First Day of School Special V100

The Newtonite v Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 • Volume 100

Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460

Fall sports splash into new Students mull new athletic season with tryouts schedule structures Grace Beecher North will begin the school year with a new block schedule.

Notable changes are the new WIN-blocks (What I Need) and Tiger blocks, and Advisory only meeting once a week. These new blocks and the later start time are the final product of long-term schedule-change talks dating back to 2017.

WIN-blocks are a more structured version of last year’s flex blocks, and are new to North this school year.

WIN-blocks will be a time for students to meet with teachers for academic help, complete school work, and “participate in enrichment activities,” according to Principal Henry Turner’s summer letter.

WIN-blocks are the second block of the day on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the last block on Thursdays.

Different from flex and x-blocks in past years, WIN-blocks are required and attendance will be taken.

Another big change from last year is that students will sign up for their activity for each WIN-block on Monday during Advisory.

“Part of this sounds kind of like, ‘oh man, this is gonna be terrible,’” said Beals House dean Scott Heslin.

“I hope it doesn’t come across like that, because I really don’t know what the options are going to be, I just know there’s going to be more structure than there was this year.” by

Rachel Kurlandsky Senior Meredith Flint glides through the water during swim the week before school starts, Wednesday, Sep. 1.

According to Heslin, WIN-blocks would also be a time for students to do something productive for their mental health.

English teacher Valerie Young has some concerns about the teaching and learning rhythm being disrupted by the WIN-blocks.

“It’s a wait-and-see thing for me,” said Young. “After a WIN-block, students will have to kind of gear up again and readjust their brains to get back into a learning mode.”

Students seem to have more concerns than faculty and staff about their flexibility during schooltime.

“I don’t like it,” said junior Abby Puduseril. “What if I’m not sure what I’m going to need during the week and I sign up for something and then not need it later in the week?”

Senior Molly Greenwold said, “I think that making WIN mandatory is actually kind of detrimental, because there was a whole range of stuff that you could choose to do during flex block and it was one of the most important social times in the day, which I’m really worried we’re going to lose.”

Tiger blocks take place during the last block on Tuesdays, and are a scheduled time for clubs and activities to meet. ◆ continued on page 4

Students react to school counseling reassignments Emma Brignall After a turbulent past year at North, many students will also need to meet a new guidance counselor this fall.

According to counseling department head Beth Swederskas, around 40 percent of North students have been assigned a new counselor. The change is intended to better distribute the counselors’ workload and help them better care for students.

Previously, a counselor would be in charge of two grades of students, two years apart. For example, a counselor would have around 100 or more seniors at once to help through college and career plans, and may have been forced to neglect their sophomores, according to Swederskas.

She said that previous counseling assignments “did not feel very equitable.”

“We’re concerned about our students’ mental health and academics; we’re coming out of the most challenging year we’ve ever had in our history,” Swederskas said.

With the new model, each counselor will have an average of 45 students per grade, said Swederskas, while still maintaining the same number of overall caseloads from past years.

“If you can imagine, 45 seniors to process and 45 freshmen to get to know seems much more reasonable,” she added.

Another reason for the change is to keep counselors more informed about developments in each grade, according to Swederskas. If counselby

New Staff Welcom new faculty as they introduce themselves to North.

Page 3

ors only have two grades at a time, they might miss changes occurring in the other two, which this restructuring will rectify.

“We do feel that the continuity of every grade every year is really important, and you’re more invested with all four grades,” she said.

The administration also has plans to help students transition in the fall and get to know their new counselors.

“We’re looking at different types of blocks, whether it’s these WINblocks that are brand new, or whether it’s Tiger blocks, to have meet and greets, and having that right in the beginning of school so people can get a sense of who the counselors are,” said Swederskas.

Some students remain nervous about the shift.

“Even though I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with my guidance counselor over the past two years, they did get to know enough about me that I felt like they knew me as a student, my likes, my dislikes, what kind of classes I was interested in,” said junior Kelsey McPhail. “With this new counselor, I’m nervous that I’ll have to start over again.”

Some students have concerns that they will need to pack the relationship of one to three years into a shorter time frame.

“If the amount of time we are given with our guidance counselors is anything like the past two years, where it’s only felt like a little bit of time—once or twice over the year—it feels like going into junior year with

only one or two years left to get to know them is not enough,” McPhail added.

For seniors, this transition comes at an inconvenient moment as they enter their final year of high school and prepare for post-graduate plans.

While rising seniors’ previous counselors will write their counselor statements for college, other details in college and career planning will be the responsibility of new counselors.

“The change is a little bit annoying, especially when we’re dealing

with all the college stuff,” said senior Alex Olhava. “They probably should have kept seniors with the old counselors.”

However, Olhava said he is ultimately indifferent about the switch.

“I don’t mind too much because it’s just the guidance counselor, and I’ve talked to mine a little and she seems really nice,” he said.

“Some people may have had a much closer relationship with their guidance counselor so it may be more of a change for them, but for me there’s not too many costs, per-

sonally, and I’m looking forward to getting to know my new guidance counselor.”

Swederskas said the administration did consider keeping seniors with their former counselors. Doing so, however, would leave some counselors with over 200 students and others with 130. “[Seniors] were the least reassigned, comparatively speaking to the other students. We tried to do the least amount of disruption for the seniors,” she said.

Maya Demissie A student contemplates their class schedule, aided by their school counselor Jess Volmer, during arena scheduling Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Max Klein Klein demonstrates passion for shotput, sets record.

Page 4

Senior Advice Seniors give insider advice about navigating building.

Pages 6, 7

opinion

2 v The Newtonite, Newton North

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Rebuild school community, seek out new opportunities When North shut down on March 12, 2020, nobody expected the quarantine to keep us at home for a year and half. Finally, we are back. The Class of ’22, then sophomores, are now seniors, freshman now juniors, and the current freshman and sophomores were in middle school when the pandemic began.

editorial As students enter the building today, there will be many new faces, new members of our community who are entering the school building for the first time. Others will be familiar faces, who have been absent from the building due to pandemic concerns. This year comes with a unique challenge, but also an exciting opportunity. North must work to rebuild its community post-pandemic, reconnecting with new and old faces alike and forging new connections.

Last school year began with two weeks of community building time. While it was helpful to build connections when everyone was at home, it is arguably more vital this year as students return to school in-person. In class, teachers should encourage classroom conversation. As a school, the administration should facilitate cross-grade collaboration to allow upperclassmen to provide guidance to those new to the building.

Freshman in particular, who are just beginning their high school experience, need to seize new opportunities and make the most of the next few years. What makes North so unique is the wide variety of options offered for student expression and engagement. Whether it is sports, clubs, music or theatre, all students can find something they

are passionate about. Students need to take advantage of this diverse set of opportunities.

Especially, in the first few years of high school it is important for students to step ourtisde their comfort zone. Who knows, they may discover a new passion. Maybe it is auditioning for a show, trying out for a sports team, or joining a club. The pandemic took so many of these opportunities away, and these times together cannot be taken for granted.

Upperclassmen have a dual role in their last year or two of high school. Seniors, as the only class to have experienced a full year in the building, must lead and guide the other three classes.

There is a common narrative that upperclassmen dismiss and overlook the underclassmen. Whether or not the stereotype is true, it is the seniors’ responsibility to project a welcoming persona and make the underclassmen feel comfortable asking for help.

Upperclassmen also need to take advantage of North’s wide-ranging opportunities. As the school returns to full operation, upperclassmen can be leaders in revitalizing the amazing extracurricular opportunities that were limited or shut down

by COVID-19. While that doesn’t necessarily mean throwing more candy at freshmen on club day, extracurricular leadership must create an engaged and welcoming environment.

Throughout the pandemic, it was impossible to maintain the strong and vibrant North community everyone has grown accustomed to. It is time to rebuild for the coming year. As students and faculty step through the front doors, they should be filled with excitement for the possibilities this year holds. Let’s make the most of it.

The Newtonite The Newtonite, founded in 1922, is the news source of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass. 02460.

Editors-in-chief — Griffin Bond, Maya Demissie Managing editors — David Feng, Maxwell Lu, Kathy Mitchell Arts editors — Emma Burns, Arjun Shatkin News editors — Grace Beecher, Anika Bhawalkar, Yahel Tamir, Jacob Zalis Sports editors — James Dun Rappaport, Anderson Free, Mark Hemment

Editors-at-large — Antonio Batista-Ciani, Emma Brignall, Zachary Kwon, Shira Lobron, Angela Nie, Maille O’Neal, Andy Zhou Graphics Editors — Dani Roach, Purusha Shirvani Business/advertisements — James Dun Rappaport Photo staff — Bridget Gilmartin, Rachel Kurlandsky Advisers — Tom Fabian, Derek Knapp

The Newtonite staff does all its own reporting and photography to post content daily to its website, thenewtonite.com. Sign up for The Newtonite’s weekly newsletter on its website. In addition to the first day of school special, The Newtonite publishes a club special, a midyear special, a spring special, and a graduation special.

To place an advertisement in the online or print version of The Newtonite or to contact us by phone, please call 617-559-6273. Readers can also reach us at thenewtonite@gmail.com.

Letters The Newtonite serves as a designated forum for student expression. Readers are invited to submit guest articles and letters to the thenewtonite@gmail.com.

The Newtonite reserves the right to edit all letters, which must have the writer’s name and a student’s class and advisory.

Maya Demissie

Incoming freshman recieve their school-issued Chromebooks and chargers outside the athletic wing Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Recognize people not through ‘categorization’ but as individuals to avoid society’s prejudice Sam Braithwaite It is nearing the mark of 40 years since The Breakfast Club hit theaters, becoming one of the biggest movies of the 80’s and still to this day a cult classic. As best summed up by John Bender, “You see us as you want to see us . . . in the most convenient definitions.” The characters in The Breakfast Club were subject to the alienating judgement of their peers and teachers, and the tools that were used to produce those judgments are still applied in the real world today. by

column These tools are professionally termed “spontaneous social categorization.” This is the classification of individuals into groupings based on social characteristics, i.e. race, gender, heritage, common likes and dislikes. We rely on social categorization as a form of simplification of an incredibly complex system of relationships and identities.

Therefore it is upheld as an important role in our cognitive process, meaning that social categorization has been touted as a useful technique to compartmentalize the vast amounts of information thrown at us throughout our day. While this understanding of social categorization is helpful, it also initiates what I have seen, as a student in high school, to be the negative inclination of social valuing. Social valuing – our valuing of an individual based on the incomplete analysis through social categorization – results in discrimination and prejudice.

A resulting product of social categorization that makes it so dangerous is its simplification of an individual’s character. Defined by Brown University professor of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Joachim Kreu-

ger, social categorization “simplifies perception and cognition related to the social world . . . [based] on detected patterns of feature similarity.”

When we simplify an individual so to sort them into groups, we sacrifice their complexity as a human being.

Permitting ourselves to instantly afford someone a singular characterization results in the production of overgeneralizations and our treating and comprehension of members of a group as the same entity. In effect, we begin to value people around us not on the merit of their character, but instead on the basis of how the single characterization we have afforded them measures in comparison to our own personal values.

To better understand the process of social valuing as a result of social categorization, look, of course, to The Breakfast Club. Five students, at first characterized as the jock, the outcast, the brain, the rebel, and the ‘princess’ of high school, find themselves placed in Saturday detention for their own reasons and mishaps, setting the stage for an emotional clash of individuals who deeply misunderstand one another. Each student, as a result of the prevalence of social categorization, only sees the other for the singular and simplified characteristics labeled above.

One scene in particular provides a clear illustration of the system of categorization and its consequences.

Having spent much of the day together, Brian (the brain) addresses the group of five, “I consider you guys my friends, I’m not wrong am I?” The response from Claire, the self-described popular girl, is a saddening one. She tells Brian that any belief of maintaining their newfound relationship would be self-deception.

Claire maintains her hold onto social categorization, regardless of how she had come to better understand each

of the individuals in detention, she was still capable of reducing each of them into a single characteristic so as to be more easily compared to the values of her and her friends — in this instance popularity. The individuals in the group become deeply divided over these comments, leaving each of them isolated and angry.

Unjust judgement as a result of social categorization is not only present within a high school-like environment, as portrayed in The Breakfast Club, but prevails long after. In the same way a fire that is constantly fed continues to burn, social valuing continues to develop into social and racial prejudice. As per the National Institute of Health, “activating gender (or race) identity influences children’s performance” within the school setting.

When individuals become aware of a misleading and untrue judgement based on our preconceived understanding of them, they internalize those beliefs. Beginning from a very young age, we are harmed by others’ willingness to confine us to singular and often deceptive characteristics; most notably impacted in a negative way by these judgements are girls and children of color. People continue to believe that they adhere to nothing more than a simplified characteristic into adulthood, further reinforced by unchecked social categorization.

By the end of their day in detention The Breakfast Club showed us that we are more than capable of breaking down initial beliefs and structuring more complete understandings.

Although it takes time to interact and readjust, being aware of these issues gives us the power to make change. We can continue to develop not by reinforcing ideas of partiality, but instead with a willingness to break down our self-created barriers.

David Hawkins, Latin teacher, dies at 82 David Hawkins, who began a second career at Newton North teaching Latin, a language he loved, passed away on August 27. He was 82.

A lawyer for most of his professional career, Mr. Hawkins began teaching at North in 1999. Mr. Hawkins taught the honors and Advanced Placement course after the passing of former Latin teacher Bob Mitchell, who was a mentor to Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Hawkins’ passion for teaching was highlighted in 2011, when

he was selected to receive the Brenda Keegan Award for Excellence in Teaching.

In a 2011 interview with The Newtonite Mr. Hawkins said, “It’s easy to teach bright, interesting and enthusiastic students like the ones I teach.

I also would like to think that I did a decent job teaching them and made the class fun.”

His colleague, World Language department head Nancy Marrinucci, said when Mr. Hawkins won the award, “I love working with him.

He’s got a big heart and a great mind, and he’s good with the kids.

He always speaks about how special his students are to him.”

Mr. Hawkins is survived by his wife of 57 years Patricia Wanless Hawkins, sons Mark Hawkins and Owen Hawkins, and four grandchildren.

In honor of Mr. Hawkin’s legacy, his family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Latin award at North, which has been established in his name.

news

Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019

Newton North, The Newtonite v 3

New North faculty shares goals for upcoming year The Newtonite recognizes recently-hired staff at North.

As they look forward to starting the school year, please welcome them to our beloved North community. compiled by

Griffin Bond, Anika Bhawalkar Emma Brignall, Maya Demissie, David Feng and Jacob Zalis Faculty represented on this page submitted their responses as of press time.

Atiera Horne

Jenna Lashley (She/They)

METCO Engagement Specialist

PE, health, and wellness teacher

Background: Horne graduated from North in 2010 as a member of the last class in the old building. After earning her bachelor’s from Elms College, she went back to school for a masters in School Counseling at Boston College. She has worked as a school guidance counselor for five years.

Excited about… “learning what students are passionate about and how I can support and empower them to reach their goals.”

Fun fact(s): Horne has travelled to over 20 countries.

Background: Lashley went to Emerson College, majoring in marketing communication, and returned to school for a masters degree in health, family, and consumer science.

She taught at Concord Carlisle high school for the past five years.

Excited about… “Joining an incredibly inclusive community and supporting my students and staff.”

Fun Fact(s): Lashley is the third generation of their family to own a small poodle.

Sara Polstein

Len Wholey

School counselor

Math teacher

Background: Polstein attended the University of Richmond for her undergraduate degree, and received her masters degree from Seton Hall. She has taught English in East Boston and worked at Roxbury Preperatory Charter School.

Excited about… “to be in person, do all the stuff we’ve missed, like sports, theatre.”

Fun Fact(s): Polstein has a very large Great Dane.

Background: Wholey attended the US Air Force Academy for his undergraduate degree and received a masters degree from MIT. For the last ten years he has worked as an aerospace engineer.

Excited about… “getting to know students, building relationships, and sharing knowledge that I have learned.”

Fun Fact(s): Wholey is a town meeting member in Brookline.

Tim Murphy

Nina Cedrone

Background: Murphy went to Lasell College studying sports management, and graduating in 2014. He has been a teaching assistant in the pilot program at North for the last seven years, and is currently working on his masters degree at Salem State University Excited about… “making connections with kids and getting kids active and moving again” Fun Facts(s): Taylor Swift is his favorite artist and he’s been to four of her concerts.

Background: Cedrone graduated from North in 2009 and graduated with a degree in psychology from Framingham State University in 2013. She returned to North in 2014 as a teacher’s assistant and then moved into the position of a behavior therapist in the Connections and STRIDE Program. In 2017, she started work on her masters degree at Lesley University, graduating in 2020.

Excited about… “continuing to work with a great group of educators.”

Fun fact(s): Cedrone hates winter but loves snow storms.

PE, health, and wellness teacher

Inclusion Facilitator

Mercy Adoma Fosu

Catherine Woodford

Science teacher

Inclusion Facilitator

Elizabeth Carlson

Leslie Kepner

Background: Carlson received her bachelors degree from Emerson College and her masters degree from Worcester State University. She has taught at schools nearby such as Dover-Sherborn and Weston.

Excited about… “to get to know everyone….There are so many opportunities here.”

Fun fact(s): Carlson is currently training for a marathon.

Background: Kepner received her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and her masters degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Excited about… “meeting everybody and getting back into teaching art history.”

Fun fact(s): Kepner has two dogs and two daughters. She is good at doing different accents and considers herself a museum nerd.

Background: Fosu holds a bachelors degree in biochemistry, and a Ph.D in chemistry education. Prior to North she has worked for three years as a chemistry instructor.

Excited about… “to meet new people, new students, especially high school students.”

Fun Fact(s): Fosu enjoys baking pastries

Background: Woodford earned her bachelor’s degree from University of Vermont and her masters in Special Education from Cambridge College. She has previously taught in the Boston area, and is returning to teaching after a six year hiatus.

Excited about… “joining a new community and establishing relationships.”

Fun fact(s): Woodford can knit in the dark.

Speech Language Specialist

Art teacher

Samantha Petracca

Amelia May

Inclusion Facilitator

Background: Petracca received her bachelors degree from Framingham State and was a behavorial therapist at South until 2020. She has previously been a facilitator in the connections program at South and the STRIDE program based at North.

Excited about... “the opportunity to learn something new and be in a different work environment.”

Fun Fact(s): Petracca enjoys singing.

Science Teacher

Background: May attended the University of Rhode Island for her undergraduate degree and received her masters degree from Boston University in marine biology.

Before coming to North she was a science teacher at a private high school in Pennsylvania.

Excited about… “seeing students back in the classroom.”

Fun fact(s): May is a professional scuba diver.

news

4 v The Newtonite, Newton North

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Klein breaks school record through strong work ethic

Courtesy of Max Klein

In preparation to launch the ball, senior Max Klein spins to generate momentum during a meet against Brookline, May 21.

Kathy Mitchell Avid US Olympic fans were elated as shot put world record holder Ryan Crouser won his second consecutive gold medal, and the US secured both the men’s and women’s silver medals.

According to senior Max Klein, the North throwing captain, the success came as no surprise.

While not yet at the Olympic level, Klein has similarly dominated shot put here at North, breaking a 43-year-old school record this past year. He then shattered his own school record a few weeks later. His throw of 63 feet and ¾ inches placed him seventh in the country.

“He always gives it his all,” said senior Ming Zucchero, a member of the boys track and field team. “He is always the first one at practice and the last one to leave. Whenever I am at North in the summer or during the off-season, I see him practicing.”

According to Klein, his progress by

has been a fairly linear climb. Klein went from throwing 25 feet in sixth grade, to 37 feet in seventh grade, to 44 feet in eighth grade, to 46 feet freshman year, to 53 feet sophomore year, and now 63 feet.

Klein’s work ethic and physical and mental toughness seem to be the driving force behind his successes.

P.E., health, and wellness teacher and shot put coach Michael Bower said, “He shows up everyday and works as hard as he can with each practice. He leads other throwers on our team and other schools to throw their best.”

Bower added that Klein is a “student of the sport,” which allows them to have engaging conversations about technique, drills and other aspects of throwing.

Klein said he does not have solid goals for himself, such as winning a championship or setting a record.

“That’s not really my style,” Klein said.

Students reflect on past year, excited to be back Jacob Zalis As seniors prepare for three grades of hallway-confused students, North’s community is buzzing for the full in-person return this fall.

This week’s classes represent the first time that a majority of students will be back in the building in more than a year.

Seniors are the only class to have spent a full year in the building.

Juniors and sophomores have never experienced a full year of in-person learning at North, and freshmen are brand new to the building.

Junior Meaghan Taylor said virtual learning had begun to take a negative toll on her mental health.

“Knowing that I’m going to be able to learn in-person again helps me feel confident that I can do much better than I did last year,” she said.

“Being able to absorb all of the education and stuff right there in person is definitely what I missed.”

Sophomore Shalev Mosher, a Hyflex student last year, added he was optimistic that school could remain in-person throughout the entirety of the year, assuming students did their best to be safe and were vaccinated for COVID-19.

“I’m looking forward just to connections that I can make,” Mosher said. “I mean, I know that I did make some last year going into hyby

brid, but again there were all the students that were online that I didn’t really get to connect with. I’m really looking forward to just being able to see all these faces I hadn’t seen before, and interact with them and hopefully make some new friends.”

Vice Principal Amy Winston said, “General student life in the building, like the ability for students to gather in the hallways and to provide that energy to North, is something that we’re really excited about returning.”

Senior Inez Baxter added that she was excited to experience the energy of a full school again.

“What I miss most is the classroom environment, being able to make those connections with different people who you haven’t met before,” said Baxter.

According to junior Ella Reid, who was a Hyflex student last year, she has confidence that North’s faculty have learned from past in-person learning programs and are prepared for the school year, even with a second shutdown.

“I think having all of last year to find ways of doing everything masked and distanced, this year, even if it gets as bad as last year, if we need to put arrows back in the hallways or we need to fix different rules, I feel like we’re just a lot better equipped to do that,” said Reid.

“I just tell myself to throw the ball a little farther than last week.

I’ve always thrown just because I enjoy the sport,” he added. “Obviously I want to get better and be at the top of my game, but I also want to just enjoy myself.”

“In between his throws, he always has a smile on his face, and you can tell he really enjoys what he is doing,” Zucchero said. “If he has a bad throw, he is still really positive about it, which makes him a very nice teammate.”

Klein’s commitment to training is what has allowed him to break records in shot put. “His work ethic is 24/7 and 365 days a year,” said Bower. “He is committed to being the best overall thrower he can be, physically and mentally.”

According to Zucchero, Klein’s performance impacts the entire track and field team. “We have always known our shot put team was good before Max joined, but with Max

here, we automatically know that he will lead the team to secure the maximum nine points at every meet for shot put,” Zucchero said.

Klein’s daily training consists of an hour of lifting along with an hour and a half throwing session. “I warm up for a couple of minutes. We start with stand throws where you only throw from a standing position, and then we progress into the full spin,” Klein said. “I probably get around 20 or 30 throws per session.”

According to Bower, he is impressed by Max’s commitment to his overall fitness and health. “He understands the concept of developing and continuously enhancing his fitness programs to be at peak physical performance for meets,” Bower said.

Bower added that Klein’s mentality is just as impressive as his physical abilities. “Max is able to stay loose in big meets and at the same time have a laser focus to compete at his absolute best,” Bower said. “If Max is ever off his game, his growth mindset takes over and he learns from those situations and is eager to correct them. This is not an easy task for any athlete at any level. Max does it well.”

Even during challenging situations, Klein’s mental game allows him to turn errors into learning opportunities.

According to Bower, in this year’s meet against Wellesley, he particularly valued watching Klein react to fouling three times. It was the first time Klein did not place in a dual meet, which meant no points for the team. “Though he was extremely upset that he did not help the team with shot put points, he had the ability to refocus and win the discus,” said Bower. “He was also able to learn from his emotions during the shot put to make corrections for the next meet.”

Bower added that each thrower is unique and that Klein can express his understanding of the throws with great intellect. “This allows me to see a different perspective of a sport which I have been doing for more

than 20 years,” said Bower. “When students dedicate themselves to be the best they can possibly be, teachers, coaches, directors, can teach to the depths of their ability. This type of commitment makes our environment at track a very fun place to be.”

Klein’s deep conceptual understanding of his sport has been a driving factor for all of his accomplishments. Reflecting back, however, Klein added that there was never one achievement that felt best. “It is more just looking back and seeing how much I have progressed.”

Recently, Klein began training with the coach of a 2019 national shot put champion. “This coach introduced me to a lot of my very experienced throwing buddies who I get to practice with and learn from,” Klein said. “It is very helpful to have guys who really enjoy the sport but are also just goofballs.”

After weeks of intense training, Klein attended a sleepaway camp for a month over the summer and was able to have down time from throwing. “I could finally give my right hand a break, because that thing was demolished,” he said.

Now, more relaxed and rejuvenated, Klein said he is ready to move forward with his senior year. “I am not a big goal-setter, but I do have the indoor National Championships on my mind,” Klein said. He added that he would also like to maintain the boys track team’s 23-year undefeated streak this year.

Going into senior year, Klein said he trusts that his commitment and attitude will lead to continuous progress, despite facing injuries and periods of not throwing at his best.

“You might go through a low like that and then finally a high, and your progress becomes this squiggly line. What’s valuable, though, is that the squiggly line still goes in the upward direction,” Klein said. “I just have to remind myself that things will work themselves out. Being consistent, even during those pretty poor training times, will make a difference later on.”

New school schedule sparks varied reactions from North community ◆ continued from page 1 In the past, having time to meet with a teacher and to attend a club often conflicted, according to Puduseril.

However, some students are concerned that clubs which relied on flex or X-block time, will only have the opportunity to meet once a week.

“When clubs got to meet twice a week, there was more opportunity for students to be in multiple clubs, and to kind of expand their interests,” said Greenwold. “Having it only once a week feels really restrictive.”

Young added that the limited time frame of advisory would work well for her classroom.

“As a homeroom teacher, I had often found homeroom time hard to fill in the past years, so I think advisory once a week makes sense, as long as we use it wisely,” she said.

“As long as we’re paying attention to what’s happening and sort of continuously evaluating things and talking through them, I think, ultimately, this will be a good thing,” Young added.

Thursday Sept. 9, 2021

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Newton North, The Newtonite v 5

Thursday, S

6 v The Newtonite, Newton North

Guess wh

There is only one class that has experienced a of 2021. Freshmen during the last full year in p pare to return to full in-person learning, we in navigating the building to learn about

Gabby Vogel Favorite: Plowshares Least Favorite: Staircase G Advice: “The main staircase is always the most crowded, so if you want to get somewhere quick, try using a different one–you’re less likely to get caught in traffic.”

Andrew Jensen Favorite: Athletic Wing Least Favorite: The loading dock Advice: “All the numbers are in order, like go up as you go, so try and find a good way to get to all of your classes, because its a big building.”

Yurika Tarui Favorite: Main Street Least Favorite: Long staircases Advice: “Be very selective about what you decide to bring to school because it’s a lot more inconvenient to get to your locker in high school, and you have lots of stairs, so you don’t want to be lugging anything around that you don’t need.”

Alex Ka

Favorite: M Least Favo Advice: “Th door, they they have t are looking

Sept. 9, 2021

Newton North, The Newtonite v 7

ho’s back?

an entire school year in the building, the class person, they are now seniors. As students prenterviewed a few of them to get their advice on the best and worst places to hang out.

atz

Main Street orite: Loading dock he room numbers are not on the top of the are the ones on the side. For some reason two different numbers, so make sure you g at the sides.”

Olivia Helfrich-Tapia Favorite: Art Courtyard Least Favorite: Cafeteria Advice: “I was always really stressed about getting lost in ninth grade, but we’re all in this together. Take your time. The teachers will be very lenient in the fall because it’s been a hard few months–although it’s more like two years now. I wouldn’t stress about losing your way. Also, the other seniors and myself would be happy to help out anyone who is lost. You can use us as a resource.”

Emily Wang Favorite: 260s and 270s Least Favorite: Fourth Floor Advice: “Anyone’s willing to help you out, and everyone gets that it’s a big transition to high school and we’ve all been through it...If you can’t find a class, just ask someone and they’ll be happy to show you there.”

Lily Renneker Favorite: Theatre Entrance Least Favorite: Fourth Floor Advice: “Memorize your room numbers early on, the layout of the building is relatively straightforward and as long as you know the number you will be all set. I also have landmarks memorized near my rooms, like the paintings on the walls, or posters, so later in the year you won’t have to look for the number every time.”

Compiled by: Anika Bhawalkar, Emma Brignall, and Shira Lobron Designed by: Griffin Bond and Maya Demissie

features

8 v The Newtonite, Newton North

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Jackson to priortize equity, student voices in sports

Bridget Gilmartin

Football, preparing for its first game of the season against Waltham, practices blocking on Dickinson Field, Wednesday, Sept. 1.

Maxwell Lu Entering his first year as Athletic Director, Mike Jackson says he intends to listen to athletes and coaches as he familiarizes himself with the North community.

“When you take over a position like this, you have to learn about the culture, yourself, and the people around you,” said Jackson. “I’m not coming in with any specific initiatives, but I’m here to listen and understand what North is all about before I make decisions on what needs to change or stay the same.”

Following the retirement of longtime athletic director Thomas Giusti at the end of the last school year, Jackson was selected to assume the role. Jackson said he hopes to continue to support existing values within the program.

“I believe that sports are about competitiveness, respect, and inclusivity,” said Jackson. “I want to make sure that these things remain the cornerstones of our athletic program.”

Jackson hopes those values can also extend beyond sports alone.

“There is a saying that ‘sports are a microcosm of life.’ That is an approach I have with athletics,” said by

Jackson.

He added many traits of a successful athlete are similar to those of a successful person. For example, time management, perseverance, and collaboration.

“When you take over a position like this, you have to learn about the culture, yourself, and the people around you.”

- Athletic Director Mike Jackson

The athletic department concluded an equity audit just prior to Jackson’s arrival. According to Principal Henry Turner, the audit “focused on race, gender, and identity inclusion in athletic participation.”

Turner added, “Mike really values equal opportunity and is a mentor to others, so we are looking forward to

his work to reach similar goals at North.”

According to Jackson, the results of the audit will be a point of focus in his first few years as athletic director.

Jackson said, “The information that I got was a total look at the athletic department and what areas we needed to address from an equity standpoint.”

Turner highlighted Jackson’s previous work on club sports when he was the Needham High School Assistant Athletic Director as an example of his commitment to including all athletes.

“Mike was in charge of a really strong intramural program and was able to expand it there,” said Turner.

Campus aide John Staulo, the wrestling coach, added that offering recreational sports provides opportunities for more students to engage in the community.

“In many sports, there isn’t enough (teams) to accommodate everybody because of skill and other reasons,” said Staulo. “But sports is about nurturing people into mentally sound individuals––there are many additional opportunities for kids to play, whether that’s establishing schoolwide programs and clubs.”

According to Jackson, a club sports program, while effective at Needham, would not be something he will focus on in his first year at North.

However, as he familiarizes himself with the community, if sustained interest does arise, he would be open to considering implementing a program.

Special education teacher Nicholas Capodilupo, the football coach, praised Jackson’s leadership style and his approach in sustaining both values and competitiveness.

“I really appreciate his straightforward vision in trying to create a more diverse group of kids, while knowing that we are in a challenging conference that demands a good amount of competitive energy,” Capodilupo said.

According to Capodilupo, actions speak louder than words.

“Maintaining a competitive environment while supporting all backgrounds is doable, but difficult,” said Capodilupo. “Everyone can say they want to reach a goal, but kids need a great reason in order to stay committed to the task at hand.”

Senior Honour Dufresne, a girls’

swim captain, added that one goal for the new athletic director should be to ensure students’ voices are heard.

According to Dufresne, the school in the past has failed to take action in cases of misconduct among athletic coaches.

“While the school says that they are here to support us, they never really took any action,” said Dufresne.

“There is no real way for students to speak up if they have problems with coaches because it’s really hard to go against the faculty, even if it’s what’s right.”

Dufresne would like to see the school implement effective safety monitoring programs.

For example, club associations like USA Swimming have used “Safe Sport,” which trains students and coaches to recognize physical abuse and sexual misconduct.

Capodilupo said that Jackson “respects each individual team and allows coaches and even captains to establish this mindset in their sports.”

According to Jackson, “In my first year, I am here to observe and understand certain things and then figure out what works and what doesn’t work and make those changes.”

Rachel Kurlandsky

Boys’ Lacrosse huddles before a game against Walpole last season Friday, May 7.

Area districts collaborate to address COVID concerns Yahel Tamir Looking back on a year of virtual and hybrid schooling, administrators reflected on the collaboration among districts across the region as they worked to combat COVID-19, and keep schools running smoothly.

Throughout the pandemic, North and various surrounding districts worked together to adapt to the pandemic environment.

According to Superintendent of Newton Public Schools (NPS) David Fleishman, “When our high school by

working group brainstormed new models, we realized that working with people from a variety of school districts would lead to achieving the best results.”

“Coordination was key when addressing an education crisis such as this one,” said Kenneth Salim, former superintendent of the Cambridge Public Schools. Salim was superintendent during last school year, and left his position this past June. Together with other superintendents, Salim said that a support

Ethan Shin

Students navigate the directional arrows controlling traffic in the hallway, in a return to in person learning during the Hyflex model, Tuesday, March 9.

system was created to share solutions to problems faced by many surrounding districts.

“Because of our connections with high schools that were able to remain open even earlier in the surge, we became more confident about bringing back an in-person aspect,” Fleishman said. “We learned that through other schools following established health pillars, this would become possible to safely implement at North as well.”

For example, North’s decision to institute a new grading system, Fleishman said, was made in consultation with different districts in the area.

Due to the unpredictability of the pandemic, school administrators were forced to make quick decisions.

As a result, communication often lagged.

One North teacher said, “Nobody dreamed that when the schools shut down, the crisis in teaching would be so long-lasting. It was very sudden, and there was a lot of pressure on the decision-makers to make a quick decision.”

Fleishman echoed a similar concern. “I do feel that a more direct communication would have been imperative to reach as many as possible. During those times of uncertainty, teachers and administrators had to quickly develop many new skills in informing families. Some of

those strategies couldn’t cut through to some of our students, including those normally involved at school,” he said.

Administrators across multiple school districts worked together to try and ease the worries of their faculties, while also supporting them to best help students and family.

“Coordination was key when addressing an education crisis such as this one.”

- Former Cambridge Superintedent Kenneth Salim “Teachers spent a lot of time in the summer looking at ways of teaching,” said James Marini, former interim superintendent of Brookline Public Schools. “This included researching technology, in addition to adopting other communication strategies suitable for ‘hybrid learning,’” he added. Marini, a former Newton North principal and interim superintendent of NPS, held the role throughout the pandemic.

Yael Neeman-Schubert, an English language learning teacher at the Ridley School in Brookline, who

also worked with teachers from other districts including NPS, said that programs during the summer did contribute to reassuring teachers.

“There was a lot of great professional development all through the summer,” Neeman-Schubert added.

“The courses we took covered a wide variety of content important in the classroom, which included strategies that balanced safety concerns as well.”

Fleishman credited the communication and collaboration between the school districts as a crucial factor that led to the success of the hybrid model by the end of the year.

“I know for a fact that because we could receive reliable information from a group of local sources, this provided us with a strong standing to ensure the success of this program,” he said.

As administrators look at this year, the need for communication continues to stand out for them.

Despite the easing of the pandemic, Fleishman said the importance of consulting and collaborating with other districts should not go ignored in the future.

“Hearing those different experiences and stories is what leads to our success, and ensures that we can continue to work together,” Fleishman added. “It is that type of teamwork which ensures that we can cope with new challenges in years to come.”

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

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10 v The Newtonite, Newton North

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Barton’s coaching career leaves legacy of pride Andy Zhou “No one will fill his shoes, that’s for sure,” said former North volleyball assistant coach Jason Souza about coach Richard Barton. “Beyond Smash and Newton North and Yankee volleyball, he’s a Hall of Famer, and he is like the fabric of Massachusetts volleyball.”

Barton, who has coached volleyball since 1987, retired as girls and boys volleyball head coach this past summer.

In his long tenure, Barton has amassed an impressive list of accolades, including three Girls Volleyball State Championships, receiving the Rick Pierce award, and being twice named Boston Globe Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Girls Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. He became coach of the boys team at North in 1988 when the program was only in its second year.

Souza added Barton would always by

bring positive energy and support whenever he interacted with players and fellow faculty members.

“What sets him apart from other people is that he just cares about the whole human. It’s not just about the skill level of the server, the attack, or the defense, it’s about the kid or the adult. You just feel like family with him real quick,” Souza said.

According to former North volleyball player Ashley Wang ‘19, “We always say getting these Richard texts or phone calls are the best things ever. No matter how we finish, he always lets you know how proud he is to be your coach, or how well you did or how amazing you guys all are.”

Wang added, “I remember after we won States my senior year, I don’t think I’d ever seen Richard cry before, but you could just see how proud he was, and how he knew how all our hard work had shown.”

Like many players and colleagues,

Wang recalled Barton’s distinctive coaching style and personality.

“He’s very big on discipline. He’d be the type of coach where if we’re not doing our warmup all in sync together, he would make us restart like 50 times and it would take an hour or so trying to do the warm up,” added Wang. “By senior year, nothing would shake me. He just prepares you for the hardest situations and makes you a mentally strong player.”

According to Souza, “Very few coaches have that cool, calm, collected demeanor. If you were to watch him coach a game, you would think ‘oh my God, is he just somebody watching the sport? Is he really coaching?’ But he doesn’t need to be loud and over the top because everybody listens to everything he has to say.”

Barton admits to taking a tough line and says he coaches by valuing his players and respecting their skills.

Barton delivers his pep talk, before guiding the boy’s volleyball team to a 3-0 victory over Framingham, April 16, 2018.

Joelle Sugianto

Ella Bailey

Volleyball coach Richard Barton gives instruction to current senior Ava Bottino, as she prepares to serve the ball, during tryouts Aug. 27, 2019 in the Reggie Gymnasium.

“It’s not like, ‘come to volleyball, and have a fun time,’ it’s ‘know that there’s going to be a really high expectation of yourself,’” Barton said.

“I think that players rightfully are flattered if a coach thinks that they are valuable enough to expect them to do hard things.”

Barton was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up in Westchester county, New York. He attended Fox Lane high school where he became a runner, and graduated in 1968. Barton then went on to Harvard University where he studied psychology, child development, and adolescent psychology. After graduating, Barton began teaching at the Agassiz preschool in Somerville, and continues to teach at the school to this day.

After work, Barton would visit the Cambridge YMCA and check out the volleyball team. When there was a vacancy for a middle player, he joined the team.

“No one wants to be a middle,” said Barton. “It’s how someone without any experience playing a sport was able to get on a team that played around the Northeast.”

Barton took on his first high school volleyball coaching job at Stoneham High School. In 1987, he moved to coaching volleyball at North. Barton also started the Smash Volleyball club in 1988, an elite volleyball program for young athletes.

According to Barton, retiring will mark the end of one of the most important parts of his life for the past 33 years.

“What I’m giving up is a solid five months of interacting with 12 to 15 kids,” said Barton. “If you’re a volleyball coach, every single person in that class has voluntarily come because they want to be on that team.

As a teacher, as a coach, it’s a luxury to have a whole class twice in a school year of only students who want to be there.”

After his retirement from North, Barton will continue to teach at the Agassiz preschool and coach at Smash Volleyball.

North has announced Nile Fox as Barton’s successor for girl’s volleyball. The boy’s coach is yet to be determined.

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