On December 8th, the Ridgeview Turtles hosted a session to teach K-5 teachers throughout the Princeton Public Schools district about how to incorporate lessons on conservation and climate change into their curriculum. The Turtles are a PHS community service group that meets every weekend to restore Princeton’s forests and remove invasive species.

“The main goal is to get students to understand their local environment — so often we talk about far off places when we could be talking about here. And also just to get students to see that they can use science to solve problems in their own lives,” said Jaccqueline Katz, Supervisor of Science Education at PHS.

Though the Turtles have been teaching leading environmental and conservation activities at Johnson Park for years, they hope to expand the current after-school program and incorporate it into the regular school curriculum. 

“We [are] creating the next generation of young environmental stewards. We are trying to show that it’s important to have environmental education within our education system because [the system is currently] really outdated,” said Andrew Kim ’26, one of the leaders of the Turtles. 

In addition to talking about preservation, the Turtles also showcased potential lesson plans.
“We have [an activity] where we have preserved leaves and nuts from trees and kids [use them for] a matching game. The [goal] is to give teachers ideas [about] how you can teach climate change in a more attractive way,” said Elif Cam ’26, another leader of the Turtles.

The environmental teaching will be split into two parts, one in the classroom and one outside, according to Dr. Patricia Shanley, a scientist and longtime mentor for the Turtles.

“[The students] will learn which species they have on their property, what are those used for, which ones make maple syrup or pancakes…what the Turtles can do is to open the eyes of both the teachers and the students as to the miracle of what’s outside their classroom. [Then] they would get some of the conceptual overview in the classroom…the link of local [environmental issues] to global [problems],” said Shanley.

photo: Elif Cam

Elif Cam ’26, Maiya Qiu ’27, and Melvin Qiu ’27 present images of local endangered species to a room of K-5 teachers.

Ridgeview Turtles lead presentation for elementary school teachers

PHS Choir ended the year with a final performance:
Cabaret Night. Both teachers and students dedicated hours
of preparation in and out of school to make it a night to
remember. Cabaret Night is the last performance for all
of the seniors in PHS Choir, many of whom have been in
the program for their entire high school careers. For many
juniors and sophomores, it is an exciting opportunity to
perform, with many people coming for the end of year
music show.

PHS Choir started preparation after the spring concert
in April, with music directors Sarah Pelletier and Vincent
Metallo working with the students in school, as well as
working with featured singers outside of class.

“I’m nervous for my solo ... because I’ve never soloed at
PHS before, but I’m also really excited for that because it
will be a fun opportunity. And I just really like all the music
that they picked out, so that’ll be fun to sing together,” said
Avery Bahr ’26, a member of PHS Choir.

Unlike other concerts, where the music is chosen by
Pelletier and Metallo, choir students were able to shape
the event’s program by giving input on songs they wanted
to perform.

“The students can make suggestions on artists or bands
or musical theater pieces ... we look at their suggestions,
we look at what they auditioned with, and then we put
together a program,” said Pelletier.

The many pieces being performed included selections
from “La La Land,” like “City of Stars,” as well as songs by
Noah Kahan, Fiona Apple, Annie Lennox and more.

Cabaret Night is unique for its emphasis on featuring
as many individual singers as possible, in contrast to most
of PHS Choir’s other concerts. This year, 54 students sang
solos, duets, or in small groups, backed by the choir, with
each chosen for their unique voices. There were five full
choir numbers, including “Walking On Sunshine” by
Katrina And The Waves and “Walking On Broken Glass”
by Annie Lennox.

Choir students were given more freedom and
responsibility in helping to bring the event together
and make their performances something to be proud of
compared to other concerts.

“There’s not a lot of structured preparation; it’s a lot of
you putting in your own time and knowing your schedule.
The students are really given agency within the guidelines,”
said soloist Alexis Colvin ’25.

As the final show of the year, the evening offered a
bittersweet goodbye for students and teachers.

“After the spring concert [the students] are usually sad,
and I tell them we’re not done yet, but at this one we are
done ... but the fun thing is usually a ton of alums come
to Cabaret and it’s really great to see them,” said Pelletier.

For students, the concert also provided an opportunity
reflect on the past year and celebrate talent in the group.

“[Cabaret Night] is a really cool way to end off choir for
the year because there’s a big mix of different music and it’s
really cool to hear all of my choir friends get to sing solos,”
said Sylvia Schreiber ’26, a PHS choir member.

PHS Choir wraps up an eventful year with Cabaret Night


Having been involved in theatrical productions most of her life, from on-stage performances in middle school to now leading the PHS Tech Crew and Spectacle Theatre, Grace Waldman ’25 finds joy in being able to manage and coordinate the technical aspects of plays and musicals, and ultimately watching it all unfold into a stunning final production for the audience. Waldman began as a member of Tech Crew during freshman year, and is now the stage manager for Tech Crew and Spectacle Theatre. Motivated by the excitement of piecing together shows and building community, Waldman plans to study technical theater in college.



**What do you do as a member of Tech Crew?**  
I’m the stage manager for PHS Tech Crew and PHS Spectacle Theater. So that means that I oversee the theater program at PHS. I would say I’m the link between the actors and the crew: it’s my job to communicate what is going on in rehearsal and let the technical designers and all the crew that we have working know what’s going on so that we can have the set work for us.  




**Do you ever encounter any issues with coordinating the theatrical productions?**  
This year is my first year as stage manager, so I stage managed “Rumors,” the fall play, and “Groundhog Day,” the musical, and I’ll probably do the choir cabaret. “Rumors” was not a very tech heavy show at all, kind of park and bark if you will. Once we got to “Groundhog Day,” it’s so technically intense and there’s so much going on at every single moment in the show. It was a lot to process and figure out, “okay, this is how I have to approach this sort of thing and this is how I have to be able to communicate,” and how I have to manage [the time spent on] my work outside of school and my work with the show with my homework and everything else … while being an assistant stage manager is similar and you get a lot of the training … you kind of just have to go in and learn, “okay, this is the way that I have to do it.”



**Did you also do theater in middle school or when you were younger?**  
[In] elementary and middle school, I did a couple of productions that my school offered. I also went to a summer camp and every year they put on a musical, so I would do that, I was an actor. I didn’t get into the tech aspect of it till high school, but I definitely think that it suits me better. I’m not one for performing on the stage. I’ll leave that to them.



**What’s your favorite part of being the stage manager?**  
Especially for the musical … the auditions are so fun because [there are] some people [that] I don’t know. They’re just coming in as freshmen and it’s so exciting to see everybody be so happy and want to join this community because theater is a really big part of my life. I’ve done it forever, and my dad is an actor and so it’s just really in the family. I also really enjoy the end of the process. Once we actually get performing and see it all come together, tech week can be really stressful and it definitely was this year for “Groundhog Day,” but it’s always so beautiful seeing everything just come together.



**Do you plan to continue this in the future?**  
A lot of the schools that I’ve applied to and that I’m thinking about have some kind of programs or the theater scene in the area is really vibrant. So I definitely think about doing it in the future. I’m not sure if I would want to pursue it professionally, although I did apply to some BFA programs. But I’ll see where the wind takes me.


Student artist of the month: Grace Waldman ‘25

One thousand people — including several Princeton High School students — gathered in Princeton’s Hinds Plaza on April 5th to protest the Trump administration as part of a nationwide “Hands Off” movement. PHS students cited a number of reasons for attending, ranging from concerns for LGBTQ rights, threats to the Department of Education, and the Trump administration’s disregard for humanity.

“It's selfish men and women, men especially, doing what serves their ego best — and what serves their pockets best. It's so infuriating that we've given them enough power to actually be able to hurt people on a mass scale,” said Rica Eleches-Lipsitz ’25, who attended the protest.
Indivisible Princeton, one of the main organizers of the event, noted on their website that one of the core principle of the protest was nonviolence, and encouraged all participants to de-escalate potential confrontations. However, attendees described a strong sense of collective energy and enthusiasm at the protest, which was part of the largest national movement so far against Trump’s second administration.

Lia Eleches-Lipsitz ’27 attended the protest with her family and a sign that read, “The only minority that's destroying this country are the billionaires.’ A different protester held up a sign that read, “We the people have power over the people in power.” 

“It was empowering to see all these other people. It's really easy to read news articles and feel like you're by yourself with your rage, but it's nice to see [that] together, we actually might be able to make some sort of difference,” said Lia Eleches-Lipsitz.

Maya Halcomb ’25 echoed this desire for change.

“In Princeton specifically, it's important that we are all coming out and leveraging our privilege. Even though we're [in] a progressive town, I feel like there’s not a lot of movement that happens, so it's important that we're super active in the change — and I think our privilege can do a lot to change things,” said Halcomb.

Princeton University students organized a smaller rally that began at Firestone Library, before joining the main event. The university, along with several other Ivy League institutions, recently saw federal funding cuts, but Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber has continued to speak out against Trump.

“[Trump] kept $210,000,000 of Princeton’s grant funding last week, and we believe that research is valuable and that America can only be strong if its universities are strong,” said Isaac Barsoum, a freshman at Princeton University.

The event lasted around two hours, and featured several speakers, including U.S Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, whose congressional district includes Princeton.

“This is the most corrupt and incompetent — which might you know be helpful — administration in my lifetime,” said Watson Coleman. “This administration chooses to take very important resources from those who really need them so that they can make their greedy folks richer. These people have so much money that if they even just shared a little bit of it — tithe to the poor — we wouldn't have poverty.”

Though most PHS students can’t vote, Rica Eleches-Lipsitz urged students to engage themselves in politics, whether through protest or education.

“[We] should stay involved in politics, even if it's not a ton. Just enough to know who to vote for, enough to stay engaged,” said Rica Eleches-Lipsitz. “You don't have to make it  your life — and you shouldn't, because we need to breathe — but at the same time, we have to keep being there for each other.”


Photo: Charley Hu


Indivisible Princeton organizers led chants of “Hands-Off!” and “The People, United!”

1,000 attend “Hands-Off” event in Princeton as part of national anti-Trump protest

The PHS Numina Gallery celebrated Hispanic Heritage
Month between October 9 and 17 with an exhibition
that showcased a diverse display of Hispanic cultures.
The exhibition featured many artifacts from different
Spanish-speaking regions, including Central America,
South America, and the Caribbean.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a national celebration
observed from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate
the diverse contributions of Hispanic-American citizens
to the United States.

“[The Numina Gallery exhibit] provides a vital platform
for Latino students to express their voices and pride in their
culture,” said Martha Hayden, a Spanish teacher at PHS.

In addition to displaying student’s culture, the event
also brings together people from across the community.

“[In the other months] we usually do art showcases …
this exhibition, [however], is a more [broad] and cultural
exhibition, which makes it special because we are not
showcasing specific artworks of art students … [instead]
we are bringing in projects and cultures from Spanish
students and from different clubs,” said Cindy Zhou ’25,
co-president of the Numina Gallery.

The centerpiece of the exhibition, the Día de los Muertos
(Day of the Dead) ofrenda, displayed traditional offerings
given during a reunion with the dead, such as candles,
flowers, and photos of deceased loved ones. The exhibition
also presented poems related to immigration, traditional
clothing from several regions, and güiro frog instruments.
Camila Del Castillo, a Spanish teacher at PHS and the
main organizer of the Numina exhibit, was pleased to see
the reactions of parents and students on the opening night
of the exhibition.

“The Hispanic kids that came and saw things from
their country loved it. They saw the altar or the Día de los
Muertos ofrenda, and they connected with things they
have learned,” said Del Castillo. “People visiting and being
happy to be there [is] when I feel the proudest.”

The preparation process lasted two weeks and involved
the collaboration of many different people, including
students, teachers, and even supervisors.
Spanish teachers and students did most of the work,
while Numina Gallery members mostly assisted in putting
up pieces, podiums, and lighting.

“The Spanish classes would come and help, and during
our free time we would listen to their ideas and help
incorporate our knowledge about the gallery to help with
the setup,” said Zhou.

The Latinos Unidos club was a significant part of the
exhibition, sharing Hispanic traditions through music and
visuals. Brian Donis ’25, the club’s vice president, helped
plan and set up the event, along with other students.

“The students helped us carry out the projects and events,
but all in all, there is no difference from being a student
leader and being a student in the club [because] we all
came together as one community,” said Donis.

Students and teachers each had different roles in the
preparations for the exhibit. The Spanish teachers, created
themes such as geographical and cultural regions for each
of their respective classes to focus on. The students then
researched these regions and designed posters to display
on the walls of the gallery.

While preparing the exhibition, students and teachers
faced many challenges, such as planning and coordination.
“Finding the time is the most challenging. It’s hard
because you’re still teaching, [and the Numina exhibit] is
not your only job,” said Del Castillo. “Kids are in school,
so I can’t pull them out of class to [help], and after school
everybody has things to do.”

The preparation process is different every year, as
although the Hispanic Heritage exhibition is designed
to display Hispanic culture, its theme changes from year
to year.

Last year’s focus was more on celebrations, while this
year the exhibition focused on spotlighting specific people
and countries. However, while the focus of the exhibition
changes annually, the goal remains the same: to celebrate
Hispanic Heritage Month and showcase the diverse cultures
spread across Latin America.

“We even [had] the Chinese teacher bringing in her
kids and the Italian teacher bringing her kids and making
comparisons between things that we have, like the fans and
different artifacts,” said Del Castillo. “We compare, but to
highlight our similarities."

The Numina Gallery exhibition showcases Hispanic traditions

   Can you name one detail about Unit 731, the WWII research program with thousands of casualties? Probably not, but unfamiliarity with this tragedy isn’t your fault. Rather, the surprising lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in the outreach programs at PHS is to blame. 
   In order to understand why we don’t often learn about these topics, it is important to acknowledge the root cause: the marginalization of AAPI individuals in the United States. One source of this oppression is sinophobia, the fear or hatred of China, which spiked to an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic. The branding of the disease as primarily the fault of Chinese people caused a rise in racist name-calling and violent hate crimes against millions of Asian Americans, including those who weren’t of Chinese descent. One of the most horrific attacks was the 2021 Atlanta spa shooting, in which eight women, six of them Asian, were killed. This tragedy rattled AAPI communities across the country, serving as a stark reminder that they could be the target of a prejudiced hate crime. The Princeton community held a vigil honoring these victims and acknowledging anti-Asian racism, but initiatives like this do little to combat structural ignorance of AAPI people and history. 
   Historical programs at PHS often commemorate tragedies within western countries, such as the Holocaust, but overlook the suffering that people in Asian countries have faced throughout history. We have never once had an assembly or event about Unit 731, a Japanese research program during World War II that performed unsedated vivisections and purposely gave victims frostbite and the plague. It is estimated that Unit 731 killed up to half a million people, but United States authorities provided operation officials with legal immunity from these crimes in exchange for research information. Due to Japan’s destruction of evidence, the United States’ compliance, and its exclusion from our history awareness initiatives, few people in the United States learn of this brutal mass murder. To state another event that is overlooked by educational outreach programs at PHS is the Manila massacre, also known as the Rape of Manila, which took place during WWII. During the Manila massacre, the Imperial Japanese Army brutally murdered at least 100,000 Filipino civilians and raped hundreds of young girls and women. Though both of the above events undoubtedly caused significant trauma to the groups targeted, these cruel violations of human rights may become hidden away and slowly forgotten one day. Worsening this situation, PHS has failed to even acknowledge these horrific war crimes in Asian history during AAPI history month. 
   In defense of our school’s curriculum, there is only so much our teachers can show us in the vast expanse of history. However, that is exactly why we should be supplementing these parts of AAPI history through speaker events, much like the assembly for Jewish Heritage Month. When we invite knowledgable scholars to share information about Unit 731, they commemorate and pass down this important piece of world history down to future generations. After all, if we don’t know about the past, how can we stop ourselves from repeating it in the present? 
   Education, in the face of discrimination and political tensions, is crucial in the fight for AAPI representation. As an already marginalized group, AAPI communities need to see their history portrayed in outreach programs to both teach AAPI individuals about their ancestors and promote understanding within the broader student body. Through awareness, we acknowledge the struggles faced by cultural groups, work to prevent such atrocities from happening again, and celebrate the AAPI individuals within our community. It is time for PHS to take steps towards shedding light on the important topics ignored by our current outreach programs and fostering a greater culture of empathy and understanding of AAPI history in our school community.

We should have had an AAPI month assembly

   A cappella singing is often considered a whole different genre of music. Through the fusion of different voices, a cappella groups create a unique performance quality and different dimension of music. 
Being in an a cappella group means participants get to be in a chamber performance setting but still have a more flexible time commitment. In addition, unlike choir, many groups arrange and adjust their own vocal parts to fit the singers’ needs. 
At PHS, there are four student-led a cappella groups: Cats Meow, Cloud Nine, Testostertones, and Around 8. They are each unique in their own way, providing completely different experiences, though they sometimes perform together at events like Friday Night Lights at the Princeton Public Library. 
Founded in 1983, Cats Meow is PHS’s first a cappella group; it is a choir affiliated and all upper voice a cappella group. They perform at all PHS choir concerts, and even go on tour with the choir every other year. The group explores many different genres of music, such as jazz, pop and R&B. Through their rehearsals and performances, the group has forged close bonds while creating musical experiences together. 
“You bond very intensely with everyone in the group because it’s so small … we learn to trust each other on stage,” said Cats Meow director Vivian Clayton ’24. 
Cloud Nine is PHS’ second female identifying a cappella group, though they are non-choir affiliated. Regardless, they are still allowed to perform both in and outside of school.
“We performed at Hispanic Heritage Month and we sang Gracias a la Vida … we sometimes do Cornerhouse affiliated [performances],” said Julia Wang ’25, a member of Cloud Nine. 
The third a cappella group is the Testostertones, the only PHS all male group. Rehearsing a few times each week, the members of the a cappella group have grown into a tight-knit community.. 
“Tones culture is at an all time high right now … we have a wide range of guys and I think that that only builds [on] the connection that we have with each other,” said Testostertones director Theo Balavoine ’24. 
Finally, Around 8 is PHS’s only all gender inclusive group––an aspect that distinguishes it from the rest. However, similarly to the other a cappella groups, being part of this ensemble forges friendships and connections among its members. 
“It’s a nice chance to meet people that have different interests from you, but you all can come and sing [together],” said Noa Zacks ’25, a member of Around 8. 
Auditions for these groups are generally held in late May and early June, and are open to all students for non-choir affiliated groups, like Testostertones and Cloud Nine. General audition materials include preparation of a short verse or chorus and sight reading in front of the current a cappella group. 


Finding harmony in PHS a capella groups

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

In February, PHS science teachers Jacqueline Katz and Jennifer Smolyn published an article in The Science Teacher, a prestigious peer-reviewed journal of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Within the publication, they outline a novel approach to developing scientific literacy and critical thinking skills in the high school setting, specifically describing a lesson utilized within PHS’s Research Program.
“Essentially, we’re trying to get students to think and act like scientists in the field,” said Katz. “We’re trying to build those thought practices in our students and give them chances to employ those skills.”
To achieve this, Katz and Smolyn emphasize the value of challenging students to read full scientific journal articles and engage in peer mentoring, expectations that are not common in typical high school science classes. Additionally, the lesson seeks to improve certain underlying skills: students’ abilities to extract main ideas from primary source literature, support claims with data, analyze bias, and communicate information clearly. 
“These [skills] are everyday practices in the world of science. But sometimes, they get overlooked as a key focus in the science classroom because we’re worrying about learn[ing] content [rather than developing] the skills that were needed to discover that content,” Katz said. 
Inspired by their own graduate research experiences, Katz and Smolyn introduced the lesson seeking to emulate the research process of scientists. Thus, the lesson will teach students how to better understand and extract information from research articles so that they can form more insightful and complex questions and conclusions that they can then incorporate into their own research projects.
Although the lesson outlined in the article is only taught within the research program, the science teachers stress that these practices are universally applicable to all students, including those in traditional classes.
“Those are skills that translate no matter what field you go into. You will still need to assess information that you [are] exposed to and make decisions about your health, about the climate, or about anything,” said Smolyn. “Even if you’re not a scientist, you can still utilize these skills to help you make decisions for your own life in the future.”
As such, the teachers are integrating some elements of the lesson into regular science classes, namely biology, to ensure students outside of the research program also have exposure to the fundamental skills of scientific literacy.
“With each unit, [instead of] providing students with complete research papers, we take some of the information from journal entries just to give them some initial exposure to how science is communicated when it’s not coming at [them] in a TikTok video or a news blurb,” said Smolyn. “We spend four weeks reading these papers in the research program and in an ideal world, we would love to do it in all our classes.”

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