The Northwest Academy Survival Guide

As another school year comes to an end, students from each grade are looking forward to the next year and new freshmen are preparing for the big transition into high school. Whether it’s going from middle school to high school, or transitioning from being a little junior to a big, scary senior, change is intimidating! Northwest Academy is a unique school with compelling classes, interesting teachers and an abundance of opportunities you won’t find at many public high schools. It can take some time to feel fully accustomed to the ins and outs of the school.

This school is unlike any other. It has its own culture apart from public or even other private schools. When you come here you will stumble around at first, but eventually you will come to love it here. Our teachers care about their students. The classes are small and fun. The activities are interesting and engaging. We try to be inclusive, but that is not always the case. Hopefully this feature will have clued you in on everything you need to know, because even though it is a unique environment it is always best to know where to go and what to do. We give you this advice as suggestions; you don’t have to follow it, but it will be easier if you did.

Here at the Pigeon Press we want to help you feel prepared for all things that will come your way during the upcoming 2015-16 school year. At this point, we are all seasoned professional on the levels that we have graduated from so we’ve compiled the top things that we think you need to know.

 

For incoming freshmen and those of you who somehow failed your first year of high school:

Finish all of your high school graduation requirements as soon as possible: It is incredibly easy to finish everything you need to graduate by the end of this year. This school is amazing and all the classes are interesting, so even the years where you are need to take classes to meet requirements will be fun, so don’t worry about that. When you catch a bad case of Senioritis come senior year your symptoms will be greatly reduced if you aren’t required to do anything.

Have fun at lunch: There is nothing we regret more than spending all of our lunches at either the burrito cart or Safeway. You have a city to explore, so explore it. Lunch outs are one of the greatest thing this school has to offer, so don’t waste them. You have enough time to take the bus to a nice restaurant, or even just walk to the waterfront with your friends to eat your burrito in the grass by the river. Just watch out for goose poop.

Talk to the seniors: They know more than you, in an endearing way. They are your consigliere to high school, not blood sucking monsters. They can look scary but knowing a few seniors gives you access to the kind of knowledge you are looking for. Odds are there will be a big scary senior behind the lunch counter, so don’t let that stop you from using the microwaves.

If you aren’t having fun writing an essay choose a different topic: Julie Ellington designs essays to be fun, so make sure that you’re enjoying the writing process. Julie lets you write about all kinds of stuff so take that freedom, you won’t have it for long. Still, remember this, just because something is fun doesn’t mean you don’t have to try to do a good job. Essays are a big part of your grade, so work hard, but having fun is just as important. Your essay will be that much better if you are passionate about it.

Don’t complain about wasting class time listening to Julie’s stories: You will learn more listening to her recall her life for 10 minutes than you will talking about the Dhammapada for an entire unit. Her storytelling takes contextualization to a whole new level. We’re not going to give any spoilers, that is for Julie to do, but you are in for a real treat. You will get a sinking feeling in your stomach when she is done with her story of the day, but she will just start again the next day so don’t worry.

Don’t be afraid to ask for extensions on your work: You might not get it, but it’s not the end of the world. There is a chance you will get an extension, but you will never know if you don’t try. Just make sure you have a good reason. If you don’t procrastinate you shouldn’t have a problem with getting your work done. The teachers here care about your success. They know who you are and care about your health. They have your best interests at heart so they will do whatever is fair to help you as best as they can.

Don’t block the hallways: People need to get through, so let them. School hallways are for walking not packing up, sprawling out your stuff or talking to friend in between class.

Wendy Bell is a god: Being on Wendy’s good side will be the biggest advantage you will ever have in high school. Don’t argue with Wendy. Do what Wendy says. Say goodbye when you leave, and thank you when she opens the door. If you only use the manners your mom taught you once in your life, use them when talking to Wendy. She is not very scary, she just acts like it to people who disrespect her.

Listen to Lunch Event announcements: They might not apply to you, but at some point one will. Don’t be afraid to make an announcement for yourself. This is one of the few times that you will get the majority of the high school together and listening to one person speaking, that is a rare occurance, so take advantage of it.

 

YAY! You passed freshman year, but here comes sophomore year:  

Don’t get Behind (this goes without saying): Jada Pierce works you like a clydesdale. Walk into the class ready to work because within 20 minutes she will already be describing what it takes to survive the class. Every moment of class she will have you nose on the grindstone. If you ever fall behind the steamroller that is her curriculum will squash you, but if you stay ahead of your work, you’ll be fine and stay well above that industrial machine.

“Optional reading” is not optional: Jada will “recommend” that you begin reading a book over break. Read the book over break. You will come back from two weeks of relaxing and find yourself reading 100 pages a night, with Jada telling you that you had two weeks that you could have been reading. The books you read during sophomore year are good, but they are not easy reads and you will not enjoy reading 100 pages a night. So read some over your break.

Trust Molly Sultany: She has a plan. You might not know that you’re learning, or how you’re learning or what you’re learning, but somehow you end up with more knowledge than when you went in. Sometimes it might not even seem like you are studying chemistry. This year you get a lab notebook, so keep it organized. You don’t turn in your work the day you are supposed to have it finished, you just get a stamp of completion. Keep your work so you have it when you turn it in later.

Don’t get ahead of yourself: After freshman year you might think you’re above people, but you are no where near the top. The one way to make upperclassmen not like you is to act like you’re peers. Respect your elders. There is a good chance that you might befriend some upperclassmen, if this does happen this rule still applies. If you do not respect the upperclassmen, they will brand your forehead with the word “disrespect.”

Do a little work every night: This applies to all school, but during sophomore year, there will be nights where you don’t have anything due the next day, or even next few days, but look closer, with the work load the teachers give you it would be surprising if you really had a night off. Even if you don’t have something due for a few days you can still put some work into other assignments, they will only improve. I know you’ve heard every single teacher you have ever had say this, but this time it’s from a reputable source: The Pigeon Press.

English class isn’t over until the last day of class: Jada has a tough class to teach. She has to cover everything from Classical Antiquities to the end of World War II while tying in current day relevance. It’s not easy to teach that much in nine months, so she will use every minute she has. It might sound daunting, but you will learn so much sophomore year, and will have fun learning it. Once you finish a book in English/Humanities II it doesn’t mean you are done with that text. They will keep coming back and haunting you for the rest of the year. Read them well and you will be fine. Most importantly, enjoy the class.

Take the one semester electives: You won’t have more fun than discussing the existential concepts of robots with Julie or taking Buzzfeed quizzes with Jada. These “academic electives” don’t have very much homework and are some of the most fun you will have all of high school. Plus, you get something that looks really good on college transcripts without having to sit through a grueling, terribly difficult class with loads of homework.

Respect the darkroom: Black and white photography equipment is expensive. Just because they let kids play with it doesn’t mean you can mess around. Be nice to the enlargers, organize your contrasts sheets, clean up your workstation and don’t mess with other people’s work. One of every photographer’s biggest pet peeves is getting their prints off the drying rack and finding someone else’s picture stuck on the back. When you put your prints on the drying rack make sure it is not touching anyone else’s. When you close the drying rack prints shift, so close it carefully.

 

♫ Woah oh! You’re half way there. Welcome to junior year. ♫

Doug Cornett’s “?? days” are amazing: Never ask what you will be doing when Doug writes “??” on the board. Just know that whatever it will be, it will be awesome. At first you will wonder what you are doing in class, but by the end of the block you have learned an important life lesson from one of the world’s greatest people, Coach D.

Don’t get stressed over physics: It takes a lot of math to prove how a basketball travels, but you can get through it. Andy Davis will always be willing to help if you need a little extra. Some of the concepts are complicated, all you have to do is remember that people who were worse at math than you have passed it, so you can pass it. Keep your sights set on beating the final and keep up with the work, and most importantly, if you feel like you’re in trouble, listen in class.

Julia Cain is your new best friend: She might not wear bling or Air Jordans but she is as cool as your homies. She is incredibly nice, and will help you with almost any problem you have, from college worries to scheduling issues, Julia is your girl. If you are nice she might even offer candy, not to mention she writes one of your college recommendation letters, so be nice.

You will not be in pre-calculus for eternity: It is a class like any other and it will end come June. Erin Calkins gets that it is tough stuff, and she will understand when you can’t always do all the problems. However you need to try to do the math because there is no way you will pass the class if you don’t put in some elbow grease.

Take World History: When a college looks at your transcript and sees World History, it looks like you just came from heaven. It’s a lot of fun. You will regret not taking the class when your friends get the assignment to write an anaysis of sexy pictures and advertisments. Doug realizes it is an academic elective and does not take it too far. He will plan around big English assignments (and might even give you some class time to work on them).

The college process is coming: Don’t think that you have another year before you need to care about college. As soon as you get here on the first day of school talk to Julia about what you need to do. The process is daunting but only if you get behind. Follow Julia’s steps and you’ll be fine.

Enjoy the Junior Retreat: It is the perfect mix between freedom and structured fun. The hike is great whether you want to hang with friends or have some peace and quiet. All the teachers are amazing and will be a delight to spend time with. Silver Falls is beautiful and serene and is the best retreat you will have all high school.

Community service: You only have to complete 30 hours during your entire four years of high school. That is less than 10 hours a year. Go to a soup kitchen or pull ivy.  Outdoor School knocks all 30 hours out in a single week which is also a blast. And just because you finish all 30 quickly, it doesn’t mean you have to stop there. The more you do, the better the world will be and the more you have to put on your college resume.

Read the Pigeon Press: Reading the Pigeon Press is a good way to stay connected with what is going on in the school, and sometimes out of it. The articles give you an interesting glance into the lives of some of the students here, they let you know any big events that happened or are going to happen and they are just fun to read. The students in the iJournalism class work hard on their articles and they appreciate it when people read them.

 

You’ve made it to the end! Senior year, let’s go!

Don’t go into the year thinking you’re already done: You’ve got nine months ahead of you, and yes, some will be easier than others, but that doesn’t mean you can stop caring. You’re going to have thesis and college apps to do, not to mention work for other classes that you might take like advanced bio or calculus. Make sure (at least for the first few months) that you’re putting in good work and not slacking off.

Befriend Paul Martone: Like most teachers at Northwest Academy, Paul is very friendly and wants to get to know you personally. At the senior retreat in the summer make a point to chat with him about a book you read, a sports team you like or what you did that summer, something is likely to spark an interest with him and it will be something you two can talk about for the months to come. Having this rapport with Paul will also allow for funny in-class interactions and inside jokes.

Do outdoor school: Whether you get a group of friends together or go solo, DO OUTDOOR SCHOOL (specifically Oregon Trail). Northwest Academy students of the past and present have a great relationship with the Oregon Trail Overnight Program, so keep that flame burning! This will be one of the greatest weeks of your life and the head of Oregon Trail, “Chomps,” will literally become one of the most inspirational people you’ve ever met!

Stay on Julia’s good side and let her help you: Julia is seriously a gift! She has a wealth of knowledge on all things Northwest Academy, college and life, so use her while you’ve got her. Don’t know what something means on the extremely difficult California college system application? Julia will sit and do it with you! Need to cry behind a closed door? Julia will let you sob to her and offer you tea. Need help with a teacher you’re butting heads with? Julia is your go to person. At the same time, make sure you stay on her good side by meeting deadlines and being proactive.

Take advantage of getting to show up late and leave early: Use those study halls to sleep in or go enjoy your afternoon, unless of course you need to study.

Don’t let thesis freak you out: Thesis is a lot to tackle and going into senior year it seems extremely daunting. But don’t let the stress of picking a topic and the hefty page requirement scare you! Paul has crafted the thesis schedule to fit in with your workload and he is an understanding human. If you need an extension let Paul know, he will try to help. Think of thesis as your fun class! You are getting to decide what you write about so thesis should be fun! Pick a topic you can nerd-out over and the two college level papers will go by smoothly.

Reach out to the underclassmen: Remember your first day of freshman year and how old the seniors looked? You’re now those seniors that you were once terrified of. So while you want to hold your own and let everyone know who’s boss, be nice to the underclassmen because you are terrifying to them.

Claim the senior table: You know the table closest to the lockers in the main building? That’s yours. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Also, the senior room is all yours.

Go to weekend college workshops: We know that the idea of spending your Saturday at school sounds awful, but when you’re done with all your college applications by Thanksgiving, you’ll thank yourself.

Don’t be pretentious about college: Everyone has their different idea of their dream college experience. For some it’s a preppy Ivy League, for others it’s a super alternative liberal arts school in the middle of nowhere, and a handful want a giant state school with a football team and lecture hall classes. And guess what? That is perfectly fine! There is no need to put anyone down about how easy or hard his or her schools are to get into. At the end of the day you want all of your classmates to enjoy their experience, so let them pick their school without the negative input of others!

Make the most of school events: Yeah, Northwest Academy doesn’t put on giant dances or a ton of activities, but take advantage of the one’s they do offer! You will want pictures and memories from your senior homecoming, winter formal and prom. You will want to remember the artwork you submitted for the senior show. You’ll want a piece of pottery from the senior Club Cabaret package. Don’t be too cool for school.

A mental health day here and there will save your life: We’re not condoning skipping school, but senior year is stressful, not going to lie. So here and there, do yourself a favor and stay home to watch Netflix all day while doing some of your thesis or college apps in between. Sometimes you need to decompress, lay in bed all day and get some work done, so go for it.

Take classes with teachers you miss: Jada now teaches psychology, Julie’s got philosophy, Rachael has her black and white class and Dan Dunning teaches guitar. If you miss your teachers from the past, take one of their classes! It will make you appreciate them more and see them teach in a different way then when you had them for a core class.

Take advantage of your seniority: You officially rule the school. On the senior retreat you get to determine the school culture next year, so give it some thought! On a more fun note: do fun senior things! Write your graduating year on your car, come up with a wild senior prank, pick the hottest day of the year for senior skip day, throw an amazing prom, go on adventures during lunch out, rep your new school on May 1st! The options for making senior year memorable are endless; so don’t wait until the first day of school to start.

And finally, enjoy the time you have with your classmates: You’ve been with each other for a while. You’ll find yourself saying things like, “I’m so done” or “I can’t deal with anyone,” and while you may feel this way, take time to admire everyone. You’ve been with these people for up to seven years and next year you’ll miss their familiar faces. So even if the sound of their voice makes you want to scream, sit back and enjoy the last few months you have with the people you made your high school experience full of lifelong memories.

 

Northwest Academy Lingo:

Lunch Out: The best kind of lunch events.

Elephant’s: Every Northwest Academy kid’s go-to lunch spot.

Burrito Cart: The cheaper Mexican Elephant’s.

Wagstaffed: When you know you’re in trouble but Wagstaff talks about the cosmic tomato while you slowly destroy yourself with guilt.

Angry Pigeon: Our schools extremely frightening mascot that is bent on destroying all cardinals.

Proficiency Notice: How teachers tell you that you are in danger of failing their class without saying it to your face.

The Pidge: The school’s art gallery.

Fridge Duty: The absolute worst clean up job you get get where you have to clean out the old food. If you get assigned this – good luck.

Farmer’s Market: Every Wednesday a new kind of food comes into town. Sausage, tamales, cookies.

Swinford said: This won’t affect you if you don’t take iJournalism, if you do then FOLLOW THE GUIDELINE!

Lunch Pass: The little piece of laminated paper that teachers will use against you when you don’t turn in your work.

Thesis: The two college-level papers you have to write to graduate from this institution.

Lunch Event: The events that happen every Friday after lunch. In the past they have included an ER doctor, a Holocaust survivor, talent shows, and open-mics!

Club Cab: The annual fundraising event that allows students to receive scholarship money.

Arts Week: The week of Esprit and Dynamo (see below). If you are in Arts Week, you will have a crazy week. If you aren’t in Arts Week – have fun relaxing!

Esprit: The more advanced high school end-of-year showcase.

Dynamo: The middle school end-of-year showcase. We were all middle schoolers once, don’t laugh.

Spirit Week: The week leading up to the Homecoming dance where seniors pick theme days. The winning class usually gets a prize (unless the seniors forget… sorry).

Halloween: A day when Northwest Academy kids go all out and have a teacher-judged costume contest in the middle of the day.

Project Theatre: An Arts After Hours class taught by Wade Willis that takes up a lot of time but pays off in the end.

Spring Break: When you feel overwhelmed by school just give it a month, these two weeks of heaven will come soon enough.

Winter Break: The two weeks that save you from going insane.

Conferences: A parent-teacher conference where you have to watch. The best way to get naturally gray hair before you turn 40.

Fish Bowl Discussions: Seemingly the most scary of class discussions, where a small group sits in the middle of a room and discusses a text while others watch.

Officer Kulp: The officer that comes in for a lunch event a year to teach us downtown safety and answer hilarious questions.

Wranglers: The people who herd the middle school sheep.

Water Cooler: Where you go when you need to get out of class for a few minutes to waste paper cups.

Vuvuzela: The daily alarm from Wendy Bell for high schoolers to get off their butt and clean up.

The Parking Lot: If you park in the lot directly across from the Main Building, prepare to perfect your driving skills. This lot will give you a run for your money with its ultra tight and small spots and usually broken pay meter.

 

What Should I Do When…?

 

What should I do when we have a lunch out?

There are so many options for food and fun in downtown Portland. Take the streetcar to the waterfront and grab sushi. Head to the food carts and sample a variety of cuisines. Go to Nordstrom to look at clothes and then get a bite to eat. There are endless opportunities for great spots during lunch out. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to go, ask an upperclassman what their favorite place is!

What should I do when I fail an essay/assignment/test?

You should always try your hardest on an assignment, test, quiz or essay, but if you fail, it’s not the end of the world! Teachers here are very understanding and willing to help you out. They will meet with you, help you study or offer you help outside of class. One bad test score isn’t going to stop you from getting into college or moving onto another grade. Do your best work, but don’t sweat the small stuff!

What should I do when I forget to do my reading?

Be honest. It’s better to tell any of the E/H teachers that you didn’t have time to do your reading than to be put on the spot during a discussion.

What should I do when I get cleanup duty?

It will take a few minutes tops. You will stay on Wendy’s good side if she doesn’t have to track you down and force you to wipe down the counters. Counters mean you get a rag and some cleaning spray and you wipe down the counters. Microwaves is the same deal except with the inside of the microwaves. Recycling is taking the bins to the garage behind the lost and found. Last but not least, Fridge Duty is when you have to venture into the fridge and throw out everyone’s expired food. It’s not that bad if you try to get it done.

What should I do when I’m having an issue with a friend or teacher?

As mentioned before, teachers here care! So if you are having issues with a friend or another teacher, go to an adult who you feel comfortable with.

What should I do when I want to get involved with something at the school?

Julia is a great resource for any and everything school-related. She can reschedule classes and sign you up for clubs. She is an amazing way to get involved with the school and serves as the students’ middleman to the higher-ups. She can get you into contact with Scott Kerman, Dean of Curriculum, or Mary Folberg, Head of School. She will even help you set up your club!

What should I do when I have a scheduling problem?

Once again, Julia Cain. She will work with you to make sure your schedule is up to par. But remember, you aren’t going to like every class you take and that’s just the reality of high school.

What should I do when I’m sick?

Most importantly let the school know by calling the front desk. After that, email your teachers and rest up. Do homework, watch Netflix, eat some soup. Don’t worry about missing school and only come back when you are better. You will be able to make up what you missed. Remember though, stay up to date on your work or coming back will be tough. Our school is small and were in close quarters, so people would appreciate it if you don’t get them sick.

What should I do when there’s a class I want to take but the school doesn’t offer it?

Another great thing about a small school with caring teachers is that they will work with you to create classes! At Northwest Academy you only need to get six people together and pitch a class to Mary or Julia to get it considered. Another option that the school fully supports is taking classes independently or through another school, you just have to write up a proposal and pass it by Julia and the academic board.

What should I do when I want to play a sport?

Just because our school doesn’t offer sports doesn’t mean you can’t play one. You can join a club team or join a pick-up league. There are plenty of kids at Northwest Academy who play sports and still manage their school work.

We are not saying that we followed these guidelines either, but we’ve learned all of these the hard way. We may joke around or exaggerate but in the end if you apply yourself to the school you will do great. Each an everyone one of you were picked for your promising ideas and personalities. You were picked for a purpose, show the school right.

 

From all of us here at the Pigeon Press, new and old, enjoy your summer.