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Academic Updates

New Semester, New Beginnings
By Akib Mortoza

            As we enter the last half of the school year, our strengths and weaknesses as students start to show, allowing us to grow as the days go on. One of the sophomores, Imran Rahman said he wanted to grow and expand upon his little shortcomings in the first semester. When asked if he can live up to the achievements of last semester, he replied, “Yeah I want to surpass my achievements from last semester, and change how I do my work. This is because balancing school and volleyball practice is difficult.” Students are consistently trying to better themselves and keep up with schoolwork. From the perspective of teachers, the studio arts and arts in NYC teacher, Mr. Kozak has an equally positive mindset going into the new semester. When asked about what he hopes will change in students, he states that he “hopes they will change to be well functioning citizens of society and they have agency and a say when it comes to our schools culture.” He states that he “wants students to find new outlets to be creative and for them to know that the arts can connect to all the other subjects.” Many people in the school has a positive mindset when it comes to the new semester; it serves as sort of a soft reset for everybody.

Favorite Goals and Hobbies
By Mahira Khan

              Throughout the school year there have been many trips and events which are pretty cool. As the midwinter break and spring approaches, it's exciting to find out and learn about what others are planning to do . For this interview, I asked students what they are looking forward to in the month of February, both academically and in general, as well as  what they are planning to do over midwinter break.

 

A sophomore, Elena Flores, stated, “During midwinter break, I am planning on studying for the AP World History exam. As well as reading and watching shows.” A goal that she shared for  this month is to improve upon her math grades. She also said that she is looking forward to relaxing during the midwinter break. Another sophomore, Danna Pallchisaca, shared, “My favorite thing to do during midwinter break is to rest up, watch seasonal movies and enjoy time with family and friends”. Her goals are to try not to procrastinate as much and to have control over her time management. She is looking forward to this month because of the winter break. Sakura Jung, also a sophomore, mentioned, “I’m planning to meet my middle school friends this break and my favorite thing to do during break is waking up late”. She is overall just looking forward to this February break.

Deans Perspective: Faculty Mid-Year Review
By Manav Ghosh
As we reached the end of the marking period, I had the opportunity to sit down with our Dean, Mr. Pompa to gain insight on how faculty has been feeling about the school year. Throughout this academic year and marking period, the overall atmosphere among faculty members can be characterized as resilient and supportive. Despite facing various challenges, there's a sense of determination and mutual support among the staff. When Mr. Pompa was asked how he would describe the overall atmosphere among faculty members during this school year and marking period, he responded saying “Faculty members this school year are working together through challenges with determination and support. Some may feel stressed, but overall, there's a strong commitment to providing quality education and helping each other out.” Mr Pompa is saying how everyone seems to be working together and more efficiently when everyone is supporting each other. Additionally, When our Dean was asked what the main factors contributed to the overall climate and atmosphere within the faculty body during this period, he said “The faculty's well-being during this marking period has been supported through regular communication, as our school focuses on mindfulness and mental health. The main goal is to create a positive environment where everyone feels good and ready to work.” I also believe in communicating with others to better ourselves. Overall, I think that it is very important for the faculty to stay strong to support us students for a great year.

End of the Year
Written by Akib Mortoza

As the year comes to an end, many students start to reflect on the past months and their work ethics. For instance, one of the sophomore students, Steve Santana Jr, said how he just wanted to keep his grades up for the next few months until summer starts. He also said that math has been very difficult for him for some time. Similarly, Yusuf Siahaya has said congruent things about balancing his schoolwork with his sports, and how stressful all the work has been. This goes to show that many students want summer to start, or just want spring break. However, it also shows how even when we are tired, we still strive to do our best in school. Following this fact, Steve Santana and Yusuf Siahaya both said they wanted to achieve high grades by the end of the year. This mindset should be carried for the rest of the year, as well as into the following year, and throughout our high school years. There are only so many “end of years” we can experience, and we should come to the end of every year with a hard-working attitude.

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