [during my morning AP exams], I would go, take the test, then I would leave and go home because it's a long test,” Jake Shufro ’26 said. “I wouldn't want to go back to class and focus, and I don’t know anyone who stayed [after they took an AP exam].”
However, inconsistent attendance during testing weeks has raised concerns among some teachers about losing valuable class time. In fact, the teacher union brought that concern to the admin.
“My understanding is that maybe [the attendance policy] was not followed consistently in the past and now there's a consistent e ort,” Vice Principal Christine Cincotta said. “ is is coming from feedback, right? Feedback from teachers saying, ‘Hey, those two weeks, in my classes, I barely have kids and they're supposed to be here.’”
Cincotta also noted that AP testing expectations are similar to other standardized testing days at Staples.
“It's no di erent than on the SAT days. You took the SAT all morning and then you went to classes in the afternoon, right?” Cincotta said. “We didn't excuse you in the afternoon after a grueling morning.”
Graphic by Chloe Mitchell
Graphic by Katie Brill
More than an internship:
Gravelle returns to Costa Rica with new role
Photo contributed by Julian Gavelle ’26
Lily Ashford ʼ27 Associate Paper Manager
In his final days of high school, Julian Gravelle ’26 has decided to take a very unconventional route, and will be traveling 4,096 miles to a small town in Costa Rica, returning to the place that once changed his life. This time, however, he will not be going as a participant, but as an intern.
About a year ago, Gravelle travelled four hours away from the capital of Costa Rica to Pure Life Adventures.
According to their mission statement, the program is “a life-changing experience for young people utilizing adventure therapy, coaching, and cultural immersion...to help young adults and adolescents with depression, anxiety, and other challenges.” Each week follows a rotating itinerary of activities like surfing, sea kayaking, backpacking, homestay with natives, and traveling anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours away from the camp base.
Gravelle felt the experience absolutely transformed him, crediting much of his growth to the challenges he faced there.
“It was difficult being there just because the living situations could get uncomfortable,” Gravelle said. “Beds weren’t always guaranteed and you were responsible for your own food.”
But Pure Life, Gravelle said, was not only physically testing, but mentally grounding, as he was away from technology and able to truly disconnect from his usual distractions.
“It’s being able to connect just with real tangible things,
like nature and water and just to get back into my element again and feel fully reset,” Gravelle said.
Although these experiences were strenuous, Gravelle felt such conditions pushed him out of his comfort zone, changing his perspective on life in a way he had never experienced in the comfort of Westport. When he returned to the camp again this Thanksgiving just to visit, Gravelle was introduced to the idea of coming back with a different role.
“They just told me, hey, if you ever wanted to intern here it’s totally an option, and ever since Thanksgiving break I’d known that is what I really wanted to do,” Gravelle said.
As he prepares for his transition to San Diego State University, Gravelle knew returning to this environment would be extremely beneficial in reminding him of what he learned there, and bringing that with him into an upcoming busy season.
“I want to strengthen and build off of what I’ve already learned there and how I can continue to use these skills as I move into this next phase of my life,” Gravelle said.
Gravelle hopes to support others facing the same challenges he once did.
“With the knowledge I have now of how to actually execute what I learned there in real life, I feel like it’s helpful to go back to those people who might be struggling in the moment and help their process,” Gravelle said. “I want to help either speed their process along or show them that they’re not in as difficult a position as it may feel.”
Staples students with mothers as faculty When home meets hallway:
Lily Ashford ʼ27
Associate Paper Managing Editor
Sadie Sherman ʼ27
Social Media Manager
Most of us have probably called a teacher “mom” by accident. Most might have this slipof-the-tongue experience in elementary school and feel a moment of embarrassment. But some lucky few actually get to say “Mom” to their teacher on purpose because their mothers are faculty. While most students leave their family life behind after the rst bell, and the only insight their parents receive about their school day was that it was “ ne,” students who have parents for teachers have home and school life constantly connected. In honor of Mother’s Day, these mother-child pairs positively re ect on what they love about sharing both home and school life.
Chef Gans & Leila Gans ’26
“My mom and I have always had a really, really close relationship because even at home, it’s just me and her. at was one of the many reasons that I came to Staples in the rst place, because I’m an out-of-district student. Having my mom here is one of my favorite parts because if I’m having a bad day, I can go down and get a hug from my mom. She’s literally part of my personality. Like, even my senior girl’s shirt said ‘Chef’s Kid’ on the back.” back.”
Chef Gans teaches culinary
Graphic by Chloe Mitchell ’28
Photo contributed by Cecily Gans
Ms. So a & Eliska So a ’27
Gomez ’26
“It’s more or less just like having another friend at the school. When I see her in the hallway, we joke around, and if I ever need anything, I can go right to her. I have my own space in the physics o ce, and I have great connections with the other teachers because of it. e fact that people enjoy her class enough to make an e ort to talk to me makes me proud to call her my mom.”
-Eliska So a ’27
Mrs. Gomez, Lucas Gomez ’26 & Liliana
“I think students appreciate that she also has kids in the school system so she can connect with her students if they are struggling. She understands better the stress of nals, APs and SATs because we are going through it at the same time which makes her more understanding towards her students and allows her to help them when they are struggling.”
-Lucas Gomez ’26
Ms. So a teaches AP Enviormental Science and biology.
Mrs. Gomez teaches geometry.
Photo contributed by Ms. Soffa
Photo contributed by Mrs. Gomez
Mrs. D’Amore & Jack D’Amore ’27
I’m grateful to have my mom at Staples because it feels great knowing you have someone that you can trust fully at school with you. When people rst nd out that Prof. D’Amore is my mom, they immediately compliment her teaching and energy. A lot of her students nd her very personable and exible because she always wants the best for her students.”
- Jack D’Amore ’27
Mrs. D’Amore teaches Italian.
Mrs. Delmhorst & Gri n Delmhorst ’26
“It’s de nitely a di erent environment with my mom as a teacher, but not in the way most kids would think of it as. I have an immediate support system whenever I need it, or a guardian there in case I forgot to ll out a permission slip. It’s a luxury that I’ve become very used to that will make college a di cult adjustment. It’s nice to see how my mom’s job as a teacher is in uencing the lives of the people around me, and I think having a mom as a teacher gives me a unique perspective on how the education system works for kids because I watch it happen to those around me in real time.”
- Gri n Delmhorst ’27
Delmhorst teaches algebra 2
Mrs. Brennan, Michael Brennan ’26 & Patrick Brennan ’28
“It was nice during freshman and sophomore year that I didn’t have to take the bus because she has a parking spot in the front row. And I nd out about everything going on in the school before most students. I dislike my mom being friends with all my teachers”.
- Michael Brennan ’26
Mrs. Brennan is a Special Education teacher
Mrs.
Photo contributed by Mrs. Delmhorst
Photo contributed by Mrs. D’Amore
From myth to multiverse:
This year’s most unmissable summer films
Dylan Robbin ʼ28 Sports Media Director
This year is shaping up to be an all-time year for movies, and this summer features a few blockbusters that will be huge hits in theaters. Here are my three must-see summer movies.
“The Odyssey”
After his 2024 Best Picture winner “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s next story will be “The Odyssey.” Coming out on July 17, Nolan's adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic—widely read across English 9 classes—will attempt to be one of the first successful adaptations of the story. Nolan has assembled a star-studded cast for the film: Matt Damon playing Odysseus, Anne Hathaway playing Penelope, Tom Holland playing Telemachus, Zendaya playing Athena and Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o filling out the supporting cast. “The Odyssey” will also go down in history as being the first film to be shot entirely on IMAX cameras.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day”
The fourth movie of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and the start of his “second” trilogy, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” comes out on July 31. Taking place directly after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the movie will explore Peter Parker’s struggles as nobody remembers that he exists. With new powerful villains, Spider-Man may be up for some tough challenges, and I am confident that “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” will continue the trend of elite Tom Holland Spider-Man movies.
“Disclosure Day”
Steven Spielberg’s, “Disclosure Day” marks his return to the science-fiction thriller genre. Set to come out on June 12, much of the plot has remained secretive, but the main premise of the movie is about humans discovering that alien existence is real and lengths the government will go to hide it. This movie should be a success, as Spielberg has tons of experience in the sci-fi genre with films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” “AI,” and “War of the Worlds.”
Graphics by Chloe Mitchell ’28
Same spirit, new design
This year’s revamp of Wreckerfest
There is a pleasant, unexpected charm in holding bunnies at the petting zoo, laughing with friends and spending a Friday outside engaged in fun activities. Everywhere you look, Staples spirit is evident, from decorated doors and lockers to Staples wear being repped by students.
Wreckerfest, a spirit week ending in a field day, is making its return this year. The school is looking to redesign the day to better suit the wants of all students. To help achieve this goal, a student-led Wreckerfest committee will seek to keep what worked from last year but also make several changes.
“We’re absolutely doing the activities again that were popular, like basketball and the petting zoo,” Serena Diamond ’28, who is on the Wreckerfest committee board, said. “A couple of the less popular activities from last year we might consider not doing again, such as the magician.”
The spring pep rally will also not take place this year due to senior athletes’ attending internships and not being available to attend.
But Wreckerfest will continue to give students time to socialize with peers outside their classes and connect with teachers.
“It brings back the elementary school energy of having a big
PhotoscontributedbyMalenaTortorella’27
celebration for the end of the school year,” Alexandra Fetner ’28, an organizer for Wreckerfest, said.
Taking place just after AP exams, but early enough before the finals, Wreckerfest offers a way to welcome summer and give students a break before exams.
“There’s a range of activities and energy levels,” Diamond said. “But we want everybody to be excited about it and feel the school spirit, and enjoy that we’re coming to the end of the year.”
Graphicby
ChloeMitchell’28
Alex Floto ʼ28 Web Features Editor features
CHALKCREATIVITYStudents drew designsonthepavementinthe courtyard.
BARNBUDDYStudentspetvarious animals,includingcows,atthepettingzoolastyear.
CAUTION - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - CAUTION - UNDER CONSTRUCTION
From trial to triumph: Unit 4 wins national
Camilla Garfield ʼ27 Editor-In-Chief
Georgia Ratcliffe ʼ27 Web Managing Editor
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
While these words may just seem like a historical statement, for Unit 4 of the We the People team, these words were the foundation of months of preparation, revisions and ultimately a first place result.
Mehmet Madigan ’27, Lauren Potter ’27, Leo Viner ’27 and Chloe Beitel ’27 were one of six groups representing Staples at We the People nationals, where they ultimately won their unit competition against top teams across the country. At the national competitions, teams go through simulated congressional hearings, where teams are evaluated based on their understanding of a prompt, the Constitution itself and how they respond to on the spot questions.
“It was totally unexpected at
title after intense preparation and teamwork
first, sitting in that big conference room at the awards ceremony, filled with over a thousand kids,” Potter said. “We were expecting other units to win, but it felt so shocking, and really refreshing to be rewarded this very exceptional award.”
However, the process to receive this prestigious award was far from easy. What stood out was the way the group prepared.
“For states, we worked mainly on our written response, which was helpful,” Beitel said. “But for nationals we worked mainly on memorizing court cases and facts to utilize during questioning which was extremely helpful.”
With April break approaching quickly after states, preparation became intense.
“It didn’t hit me that nationals were so close until maybe a week and a half before, and we had to do all of our questioning in those 10 days,” Viner said.
The group adapted to time pressure by working whenever, and wherever, they could.
“It was definitely a lot more stressful, and we weren’t able to meet at all, besides a couple times,” Potter said. “We really sacrificed all of our break in order to make this happen. On the train, we were doing the bulk of the questioning, and the whole break we were just working.”
What made Unit 4 so successful despite this time crunch was their ability to learn from weaknesses that were revealed to them at states.
“At states, during round two of questioning, we
had an insane 20 second pause where all our minds collectively just blanked on a really easy question,” Potter said. “The judges picked up on that, and it was literally all we talked about, that we cannot have this pause happen again.”
This moment pushed the group to strengthen their flexibility during on the spot questioning. Preparation became largely dependent on teamwork and balance within the group.
“We would divide up the work evenly so that no single group member had too much to do,” Beitel said. “If someone had a big week, the rest of the group would take on a little more work that week to ensure no one felt overly stressed during the process.”
A major factor of the group’s success was support from We the People advisor Suzanne Kammerman, who helped the entire class refine and improve their arguments. As Kammerman is stepping down from We the People next year, it was the team’s mission to give her something to leave with.
“The whole class wanted to make sure that we didn’t come home empty handed for her,” Madigan said. “We’re excited to give our plaque to her because none of this would be possible without her. She organized a fantastic
trip, and she knew exactly what each group needed for growth.”
While winning first place is a huge achievement, what Unit 4 will remember most is the unexpected connections that came along with this experience.
“The best part of this experience is getting to share it with three amazing people. I’m super glad I met them, and this is the best part of We The People,” Madigan said. “You’re put into a group of four that wouldn’t otherwise meet each other, and you can become really good friends.”
Photos contributed by Avni Krishna ʼ27 & Suzanne Kammerman
AT THE CAPITOL On their trip, WTP students visited the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
UNIT 4 (from left to right) Leo Viner ’27, Mehmet Madigan ’27, Lauren Potter ’27 and Chloe Beitel ’27 accept their plaque after winning the national title.
The Books Beyond
Meet your School’s Staples’
Chloe Mitchell Creative Director
BPOW! BAM!
classroom and advocates for a kinder school climate. By night, she rides horses and volunteers with a local organization. Who could it be? Some may think she’s Batman or Supergirl, but no—it’s Isabel Jo ’26, Staples’ valedictorian.
ent way than school. There’s a lot more unpredictability and things I can’t control,” Jo said. “It helps me get used to being confident even when I can’t predict exactly what’s gonna happen.”
She rides six days a week after school for two to three hours.
“I love horseback riding so much, so I never really have to think about it as, oh, I have to go ride. I always love to go
petitions by hosting a variety of events and fundraisers.
“I want to give more opportunities to other riders because I’ve been very, very lucky to have a lot of opportunities in the sport that not everyone gets,” Jo said.
Beyond the barn, Jo is the concert master of the chamber orchestra and a member of the symphonic orchestra at Staples. Her job is to lead the orchestra, to tune her peers at concerts and to play as the first chair violinist.
“Getting to play in the orchestra with all of my friends is really special because… everyone is doing it for the love of
cert master. Jo also picked up the viola three years ago and has been playing it since. But she didn’t make the decision overnight; she was inspired and supported by the upperclassmen.
“I got to watch all the kids older than me, all of those grades of really talented musicians and leaders, and learn from what they taught me,” Jo said. “Now I get to share that with the underclassmen, which is really special.”
Along with horseback riding and orchestra, she is a part of the No Place for Hate student committee. Jo joined when the club was created her junior year as one of the first four members.
Isabel Jo ‘26
Attending Dartmouth
Major: Chemistry & Applied Mathematics
“Don’t let anyone convince you that you can’t do something. Always, if you want something, just go for it.” - Isabel jo ‘26
Graphicby Chloe Mitchell ʼ28
superheroes:
Valedictorian & Salutorian
Crack—the board snaps in half with only one motion of her hand. POW—the bag ripples as her foot connects with the cold leather. Swish—she moves swiftly, smoothly, and with intention in each movement. You’d expect Wonder Woman behind her uniform, but once the mask is removed, it’s Sta ples’ salutatorian Uma Choud hury ’26.
Choudhury has always followed her passions, wheth er that be taekwondo, solving math problems or giving back to the community.
No matter the task at hand, she stays committed and per severes. Choudhury has been practicing taekwondo since the beginning of her freshman year
“I just wanted to try some
Uma Choudhury ‘26
Attending Carnegie mellon
Major:
Graphic by Lily Ashford
GUESS THE
1 use kids’ slang
2 be in the FBI grade the fastest 3 most likely to...
4 marry a celebrity
Mrs. Lynch
Mrs. Wirkus
Mr. Jones
Mrs. Herzog
“Dear mom, thank you so much for everything you do at home and at school. Being able to have you as someone to go to whenever I need anything is the best thing I could ask for. I'm so happy that you've had such a huge role in my time here at Staples. Love you lots, Lil:)”
“Dear Mom, I love the unique bond that makes us so close. You are always so supportive and loving at all times, and I'm so thankful that you can be part of my life both at home and at school. -Eliska”
“Dear Mamma, I will forever be thankful for you giving the opportunity to go to this wonderful school. Thank you for always being there for me throughout the daily life. Thank you for support- ing me through my journey as a soccer
“Mom, I just wanted to say thank you for always helping me out and supporting me whenever I need it. You've helped me in so many ways and I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for you. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me and I dont know how I got so lucky to have you as my mom. -Lucas”
"Hi mommy! Happy Mother's Day! You're my best friend, my biggest supporter and the woman I look up to most in this world! The moon to my star, I love you forever. - Leila"
