The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is opening doors to higher education for PHS students through its new dual enrollment program, an initiative aimed at elevating learning while promoting equity among students and giving them a head start in their collegiate journey. 
“We know we have very high quality teachers, we know we have programs that are very, very competitive, even against college level programs,” said PHS Principal Cecilia Birge. “So we think that our students deserve having [the] recognition of taking [a college level program], and not to mention the financial benefits that your enrollment brings along.”
Birge also highlighted the program’s founding principles: a commitment to academic excellence, equity, and financial accessibility. In order to maximize student learning time to uphold educational quality, one distinctive feature that sets this program apart from PHS’s other partnerships, such as those with Mercer County Technical Schools, is its full integration within the PHS campus. Unlike traditional dual enrollment programs, which often require students to leave campus, this program will be entirely housed at PHS, ensuring that students can engage in college-level coursework without compromising their high school experience.
“We really wanted our students to have the full blown PHS experience, not a partial one here and the partial one at another school,” said Birge. “We also want our partners in the dual enrollment program to be really the top notch kind of partners who can bring innovative ideas who share our educational philosophy, [and] so, that’s how we [identified] TCNJ as a partner.”
Students signing up for the dual enrollment program will receive essential information in September, including their TCNJ email address and portal details. Upon completion of the course with a grade of a C or higher, students will receive credits from PHS, three TCNJ credits, equivalent to a full college course, and the TCNJ transcript. To participate, students need to pay a fee of $550 before the start of the program. However, the program provides substantial cost savings for families. 
“As you may or may not know, college-level courses cost about $3,000. So $550 is a significant saving for most of our families at PHS. [Additionally], families will have 529 plans, which is a college savings and investment plan that they can use the money from to pay for this course too,” Birge said. 
In order to facilitate a smooth transition into the two schools’ partnership, PHS will only offer Sociology for the first year of the program alongside the already existing Sociology Accelerated course at PHS. The course will be taught by Elizabeth Taylor, a history teacher at PHS currently teaching AP U.S. History and the present high school-level Sociology Accelerated course.
“The Sociology course actually started out as an AP pilot program. The College Board was considering an AP Sociology course, and Princeton was one of the schools that piloted it, so the class had already been designed as a college level course,” Taylor said. 
However, even after the College Board ultimately made the decision to not include AP Sociology in its course catalog, PHS continued teaching sociology following the same college level curriculum. 
“It always [disappointed me] that students were doing essentially a college level class but not getting the credit they would through an AP class. So as I thought about other schools offering dual enrollment, it seemed perfect for [this course]. Students do the same work they’re doing now, but get college credit at the end, [which] seemed like a perfect fit,” Taylor said. 
When deciding whether the program will be held entirely at PHS, one of the most common considerations is if TCNJ professors will be brought in, or if the courses will be taught by PHS teachers. Birge provides insight into this aspect of the program’s structure, highlighting the importance of the teacher’s role in the process. 
“[This] program is very much a teacher dependent program, meaning that Mrs. Taylor was actually approved by TCNJ to be a qualified instructor to teach at a college level course,” Birge said. 
Students signing up for next year’s courses will have the option between enrolling in a regular Accelerated Sociology class, or enrolling in TCNJ-Sociology as a part of the dual enrollment program. 
“Both sets of students will be placed in the same classroom [during the same period]. Mrs. Taylor would differentiate her teaching so that students who are in the dual enrollment program will receive a bit more instruction, probably have some more teaching, reading, and assignments to be completed to ensure that they meet the criteria at the TCNJ level,” Birge said. 
Additionally, students enrolled in the sociology class will benefit from gaining college credits, providing them with an upper hand when they go to college, given their previous experiences in college style courses. 
“I [had] multiple students who [decided] to pursue sociology in college as undergraduates, and they [had] to start back at Sociology 1 because they [did] not have any credit for it,” said Taylor. “So now, hopefully, most of these students will be able to skip Sociology in college and move on to a more advanced level class.”

PHS and TCNJ collaborate in creating dual enrollment program

On March 8, Principal Cecilia Birge presented the prospective new schedule for the 2024–2025 school year to the Student Achievement Committe, which will incorporate two days of 90-minute block periods, shorter Thursdays, and  minimize the rotation of letter days. To test the efficacy of this schedule, PHS will conduct a pilot run the week of June 3rd.
These schedule changes are part of a district initiative to maximize student learning through increased structure and stability in school instruction. 
The rotating letter day schedule that PHS currently follows is unaccommodating to unexpected calendar interruptions, the expansion of school programs and classes, and makes the scheduling of PHS staff meetings and substitute teacher arrangements difficult. Following the current schedule’s arrangements, P.E. classes and science classes must be placed back-to-back on lab days. This scheduling marriage between P.E. and science classes creates an inflexibility for the scheduling of “singleton” classes, or classes that only meet once a day. 
“Classes will become more even,” said Senior Class President Aidan Linkov ‘24. “Because of the constraint of the schedule [that is] locked up by science and P.E., when we have someone mentoring an ESL class or some other special needs, then that’s almost half of the day they’re scheduled, and there’s no flexibility.”
Class size restrictions and inonsistencies exacerbate the scheduling issue.
“When you couple that with constrained physical space where some classrooms only have 15 kids [and] other classrooms have 35, we’re talking about learning loss for students and making it difficult for teachers,” said PHS Principal Cecilia Birge.
One of the statistics that guided the administration’s decision to reform the schedule was the room utilization rate. According to Birge, at an optimal level, the room usage in a school should be at about 85 percent, but this year, it has reached upwards of 93 percent.
“After the pandemic, with additional enrollment, as well as the expansion of our current PHS programs, we really maxed out our facilities, especially with classroom space ... [t]he issue is that we need extra classrooms in case of a leak or  relocation,” Birge said.
In line with maximizing student learning, the addition of 90-minute blocks on B2 and B3 days aims to give teachers more time to further implement project-based learning. Additionally, 45 minutes of gym classes on B2 and B3 days are allotted to learning labs for freshmen, or a free period for upperclassmen and eligible sophomores in their second semester. 
“I want [underclassmen] to learn to earn that free ... so if they have too many absences or too many disciplinary issues, they’re going to lose that privilege,” said Birge. “We give kids a lot of freedom [at PHS], but if you don’t know how to manage that freedom, it hurts. So this schedule is intended to build up that self discipline.”
The PHS administration made  alterations to this schedule with the input of various teachers and staff using a survey. Additionally, the Bell Schedule Committee, established in 2017, revised the schedule before presentation to the Master Schedule Committee and PPS Board of Education. The new schedule’s removal of lab days means science teachers lose 28 minutes of instructional time per schedule cycle, so Birge maintained close communication with the science department through the process, which began in early December. Birge also met with student board liaisons and the PHS Student Council to discuss the changes.
“The [new schedule] went through multiple iterations and was a collaboration between everybody in the building,” said Birge. “This is important because our bell schedule plays a critical role in structuring our learning environment and has a big impact on teaching and learning, because it affects everything from the pacing of lessons to student and teacher well-being ... it drives the kind of school that we have.”

PHS to change bell schedule

On the evening of December 7, PHS welcomed author Kim Foster, who spoke about her experiences with food insecurity in America detailed within her new book, “The Meth Lunches: Food and Longing in an American City.” The event was done in collaboration with PHS Food Aid and featured booths set up by local food agencies, including Send Hunger Packing Princeton, the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, and Arm In Arm, all to spread awareness about widespread food insecurity.

Throughout her presentation, Foster used many personal anecdotes about the issues she hoped to address. One story covered in her presentation was about an adult she met who was abused and starved as a kid, which left her to deal with emotional trauma and an unhealthy aversion to food for the rest of her life.

“Johnny started bagging [my] groceries, and she mentioned off the top of her head that she was locked in the closet [by her mother] as a child without food,” said Foster. “To this day, Johnny works in a supermarket … surrounded by food. She wonders a lot if she deserves to [even] have food. Kids that are hungry get the message that they don't deserve the most basic needs.”

While running a pantry outside her home in Las Vegas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Foster began to connect to the struggles of individuals with food and created an active community effort through Facebook group discussions and word of mouth.

“[I] live in a very socioeconomically diverse neighborhood … and there are people who are really struggling.﻿ At first, I was just putting toilet paper in our little free library and other hoarded goods that no one could get, … like wipes [and] hand sanitizer,” said Foster. “[Then] a bar gave us a fridge. And then, the next thing you know, I'm picking up groceries and it's my full-time job.”

While poverty, addiction, and similar factors might often work to isolate people, Foster observed how food can help build connections between people who might not have much in common and foster relationships that can strengthen communities.

“When we took food to people, we didn't just drop food at people's houses. We stopped, hung out, talked, and heard stories. And so, what that does is it connects that person to the world,” said Foster.  “As a high school student, there's probably nothing that you can do to eradicate poverty in your community, but you can create connections.”

Dr. Andrea Dinan, coordinator of service learning and experiential activities, shared how she wanted to allow students to hear Foster’s message about a topic that often isn’t talked about in Princeton.

“Before I worked at Princeton High School, I was really involved in hunger programs, [so when I read the book], it really just moved me. I reached out to Labyrinth Books in town and they were able to get in contact with [Foster] since she is doing a tour to promote her book,” said Dinan. “I wanted to bring in PHS Food Aid, which is very much involved [with] hunger programs in our community, and PHS Generation One because they work with a lot of under-resourced families in town.”

Yugandhara Luthra ’24, a leader for PHS Food Aid and a member of the panel discussion after Foster’s presentation, believes her talk serves as a reminder of what injustices can lie not only within our own town, but also in other communities across the country.

“For those who live in the Princeton community, we are typically sheltered away from poverty,” said Luthra. “At PHS, we can try to …integrate the concepts and encourage discussions of topics like hunger and poverty in order to create more awareness as well. [Foster’s] talk seemed to serve as a reality check [for] how we view our lives, and if PHS students become exposed to her message, then our school community will truly become more inclusive and open-minded.”

After receiving advance copies of the book and purchasing dozens more after release with the help of the PTO, Dinan shared Foster’s story with teachers around the school. According to Dinan, the book was recently added to the curriculum of multiple English classes at PHS, and community members who came to the talk were encouraged to sign up for future discussions with the various supporting organizations in Princeton.

“AP English [Language and Composition students] are reading the book … and [students] in Contemporary Literature are reading it now as well,” said Dinan. “I'm hoping more students come [to the event] because she wants to gear it towards students and really engage with [them].”

Food insecurity is not the only topic that is addressed in the book though, as Foster also hopes to promote healthier eating habits, which could be especially beneficial for students.  

“Vending machines in schools are really impacting how kids are going to eat for generations. And it's a hard habit to break,” said Foster. “There are [other] things that you can do when you have events at school; start prioritizing home-cooked food over a food truck or ordering from a restaurant, … [or inviting] parents and staff who have cuisines they want to share.”

Overall, Foster’s advice to PHS students is to get out of their comfort zones and try to learn about others in their community through avenues such as food. Most importantly, Foster believes these discussions are catalysts to understanding and helping others.

“We all live in our bubbles, and we tend to hang out with people who are like us,. … so really what I want people to do after they read the book is [to] jump out of their bubbles [for] a little bit and talk to people,” said Foster. “Be open and curious about other[s], and then make a connection.”

Author Kim Foster presents her experience using food to create connections

   This year, Princeton High School welcomed the first cohort of Princeton Middle School students who took part in the Community Park Elementary School’s Dual Language Immersion program. Having been recognized as a model program for Spanish Dual Language Immersion by the New Jersey Department of Education, CP’s full DLI program engages students in the Spanish culture and language from a young age with half of the core instruction taught in English and the other half taught in Spanish. While this program has gained much praise since its inception in 2015, it has also been met with some criticism, as it provokes the more general issue of overcrowding in the other elementary schools in the school district.
   With over 1,000 new housing units projected to be completed in Princeton by 2026 resulting in consistent growth in enrollment, expansion has always been a discussed topic in the community. In recent years, concerns have been raised by many parents, especially those whose children must be rerouted around the unfilled CP elementary school that is currently exclusively for students in the DLI program. 
   “DLI has become an issue [as] … it's not popular enough to consistently fill a whole school. If you don't want to do DLI, you have to go to another school. So we’re busing kids all over the place. kids that would walk to CP, we're busing them to Johnson Park,” Bouldin said.
   Sharing the same view as Bouldin is District Supervisor of World Languages Priscilla Russell, who explains that while CP is indeed experiencing a lack of students in the DLI program, the district’s other elementary schools are not overcrowded, but full. 
   “We need to be careful — [the other schools] are full, but they're not overcrowded,” said Russell. “[CP] does have some empty classrooms … but our goal had always been to create a dual language immersion school, which we were doing pretty well until the pandemic hit and changed just a whole lot of things.”
   CP Principal Dineen Gruchacz further describes the hindering factors brought by the pandemic, detailing how they have contributed to a lower-than-expected number of students in the DLI program.
   “[During the pandemic], lots of people shied away from anything different than a very basic education program,” said Gruchacz. “The recovery time to build back the numbers in the [classrooms] … is definitely something that needs to be addressed.”
   A DLI program at CP was first proposed in 2013 with the hopes of strengthening bilingual and multicultural learning in the district by taking advantage of Princeton’s extensive diversity. Rather than supplementing English classes with a single world language class, the DLI’s aim was to create a more holistic approach to language and culture, immersing students by teaching half of their subjects in Spanish instead of English. 
   DLI programs have become increasingly popular across the country in recent years due to the cognitive benefits associated with learning more than one language from a younger age and in response to the undervaluation of foreign languages in English-speaking countries. In fact, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the universality of English is one of the main reasons why English is the most commonly taught language worldwide by a factor of 20, a discrepancy that DLI programs hope to address.
   “Princeton is not a huge town, but it's a town [made up] of really diverse community members and perspectives … [and] a large international community,” said Kimberley Tew, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. “We want to make sure that we're honoring that being bilingual and biliterate is a superpower … in an increasingly globalized world. [That] is the goal of the program, not just to develop [linguistic] skills, but to develop cultural competency.”
   Along with welcoming DLI program alums at PHS for the first time, the district has extended the DLI program past the elementary and middle school levels by introducing a new horticulture class tailored to teach basic biology principles in Spanish, taught by science and research teacher Mark Eastburn. Eastburn, who is fluent in both Spanish and English, reflects on the tremendous positive impacts that learning a new language can have on a child’s cognitive abilities and consequently believes that many more people should be signing up for the program.
   “I remember, many years ago, the evidence being overwhelmingly strong that dual language immersion programs are a way of supercharging childrens’ brains,” said Eastburn. “The evidence has only gotten better over time, and why we can’t get more people to sign up in a community which truly cares about education is baffling to me.”
   While the district does offer Spanish classes in the traditional route in all the other elementary schools, many parents believe that language education in the traditional method of language learning is not sufficient for students to gain fluency, leading them to choose DLI. Nicole Pezold, a current CP parent, believes that foreign language education is not prioritized in the traditional curriculum. 
   “I think it’s kind of an American approach to learning foreign languages to just not prioritize them at all. And I think that our schools in Princeton are trying to prioritize it way more than schools elsewhere in the nation, but we still are approaching it from an old perspective of language learning. I think immersion is the future, or one potential road for the future of language learning for people who really think that that's an important part of a rounded education,” Pezold said.
   Some parents who compare the immersive education of their children to their own experiences with the traditional method point out the effectiveness of DLI over the traditional method. Georgette Stern, who currently has three kids enrolled in the DLI program, shares her satisfaction with her kids’ improvement in the language. 
   “My husband and I both took Spanish throughout middle and high school, but you don't get the same level. I often speak to [my kids] in broken Spanish and … it’s great to see the level of comprehension,” said Stern. “It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to have your kids hear another language for half of their day, and also get core instruction in those languages.”
   In addition to offering enhanced opportunities for students who may not speak a second language at home to become bilingual, the DLI program intends to aid the large Spanish-speaking population in Princeton by helping them strengthen their bilingual skills and learn about their heritage more deeply.
   “One of the original goals of the program was to close the opportunity gap,” said Tew. “A lot of times when students move to the school district or move to America, they lose some of the foundational skills and pieces in their heritage languages … so we [are] targeting our [Spanish speaking] multilingual learners so that they can strengthen their knowledge base in both languages.”
   Olu Ogunyankin, a CP parent and a native of Guatemala, shared that the main reason her family chose to move to Princeton from South Brunswick was for the DLI program.
   “[Before starting at CP], even though we speak Spanish at home, [my son] would reply in English because he was in a Pre-K where they just spoke English. And [although] it’s been two months since the classes started in kindergarten, I see a huge difference in the amount of Spanish that he uses at home. He’s giving me sentences in Spanish, he’s replying in Spanish, and soon he’s gonna write in that language too,” Ogunyankin said.
The program is intended to help both native Spanish speakers and the already multicultural and multilingual families in Princeton who may not speak Spanish but want their children to continue learning in different languages.
   “We're targeting any family or child who believes in multiculturalism, biliteracy, and bilingualism. We have a lot of families who don't speak Spanish at home, but they might already be a trilingual or bilingual family, and they want their child to have that experience in school as well,” Tew said.
   PHS freshmen who took part in the first cohort of the DLI program highly recommend it for incoming elementary students at CP, finding that in addition to learning a new language from a younger age, the cultural immersion provided by the program has given them a different perspective of the world around them.
   “I feel like you're connected to a different culture. You're more immersed [and] you have a better ability to understand things around the world because you get to know people who were specifically part of that culture,” said Charles Baglio ’27, a member of the first DLI cohort. “[CP] did it really well … and it'’ an experience that you’ll take with you for the rest of your life.”
   For the parents who aren’t considering the DLI program, Milania Kapoor ’27, another freshman who participated in the DLI program, recommends that parents try the program for their children before they make a decision, expressing that the program will provide profound benefits.
   “I would say try it because you can always switch out of it … and ask to go to a different school,” said Kapoor. “It was an incredible experience for me. Not only are you learning a language but it's just a different experience … because you learn math in Spanish, you learn science in Spanish, … and you [become] so smart as a young kid.”
   With a growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States and an increasingly globalized world, learning a second language will become an important skill for future generations. How Princeton schools will balance an immersion program and potential overcrowding issues, however, may require compromise. 
   “It's a matter of everyone getting along and understanding each other better, and then building those bridges to actually move everyone forward as a society, which Princeton has the opportunity to do,” said Eastburn. “We really need to hammer that home to the public, because [an immersion program is] such a unique and important thing that we can offer as a district.”

Eight years on, PPS’s DLI program continues to bridge language gaps

On November 7, voting will close for Princeton constituents on a 13 million-dollar referendum that will include updates to all six PPS schools and specifically renovations for PHS to accommodate its growing population. These plans include expanding the cafeteria, reapplying turf for the football field, and strengthening the wifi network, among other things. 
According to the recent presentation given during the monthly BoE meeting in October, the largest budget allocation, 31.5%, will be toward safety and security, building upon the recently increased vigilance of administrators regarding student IDs and lanyards. 
“The United States, unfortunately, seems to be the capital for school shootings. We always feel safe here because it's a nice community, but we never know,” said PPS Business Administrator and Board Secretary Matthew Bouldin. “We are trying to be as proactive as possible.”
Updates to the school include preventative measures for a potential active shooter situation, such as vestibules for major entryways and new security cameras all around the school. These will allow building monitors or security guards to vet everyone coming in before they enter the school, similar to the entryway at the Flagpole Entrance right now. 
“[The police department] also helped us to design some of the safety features with suggestions for improvements. We're doing window films on all six schools [and] room numbers have gone up on the outside of the windows [for the police] in case of emergency at PHS,” Bouldin said.
Due to its burden on the taxpayer, the proposal for a 130 million dollar referendum in 2018 experienced backlash, and the Princeton Board of Education has instead recently turned to smaller, more frequent referendums. Thus, the other renovations consist primarily of necessary, time-sensitive updates to the schools, but also include solutions for common complaints. 
"For maintaining the district … for example, the turf, they do a GMAX test every year, which measures impact attenuation — basically the sponginess of the field. You really can't get much more than 12 years out of a turf field. So for stuff like that, you have an idea when it needs to be redone,” said Bouldin.“We try to get feedback from all the constituents … especially the students and teachers. For example, the students have talked about the network issues for a while, teachers as well … it gets bogged down.”
Comprising 18.2 percent of the total budget across all the schools, planned improvements will multiply the maximum internet coverage by more than ten. The speed of the student and guest networks has been a point of frustration for many years and has consistently caused problems with standardized testing. Additionally, during class transition periods, teachers cannot access the network to prepare for their next class due to an influx of students joining the Wi-Fi network from their phones. With an upgrade to the Wi-Fi capability, students can have more smooth-running classes without hiccups regarding technology, especially if their classrooms are located at the edges of school or in high-traffic areas.
“I remember in years past how teachers, especially in the science wings, couldn’t use canvas during class or load powerpoints to teach. It made class pretty inefficient, but resolving that will be a big win for productivity,” said Henry Xu ’24.
Under the “Major Maintenance” portion of the referendum includes plans to resurface all sports fields and renovations to the cafeteria, which will double the functional capacity of the kitchen and seating area.
“Unless you get there early, there are often hundreds of kids crammed into the two lunch lines with two cashiers frantically trying to move the bulging line. It takes forever, so I think that if passed, it will be one of the most visible changes for students,” said Kyle Zhao ’24. 
In general, the majority at PHS see referendums as an opportunity to improve the school and are interested in what issues will be addressed.
“As a football player, I definitely want to see how the new turf changes things. All of the additions to the high school in recent years like the New Wing have been really cool and beneficial to students, so I hope this one passes as well,” said Joseph George ’25.
If successfully passed, the district plans on beginning construction in the summer of 2024. However, the timeline still needs to be determined due to some supply barriers. However, Kendal and Bouldin both support the proposal but recognize the decision comes down to the taxpayer.
“Most of the workload will be done next summer. The technology infrastructure upgrades, assuming we can get the network or equipment. There's still some supply constraints in the marketplace with certain things, and that's one of the things I'm worried about. There's still some pretty long wait times,” Bouldin said. “We're just trying to communicate to the population so they know how important it is. That's basically what we try to do.”

13 Million Dollar Referendum Up for Vote

   September 5 not only marked the beginning of PHS’s 2023-2024 school year, but also the first day for a new principal with a familiar face. After a lengthy selection process that spanned close to the entire summer and included a search committee composed of over 20 stakeholders, PPS superintendent Carol Kelley recommended former assistant principal Cecilia Birge as the new PHS principal. This recommendation was unanimously approved by the Board of Education on August 31. 
   In an email that entailed her recommendation of Birge sent on August 30, Kelley stated that “During this selection process, Ms. Birge showcased her exceptional leadership qualities, along with her deep commitment to the success of all students, her passion for education, and her respect for the entire Princeton High School community.”
   After a whirlwind of new principals at PHS (four in the past three years) and the lingering controversy over the nonrenewal of former PHS principal Frank Chmiel, a survey was sent out to PHS stakeholders on July 7 asking them what the desired characteristics of a principal at the high school were.
   “Our goal was to begin the search process as soon as possible so that we would have an individual at least approved by the Board prior to the start of the new school year,” Kelley said. “Because of the reputation of our school district, we saw that even though the posting gave people just three weeks to apply for the position, there was an outpouring of candidates that were interested.”
Apart from the community survey, the Board also surveyed PHS faculty about their wants and needs for the new principal. Immediately, Birge stood out as a forerunner with her past experience and reputation at PHS.
“The staff that was involved on the interview committee really wanted an internal candidate. They said that the school was fragile and that they couldn’t really take someone who didn't understand the culture at the school ...  When you have the staff saying that this is what we need, the board is gonna listen to that," said Dafna Kendal, President of the Board of Education.
According to Kelley, the job opening received 25 applications during the three weeks it stayed open; two of these applications came from internal candidates, while the rest were external. The process consisted of three rounds of interviews. The first round was a paper screening to identify the candidates with the suitable qualifications and characteristics desired by community stakeholders, while the second round was a short virtual screening of four questions; this collectively narrowed the candidates down to five people, including the two internal candidates that skipped these first two rounds. The final round was an hour-long interview conducted by a stakeholder committee for each individual candidate, consisting of an open-ended question of the candidate’s outline on the first 100 days of school as PHS principal, as well as ten questions that focused on the candidate’s trustworthiness, communication, and responses to pertinent school affairs. Afterward, the committee had a discussion and rated each of the candidates according to their responses, culminating in the recommendation of Birge by Kelley to the board.
   Keeping with her philosophy of placing the well-being of students and teachers at the forefront, Birge, despite enjoying her assistant principal position, mentions one of her primary reasons for applying to be principal in the first place was to provide missing continuity.
   “When somebody from outside the community applies, the learning curve is really steep. And that means that will cause additional learning curves. Students and teachers - that was really the main reason for me to apply,” Birge said.
   After retiring from being a bond analyst on Wall Street, Birge began her time in education in 2012 and has seen and guided the growth of thousands with different job titles along the way. Starting as a substitute teacher for former PHS math teacher Valerie Rodriguez, she later secured a tenure track position at Dwight Morrow High School in North Jersey teaching math the next year, where she worked with various students with special needs. Wanting to make a greater impact, Birge obtained her certification in special education and later returned to PHS in 2015 as a special-ed math teacher.
   “I returned to PHS as a special-ed teacher because at Dwight Morrow, I had taught some really challenging students and in many ways, the teachers in that school were the only stabilizing force in those children’s lives … It sort of gave me a different perspective and a much higher level of appreciation for public education and how teachers can touch student’s lives,” Birge said.
   Now, after watching Birge’s exceptional performance as well as the board’s unanimous approval, Kelley believes that Birge’s experience, combined with her involvement in the PHS community, will bring long-awaited stability to PHS.
   “I feel that [Birge] is going to do a really marvelous job … She's not just an administrator, but she's been a teacher and parent at the high school,” said Kelley. “I think that her background in other industries and the experiences that she has had serving, as mayor [of Montgomery Township], on town councils, on town committees … creates an individual that's right for being principal of Princeton High School.”
   In addition to her extensive professional career in public service, Birge believes she can readily adapt to unfamiliar environments due to her experiences as an immigrant coming to the U.S. from China without knowing much English.
   “I still remember the days when I stood in the cafeteria at my college, trying to order food, and didn't know what to say to get the food. I think that my experience as an educator [and] my passion for our students is very much framed by my experiences as an immigrant and being unfamiliar with the system,” said Birge. “I think that my diverse professional background really has been great because school is a microcosm of society.”
   When asked about her methodology and guiding principles when making decisions for the future, Birge mirrored Kendal’s sentiment about putting teachers and students at the center.
   “As an administrator, my philosophy has always been that my job is to support the teachers, and if I support the teachers, then the teachers can place [the] students as their priority…you will never hear me blindly choosing some statistics just for the sake of statistics, the students and the teachers must be front and center in everything.”
   This school year, Birge does not hope to change much around the school and will instead try to focus on having a strong and communicative relationship with PHS stakeholders, in addition to the strategic plan that the PPS administrators and board members have decided upon.
   “I want to be out there to be visible in the community. I'm in the process of meeting with community groups, [such as] PTO and other groups to update our communication channel. The Tiger Tribune will probably return, in addition to Letters From the Principal,” Birge said.
   Furthermore, Birge has taken various actions to update an outdated system she sees as geared towards survival during a period of COVID-19 instead of a thriving school ecosystem. Several of these include requiring lanyards and revising punishments for plagiarism and unverified absences. 
   “All of these [new] policies and handbooks and whatnot … What we all realize is that after surviving the past three years post-pandemic, we need to be re-educated about what real school feels like,” Birge said. ”
   Birge fondly remembers her time as an assistant principal mainly because of the relationships she was able to form with students, as well as jokingly mentioning her comfortable old office.
   “In many ways, the assistant principal’s job is the best job in a school in the sense that each day is different. You just don't know what to expect each day and same thing with principals. But the assistant principals focus is on the students. They're there to support the students and the teachers, but with direct contact with the students. So the principal is a step removed,” said Birge.
   On September 26, the Board approved the transfer of former PHS Mathematics Teacher Lauren Freedman to the Assistant Principal position who has worked in various capacities with the current PHS administrators and feels ready for challenge.
   “I also believe that my transition into this new role will go well, as I have been working closely with the administration team over the years on various committees … I have had the opportunity to work with Ms. Birge and had the honor to co-teach Pre-Calculus with her,” said Freedman. “I am most excited to have the opportunity to directly engage with the entire PHS community. In this role, I will get to work directly with staff members from all departments, the entire student body, Valley Road, and other community members.”
Freedman also is deeply connected as a Peer Group teacher, field hockey coach, student class advisor, and Corner House advisor, among many other roles. Similarly to Birge, Freedman believes she can utilize her wealth of experiences to impact students in her new position.  
“I have taken on a variety of leadership roles with the PHS administrative teams, and I have planned and coordinated both district-wide and building level initiatives. I feel that the AP position gives me an opportunity to provide a wider range of support to our students.”
   In the future, despite her new position being a “step removed,” Birge hopes to continue to work more closely with students and watch their growth.
   “Be the good student leaders, the role models that you are … make an appointment with me or walk with me,” Birge said. “Learning can be painful and difficult, but that's why graduation is so beautiful because at the end of the year, we reflect that there isn't a single child who doesn't grow fast and significantly.”


Students see a familiar face in a new role: Cecilia Birge

 Major General William J. Bowers ’86, the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific, visited PHS on May 10. During his recruitment stop at PHS, his presentation had an audience of about 100 students and revolved around the oath to defend the Constitution, a must for all new military recruits. 
   “As Americans, [according to the preamble], we leave a better country, for our children, and their children's children, and posterity. … That's what all of us in the military swear to support and defend. … And that's what some of you … are going to be doing in the future,” Bowers said.
   Bowers enumerated stories and experiences from his 33-year career serving in the Marines. From leading 11,000 people in the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan in 2005 to deploying to Iraq as a Plans Teams Leader soon after, Bowers emphasized the relevance of the lessons he learned, such as the importance of trust and respect in order to succeed as a team, and how that applies to the students’ own lives.
   “I think respecting allies [and] other cultures and spending time overseas made me appreciate our democracy and just how great it is. But sometimes I think we can't take it for granted. To ensure domestic tranquility [and] promote the general welfare. I think everything we do [in the military], translates in some way [to civilian life],” Bowers said.
   Throughout his presentation, Bowers also talked about his time at PHS, and how Princeton’s rich history allowed him to thrive in the environment of the Marines, especially when recruits come from all over the country.
   “Being a student here at Princeton, I learned to be a good teammate for lots of different people and make friends with lots of different people,” said Bowers. “That's really helpful in the Marines because when you're a commanding general, you're going to have the whole country represented. … You have to be able to build a team and a diverse group.” 
   Daniel North, Secretary of PHS, was tasked with planning the event. Serving nine years himself in the Army in tactile satellite communications, North hoped that the visit broadened the perspectives of all people, especially students. 
   “I was excited and [looked] forward to meeting him. He's very accomplished and very experienced. I thought it all went pretty well, and I was happy that everything stayed on schedule,” said North. “We really need to … start thinking more globally. Not just to students, but people my age, because [there is] too much division. Too many people seek to find ways to separate … when we should all be coming together.”
   During Bowers’s brief stay at PHS, he also took a tour of PHS led by students who are set to enroll in the Military Academies after graduation. Throughout the tour, Bowers was pleased to rekindle his old high school memories and see new additions to the school after his graduation.
   “He was definitely pleasantly surprised by the new additions of the PAC and the new track and football fields,” said Rachel Luo ’23, who plans on attending the United States Military Academy West Point.
   Luo thought that Bowers made a good impression on the students. She believed that Bowers’s speech made him seem approachable.
   “He was very well-spoken and despite his rank, he is very good at putting people at ease and relating to others. He was a great storyteller [and] is very inspiring,” Luo said.
   Bowers is excited to see leaders of the future and encourages those within PHS to make a difference, whether it be through the Marines or in other parts of society. 
   “You got activists all over. … You have a lot of good, optimistic leaders; leadership potential in your generation. Some of you are going to recognize that leadership potential wearing this uniform. I don't know who you are yet. But I know what the numbers tell me. There's a couple of you out there,” Bowers said.


Major General Bowers visits his alma mater PHS during a recruitment stop

Major General William J. Bowers ’86, the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific, visited PHS on May 10. During his recruitment stop at PHS, his presentation had an audience of about 100 students and revolved around the oath to defend the Constitution, a must for all new military recruits. 
“As Americans, [according to the preamble], we leave a better country, for our children, and their children’s children, and posterity. … That’s what all of us in the military swear to support and defend. … And that’s what some of you … are going to be doing in the future,” Bowers said.
Bowers enumerated stories and                        experiences from his 33-year career serving in the Marines. From leading 11,000 people in the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan in 2005 to deploying to Iraq as a Plans Teams Leader soon after, Bowers emphasized the relevance of the lessons he learned, such as the importance of trust and respect in order to succeed as a team, and how that applies to the students’ own lives.
“I think respecting allies and spending time overseas made me appreciate how great our democracy is. But sometimes I think we can’t take it for granted. To ensure domestic tranquility [and] promote the general welfare; I think everything we do [in the military], translates in some way [to civilian life],” Bowers said.
Throughout his presentation, Bowers also talked about his time at PHS, and how Princeton’s rich history allowed him to thrive in the environment of the Marines, especially when recruits come from all over the country.
“Being a student here at Princeton, I learned to be a good teammate for lots of different people and make friends with lots of different people,” said Bowers. “That’s really helpful in the Marines because when you’re a commanding general, you’re going to have the whole country represented. … You have to be able to build a team and a diverse group.” 
Tasked with planning the event, PHS Secretary Daniel North served nine years in the Army himself in tactile satellite communications, North hoped that the visit broadened the perspectives of all people, especially students. 
“I was excited and [looked] forward to meeting him. He’s very accomplished and very experienced. I thought it all went pretty well, and I was happy that everything stayed on schedule,” said North. “We really need to … start thinking more globally. Not just to students, but people my age, because [there is] too much division. Too many people seek to find ways to separate … when we should all be coming together.”
During Bowers’ brief stay at PHS, he also took a tour of PHS led by students who are set to enroll in the Military Academies after graduation. Throughout the tour, Bowers was pleased to rekindle his old high school memories and see new additions to the school after his graduation.
“He was definitely pleasantly surprised by the new additions of the PAC and the new track and football fields,” said Rachel Luo ’23, who plans on attending the United States Military Academy West Point.
Luo thought that Bowers made a good impression on the students. She believed that Bowers’ speech made him seem approachable.
“He was very well-spoken and despite his rank, he is very good at putting people at ease and relating to others. He was a great storyteller [and] is very inspiring,” Luo said.
Bowers is excited to see leaders of the future and encourages those within PHS to make a difference, whether it be through the Marines or in other parts of society. 
“You got activists all over. … You have a lot of good, optimistic leaders; leadership potential in your generation. Some of you are going to recognize that leadership potential wearing this uniform. I don’t know who you are yet. But I know what the numbers tell me. There’s a couple of you out there,” Bowers said.


Major General Bowers visits his alma mater PHS during a  recruitment stop

On May 15 at 6:00 p.m., the Board of Education held an over five-hour-long Donaldson hearing per the request of former PHS Principal Frank Chmiel, resulting in an 8–2 Board of Education vote to uphold Superintendent Carol Kelley’s recommendation for nonrenewal. This marked the first time that Chmiel appeared in front of Board members to present his case as well as the first time the Board was able to officially weigh in on the situation.
Chmiel requested the Donaldson hearing on April 28. A Donaldson hearing is a right in New Jersey for nontenured staff members who are not renewed or terminated, allowing them to request an appearance before board of education members to offer reemployment or reject the recommendation for nonrenewal. However, while the word “hearing” is in its name, the proceeding is informal, and no parties are placed under oath. According to NJ law, when a Donaldson hearing is requested, it must take place within 30 days after the employee receives the Statement of Reasons listing the reasons for nonrenewal.
On the day of the meeting, over 200 PPS parents, students, and staff filed into the PMS cafeteria, filling the 160 seats and leaving many standing against the walls. Many sitting in the front waved blue flags and held signs such as “Chmiel is the real deal.” Another 50 parents sat in the PMS library due to a lack of seating. Over 1,000 more tuned into the YouTube live stream. 
“I came here today because it’s good to show support for the principal. I think it means a lot that a lot of people turned up. [It] shows that they are behind him and that he made the effort to bring the community and the school together,” said Matthew Chao ’25.
Like the previous two board meetings regarding Chmiel’s dismissal, the hearing began with one hour of public comment where parents and students voiced their opinions on the matter at hand. Each person was allotted two minutes to speak; a wide range of views were voiced, especially those in support of Chmiel. However, the strained atmosphere erupted after audience members booed and heckled Ellie Bernstein ’23, a student who criticized Chmiel for being unforthcoming with his vaccination status, leading to a 15-minute recess. 
“What was confirmed to us at the meeting was that [Chmiel] told staff they could take their masks off and a staff member said, ‘Well, I mean, we are all vaccinated, right?’ He just ignored the question. So essentially, he lied by omission,” Bernstein said.
Being one of the few that publicly spoke out against Chmiel at the hearing, Bernstein described her close relationships with her teachers, resulting in her motivation to be vocal. Despite expecting pushback, she was “disgusted” and described the parents’ behavior as “extremely inappropriate.”
“I definitely wouldn’t consider [the hearing] my business at all if [Chmiel] hadn’t been dishonest to staff about it,” said Bernstein. “Since I’ve been at PHS, my teachers have probably been my favorite part of the school. Coming from an educator family, I understood a lot of teachers are required to cooperate, and that made me really angry … For anyone who was actually at that board meeting that was not comfortable … I just figured that I was probably the only one who’s gonna do it because his supporters can be so scary, and I was willing to deal with backlash.”
Although the members of the board were aware of the unpopularity of their decision to fire Chmiel was to many PHS parents, they were surprised and concerned by the disrespectful and discouraging behavior that was demonstrated during the hearing.
“Our students [were] being booed and silenced and that stuff just isn’t supposed to happen. It was really disappointing and it also just sort of knocks you off your game a little bit when you’re trying to follow the rules for this strange proceeding,” said Jean Durbin, one of two board members who voted to overturn Chmiel’s nonrenewal.
At 7:24 p.m., following public comment, Kelley began listing her reasons for Chmiel’s nonrenewal as per the official Statement of Reasons. Her statement consisted of Chmiel allegedly lying about his vaccination status, failing to lock down the school for an intruder, failing to communicate in a timely manner, failing to acknowledge the needs of certain struggling students, and in general, noting the alarming number of “Rice Notices,” which informs the employee if their employment will be discussed. She also stated that, in regard to Chmiel’s leadership abilities, the staff held a vote of no confidence, meaning that the majority of staff voted that they did not support Chmiel. 
This claim of an informal vote was then refuted by Matthew Wilkinson, a PHS Physical Education teacher. According to him, the vote was not official or legitimate, and also ended up being inconclusive.
“The poll was over a Zoom, and that’s different from other types of situations because you have a buffer between how you are voting or not voting,” said Wilkinson. “So we cast our informal ballot, and then the union came back to us and said it was inconclusive. The poll did not give the union a strong point for him or against him. So this bit about a vote is inaccurate.”
The Princeton Regional Education Association, a prominent teachers’ union in the district, declined to comment. 
The first part of Chmiel’s response was the presentation of witness testimonies. A variety of people were asked to speak by Chmiel, including Neveah Williams ’23, who was personally helped by him in her classes. 
“I feel like Mr. Chmiel deserves the support from everybody … and I just felt like I had to show up,” said Williams. “One day, right before winter break, I was telling him to take a break for mental health, and he was just saying, ‘PHS is the priority, and you don’t really get time off.’ So I feel like that’s like a side of him that I see.”
 With the hearing going beyond the scheduled time, ending at 11:36 p.m, tensions increased not only among students and parents, but also among teachers and staff.
“If you come to this community, you value education… and [we’re] here tonight because [we] value someone that puts our children above all other things,” said Wilkinson. “I look at the seniors and what [they] have gone through, and [they’re] so close to the finish line, and yet another horrific thing is thrown at them.” 
Furthermore, in a confusing juxtaposition, Chmiel wholeheartedly denied many of Kelley’s reasons in his response. 
“I will bring [the audience] through several parts of the statement and show how this document is inaccurate and wrong,” said Chmiel at the beginning of his rebuttal. “I will explain some of the wrong ways I have been treated by Valley Road. Actions that were not just unethical, but illegal.”
While Chmiel did not deny being unvaccinated in 2021, he stated that he was unvaccinated due to health reasons and was sitting over six feet away from staff when he took his mask off. Moreover, he claimed the intruder incident did not take over three hours to resolve, but was controlled in a matter of minutes. Chmiel further asserted that during time-sensitive instances where he needed administrative support, Kelley was unresponsive. Additionally, Kelley told him to always be on the lookout for new jobs because “she too was always looking for new jobs.” 
After Chmiel’s statement, which lasted over an hour and 15 minutes, each board member was given the opportunity to initiate a motion to reinstate Chmiel as the principal of PHS. After Mara Franceschi and Beth Behrend both declined to make a motion, Durbin started a motion to the excitement of many spectators.
“My reason for voting was a pure protest vote. I was protesting an incredibly flawed process and an impossible situation for all of us to be in,” said Durbin. “I had heard a couple of things from two independent witnesses that gave me pause, and I had no way to investigate that. No way to ask a question, no way to cross examine, no way to verify. … It was certainly not a real conversation. And it’s really something almost impossible to be placed in for any of the parties participating.”
Looking back, Bernstein describes this time as difficult, but wants to put this behind as soon as possible to move forward. She feels that expressing strong opinions are necessary in a democracy, but wants to focus on change and improvement to have a more productive and compelling argument, specifically focusing on discernment.
“I’ve definitely held beliefs throughout my life that I’ve completely turned around through the research and listening, and the realization that I was wrong was humbling,” said Bernstein. “I want people to learn to think critically and take into account that what makes them feel good isn’t always what’s right. And to challenge themselves or to challenge perceptions.”
Even after the failure to overturn Kelley’s decision, the board hopes to reunite the divided Princeton community once again.
“I feel like most of the people in my world have moved on. I just think a lot of people  understand that employment decisions are complex, that people were operating with good intent, and that non-renewal was a normal thing. It happens all the time,” Durbin said.

Decision to not renew Frank Chmiel holds after heated Donaldson hearing

Upon opening their laptops, PHS juniors were immediately faced with problems accessing the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment, which took place statewide on March 13 to 17. With some students not being able to open the test at all, the state test required for graduation left both teachers and students alike confused and worried. 
   “Monday was challenging. [Only] two-thirds of students were able to successfully submit their assessment [on Monday]. What happened was as soon as we began logging into the system [on Tuesday], we probably had 50 percent [of juniors] or maybe just slightly over that range [complete the test],” said Director of School Counseling Services Dana Karas.
   Issues opening the test started immediately. Most students didn’t have much trouble logging in, but problems started to emerge as proctors instructed students to start their tests. 
   “On Monday, despite numerous tries, my test was stuck on the loading screen and there was nothing I could do. On Tuesday, there was an error saying that the test was corrupted … and when we tried quitting and signing back in, we were stuck on the tests page where the resume button was gray,” said Matthew Chen ’24.
   The administration worked closely with the technology office and Pearson, the creator of NJGPA, in order to identify the various issues that have caused many students to sit and wait the entire morning for other students in the room who gained access. 
   “On Monday morning, schools began to log into the system and the start button was not viewable. There were some issues with our use of MacBooks, and we had other things like making sure Siri and video were shut off. And then there were certain updates that some kids just didn't push onto their computer… What happened on Tuesday was a completely internal PHS concern that arose and it had to do with our server,” Karas said.  
  Chen was one of the many students who were unable to access the tests. Due to the restrictive rules prohibiting students from doing specific work, he felt that his time was being wasted.
   “It was relatively boring since we were told that we couldn’t really use the internet … I feel like our potential time spent in class learning is being wasted on these two hours that we weren’t able to accomplish anything,” Chen said.
   Teachers and moderators were also caught off guard by this situation. Although technical errors aren’t uncommon during online testing, they have never seen something to this extent, forcing testing to be canceled on Wednesday to resolve these issues.
   “There [have been] matters where many students were trying to log on and they weren't able to, the computers were freezing up when they were loading, [which] was a big problem. We kept getting this thing that said fatal error, which again, I have no idea what that means,” said PHS science teacher and proctor Mark Eastburn.
   Despite the overwhelming number of students unable to access their tests, Eastburn applauded the tech office and counselors for their sufficient efforts and efficiency. 
   “We sent students to the tech office or to the counselors… who work incredibly hard at the school. And there were a lot of things they were trying to keep up [with],” Eastburn said.
   Facing these issues at a high volume, Eastburn believes that it was unfair for students and faculty members to bear the burden of these problems. 
   “Pearson and the state of New Jersey are the ones who are in charge of everything. And this isn't the first time we've had tech issues with online tests, and I don't think it'll be the last,” said Eastburn. “When things don't work properly, everyone gets overwhelmed, and I don't think that's necessarily fair. I don't know why it should be dependent on the school to figure everything out when this is a state of New Jersey and a Pearson thing, I don't know why they're not providing more support.”
   In order to streamline the process and minimize the number of students needing to miss class instruction time the week after for make-ups, students were allowed to take an unfinished portion of the NJGPA after they had finished that day’s section. 
   “If when they finish [they realize], ‘Oh, I still have an hour,’ the teacher can unlock a previous unit that they were experiencing issues with and allow them to make that up,” Karas said.
   Students that still had sections remaining after Friday were required to make up their testing the week after. Meanwhile, 50-minute afternoon classes were cut to 35 minutes in order to allow juniors to complete two testing sections in the morning, showing the after-effects of the interruptions at the beginning of the week. Although there were still residual consequences of poor preparation, Karas assures that the issues were addressed with urgency and care to make sure the effect on students was small.
   “It literally took a village, our entire testing team … all day to figure it out,” said Karas. “It was a lot of work and exhausting … It was equally frustrating for us, their teachers; all the proctors in the room were trying so hard to support the kids.”

Crisis and chaos emerge due to NJGPA testing issues

Marking its 16th year of celebration, this year’s PHS Asian Fest, which took place on March 17, showcased the diversity of the many Asian cultures within Princeton. During the night, the festival provided food, cultural music, games, and performances, showcasing the many different cultures within Asia. 
   Asian Fest began at 7:00 p.m. on March 17 with "culture stations" set up around the Gym that provided attendees with the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities.    
   “Asian-American Club [was] doing trivia … there was also calligraphy drawing, Chinese yo-yo, and … food stations where you [could] buy … different cultural foods,” said Michelle Peng ’23, president of the Asian-American Club and an Asian Fest emcee.
   After participating in the various available activities, attendees were able to watch performances put on by different PHS student groups at 8:00 p.m. One of those performances, which has been a part of Asian Fest for a number of years, was the fashion show put on by the Asian American Club.  
   “We [presented] different things like a diverse set of traditional clothing. Models [were] walking down and wearing certain clothing while we're describing it,” Peng said. 
   With an overall positive reaction from the audience, many students appreciated the various shows that were put on throughout the night.
   “I enjoyed all the different performances from all the groups. My favorite performances were the Lion Dance and Bollywood Club dance because they had so much energy. I think that the crowd really reacted well to that and matched that energy,” said Shrey Khetan ’24, who attended the event.
   However, the event didn’t just come together in one night. The planning process began months in advance, starting in December. In addition to preparing for performances, smaller details such as poster designs, food, and activity stands were also thought out. Representatives from the different clubs and the Mandarin classes met on specific days, organizing the many aspects of the event.
   “Behind the scenes, students made a lot of effort that demonstrated what they learned in their classes [and clubs]. Students designed the T-shirt and they did a lot [for] the performances. Most importantly, the students are sharing powerful content to our community. And by providing it, you have the opportunity to learn about Asian culture,” said PHS Mandarin teacher Shwu-Fen Lin.
   Before Asian Fest’s creation sixteen years ago, it was simply an idea of a few students who believed in the importance of spreading Asian culture. Members of the Asian-American, Chinese, and Japanese clubs all had a vision of starting a festival to promote Asian culture. After mentioning their ideas to Lin, a plan was set in motion to make it a reality.
   “We began the program, [so] we can celebrate their vision project together. We had a 12 percent to 15 percent Asian population, so it was a good time to introduce Asian culture to our community,” Lin said.
   With an ever-growing population of Asian Americans at PHS and in the U.S., Lin expressed the importance of displaying Asian culture to the community. Being able to share an array of historic and modern trends from different cultures that may not be well known was exactly what the clubs wanted to accomplish. Many clubs, such as Bollywood Club, performed traditional dance moves with a modern twist.
   “Getting to share music and moves with an audience is extremely important since most people wouldn’t normally see something like this. It’s also important for the Indian members to get in touch with their culture more frequently,” said Bollywood Club officer Ishaan Banerjee ’23. “Bollywood Club combines some of our favorite aspects of Indian culture, combined with some of the American traditions we know well.”
   Asian Fest was open to the school’s faculty and students, but also to the outside community free of charge — a testament to the event’s goal of making Asian culture accessible.
   “A lot more people attended the event than I expected … I think that the clubs and the school did a great job of promoting the event, making sure that there was awareness of an opportunity to have fun and enjoy the work of students,” said Henry Xu ’24.
   Asian Fest is not the only way that PHS students have been celebrating Asian culture. For example, the Japanese Club, led by Japanese teacher Risa Sakakibara, has offered cooking and dancing lessons to students at meetings. 
   “It's a lot of fun. We do a lot of dancing and they listen to a lot of traditional Japanese music. And I think it's just so different; at first they feel embarrassed, but once they get used to it's very natural,” Sakakibara said.
   After feeling more comfortable with embracing their Asian culture, many students are motivated to share their own experiences — whether it is through food, art, or even dancing — Asian Fest provided a way to do that. 
   “After watching the amazing performances at Asian Fest, I’m considering joining the Bollywood Club next year. It seemed like everyone was just having so much fun and it makes me feel secure in being open in public expression,” Khetan said.
   Asian Fest wasn’t just a fun event for students to enjoy; it also created a safe environment where students were able to express themselves and feel proud of their culture.
   “[The entire event] provides an opportunity to learn and appreciate different cultures and have fun with friends and recognize the effort put into organizing the event,” Khetan said.
   Following the end of another successful Asian Fest, both teachers and students agreed that, in addition to being fun for its attendees, this event helped create more understanding within PHS’s diverse community.
   “A lot of people make assumptions without really knowing anything, [which] causes a lot of conflict and hate to individuals,” said Sakakibara. “Education is very important to understand each other, and I hope these kinds of events spread the idea of what Asian culture [is]. And once they know their cultures, [they] will see things in different ways. And I hope a lot of people who aren’t exposed to Asian cultures came to this festival and enjoyed the diversity.”

PHS holds its 16th Annual Asian Fest, impressing attendees

  After a 54-year career, beginning in January of 1969, Jeffery Lucker, a social studies teacher at PHS, will retire on February 1, 2023. His time at the school contributing to educational progress will undoubtedly leave behind a significant impact on students and teachers alike. 
   With a teacher as experienced as Lucker, it is easy to assume that teaching was always his passion. While studying at the University of Wisconsin, though, he had many differing interests. However, just as Lucker graduated, the start of the Vietnam War brought with it a military service draft for anybody who was not in a select profession. Given that college students were draft exempt, Lucker had two options: either continue school in pursuit of his Master’s Degree, or go to Vietnam. In the end, he went with the first option, and due to a strong affinity for history and teaching, he decided that education was what he wanted to pursue. 
   “Sometimes I say, in trying to decide whether to be a cellist or a doctor, I became a teacher. I actually thought of both and then somehow it became teaching,” Lucker said. 
   After finishing his education and a short stint as a student teacher at a school in Wisconsin, Lucker moved to Princeton, New Jersey, after he was offered a job at PHS. While he had his doubts about the move, he quickly settled into the new position. 
 “I wanted to stay in Wisconsin, but there was nothing available,” said Lucker. “One day, I got an opening in New Jersey, and it was for mid-year… I felt like I was doing what I was meant to do.”
   As a teacher, Lucker frequently draws upon his own experiences as a child in the New York public school system. He believes that the privilege of having good teachers in his early years allowed him to blossom into the accomplished educator he is now, and he hopes to be a similar role model for his students.
   “When I was in high school, we had really good teachers, so they were good role models,” said Lucker. “One of [my] teachers was teaching in the aftermath of the Second World War. They [had] gone through the cost of college on the G.I. Bill, and they had gone to City College, which was called the poor man's Harvard at the time.”
   Interactions with students is another factor that compelled Lucker to keep teaching, and he believes that keeping his students engaged in his class is extremely important. Lucker’s classes often consist mostly of student-driven discussions in which students are prompted to form their own thoughts and opinions about the content that they are learning. In addition, he accomplishes this goal by keeping his classes up to date with current events. Lucker hopes that they take away both an increased knowledge of history and a love for the subject as well 
   “I think that if you're a teacher, it's one of the best ways to learn something. [In] addition to enjoying the interaction with students, I enjoy preparing for class because I read and I try to keep my classes up to date [by looking] at new articles and new materials,” Lucker said.
   Lucker’s emphasis on promoting student engagement and also preparing interesting lessons does not go unnoticed by his students. Kush Sharad ’24, a student in Lucker’s AP World History and Cultures class, especially appreciates how much variety there is in his lessons from day to day. 
“I like how he teaches in a lot of different ways, using videos, texts, and articles, not just one type like some of my other teachers,” Sharad said.
   Lucker’s classes often consist mostly of student driven discussions in which students are prompted to form their own thoughts and opinions about the content that they are learning. In keeping his students engaged, Lucker hopes that they take away both an increased knowledge of History and a love for the subject as well. 
   “I think it's important for everybody to understand history…because history is our memory and you need memory in order to survive,” said Lucker. “It's a way of finding out who you are, and where you came from, both as a country [and] as a people. It's a way of understanding the world better and appreciating [it]. Our present lives [are] products of the past.”
   Along with his lesson planning, Lucker’s vibrant personality is another thing which many students like about him. He constantly demonstrates his passion for his subject, making it hard for many not to enjoy his class. 
   “Mr. Lucker is a really interesting person which makes him stand out from just being a good teacher… I feel that there are definitely some great takeaways from this class both from him and the subject,” said Edward Cao ’24, another student in one of Lucker’s AP World History and Cultures classes.
   Following his retirement, Lucker hopes to pursue his other interests such as running and going to the gym. He is also planning on continuing to learn more about history, auditing courses at Rutgers, and taking classes at the Evergreen Forum in Princeton. Possibly what he looks forward to the most though are his plans to travel to Europe, specifically Malta.
   Lucker’s dedication to teaching has inspired countless students. As he moves on, one thing will be certain: his legacy will always remain at PHS.


Jeffrey Lucker to retire, leave behind 54 year legacy at PHS:


   As PHS welcomes new and returning students back to school, l. 

As PHS students return from summer break, they are welcomed back with fresh changes to the school. 

The past couple years have brought with them a number of major construction projects at PHS. Most recently, the construction of a new wing of the school behind the weight room has been the largest one. Now complete, the new wing 

As PHS welcomes new and returning students back to school, there are a few changes which they may notice in the building - OG 

Maybe the most significant of these changes is the introduction of new, furnished study halls aimed towards group work, offices for current gym teachers, and new facilities for specific PHS sports, which are all located in the area past the Tiger Cafe.
   The 27 million dollar referendum which funded this expansion originally passed in December of 2018, including a ten million dollar plan for the construction of these new spaces along with upgrades to the school’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Although there have been changes in the supervision and leadership of the project, along with many delays, it was still able to be completed in time for this school year. 
   “After Principal Gary [Snyder] left, Principal [Jessica] Baxter was here for eighteen months, Jared Warren for six months, and then Mr. Chmiel took over last year. So the institutional knowledge of how things happen has been lost a little bit,” said Matthew Bouldin, the PPS district’s Business Administrator. “It was very slow and it took two years plus for this particular addition, but the building was still built as intended.” 
   The idea for this new space was first imagined after administrators saw the need for an open area, one where groups of students could freely interact and collaborate with each other, thereby fostering student growth.
   “It's always supposed to be about the kids. And the thought was that the [Learning] Commons was always a popular place to study, but this is a place where you can do more collaborative things,” Bouldin said. “As education improves, workplaces are different [and] we want to focus on that.”  
  Now that the expansion is complete, the students are enjoying the new environment, with large windows allowing natural light to fill the room, creating a different aesthetic from the rest of the building.
   “I particularly like the really cool view in one of the rooms where you get a full view of the football field and tennis courts,” said Beatrice Cai ’23. “The whole vibe is very fresh and feels like a different building than the usual PHS.”
   Soon, the surrounding area will be filled with athletes as well. Until now, many PHS sports did not formally have a space to practice and the expansion hopes to help work to solve that problem. Among the parts of the new wing are a dance studio, wrestling room, and fencing area.
   Students are not the only ones able to benefit from the new wing though, as many gym teachers were able to relocate to newer, brighter offices. Before the construction, gym offices were located on the basement level right underneath the old gym. With no windows and lights that barely worked, this created a very gloomy environment to work in.
   Lenny Goduto, one of the gym teachers, was pleasantly surprised by the renovations in the beginning of the year and believes that the new offices bring a new type of unity to the Physical Education Department.
   “As far as I know, coming to work and having a new space is amazing. It raises the morale and makes you feel like, ‘Hey, we got a home again’. It just feels nice,” said Gaduto. “It also allows the department to kind of come back together as a whole. Before we were kind of spread out in five or six different spaces the last two years.” 
   Along with the new offices, Goduto also believes that the new wellness centers and rooms will yield a more positive teaching and learning experience to students and teachers alike. 
   “I think it's going to be incredible. We have a dance studio, we have a wrestling room, and a wellness Lounge, which will all be used for physical education. I guess what it does is it opens up more teaching spaces and is more conducive for learning for you kids.” Goduto says
   Overall, this renovation has been quite a success. Looking into the future, Bouldin encourages students to voice their opinions about their needs from the school and the community in order to create a favorable environment for learning.
   “What value do you place on education? There's a high value, of course, in Princeton placed on education. In the end, you guys are the ideas, you know, it's always supposed to be about the kids,” Bouldin said.



New Year, New Wing 

After performing at the school musical, the orchestra is looking forward to preparing for the PHS Orchestra California tour. COVID-19 travel restrictions over the last two years made Robert Loughran, director of the orchestral program at Princeton High School, eager to give his students the opportunity to travel across the nation and perform.

“When you’re able to tour and have your colleagues, your peers go with you, there is enthusiasm, a lot of great potential. I’m really excited about that and for us to continue our professionalism, but also for our students to say, ‘Wow, this is the world, this is another aspect of living that has added to the depth of my living experience,” Loughran said.

The PHS Orchestra will depart on May 28 and return on June 4. Unlike previous tours, the orchestra will remain within the U.S. Despite this, Loughran is confident that he has planned a memorable trip for the students.

“[There were] just too many unknowns at the time of planning. So [domestic travel] was our realm, or allowable realm. And I just went with it, to see and experience. Everything that California has... the energy of the West Coast is different from the East Coast. The cultural inspiration is different... But I think the inspiration for our students of this sort will be very valued,” Loughran said.

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The orchestra will perform the day after arrival in San Francisco and will travel to both Los Angeles and Westwood during the week to perform at different venues. The trip will also include many sightseeing opportunities like the Golden Gate Bridge, the redwood trees, and beaches in Malibu.

The trip wouldn’t be complete without a complementary set of pieces that show the diligence and preparation of all involved. The pieces played by the orchestra include a diverse range of genres and cultures, including contemporary dance pieces and film. This incorporates music from Latin America to Italy.

“Personally, I am really looking forward to playing Danzón by Arturo Marquez. I’ve heard it quite a few times, both on the and in live performances at music schools, and I have always loved the fiery energy of the piece. It is a perfect choice for our California tour, and I can’t wait to perform it with the rest of my orchestra peers,” said cellist Theona Hsu ’24.

To many current high school students, the tour will be very different from previous performances, as middle schools within the Princeton Public Schools district don’t offer overnight opportunities. In preparation, students will intensify their rehearsals and focus on the upcoming performances that will take place during the tour.

“I feel like this tour is going to be a different experience in regards to playing from what I’m usually used to. We’re going to be performing a lot during the trip and I think it’s the first time I’ll be playing so many consecutive performances,” said Sung Jun Jo ’24.

While the music is the focus of this trip, students make sure to emphasize the importance of the opportunity to bond with their peers. Non-performance destinations include the Disney Concert Hall and the esteemed Colburn School of Music as well as scenic views of the Bay Area. Emphasized by the difficult circumstances in the past few years due to COVID-19, being able to travel and play different music pieces as a group will bring the orchestra group closer together. The tour is also an occasion to create long-lasting memories.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the orchestra. In the past, everyone has been quite close, but two years of COVID has meant that lots of us don’t know each other that well yet. Tour is always a great way of making friends and bringing people together,” said Roberto Haubold ’22.

Loughran hopes that the personal values learned on the trip can also be applied to everyday activities after their return.

“[I want them to have] a sense of self-confidence, a sense of introspection, a sense of the joy of being inquisitive. All these things come from having the opportunity to experience new things,” Loughran said.

PHS Orchestra prepares for their first tour in two years

 On March 1, 2022, after four years of planning and two years of construction, the new PHS Tiger Cafe opened for the first time. The new cafe was part of a $26.9 million referendum passed in 2018 which allowed construction to begin in 2020. Although the cafe was previously planned to open in late 2020, progress was halted after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

   The cafe is located on the first floor and takes the place of the former school store, which sold common school supplies and school merchandise. Now, the store sells a variety of food and drinks, including cookies, chips, smoothies, pretzels, and coffee, all things not offered in the main cafeteria.

   “The big difference is that everything [at the cafeteria] has to be compliant with the USDA’s guidelines, and complete all the components of a lunch,” said Monique Graber, Food Services Director at the Princeton High School. “So we're selling all those different components down here at the main cafeteria with our main entrees, vegetables, fruits, and milk. But [at the new cafe], we are still compliant with school nutrition, but can sell snack items instead.”

   Unlike the main cafeteria, the new cafe is open during both the regular lunch period and one period after lunch, as well as during F Day Tiger Time. 

   “The goal was to have an area where kids could go, not during the lunch period, and kind of get snacks and other grab-and-go options,” said Graber. “Maybe when they were in between classes, or maybe during Tiger Time when the cafeteria wasn't open.”

   In general, the cafe aims to cut down on the line at the main cafeteria and provide a more accessible and convenient eating location for both staff and students. Additionally, the new cafe hopes to alleviate the risk of spreading COVID-19 that arises from the long lines at the regular cafeteria. For students, these new options and the smaller lines at the main cafeteria have not gone unnoticed.

   “I think [the new cafe] has its pros because it can take away a huge line that forms in the cafeteria where the vast majority [of students] get their food,” said Aiden Linkov ’24. “I think that [the line] is the main issue of the cafeteria that needs to be addressed, and if the school can find more ways to reduce the line that they have, then [getting lunch] will be more convenient.” 

   David Xu ’25 appreciates how the cafe allows him to eat something different every once in a while.

“Sometimes the food becomes repetitive with sandwiches and pasta everyday. Going to the new cafe makes lunch and sitting with your friends more enjoyable,” Xu said.

   So far, the cafe has been popular with the students, and Graber and the rest of the PHS Dining Services leadership team hope to keep it that way. 

   “If you guys keep telling us what you want, we can forward that to the principals and we can make stuff happen,'' said Graber. “Keep on letting us know what your thoughts are!”

New Tiger Cafe opens at PHS

As masking regulations relax, the restrictions on competition-based clubs like Speech and Debate, Ethics Bowl, and Mock Trial have returned to pre-pandemic guidelines. Throughout the pandemic, competition based clubs were not allowed to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions.       

   Although they are grateful that this is now changed, this news has come too late for the Speech and Debate team, which has missed all of its local competitions except for one, which was the last weekend of February. 

   “We were recently able to compete in our first local tournament, which was the last tournament of the season, pretty much. [But] we only got to compete at that local because it was still a virtual tournament,” said Jennifer Li, a math teacher at PHS and the Head Coach of the PHS Speech and Debate team. 

   As it is a part of the New Jersey Speech and Debate League, the school is normally able to participate in competitions hosted by other schools in the area. However, PHS struggled to compete after every school except for one transitioned to in-person tournaments.

   This problem did not just affect debate though, as all competition-based clubs were impacted. Mock Trial, for example, also lost out on the opportunity to have its competition in-person.

   “The whole [Mock Trial] competition was on zoom,” said Angelina Chen ‘22, a member of the PHS Mock Trial club. “It was a really cool experience for me in past years, and I was sad that the [other members] wouldn’t get the experience of doing it in person.” 

   Online competitions significantly impact how students experience and enjoy clubs. Jonathan Xie ‘22, a member of the PHS E-sports club, believes that competing online has taken away a large part of the experience that students could have had if they competed in person.

   “In person is so much better. Being able to look at [your opponents] sitting right next to you, screaming and bumping fists, is really fun,” said Xie.

   However, many students have remained optimistic, despite the fact that they had to compete online. This year in debate, for example, Alexander Margulis ‘24 and Ishaan Banerjee ‘24 managed to become the first sophomores in the history of PHS to ever qualify for the Public Forum Tournament of Champions, a prestigious event with entries from all around the country. 

   Moving forward, while many other clubs already missed their chance to compete, the Speech and Debate team hoped to gain approval to compete in-person at the district tournament on March 18, which would have allowed more students to have a chance to qualify for the National Speech and Debate Association national tournament. 

   “Our season starts in September and ends in March if we don’t make it to Nationals or the Tournament of Champions. So that is what all Speech and Debate students aim for.” Li said.

Travel restrictions lifted for PHS competition-based clubs

On February 9, the first of a series of three COVID-19 vaccination clinics held at the PPS administrative building on Valley Road opened its doors, marking the beginning of a district-wide effort to increase the availability of booster shots. The implementation of these new vaccination clinics as well as the continuation of the free weekly COVID-19 testing program at PHS aims to continue to keep the school community safe during the pandemic.

While it is only one of many measures that the district has taken against COVID-19, the weekly testing has been successful in catching cases before they spread. The testing program offered at PHS is the result of a grant program by the state of New Jersey aimed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in schools across the state.

“This is a surveillance testing program with the goal [of identifying] COVID-19 positive students who are asymptomatic [in order] to minimize spread of the disease,” said Micki Crisafulli, PPS Director of Student Services. In any given week, about 50 PHS students participate in the testing. Other elementary and middle schools within the school district report a similar number of students getting tested weekly.

“At our elementary schools, the company sends a technician to collect the samples. At the middle and high school, the company sends packs of vials that are sent home and collected the next day,” Crisafulli said. The testing provided at PPS is called pool testing. In the testing, student participants collect and submit their saliva samples, which are then added to a sample pool. If a positive COVID-19 result is detected in the sample pool, each saliva sample is tested individually using the PCR testing method to determine whether or not it is positive. In general, students find the saliva testing procedures easy to follow.

“I simply spit into a tube and give it to the school,” said Edward Cao ’24. “It is very easy and doesn’t hurt since you don’t have to stick something up your nose.”Coupled with the free testing, the Princeton Health Department has started to offer weekly vaccine clinics at different locations such as the YMCA. Kathy Korwin, a public health nurse for the Princeton Health Department, believes that the increased availability of the vaccine during this pandemic continues to be an essential piece to Princeton’s success.

“It’s important to get the vaccine out. It has been a journey... [and] we have started partnering with everybody. We started with partnering with the senior centers, then we partnered with the schools,” said Korwin. “Actually, one of our most successful clinics is partnering with the people who own the bodegas on Witherspoon street who know their population. They were so kind, and they broadcasted it to people who live in that area, and we were able to go at six o’clock in the morning and give it to people who [were] coming out for their jobs.”

After offering the first few clinics, Korwin noticed a public need for uncomplicated vaccination access and began to advertise vaccination opportunities more. “After we did boosters, more people came. And then we also started doing [the clinics] at night when people got dropped off [after work], because so many people get picked up to go work someplace else, and then they get dropped off [to go home],” said Korwin. “We also had other people give food to be able to have a festive atmosphere to make them feel safe getting the shots ... this translated to more people getting the shots.”

Partially due to a series of district efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, infection numbers have continued to drop since the peak in mid January. Even with decreasing COVID-19 cases though, Korwin believes that it’s still important for students to not get complacent with protocols, testing, and vaccine distribution.

“As there were fewer cases, there was less demand. They didn’t think that they needed the vaccine or they thought that ‘Oh, yeah. COVID is going away’ ... it is definitely a constant battle reminding them how important [the vaccine] is,” Korwin said.
Both  Rodriguez  and  the  parent  group  agree  that  in  order to truly address the inequities in mathematics, the district needs to begin from early stages of schooling such as elementary school, not just at the high school level. 
“We  need  to  make  sure  that  we’re  focusing  from  the  ground  level  as  well.  Like,  what  types  of  mathematical  programs and practices are we putting into the elementary schools,  so  that  by  the  time  they’re  middle  schoolers  or  high schoolers, we know how to tap into those resources and use them to maximize their education,” Rodriguez said.
Amidst  these  conversations,  PHS  students  also  voiced   their   opinions   and   reflected   on   their   personal                          math tracks. Sarah Villamil ’22 chose to take AP Calculus AB  because  she  always  had  a  passion  for  math  and  felt  grateful  that  her  public  school  education  offered  such  advanced courses.
“I personally have an interest in math, and I think it’s an advantage [to have APs] because I’m able to challenge myself to do what I want,” Villamil said. 
Students  also  recognize  the  lack  of  diversity  in  their  accelerated classes. Precalculus Accelerated student Adam Stein  ’24  noticed  that  his  classmates  are  composed  of  familiar faces each year. 
“I definitely think that there should be more diversity between the classes. I think that it should be our goal to be more inclusive and more diverse,” Stein said. 
As the math department continues to work in accordance with the strategic planning committee on increasing equity, students have also offered potential solutions.
“I  think  that  if  they’re  going  to  offer  math  courses  in  the  summer,  it  should  be  offered  to  everybody  for  free,”  said  Villamil.  “I  think  that  that’s  the  solution  to  making                          our  math  program  more  equitable,  not  taking  away  our  AP courses.”
Going  into  the  next  school  year,  the  district  is  only  looking  toward  expanding  the  math  programs.  And  in  the  end,  although  there  were  many  frustrations  shared,  the  discussions  that  occurred  as  a  result  of  this  board                meeting    allowed  the  community  to  reevaluate  its  goals  and methods. 
“In closing, I would just remind us to ask questions. Get all of the information. It’s healthy to have opinions. And at  the  same  time,  sometimes  there  are  ‘uncontrollables,’  and   sometimes   we   just   have   to   trust   the   process                                     and,  and  communicate  in  ways  that  are  effective,”        Rodriguez said.

Princeton Public Schools promote COVID-19 safety for students


Lydia Garcia ’22 discovered the highlights of performing arts at PHS after participating in numerous plays throughout elementary and middle school. She is now the co-president of the Spectacle Theatre. Through this club, she cultivates an open community for PHS students interested in theater and guides them through their acting journeys. Her dedication to theater paid off, as she was recently awarded Governor’s Best Actress by The Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey. Acting not only allows Garcia to express her individuality but also contributes to her confidence in life beyond the stage. Always willing to explore new opportunities, Garcia plans on continuing theater in college and is excited to see where this journey takes her.

What encouraged you to start pursuing theater and music?

My preschool had these little shows that they would put on, and I always loved entertaining and being on stage since I was a kid. Then McCarter Theater came to my fifth grade class. They were doing Macbeth, and I got the role of Lady Macbeth. It was just a really fun time to be with people that were in the industry already, and I thought that it was just a really cool job to have.

How does your Latina identity translate into your work?

Since I grew up in Princeton, I could only ever connect to my Latin roots through my family. It took a lot of time to understand how my ethnicity shaped me and what that meant being in a place with minimal representation. My Latina identity shapes my acting by showing me that there is a lot that goes into a character: who they appear to be on the outside and what parts of themselves they identify with. From my experience, Latina women can be known for being shameless and passionate, and I think these traits have definitely translated into my acting and my love for acting. My mentality is doing things just because I can, whether that’s a character choice on stage or simply stepping into an audition room. And feeling all the emotions that come with your actions, it builds cha- racter and empathy, which are two things that I can directly thank my Puerto Rican and Dominican roots for.

What productions have you been in?

What has been your most memorable role? Sophomore year was my first year that I got into theater at PHS. It was the play “Clue.” I got the role as a cop, which was okay, because it was a good entry-level role to get to know how things worked at PHS. That role showed me the ins and outs, and I got to know everything that goes on here pre-COVID-19. Then I auditioned for “Freaky Friday.” I got the role of Hannah, and that musical in itself was just really complicated in terms of choreography and late rehearsals so that was really cool to experience as well. However, when that show was about to come out, we stopped because of COVID-19. At least I was able to get a clear view of what theater looked like before COVID-19. In junior year, I auditioned for “12 Incompetent Jurors,” and I got the role as Juror 10. That is probably my most memorable role here because of how intense I had to be every single time, and I guess that pushed my love for acting and showed me what it’s really about.

Is there a community within PHS that students can seek out if they are interested in acting?

Spectacle Theatre is really the epicenter for everything acting, everything theater. I’m actually the co-president of the club. It’s a great place where people can come together, experienced or inexperienced, and talk about theater opportunities within PHS. We have a lot of plays, so that’s definitely a place where any interested PHS students can come and automatically be accepted into the space and feel comfortable to pursue acting or know more about it.

Do you plan on pursuing theater in the future?

Yeah, absolutely. It’s something that I’ve always loved, and I don’t want to give it up early. So if I can do it in college and make a career out of it, I definitely want to do that.

Student Artist of the Month: Lydia Garcia ’22 discovers self-expression through acting


Beginning Monday, November 8, Princeton Public Schools implemented a new COVID-19-testing program in order to sample a student population that may be harboring asymptomatic cases. Mirimus Inc., a private company is in charge of administering tests for PPS and multiple other school districts in New Jersey. This program aims to help the district identify COVID-19 cases sooner and to ensure a safer learning environment for the younger, unvaccinated students at PPS.

Students with parental consent to get tested went to a school site and gave spit tests to administrators, who then collected the samples for analysis. If COVID-19 is detected, polymerase chain reaction tests would be conducted on smaller sample groups to isolate which individual had the virus.

With this new testing opportunity, PPS hopes to catch COVID-19 cases before they can spread, minimizing the chances of an outbreak at school.

“The main purpose is to keep schools open. You know, we’re trying to prevent in-school spread of COVID-19,” said PPS Director of Special Services Micki Crisafulli. “You might have heard of other districts, even last year, where they had to shut down the whole school ... So we’re trying to avoid that this year by doing this testing.”

This program lessens uncertainty about COVID-19 for the students signed up within the six schools. Because of that, Crisafulli thinks that the district created this program at the right moment.

“The Department of Education highly recommends that school districts run this type of testing when their COVID-19 cases in the area are in the moderate to high range,” said Crisafulli. “We’ve been in the moderate range for quite a while.”

While it’s catered towards the younger, unvaccinated students at PPS, the program is open to everyone. Students can sign up through a link on the PPS website and with the permission of their parents, are able to participate in the program free of charge.

“We currently have 518 students who have been signed up for it by their parents. And that could change weekly,” Crisafulli said.

While participating in this program has many benefits, some parents still had their reservations about signing their children up.

“Parents were initially concerned that all students in a positive ‘pool’ would have to quarantine if one student is positive, but that is not the case,” said Public Information Officer for PPS Elizabeth Collier. “[That is because] Mirimus hopes to identify the positive person within a few hours of the pool testing positive.”

Students have welcomed this addition to COVID-19 safety procedures.

“It will be an easy and accessible way to test students and keep our school safe from the spread of COVID,” said Adam Stein ’24, a student who signed up for the program.

This new program also makes Jaiden Xu ’25 feel better about the COVID-19 situation at PHS.“

It keeps us alert of COVID-19 cases. I think that with all the district alerts and human interaction, it will help tremendously,” Xu said.

Collier believes that the testing itself has very few, if any, disadvantages.

“It’s non-invasive. I can’t see any drawbacks. And I think that it will help to keep our entire district school population healthier,” Collier said.

Looking into the future, the district does not yet have a set timeframe for the program due to the unpredictability of the pandemic.

“It’s really up in the air at this point,” said Crisafulli. “We see it continuing, but you know, nobody knows what’s going to happen with this pandemic. We’re just always monitoring and then making decisions from there based on what the numbers are telling us.”

While the program may be adjusted as the pandemic changes, Crisafulli believes that it will have an immediate impact on PPS in the months to come.

“This plan is really beneficial because ... we can catch those cases where people don’t even realize that they’re infected early, we can prevent them from spreading into friends and minimize the disruption to school ... That’s really the goal,” Crisafulli said.

Princeton Public Schools introduces new COVID-19 testing plan

After PHS’s annual homecoming game was canceled last year due to the pandemic, students are grateful to experience this PHS tradition once again. this year’s Homecoming game proved to be spectacular, as the hal ime show featured a performance by Princeton High School’s Studio Band.

Created in 1977, Studio Band has made a signi cant impact on PHS’s music program. the band has received many accolades including multiple national titles and has had professional studio recordings, most recently at Abbey Road in the UK. Adding to their performance experiences, Studio Band impressed the Homecoming crowd with their synchronicity, talent, and song selection.

“I really enjoyed how they incorporated pop music into their song selection. [It] really hyped us up and got us motivated to sing along. We felt a lot of Tiger spirit,” said Sasha Caracalos ’24.

In preparation for the game, Studio Band rehearsed during school as well as after hours. After each section practiced separately, all the sections came together to coordinate their parts into one cohesive piece. The band was only allowed 15 minutes for the haltime show, so the pieces were arranged to be played without pause, a difficult task to pull off musically in terms of flipping through music, adjusting to new tempos, and switching out players.

“They [were] interconnected, so they [weren’t ] stopping and continuing. [Pauses] are annoying, and you’re going to lose the attention of the crowd. We changed the keys of some of the songs so that we [could] just seamlessly have the tunes kind of intertwine. But yeah, there [wasn’t] any stopping,” said saxophonist Kieran McKenzie ’22.

Thee pieces played, in order, were “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang, “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder, “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, “Treasure” by Bruno Mars, and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

“Since [the performance was] especially student-oriented, it [had], in addition to some Motown 70’s stuff , some much more modern stuff like some Bruno Mars,” said percussionist Connor Stewart ’23.

Perhaps what most engaged the audience was the energy that radiated from the music. Within seconds, fans recognized modern tunes and joined in.

“I really enjoyed watching and listening to the halftime show at Homecoming, played by Studio Band,” said Arunima Suri ’23. “I always love hearing their music because they’re good at what they do, and it really added to the spirit by giving the people in the stands something to sing along to.”

An aspect that elevated the performance was the incorporation of solo features. Students received individual recognition a er hard work.

“I thought the band sounded great, especially tenor sax soloist McKenzie. It sounded insanely professional,” said Tamar Assayag ’25.

“The band and the crowd were filled with energy,” said alto saxophonist Alex Greenberg ’23. “Soloists in general really have the power to make or break the energy of the performance, and I think they all did a great job bringing this energy for a successful performance.”

Greenberg also soloed on alto saxophone in ‘Treasure’ by Bruno Mars.

“It was a different experience soloing on that tune than the traditional jazz repertoire that I’m used to improvising over,” said Greenberg. “The solo for ‘Treasure’ included more rhythmic ideas rather than melodic ones. And it’s always interesting to give myself a new challenge.”

Bongiovi was satisfied with the band’s performance. Focusing on the music and the music alone, Bongiovi and the band executed a successful halftime show.

“It was good. Everything I think went pretty well,” said Bongiovi. “I mean, it’s, the conditions aren’t always the best. We [had] 15 minutes to get it in. You’re dealing with playing outdoors, amplification, wind, players behind you on a football team warming up, people in the stands, getting a hot dog. It’s just, there’s so much going on. The goal was to just focus on what we do.”

Like Bongiovi, the band members were happy with their halftime performance and believed it was a good representation of the band’s hours of preparation and passion for jazz music.

“It was a lot of hard work, but in the end it really paid off . I think we sounded really great because we’re all really passionate about music, and it always translates well into our performance. The music selection was also fun to practice, so we were all really engaged during the rehearsal process as well,” says Sara Carson ’23, a guitarist for Studio Band.

Regarding the future of PHS Studio Band, Bongiovi is optimistic about a Homecoming halftime show becoming a yearly occurrence. After a year spent missing out on events like this one, PHS students have a reason to celebrate their revival. Times like these when students honor the PHS famiy as a whole stay ingrained in memories for years to come.

“Online school meant missing so many PHS classics like the Homecoming game. Studio Band’s performance was amazing, and I can’t wait for next year,” said Emma MacMillan ’23.

PHS Studio Band brings back the traditional Homecoming halftime performance

Since the beginning of the new school year, Princeton Public Schools have served free lunches throughout the district. In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that free meals would be available to all public school students this year.

The free lunches helped to streamline the process of getting food to students who relied on free- or reduced-lunch vouchers when the cafeteria first shut down during the pandemic.

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“Last year, since we didn’t have food service at the school, we drove around to all the homes, and we did [meal kit] drop-offs. We [also] had some parent volunteers [who] would deliver some of the food directly to the homes,” Food Service Bookkeeper Danielle Borromeo said.

While the total amount of funding is unknown, not having to pay for lunches inevitably increases the number of students who choose to get school lunch daily. During pre-pandemic years, only about 200 students purchased lunch each day; that number has now increased to more than 700.

To meet the high demand and to address looming COVID-19 concerns, PHS’s cafeteria staff have consciously made changes during the first month of school. For one, the options in the cafeteria have been significantly abridged.

“What we’ve boiled [the meal plans] down [to] is the requirements: a grain, fruit or juice, vegetable, and milk. We [used to] have a lot of our cart foods like grab-and-go french fries, potato chips, [and] cookies that we [had to] do away with,” Borromeo said.

To decrease the spread of COVID-19, the cafeteria also now operates in a “grab-and-go” fashion. As soon as students take a pre-packaged entrée of their choice, they can quickly move out of the line. Cafeteria staff members are required to wear gloves and now masks when preparing food, and instead of using the register to keep track of meals, have now switched to pen-and-paper tallies.

Administrators such as PHS Principal Frank Chmiel will often walk around, either talking to students or announcing the day’s options. Chmiel voiced that after a hectic first week in the cafeteria, the administrators knew some changes needed to be made.


photo: [credit name="Emily Qian"]
“[During] the first couple days, there were big crowds of kids, and one day we ran out of food. [After that], I started going back to the kitchen ... [I was] literally one of the people bringing out cases of sandwiches [and] stocking sandwiches ... because I personally wanted to see that everything was running smoothly,” Chmiel said.

Many obstacles that come with adopting the new food services are unseen to students. For instance, coordinating food deliveries is stressful due to the high demand for food at PHS. The options for suppliers are currently low due to the ongoing pandemic. To ensure that all students get their meals, Borromeo needs to ensure an exact amount of lunches are being delivered each week.

“[Because] supply is low and demand is high, we’ve had to cut back on deliveries; there aren’t enough drivers to bring food to the schools. [Our] main supplier used to come to the district twice a week, but now they only come once a week,” said Borromeo. “It’s been hard because I have to keep going back to [order more], but [many] items are always out of stock. I don’t think people understand that it’s almost like a gamble to try to get everything.”

Nevertheless, cafeteria staff members strive to provide high-quality lunches to students. With the addition of an on-site chef this year, some students have remarked that the food quality has been quite consistent.

“I’d actually compare the sandwiches a lot to Subway. It’s nothing gourmet ... I don’t think there should be an expectation of gourmet service, but it gets the job done. And for the hot meals, the dish varies, but [at least] it’s hot,” said Elliot Becker-Peeler ’24.

Student opinion has been mixed. When asked about the convenience of the free lunches, students say that being able to get lunch from the cafeteria relieves the stress of having to take time to buy or pack lunch every day. However, some students have noted that longer waits in line are a major drawback of the free lunches. Upperclassmen have also remarked that past years’ lunches were much better in quality.

“It’s annoying to need to wait in a line, but compared to making lunch at home, which I did the other years, it’s much quicker, and it’s nice because I don’t need to wake up so early,” said Ned Erickson ’22. “But I prefer the pre-COVID year [lunches], especially the fries. It’s really a tragedy that we don’t have those fries anymore because those fries were iconic and you could just get them for one dollar.”

Some students have also mentioned that the vegetarian options are not as satisfying as they would like them to be.

“I think that [the] vegetarian food is a bit lacking because all of the sandwiches except the falafel sandwich contained meat. And most entrées except for the salad, also contain meat ... So that I think it could be better handled because I used to be vegetarian for years. You’re kind of forced into having one thing,” Becker-Peeler said.

Another new challenge that the school faces is maintaining social distancing within the cafeteria, particularly within the lunch lines. While there are several teachers and administrators on standby to guide students in the lunch lines, students agree that the lines are overcrowded.“

[The atmosphere is] definitely chaotic [and] competitive, [with] a lot of people trying to cut in line ... you [have to] fend for yourself,” Erickson said. Waiting for long periods of time has also raised concerns among several students. Many agree that protocols must be enforced strictly to keep the risk to a minimum. “The COVID-19 restrictions are totally not in place. It’s crowded. There are ten people in one square meter ... Despite having this screen on a desk, eight people [can] still sit at the same table,” said Cody Jiang ’25.

Both Chmiel and the cafeteria staff assure students that as the year continues, they will work to address the criticisms made by students. In fact, many new improvements are already in the works. In addition to the cafeteria and the stand in the PAC lobby, which are currently only serving sandwiches, a third serving area, the building administration is adding a Tiger Grab-and-Go to provide food for students.

Still, no matter what opinions students have about the lunches, Chmiel hopes that students can show gratitude for the tireless efforts of the cafeteria workers.

“When you’re receiving the [lunches], it’s important to show that appreciation to [cafeteria workers] because they’re not known otherwise, yet they’re doing arguably the most important job of the day,” Chmiel said.

New this year: PHS lunch free for all


Supervisor of Humanities Stephanie Greenberg, who became a staff member of the Princeton Public School in 2018, was recently appointed as Assistant Principal at PHS for students. While she is relatively new to this district, her career is far from brief. Starting in 2006, she has been working as an educator and, more recently, took on a role as an administrator.

She began her 14-year-long career in education as an English teacher at West Windsor-Plainsboro South. After a couple years, she traveled to the other side of the globe to South Korea and Taipei to experience studying and teaching abroad. Greenberg decided to returned to the tri-state area and taught in Brooklyn, New York, and Millburn, New Jersey.

Although Greenberg has been in the education field for many years, she didn’t realize her passion for teaching until the middle of college.

“I did some volunteer teaching of an adult [English as a Second Language] class … I just fell in love with it. It was a highlight of my week, every week to spend two hours with these folks. Designing the lessons was really fun. For me, it was like, ‘Okay, let me find an article that would be relevant to people’s lives, and develop it into a lesson.’ So I fell in love with that,” Greenberg said.

After working in so many places with so many different cultures, environments, leaders, and leadership styles, Greenberg decided to try administration herself. As Supervisor of Humanities, Greenberg did a lot of curriculum work, including reviews and updates. One topic Greenberg focused on during her tenure was equity in classes.

“So when it comes to representation in our curriculum … both in terms of the books that we teach in English class [and in terms of] the historical narratives that we present in our history classes we’ve really been working hard to make sure that we are providing multiple perspectives on historical events, [and updated and diverse] themes,” Greenberg said.

Curricular reform or implementing a relatively new idea doesn’t come easily. For example, during the pandemic, teachers had to learn a new method of digital teaching quickly and effectively. Some teachers, not used to the wave of technology, were confused and intimidated by different apps and websites such as Nearpod and Padlet. In response, Greenberg introduced the Tech in Humanity Showcase, where teachers shared their success with particular technologies.

“That’s a little bit what happens with curriculum reform, that some folks are sort of the more experimental leaders. Other folks are like, ‘Okay, cool. You first. And then you let me know what worked and what didn’t work,’” Greenberg said.

Despite having enjoyed her work with teachers as Supervisor of Humanities, Greenberg reminisces about her time teaching students. Luckily, serving as Assistant Principal allows her to return to the student interactions she misses.

“The thing that I am the most excited about in the new role is working more directly with kids. Supervisors don’t on a daily basis; you’re not constantly interacting with kids,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg is also open to listening and working with students to improve the district and students' learning experience. She previously worked with a group of kids at PPS to diversify their curriculum.

“I love teenagers. I think you guys are smart and daring. Intellectually, you have ideas, you have a view on the world that I want to hear. And I’m just optimistic and I’m excited about the potential for there being more of that in this new job,” Greenberg said.

Outside of school, Greenberg enjoys running to clear her head and decompress. She has run two marathons and several half-marathons in the past.

She also encourages students who are avid readers like herself to stop by to talk about books.

Going forward, Greenberg looks forward to building deeper and longer-lasting relationships with the student body as an assistant principal.


photo: [credit name="JuIie Liu"]
“One of the things that I’m really excited about for being an assistant principal is that we get assigned part of the alphabet, so any student whose last name is P through Z, I’m their assistant principal, which I really hope means that we’ll get to know each other,” Greenberg said. “Hopefully in four years, I’ll be seeing you graduate, and I’ll be able to see you a million times in between. I like that sort of long term connection with students.”

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