First dreaming about becoming a history teacher in the first grade, this fall marks Social Studies Teacher Elizabeth Taylor’s 13th year teaching at PHS. Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, Taylor debated between journalism and teaching history in high school, but the difficulty of attending a journalism college and the lack of a newspaper at her high school compelled her to choose education as a more secure option. 
After receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston University, Taylor taught United States and World History at Westford Academy in Massachusetts for nine years before she and her husband moved to South Jersey, where it was closer to family. Budget cuts caused by the 2008 Recession led to fewer available teaching positions, with the only one being PHS at the time. She took the offer to work at PHS knowing the challenge and reputation of the district.

“I chose education over journalism [because] I thought that I had a more secure job as a teacher. I shadowed a reporter at a local newspaper for a day during my senior year and remember them telling me that to get a job as a reporter, … you had to have worked on your high school newspaper. My school didn’t even have a newspaper, so I figured I didn’t really have a chance,” said Taylor. “I liked history; I was good at it, and I had several great history teachers. My mom was also a teacher, as was an aunt and a cousin, so I could easily picture myself as a teacher.”

Taylor strives to create a learning environment that is both intellectually engaging and inspires students to consider different perspectives. In order to keep students engaged, as well as make each year different for herself, Taylor adjusts her curriculum each year to incorporate current events and new resources that fit the needs of the new class. 

“Current events definitely help to make each year unique; this has especially been true over the last several years. Also, getting a new group of students, with their own interests and personalities; realizing that students in one period aren’t as engaged by a topic as students in an earlier period were, and moving on more quickly,” Taylor said.

In addition to social studies, Taylor also teaches Sociology Accelerated at PHS. Because of her limited knowledge on sociology and the time she had to allocate to her baby at home, Taylor was initially reluctant to adopt the new course. However, after five weeks of teaching the subject, Taylor fell in love with the creativity it allowed as well its applicability to students’ lives.

“Professionally, it is the best thing that has happened to me. … I love that it’s a rigorous course without the pressure of an AP exam,” Taylor said.

Having been regarded as a tough but fair teacher by previous and current students, Taylor finds that both of her courses teach students study skills and time management habits, which they can continue to apply in high school and throughout college.

“‘Tough but fair’ sounds about right. I hope to create an environment that is intellectually engaging and where students feel supported as they try new things and perspectives,” Taylor said.

Through her teaching, Taylor hopes to develop students’ desires to keep up with current events and become active members of society. Emma Liu ’26, a student in Taylor’s AP U.S. History class, appreciates her commitment to helping her students.

“She provides a lot of support for her students and really tries to help them succeed whether [that’s] in the classroom or for the AP Exam,” Liu said.

Outside of the classroom, Taylor strives to find a balance between work obligations and spending time with family.

“The demands on teachers are simply too great, and it definitely got much harder once I had kids,” said Taylor. “The best I have done is to ignore anything PHS-related during the summer, and to instead focus on the rest of my life as much as possible, … but during the school year, teaching takes up the majority of my time and attention.”

In her limited free time, Taylor enjoys gardening, dancing, and reading. Having been a dancer her whole life, she finds that her weekly tap dance classes give her the opportunity to unwind from the stresses of teaching.
“I take an adult tap class now that is probably the best hour of the week for me, because I’m just focusing on something that I need and not what my students need, or my kids need, or my husband needs,” Taylor said.
As her two children grow up, Taylor notes how she’s been able to relate much more to her students and their ambitious high school classes and extracurriculars as she learns to deal with her own children’s ambitions.
“I see high school students who are just trying to do it all. … They want to take five AP classes, be president of this club, etc. … and as a teacher, there’s just not enough hours in the day to do all of this, right?” Taylor said. “Now as a parent, I’m struggling to make those same types of decisions because it’s not like we’re pushing them into these things … and it’s really hard as a parent to say no when it’s something that they’re passionate about, because you want to encourage their passions, but you also don’t want them to burn out. … So, I definitely have more sympathy for my students as I watch my children navigate this themselves.”
For incoming and current APUSH students, Taylor hopes that they recognize that the class is much more than just learning history. She stresses how all of the challenges that come with taking APUSH are what makes a student’s journey in her class so special.

“A lot of it is about the journey that they go through over the course of the year. APUSH is a really hard class, but at the end of the year, students overwhelmingly tell me how worth it it was and how they learned so much more than just US history, and even more than just how to be a historian,” said Taylor. “I like seeing the journey from how they first approach the class, and what they think their goals are, what they think they’re going to get out of it, and then seeing at the end of the year, how much that has evolved.”

PHS Profile: Elizabeth Taylor

On October 22, the PHS community received an email from the Board of Education stating that Dr. Carol Kelley would be resigning from her role as PPS Superintendent following a nine-month leave of absence. In a later email to parents and guardians, Kelley offered her own words of explanation.

“This week, after much consideration, I made the difficult decision to resign as Superintendent of Princeton Public Schools. For personal and professional reasons, I must take some time to reset and recenter myself so I can later return to public education and continue to positively impact students,” Kelley wrote in an email.

Following Kelley’s announcement, Rebecca Gold stepped in to serve as Acting Superintendent and Dr. Kathleen Foster was appointed as Interim Superintendent ten days later.

Gold and Foster are both long-time administrators, in Princeton and elsewhere. Gold served for more than 25 years in Lawrence Township, serving in various leadership positions, such as the Director of Personnel. She currently serves as the Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in PPS. The temporary role of Acting Superintendent added to her current responsibilities.

When asked to describe the role of Gold and the Interim Superintendent, Dafna Kendal, President of the Board of Education, said that it was important to have someone to “sign the checks,” or in other words, act as a formal authority in the district decisions made by the administrative team.

“The board wants someone in charge; even though we have a really strong administrative team, we just want that one person,” Kendal said.

Deeply familiar with Princeton’s educational landscape, Foster most recently served as the Interim Principal for Princeton High School following the dismissal of Frank Chmiel. Prior to that, she held a longstanding administrative position in Robbinsville before joining the PPS district in December 2021 as the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. On November 13, the board approved her appointment as Interim Superintendent, which is expected to last for the rest of Kelley’s contractual term. 

According to Foster’s contract, the Board wants to “enhance administrative stability, financial security, and continuity within the schools while the Superintendent is on a leave of absence.”

Rashone Johnson, the assistant principal at PHS, believes that PHS is used to these types of changes and can adapt well to them.

“[The] high school administration is still going to do everything in our power to make sure that things still run smoothly for all of our students and staff,” Johnson said.

As PPS changes administrators, students and staff have found ways to continue to achieve the goals of the district, namely quality education. Kendal agreed that students and staff are at the core of the district.

“I think what makes our district great is our teaching staff. And, I know there have been a lot of administrative changes … [but] our teachers just continue doing their jobs and focus on teaching and learning. So while I think it’s important who we have as a leader of the district, I think we’re led by … [what is happening] in our buildings,” Kendal said.

Dr. Kathleen Foster steps in as Interim Superintendent

   Students who want to learn the code above should take one of the classes taught by Rida Kas, who has assumed the role of PHS’s programming teacher after the previous teacher, Graciela Elia, retired. She currently teaches AP Computer Science, Algorithms and Data Structures, Introduction to Java, and Object-Oriented Java. 
   With this year marking her ninth year as an educator, Kas is familiar with the knicks and knacks of the education industry. When she first started teaching in 2014, Kas taught computer science courses and robotics at Piscataway High School, then taught the same subjects at Plainfield High School.
   “In my new teacher's orientation, they kept telling us that there is a right way, there is a wrong way, and then there is a Princeton way. I [have] been exploring that Princeton way as a new teacher,” said Kas. “I wanted to see how that is bringing change in our students' lives, [and] how [Princeton’s] opportunities are different from what was offered in my previous school. The climate and culture that the students create [here are] … much different from my previous experiences, and I want to see what kind of impact they have on me.”
   While Kas has grown to love computer science and teaching over the years, she didn’t always plan for a career in this field. Initially, inspired by a close friend, Kas dreamed of becoming an architect and even took an entrance exam for an architectural undergraduate course.	
   “I soon realized that [architecture] was not something I saw myself doing for the rest of my life,” said Kas. “My father motivated me to [major] in IT. Today, I am so glad that I followed his vision, because [now] I see the importance of technology in the growing world.”
   Prior to becoming a teacher, Kas had three years of experience in the programming industry. After graduating from Mumbai University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and a Masters in Business Administration, her first job focused on taking outdated, obsolete pieces of software and converting them to cloud services, automating software at technology firms in India and New York. 
   A defining moment in Kas’s journey to becoming a teacher was the birth of her children. Kas felt that the demanding and inflexible schedules of her previous jobs left little time to spend with her two young kids. After taking a hiatus from working, Kas searched for a profession that could fit with her experiences both as a programmer and as a parent, finding a job in the education industry to be most fitting. 
   “As a parent, I bring experience from home as to what students like to learn, how they respond to certain things, and that allows me to be a parent and teacher at the same time,” said Kas. “I had a lot of moments where I realized that [teaching] was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
   In her classroom, Kas hopes to create an environment where her students can not only grow intellectually but emotionally as well. 
   “My goals I originally created when I started my educational journey were more related to intellectual learning and academics. But recently I revised them.” said Kas. “I want to make sure I incorporate a lot of social emotional learning for my students, wherein you learn not just by being present, but by being happily present in the spot that you have chosen to be in.”
   Amy Lin ’25, a current student in Kas’s AP Computer Science A class, appreciates how Kas maintains an engaging and interactive environment in the classroom. 
   “She walks around helping to explain concepts, which differs a little bit from the past when we would basically learn stuff on our own, and the teacher would be there to help us in that process,” said Lin. “Ms. Kas is more hands-on and she hopes to do activities like her teaching instead of us learning by ourselves.” 
   On top of her engaging and often pun-filled lessons, her students mention her compassionate attitude and attentiveness toward student needs, making communicating their questions feel easier.
    “She keeps in mind the students’ pace so she is never going too fast or too slow,” said Vritika Singh ’26, a student in Kas’s Introduction to Computer Science class. “She puts the students first and always makes sure our questions are answered.”
   While a lot of programming-related clubs and events such as HackPHS had a chance of being suspended due to Elia's retirement, who was their previous advisor, Kas plans to take over those positions in coming years.
   “I really like the idea of HackPHS, [but] I don’t know whether I’m ready to take the responsibility this year,” said Kas. “Maybe [I will] take my time over the summer break and plan something for our students in the form of an extracurricular activity, or maybe a club.”		
   Outside of school, Kas enjoys spending time with her kids, going to the park, cooking, and, as of recently, biking.
   “These days, we’ve been doing a lot of bike riding,” said Kas. “My youngest one just learned how to ride her bike, so it’s very exciting when we go out to the trails for a bike ride.”
   At the end of the day, Kas is grateful for the opportunity to teach at PHS.
   “Princeton is such a pinnacle, a standard, [and] a beacon when it comes to education,” said Kas. When you hear the word Princeton, you know it’s coming from high standards, it’s coming from rigor, it’s coming from challenging standpoints.”


  	If (you.want == learning_code) { 	System.out.println(“Rida Kas”); }

   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

   Following the sudden dismissal of Former PHS Principal Frank Chmiel, Dr. Kathie Foster, an educator and a strong supporter of the public school system, assumed the position of Interim Principal at Princeton High School two days before Spring Break. 
   Foster started her educational career as an elementary English teacher in the Robbinsville school district and fell in love with working on the curriculum. This love for curriculum brought her to the administrative side of the district, and eventually led her to the superintendent position. 
   “I was an elementary teacher, and I actually taught every single grade level but kindergarten,” said Foster. “I started to fall in love with middle school students. And so then I really focused on being a middle school teacher and I ended up being an English language arts middle school teacher and loved it until I took the position as assistant principal.”
   Last year, Foster came out of retirement to take up the position of interim assistant superintendent for PPS. After fulfilling her role as interim assistant principal, she was called back to become interim principal in March.
   “I retired as superintendent in 2020 … I was ready to just take a break, rest a bit and really find what's next for me. I did some volunteer work, [for] ‘Dress for Success,’ which is an organization that empowers women, [and also] workshops and resume building---and guess what it was all about---educating and teaching. [Following] that, I knew that I was ready to return [as] I've always been a passionate supporter of public education,” said Foster.
   Foster’s transition has been well received by administrators such as Cecilia Birge, one of three PHS Assistant Principals. 
   “I think her transition has been seamless. Schools are not run by the individual – [they’re] run by a team. And we're very lucky that we have a really good team. She's so mindful of Princeton culture… academically, athletically, artistically, and politically,” said Birge.
   Although students are only just getting to know her, she already has knowledge of the culture at PHS, working as the Assistant Superintendent last year, letting her blend into the current administrative team already at PHS.
   “Dr. Foster is no stranger; she was in the district last year. Students probably did not get a chance to work with her or meet her frequently, but we administrators are very familiar with her…Her leadership is student-centered and kindness focused. She brings in a lot of mindfulness…and wants to meet the students so it's been really great,” said Birge.
   Her familiarity with the PHS community has shown itself clearly to the administrators.
   “There are times that as administrators, we often live in the gray area when it's time to make a decision, but because [Foster] served as superintendent and assistant superintendent for so many years, she's so familiar with the district policies and does not hesitate to make decisions. So I think I can speak for the entire team that we all feel really, really supported,” said Birge
   Foster’s main goal is to have a positive school year. She places a special emphasis on mental health and how to maintain a balance between academic stress and time to regroup. Dr. Foster wants to work with the staff to make sure that everyone understands and supports students in the classroom with mental health. 
   “I know that the school year is almost over, but I want to make sure that students feel emotionally and physically safe, that they’re successful academically, and that they know that people care about them.” 
   One thing Foster loves about the Princeton community is that students are at the center. She also appreciates how passionate the educators are and how they really care about the students that they are teaching. 
   “It’s about activating your voice, you know, empowering students, creating student leaders to go out in the world and contribute. So, I love my work even though I didn't get to interact as much with students. I was able to interact with people and engage with students,” said Foster.
   Instead of sending out morning emails, Dr. Foster will stick to her Sunday night messages. 
   “I know that it may be a disappointment to people, but I’m learning all of these new systems all at once and I am trying to meet with students. We are also looking into the possibility of putting the lunch menu on an app or website to make it easier [for students],” said Foster.
   Foster has also made the decision that this year, students will not be required to wear lanyards, but students are given the choice to adjust to the new system early. While she believes that it would be beneficial, Foster and the Student Advisory Council decided that it would be too big a change this year. 
   “Students, I want to tell you, I’m here for a short time, but I’m here for you fully. I want to be visible, I’m going to champion for you and provide the best end of the year for you. I can guarantee that I am really passionate about making sure that you have a great end of the year,” said Foster.

PHS Profile: Kathie Foster's short time at PHS focuses on student well-being

After a 13-year career, Gary Harris, a janitor at PHS, will retire on June 30. He will leave a lasting impact on the students and teachers at PHS because of his efforts to go the extra mile for students, as well as to ensure that PHS recycles properly.
   Growing up in Newark, Harris began working part-time supervising young kids at a recreation center at the age of 16. As he got older, he took on a number of other jobs, such as working at a luggage company and as a crossing guard. The job which prepared him most for his time at PHS, though, was his job at a paper recycling company, where he learned the intricacies of recycling for over ten years.
   Harris prides himself in his job, beginning his shift at 2:30 p.m., a full hour before it is supposed to start, and ending it after 10:00 p.m., hours after his colleagues have finished. Part of the reason why he stays so long is that he meticulously sorts through the trash bags of other janitors to take out the recycling, a process that other janitors are unwilling to do. In fact, his boss sometimes has to make him leave the school so that he can go home. However, with his past work experience, he feels obligated to do this, despite the amount of time investment required.
   “I do the little things that other people won’t take the time to do… I take time out to do stuff like that. To me, it’s not a big deal. My boss will get mad because I stand there when it’s ten o’clock at night, and I’ll be in the main office or the library with a stack of about 1000 books. I stood in till the a.m. last year when [students] had to take the PSAT… I was tearing them out, pulling staples out, and separating the paper,” Harris said. 
   Throughout Harris’s time at PHS, one major problem he’s noticed is that the students and faculty are not recycling. To resolve this issue, he proposes a simple, yet clever solution to encourage recycling. 
   “We should really force people to recycle,” said Harris. “I can’t make everyone do this… but it would help. It would make it much easier for [the janitors] to recycle [properly]. But I can understand the simple fact that if you had a big garbage [bin] or a small blue one with a little hole, you’d naturally throw your garbage away in the big one. The main aim is [to have] the ones where you push the thing [that] swings back. Those would be perfect.”
   Leaving behind a legacy of love and kindness, Harris will miss the close relationships he has made during his rounds each night. Following his retirement, he hopes to be able to spend much more quality time with his grandkids and close family. He also wants to watch more sports, and a variety of movies including dramas, mysteries, and sci-fi. 
   “I’m not going to miss the job so much, but I am going to miss the people that I met here. I know almost every principal and every custodian here. I’m going to miss a lot of students because I remember when I first met them, and it makes me feel good to see [them]... going to high school… then college,” Harris said.
   Harris’s dedication and motivation to help others has left an impact on the PHS community and how it deals with different types of waste. Although many students may not know about Harris, his efforts to promote recycling have caused an increase in awareness throughout the school. 
   “PHS is relatively cleaner than most other schools,” said Sawyer Quallen ’24. “[There] is an abundance of recycling bins throughout the school and inside classrooms, making it more convenient to recycle. With limited resources on our planet and community, we should make a stronger effort to reuse and recycle. Our actions dictate our future, and how we choose to use our resources greatly affects it,” Quallen said.
   For the past 13 years, Harris has made close friends in the Princeton High School community, not only with staff, but also with students who he has met over the years. He also shows that it is the little things in life that make a difference in the world, such as recycling properly. Harris’s time working at PHS sets an example for hard work and being kind to others, even when it may require more time and effort.
   “I’m just one of the many custodians that work [at PHS],” said Harris. “[But] I try to do it the best I can.”


PHS Profile: Gary Harris pushes the importance of recycling

 For many teachers, starting their first year teaching at a new school is no easy task. Brent Ferguson though, currently teaching Calculus, AP Calculus AB, and AP Calculus BC, has already managed to set himself apart in just his first few days at the PHS. 
   Ferguson is no stranger to teaching, with this year marking his 30th year as an educator. When he first started as a teacher in 1993, Fergeson taught physics and chemistry at an all-boys school in Cleveland. Since then, Ferguson has taught at many schools including The Lawrenceville School, Princeton Day School, and Montgomery High School, before coming to PHS. 
   While he has grown to love the job over the years, Ferguson didn’t always know that teaching was for him. 
   “I always had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up,” said Ferguson. “I started tutoring officially in high school back in the 80s, you know, $15 an hour, it felt like highway robbery to charge that much. But I feel like that was the beginning of my teaching career. I think I would have been fine to do a number of other things, but I think this is really what I'm called to do.”
   One defining part of Ferguson’s journey in becoming a teacher was his time at graduate school at the Princeton Theological Seminary. Going into it, Ferguson felt the need to slow down and reevaluate where he wanted to go with the rest of his career, either continuing as a teacher or possibly assuming a leadership role in the church. 
   “During that time, I started to reframe why I was teaching. I kind of always just liked math, but I realized that the reason why teaching is so appealing to me is because you're helping people figure out who they are and who they are becoming and who they can be,” Ferguson said. 
   Yuyi Liu ’24, a student in Ferguson’s AP Calculus BC class, appreciates his love for teaching and the positive classroom environment that his passion brings with it. 
   “I like how he’s very good at guiding us into understanding the problem with hints and clues instead of rushing through the process and merely having us copy down notes. He emphasizes important parts of the lesson and really makes sure students comprehend the significant takeaways. His passion for math is very contagious, which creates an encouraging and engaging environment,” Liu said. 
   Ferguson does many things to make sure that students get the most possible out of their time in his class, emphasizing that student engagement is crucial for a complete learning experience. 
   “Getting students talking with the whole class and … in small groups is super important. And I think that's a really important piece of mine,” said Ferguson. “I think that the verbal description of math is what really leads to people owning their ideas and owning what they're doing, not just copying what a teacher did.”
   When students leave his classroom, Ferguson hopes that they are more prepared and excited to face the challenges that lie ahead of them in both their academic and non-academic lives. 
   “There are a few things that I hope anybody who interacts with me but especially my students take away,” said Ferguson. “That I love them no matter what, that I've got their back, and I will, without question, challenge them because the math is challenging. I'm not going to add to the challenges or pull away from them, but I'm definitely going to support students in finding ways that they can meet those challenges.”
   Vikas Yarlaggada ’25, a student in Fergusons AP Calculus BC class, appreciates how he uses humor to stray from creating a tedious working environment.
   “When he teaches, he can crack a joke or say something funny which really dials the class into what he is teaching,” said Yarlaggada. “He’s also still able to progress with the material because everyone then pays attention and understands quickly.”
   Outside of school, Ferguson enjoys spending time with his family and has many hobbies, including playing ultimate frisbee, doing jigsaw puzzles, and his latest interest: chopping wood.
   “We have this great little fireplace insert, and we heat our home mostly by burning wood,” said Ferguson. “We have a gas furnace, but we don't use it very much because we just love the smell and the kind of the caretaking quality of chopping, and managing and stoking the fire. It's just very satisfying.”
   In the end, Ferguson is grateful for the opportunity to teach at PHS. 
   “I'm really really glad to be here. It feels like home to me, because this is the kind of school that I grew up in,” said Ferguson. “I just feel like I have a chance to be useful and give back.”


PHS Profile: Brent Ferguson promotes student engagement in the classroom


Ever since a young age, Dave Pollack knew that he had a passion for music. He started playing the piano when was just five years old, and started learning to play the saxophone soon after that when he was nine. In high school, Pollack frequently participated in musical performances and performed at jazz festivals, winning several awards. Now, as the new band director at PHS, he hopes to spread that love for music to his students.

As the owner of Princeton Home Music Lessons, educating younger students has always been an important part of Pollack’s life. After high school, Pollack enrolled in William Paterson University where he started teaching a few private lessons. His passion for teaching music has grown since then.

“Teaching private lessons helped me know how great [jazz] was for me. I wanted to pass that on to other students, so they can have the same good experience that I did when I was in school.” Pollack said.

Pollack taught at The Lawrenceville School and the Cranbury School before becoming the PHS Instrumental Music Teacher. When he heard about the open teaching spot at PHS, he knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

“I know the history of the program really well because my students from Cranbury would go to Princeton High. I have known how great the program is for so long. Any director would want this job, not just me. I’m just lucky enough to have it.” Pollack said.

Guiding young students to discover music is something that Pollack finds important, especially because music is involved in many aspects of their daily lives.

“Music is everywhere, [even] when we don’t even realize it. Music [is] in movies. Music sets a mood if you go to a coffee shop,” said Pollack. “You go into an elevator, you go to a concert, music is everywhere, there’s so much of it”

Pollack focuses his teaching to give his students a taste of music from around the world. However, as the band director, jazz is something that Pollack finds the most important to teach among all types of music.

“This program is great because we focus on the jazz side, ‘jazz’ is just an umbrella term for so many different styles. If you only focus on classical music, you’re really focusing on Western European music from the 1600s through the 1800s,” said Pollack. “When you say you're doing ‘jazz’ music, you're really doing world music. We’re not only doing jazz from the early 1900s in the United States, but we’re also doing bossa nova music from South America, funk music, African music, and lots of different styles of music from all over the world from all different time periods under the umbrella of jazz. That’s why I think it’s so important.”

Moving from teaching middle school students to high school has been a welcoming change for Pollack. He finds satisfaction in teaching and discussing music at a higher level.

“The students are older, and just by that nature, more mature. We’re able to do higher-level things musically, but also I’m able to talk to them on a different level,” said Pollack.

After Pollack’s recent arrival, PHS Instrumental Music Teacher Joseph Bongiovi feels there have been many positive impacts with other bands as well

“I enjoy the humor. I think one big change with him is that we have fun in a more productive way, and then, you know, everybody feels like [they’re] part of the fun” said PHS Instrumental Music Teacher Joseph Bongiovi. “I feel like everybody, since he’s been here, has changed the level of enthusiasm. I think overall, having him here has been positive in terms of his energy. He’s brought new energy.”

As spring rolls around, Pollack is excited to begin the performance season. Several bands will be holding spring concerts in April and May.

“I’m looking forward to all the performances and opportunities that the kids have this year. We have you know, we did state prelims. Now we have state finals coming up, we have our own jazz festival featuring Tony Succar. We have a band dance. We have our spring concert. We have another concert and we have our Disney trip. So there’s a lot-jam packed into the spring.” says Pollack.

After two years of pandemic affected performances, both Pollack and his students are excited to return to real in-person performances. Performance opportunities in front of a live audience in a global pandemic have been limited. However, as the world get back to normal, more live performances are available for students.

“I’m always about performance opportunities and being able [to see] the fact that students haven’t had those last two years, that’s why I’m so excited to just see them on stage performing and see [how]  the audience will react to them.” Pollack said.

PHS Profile: Dave Pollack brings his passion for music to the classroom

Ever since high school, Janine Giammanco knew that she had an interest in chemistry. Now, as a chemistry teacher at Princeton High School, she uses her passion for education in order to try and push her students to be the best they can be.  

   “I had an excellent chemistry teacher in high school who really sparked my interest in science, to the point where I started as a chemistry major in college,” said Giammanco.

   Her passion for chemistry didn’t translate in a lab setting, so she decided to pursue a job with a more social aspect. 

   “When I started working in a lab, in a college, I just decided it wasn't for me,” said Giammanco. “I wanted to be with people, and I really enjoyed working with kids.”

   Giammanco strives to make her class as engaging as possible. Yuyi Liu ‘24, a student in her Chemistry I Accelerated class, appreciates her teaching style.

   “There are many interactive discussions and demonstrations during class, which engages students in the content. Giammanco extends class contents in applying it to the real world. During our studies of the chemical elements, we conducted further research on where the materials in cell phones come from…Then we put our research into a project, where we explained why constantly upgrading cell phones is harmful to the environment, connecting our research and studies of chemical elements,” Liu said. 

   ​​While many teachers found the pandemic to have a negative impact on their teaching, Giammanco remained optimistic. For example, posting instructional videos online allowed her to focus on projects and group work instead of instruction at the board. The new free time was then focused towards group work, projects, labs, all of which had been removed in the last couple of years, leading to a more student-centered learning environment. With her passion to push her students, Giammanco wants to truly understand what each student needs in order to have an optimal learning environment. 

   “I have a well run classroom and set high expectations so that students can push themselves, but at the same time, making sure that you're treating them fairly in terms of what is going on in their life. The hardest part is striking that balance between setting high standards and meeting individual needs.”

   “She really understands things in general…if you're really stressed about something, she's really patient with you,” said Lauren Girouard ‘24, a student in Giammanco’s Chemistry I class. 

   While the job can be hard, it comes with benefits that make it all worthwhile in the end. Through her relationships and connections with her students, Giammanco was able to build one of her most memorable experiences. At her wedding, she invited Cat’s Meow, an a cappella group at PHS, to sing at her service.  

   “My favorite part of being a teacher is getting to know the students and I love to see them grow from the beginning of the school year,” Giammanco said. “I really do love my interactions with the kids every day.”

Janine Giammanco shares her passion for chemistry with students

Growing up, Timothy Campbell always knew he had a passion for politics and history. From engaging high school history classes to family Thanksgiving dinner conversations centered around politics, Campbell was drawn to the open and interpretive nature of the two fields. Now, as a history teacher at PHS, Campbell has led meaningful discussions about American history and contemporary events for 16 years.

Before coming to Princeton, Campbell was born and raised in Michigan, where he studied at Central Michigan University. With two teachers for parents, Campbell had always seen himself becoming a teacher in his own future. In college, Campbell tried to pursue his interest in political science as much as possible, majoring in secondary education with a focus on constitutional law and political science. By senior year, Campbell was amongst a select class of around 100 other interns at the White House.“I did a lot of correspondence, letter writing, setting up of meetings with potential appointees, and ... logistics of the correspondence,” said Campbell. “I had the best job because I had pretty much daily access and interaction with the President of the United States.”Following his internship, Campbell explored many different applications of his major, such as consulting and local campaigning. But he soon felt burnt out and realized he wanted to reignite his original passions in teaching.At the recommendation of a colleague, Campbell taught at Villa Victoria Academy, an all-girls private Catholic school, for three years. After researching New Jersey school districts more, Campbell came across PHS and was drawn to students’ drive for academic success. Campbell has always placed an emphasis on student growth and broadening perspectives rather than numerical grades. His classes are discussion-based, aimed toward encouraging open conversations on topics that may be difficult or controversial. Campbell believes this style of learning gives his students a safe place to discuss, especially if there are differing opinions.

“You don’t learn anything from just talking about or listening to opinions that are your own ... nobody ever died from listening. The worst thing that ever happens is that it solidifies your faith and your conviction in your own belief system ... [and] that’s a win-win,” said Campbell. “Silencing discourse, or not listening to [it], in addition to silencing people that you disagree with, [makes you] no better than the people that you disagree with. Campbell believes it is even more important to create such an environment given the turbulent political climate the country has been facing.“I’ve always been a firm believer in the idea that the most difficult conversations in life are all usually the most important,” said Campbell. “I understand [that]... in a school setting, [there is] an unwillingness or a level of discomfort, to have those difficult conversations in class whether it’s Black Lives Matter, abortion, guns, whatever it may be, but those are the important ones.”

Expanding on this, Campbell also believes that his students are in a place in their lives where conversation about these issues is uniquely important. “Having discourse and providing a place for young adults to start to talk about and think openly about these issues is important [because] come the next election, they’re going to have the opportunity to affect some sort of change,” Campbell said. Nicholas Matese ’24, a student in AP United States History with Campbell belives that Campbell’s efforts to include everyone in class discussions have been beneficial for students.“I like the fact that he makes sure everyone who wants to speak is able to speak,” said Matese.Campbell’s students also appreciate efforts to teach uncomfortable topics and tie them back to real life examples. “Especially in government and politics, there’s a lot more relevance to current events. ... The issues that he discusses with our Constitution are really being challenged every day in the political sphere,” said William Erickson ’22, who had Campbell for AP United States History and currently takes AP Government and Politics.To incorporate current event topics and introduce these difficult topics, Campbell goes beyond the textbook, using podcasts, documentaries, YouTube videos, and articles. He believes these mediums not only supplement his lessons, but also allow him to fill informational and educational gaps from the textbook.

Campbell recognizes COVID-19 as a major setback in the past two years since it prevented his favorite part of teaching—his daily interactions with his students. However, Campbell never lets them affect his goal and objective as a teacher. “There are always going to be frustrations in public education, but ... [I never lose] sight of the fact that the students that are sitting in front of [me] are the most important constituency that [I] serve. Nothing will ever cloud that,” Campbell said.

Outside of the classroom, Campbell is an avid sports fan who loves running as well as playing golf and hockey. On top of that, he also enjoys spending time with his children and often acts as their “taxi driver,” taking them to their many sports events. Campbell’s intended takeaway for his students is to pay attention to the world and to embrace their unique opinions. “I don’t care who they vote for. I would never do that. But just that [they] have a voice. And in this world where a lot of voices are silenced... you have a way of promoting change yourself,” said Campbell. “So that’s my biggest priority... that when they leave here, they go out into the world and they exercise that voice.”

PHS Profile: Timothy Campbell promotes activism among students


 Dr. Robert Corell knew that he was drawn to the sciences after conducting independent research on white and red-eyed fruit flies when he was a junior in high school, later choosing to pursue a PhD in chemistry. Now, Corell begins his 25th year at PHS, teaching AP Chemistry and Chemistry I Accelerated. Although for many students chemistry isn’t the easiest subject to learn and understand, Dr. Corell makes sure his students are on the path to achieving their goals and fulfilling the potential that he sees in them.

   Corell began his teaching career right out of college. While studying for his master’s and PhD, he worked as a teaching assistant. After earning his graduate degrees, he taught at Spotswood High School for a year before transitioning to his position at PHS.

   While in his class, Corell wants students to feel engaged but challenged by the content. He believes that students in accelerated tracks need a different style of teaching in order to truly succeed.

   “I try to run a well organized class to try and help the students become organized,” said Corell. “That’s one of the things that I think … the top students need the most help with. They’re all smart, but most of them have spent their K–8 years being the smartest kid in class, and not having to do a lot of work to be successful.”

   Corell tries to provide a structure for his students in which they ask questions and are able to come up with their own answers. He mentions that the kids who self-motivate and stay organized are the ones who are able to succeed in his classes. For many of his students, Corell’s way of setting expectations further helps them improve and challenge them academically.

   “He’s definitely intense and his teaching style is quick, but most things are pretty straightforward. I'd say he’s good at making sure that all of his students are doing well,” said Accelerated Chemistry I student Jane Bennett ’24.

   On top of the high expectations and extra attention from Corell, his students mention his positive attitude towards learning makes it all more fun to communicate with him.

   “He’s a lot of fun to have as a teacher … He’s great at explaining everything and when you go to him for help, he explains things in a way that makes sense. He’s [also] a sarcastic person … so it’s more fun to have conversations with him.” said AP Chemistry student Audrey Kang ’24. 

   Alongside teaching his classes, Corell is also involved in running multiple activities outside of school, including Chemistry Club and PHS’s summer Chemistry I Accelerated course. He believes that the summer program has been a positive addition to PHS.

   “We felt that we could do a better job than the other institutions that were providing the summer program. And we thought we could use the money that we were making with the summer program to provide scholarships for those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, who don't generally appear in the AP program,” said Corell. “We’ve been successful beyond our wildest dreams in the first part of the program.”

   On his career journey, Corell faced no shortage of challenges. Due to his nontraditional education, when he first started teaching, he felt unprepared for his students. 

   “My entry into teaching at the high school level was definitely very rough. Having never gone to a teaching college, I went what’s called an alternative route. so I actually did not get my first course in how to teach until I actually had been teaching for several days,” said Corell. “Both my first year at Spotswood and my first year here were definitely very rough. And if it wasn’t for the support I received from certain people at the time, I wouldn’t be here.”

   Corell notes that COVID-19 was also a challenge in his teaching career, though one that created an opportunity for growth. He mentions that before the pandemic he had a very “lecture-and-slideshow-dependent” teaching style but needed to condense his lessons in order to fit the time crunch. 

   “COVID-19 forced us to really think about how we used our time when we were remote last year. We literally had 50 percent of the instructional time that we had in a normal year. So we had to think about, especially for a course like an accelerated course, how [to] deliver the content,” Corell said.

   Nevertheless, the pandemic did not stop him from helping his students achieve their goals in class. One thing that Corell did to adapt to COVID-19 was to implement something called flipped learning. 

   “The idea of the flipped learning style in its purest form, is to take what would normally happen in the classroom, and make that homework,” said Corell. “The idea is [that] you do [the practice] in front of the teacher. So the teacher can walk around and give one-on-one or small group help.”

   Outside of PHS, Corell enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife.
  “Before COVID-19, my wife and I were definitely enjoying our empty nest. We liked to go see the 4 [p.m.] movie almost every week, and then go out to dinner afterwards,” said Corell. “And I love to travel, I love to go to places I haven’t been before. New Orleans is a great city to go visit. I enjoyed my trip there just a couple of weeks ago.”

   During his 24 years of teaching at PHS, Corell believes that he has learned many lessons and encountered many obstacles, but sees these as just another aspect that makes his job interesting.

   “If you don’t improve in the beginning, you’re certainly not going to last. And there are still challenges. COVID threw a curveball at us. New administrators throw a curveball at us. There’s always challenges to overcome,” said Corell. “But it’s one of the things that makes the job fun. It’s not the same year after year, it doesn’t get boring.”



PHS Profile: Dr. Robert Corell challenges students to succeed

The Researcher encourages scientific awareness
Focusing on current scientific discoveries, achievements, and events, The Researcher is PHS’s new student-run monthly science magazine. The editors are currently publishing the magazine online, with seven sections: biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, student research, guest speakers at the school, and a section for logic puzzles.
Editors-in-Chief Ben Baumgartner ’21 and Sanyukta Mudakannavar ’21, who were inspired to create the magazine by their experiences in PHS’s research program, organized a group of editors to begin creating the first issue of the magazine.
“[In my freshman year], I felt that there was no outlet at PHS for me to read more into the sciences. I was unaware of the fascinating ongoing scientific research underway in both the broader scientific community and by high school students,” said Mudakannavar. “I felt that if I was exposed to the research world earlier, I would have greatly benefited from it and explored more of the different fields in the sciences.” 
Mudakannavar and Baumgartner wanted to educate the community by creating a magazine that would discuss and share recent scientific discoveries, both at PHS and in the greater scientific community. 
“The Researcher is a magazine that students and faculty can access if they want to read up on all of the interesting discoveries happening in science in the world, and the speakers and experiments happening at the school,” said Baumgartner. “One of our goals is that this would help to promote high school student research and raise awareness about the student-led research in the PHS research program to the Princeton community.”
Through the creation of this magazine and the need for coverage of a multitude of scientific fields, Baumgartner and Mudakannavar became interested in many different sciences that they had previously not known much about. They hope to do the same for other students at PHS who read their magazine.
Beyond research conducted by professional scientists, Baumgartner and Mudakannavar are also planning to share the scientific work of students at PHS. Because Baumgartner and Mudakannavar have seen the dedication of time and effort put into the PHS Research projects, they hope that the accomplishments of these students can be seen and appreciated by their peers.
“One of the challenges that [Ben and I] faced [before we started the magazine] was that [we] were unable to effectively publicize and share [the Research students’] findings or research projects [with] the community,” said Mudakannavar. “This magazine is [unique because] it showcases interesting and awesome PHS student research, which isn't really known to many students in the school.”
The magazine comes out monthly, having published its first issue in February. In the future, its editors hope to publish more articles and enlist more students as writers to continue their pursuit of informing the community about scientific research and events in the world and at PHS.
	“Eventually, when the magazine gains more recognition, we plan to approach local businesses who would be interested in placing ads on our website, [to be able to publish a physical version as well],” said Mudakannavar. “Our main hope is that this will raise awareness in the school about events in the scientific community happening today.”

Link to website: https://www.theresearcherphs.com/
Career speakers promote student opportunities

Throughout this school year, the Ideas Center hosted career speakers in the Learning Commons during F-Day community service times instead of the usual Career Fair. The first event took place on February 27, and the Ideas Center Board originally planned for them to continue through mid-May. Because of the switch to remote learning, the Ideas Center was only able to host one more session on March 9.
In an attempt to present a multitude of career options and ideas for students, the Ideas Center Board, along with advisor Dr. Andrea Dinan, invited speakers of different careers to advise and offer their own experience to the students.
“[Having the speakers come is beneficial] because [students will] see that there are so many opportunities and [different] ways that you can [be successful],” said Moriah Eley ’21, a member of the Ideas Center Board.
	Based on her prior experiences with listening to career speakers in college, Dinan believes that having experts come in and talk is more effective than a career fair because the communication of real information is more direct.
“I wanted to do something [other] than the Career Fair [because] I don't think students get an opportunity to ask a lot of questions or find out any in-depth information about any careers,” Dinan said. 
Eley hopes students will be able to see what the careers are like in practice by learning more about the duties and benefits of the jobs. The board carefully chooses the speakers to address the interests of the student body and the practical applications of each job. 
“We started with a really big list. We want to make sure we have a diverse group that represents a diversity of people, careers, [and] interest for all the students,” Dinan said.
	They especially hoped to encourage students to participate and ask questions to the speakers, to ensure that the students would learn something from the presentation. Additionally, with the many choices they had, they were able to choose jobs that were beneficial for students to learn about.  
	“I really wanted students to understand that these careers are [attainable], and [what] their futures would look like,” said Dinan. “Having these career speakers come in and talk about their [experiences] really helps students to diversify their [ideas] about what [career] they want to pursue in the future.”
	The speakers also explained to students what challenges came with their careers and how to overcome them, as well as introduce them to careers or even entire fields that they might have never had the opportunity to learn about.
	“What I think [students] can benefit from here is to listen to different points and different perspectives,” said one of Johnson & Johnson’s Senior Finance Director Eduardo Gonzalez and one of the career speakers. “There are a ton of opportunities for [students] right now, and I want [them] to be [aware] of those opportunities and [begin] thinking more about [their] futures.”
	Although it is currently not possible for speakers to deliver presentations in person, the Ideas Center is finding new ways to continue offering these opportunities to students, and is considering hosting speakers over Zoom during the period of remote learning.
Princeton’s new affordable housing plan will increase PHS enrollment

	Princeton’s new affordable housing plan calls for construction of several developments to meet Princeton’s required number of affordable housing mandated by the state. However, this would increase enrollment at PHS, which is already high and steadily rising. 
	“We're very mindful that there are enrollment concerns [and the] district has [been] sensitive to that,” said Mayor Liz Lempert. “We know that the school district is having some challenging discussions right now, [and] we’re also having conversations about the benefits of affordable housing in [Princeton].”
	Soorya Baliga ’22, a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, believes there should be a balance between the increasing class size and the preservation of more personalized education.
	“On one hand, [the addition of more students leads to a] less individualized education.  However, having more students also means more perspectives to add to the school community,” Baliga said.
	Although the Affordable Housing Plan will increase the overcrowding at PHS, Lempert believes there are benefits to it as well. 
The mayor has already set a goal to make sure the locations of these housings can maximize the benefits in the community by helping local businesses.
“[We wanted the developments to be] walkable to shops, jobs, [and] transit. [The] buildings [will be] sustainable,” said Lempert. “[But] we also had to make sure that the developments were going to be feasible.”
	This affordable housing will increase the level of income diversity in Princeton Public Schools, which is relatively low in comparison to other districts. Additionally, one of the developments will be reserved only for senior citizens.
“[We want to] lower the negative impact of this affordable housing application on the schools and the community,” said Lempert. “[Senior housing] is important because we hear all the time from seniors in the community that they need to have more housing options that will be more affordable.” 
Currently, the township has reached half of the approximately 750 affordable housing units needed by 2025. To reach this number, the municipality will use two methods to build new developments, aimed to satisfy the affordable housing mandate while still helping out the people receiving affordable housing.
“First, there is the method where the township builds affordable housing. [The other way is with an] inclusionary project, [where] an outside developer comes in, and they are required to make 20 percent of their development affordable,” said Lempert. “What the [Princeton] plan tries to do is strike the balance between the two methods.”
 On February 19, the Princeton Council approved the Thanet Road development, moving the affordable housing plan forward. This was one of the first steps in continuing the development of more affordable housing in Princeton.
“The truth is that the town is growing, and we want to plan for the municipality, [while also making sure] it has a good relationship with the district,” said Lempert. “We’ve been working together on questions about how the schools might grow, [and we hope] that we can sustain that growth.”

Flash Features

Natsuko Buurstra has been teaching Japanese at PHS for 18 years. Buurstra taught Japanese Language and Literature at a high school in Japan for three years before moving to the United States in 1984. Before coming to PHS, she worked for six years as a manager at a Japanese cosmetics company and taught Japanese at Rutgers.
Besides teaching different levels of Japanese at PHS, Buurstra also created and teaches the East Asian Studies class. Buurstra started this class because she believed that there was a lack of exposure to the cultures of China, Japan, and Korea at PHS. Buurstra wanted this class to introduce and celebrate these cultures with students.
“In this school, there are several other classes that teach about other cultures, like Russian studies, or the [Latin] America Studies. … But there's nothing about East Asia. And East Asia — China, Korea and Japan — has such a long, rich, culture and history,” said Buurstra. “It seems like in the students' history classes, they don't learn too much about [culture] — they focus on trade [and] economy. Even though all of that is important, I think it's also important to learn more about culture.”
During her time at PHS, Buurstra has not only taught students, but has also learned from them. Buurstra believes that all of the people she has met at PHS have taught her something new.
“[I’ve learned] that I have to be patient with my students, to let them really understand the material and to let them learn at their own pace,” said Buurstra. “I've learned [from] all the other people I work with. I've met so many great students, parents, and also other fellow teachers.”
One reason Buurstra loves teaching Japanese at PHS is her students’ passion for the class. 
“I have really great students who are really interested in the Japanese language and Japanese culture. [They're] very studious — they study hard because they want to do more with the language. And they're very open-minded,” Buurstra said. “I'm very blessed to have great students.”
To help her students’ mental health, Buurstra tries not to give very much homework. She believes that her students can learn Japanese without doing hours of homework each night. 
“Every student has [a] different progress speed — some students will finish everything in a really short time, but some need extra time. The students here have a lot going on, and a lot of them are really stressed. [I] don't really want to add to that stress [by giving them too much homework].”
In her class, Buurstra tries to focus on learning rather than memorization. She maintains a test policy where students are able to retake their assessments until they feel satisfied with their grade, and tries to encourage studying inside and outside the classroom.
“I have my quiz policy because instead of just moving on after each quiz, after each test, I want to teach the students. I don't want to just say ‘that's it’ and move on. I want them to learn,” said Buurstra. “So that's why, as long as they're learning, I want to give as many chances as I can. I want them to be able to keep doing the tests until they've learned the material.”
Outside of school, Buurstra enjoys cooking, going on walks with her dogs, and playing Mahjong with her Japanese friends.
Buurstra hopes that students can see that the classes she teaches are approachable, and encourages students to broaden their horizons.
“Japanese is not as difficult of a language as many people think. … The East Asian class is a really great class, especially if you're interested in East Asian history,” said Buurstra. “I hope that more people will be open to [learning] Japanese and [studying] East Asian cultures.”

Replacement PHS Profile: Natsuko Buurstra

The teacher has just asked a question and the answer that was so clear in your mind is now clouded by questions: What if it’s wrong? What if everyone laughs at me? What if I trip up my words and embarrass myself? The hand that you were about to raise goes back to your lap. To a teacher, this lowered hand could automatically lead to a lower grade, an assumption that you didn’t do the assignment, or an overall sour feeling about you. Very quickly those questions about your participation become questions about your grade leading to a new anxious spiral from a want to participate to the fear holding you back. 

Quiet people are often perceived as uninterested, unopinionated, or even disrespectful as they tend not to engage in large groups. Although we have this assumption in schools that quieter students can be coaxed out of their shells, the participation grade incentive that schools use to get students to open up does not work. This incentive leads to greater anxiety as the desire to bring up this grade is overshadowed by the anxiety that comes along with raising it. In general, participation grades are an inaccurate representation of students’ academic performances that ought to be replaced with a more inclusive analysis of students’ understanding of the material.

The desire to remain quiet comes from natural parts of peoples’ personalities such as shyness or introversion. While both traits can coexist, it is critical to make the distinction between the two. Shyness is fear of social judgment. Everyone has shyness to some extent and that is how the initial fear of raising your hand comes out in the first place. Introversion concerns how individuals respond to stimuli. Extroverts typically need more stimuli, while introverts thrive best in low-key environments. Our society tends to idealize extroverts as outspoken people who are often those with the greatest power or influence. PHS is guilty of this idealization as well. This is reflected in our participation grades, who we elect to student government, and even the people that we view as the smartest in our grades. We wouldn’t be placing our more extroverted peers on a pedestal if they didn’t make us believe that they deserved to be there through their outspoken tendencies. However, this idealization of more talkative students completely minimizes the work that quieter students do to maintain their grades, their positions in extracurricular activities, and their efforts to create a social presence at PHS. 

Having established the difference between shyness and introversion, we can dive into why shyness is impacting students’ participation tendencies in the first place. Researchers at Northwestern University theorized that “kids face a social stigma for publicly making an effort to excel”. This stems from a school’s overall academic based culture. We would like to assume that given the pressure to take AP courses, apply to top colleges and fill our plates full of extracurriculars, PHS would fall into the “cool-to-be-smart” category of schools, however this is not the case. It is always incredibly awkward to be the student who breaks the silence in class when it seems that no one knows the answer. In that situation, it is far easier to keep your hand lowered rather than draw attention to yourself for being the know-it-all or the dumb one if you get the answer wrong. Although the chances of that actually happening are incredibly low, human’s inherent shyness creates that narrative within our minds which makes it easier for us to follow the masses. Rather than penalizing people for their inherent shyness, shouldn’t our teachers be understanding of that fear and encourage participation rather than enforce it?

Modern-day teaching needs to embrace all types of learning, listening, and communication styles. In an inclusive learning community like PHS, we should encourage introverts and quiet students to reach their academic potential using a multitude of ways to demonstrate mastery of learning material. A more equitable participation grading technique could help to make it easier for quieter students to demonstrate what they know. The canvas discussion boards can be an effective way for students to interact virtually with a way to edit what they say to feel the most confident about their responses while also maintaining conversations with other students. This would eliminate the overwhelming stimuli of in-class discussions that can be daunting for many students. Regardless of the volume of their voice, every student has one, and it’s time we learn to listen.

Hands down — quiet people, speak up

Community service is no foreign concept for many students around the nation. Many school districts, including Princeton High School, require their students to fulfill a certain number of community service hours during their time in high school, ticking off the graduation requirement prior to leaving their senior years. While this requirement can be extremely beneficial and helpful for communities and students alike, it also raises many questions pertaining to the ethical aspect of mandating community service hours: Does requiring community service in schools undermine the intrinsic nature of what community service is? Does it instead build a strong foundation for the students while opening new pathways for students to explore their interests? While there is no definite answer, mandating community service for students infringes upon the intrinsic nature of what community service is supposed to be, despite still posing as a pathway for students to explore their interest and give back to their communities.

Community service at its core has been defined and recognized as an act of voluntary help for one’s community. The essence of community service is based on the foundation of volunteering, rather than a mandated requirement. By setting requirements for students to accomplish for the sole purpose of graduating, schools directly infringe upon the very nature of what volunteer work is, thus damaging and reducing the noble act of giving back to your community from the selflessness of your heart, to yet another “assignment” that needs to completed before the end of high school.

Reduction of such sorts can also prove to be harmful to not only students, but communities alike. By mandating community service, students may start to draw parallels by comparing it to schoolwork for classes, assigned homework, or class credits that need to be fulfilled in order to graduate. Such activities that usually carry negative connotations, due to their mundane and stressful natures, may in turn inflict a similar message upon community service. By requiring community service for graduation, students may start to shy away from taking part in any form of community service after they fulfill their hours or even after high school due to the weak first impressions they experienced as it being a requirement. As such, mandating community service may end up damaging the future of community service, rather than fostering one.

However, despite the concerns raised pertaining to ethics of mandated community service, the system can actually be beneficial for some students. The required hours for community service have created many opportunities, both in the school and within the community. Students are exposed to various forms of community service around their towns, and can pursue different passions or interests that they might have, while at the same time fulfilling their hours for graduation. With more than 20 community service clubs in the school and many more outside in the community, students are given a plethora of options to choose from when deciding how they want to complete their hours, and as part of that process, students may find a passion for a service project. They might continue pursuing that passion for the rest of high school, and maybe even carry that passion beyond, building a strong foundation for students to carry with them into the real world.

While the premise of mandated community service infringes upon the intrinsic nature of what community service is meant to be, its positive impacts can be seen reflected upon the school and community. Students can find boxes of canned goods filled to the brim, elementary children refining their musicality after school, and empowering posters to spread awareness on issues in the PHS hallways. These actions of the student body come as a result of a simple graduation requirement, and while the main intention is to tick that box, the process of reaching that point often leaves a positive mark on our school community, expanding our worldview and making new connections.

College apps or kind hearts: the truth behind community service

“It almost looks,” wrote Sigmund Freud in “Analysis Terminable and Interminable,” his dark, sobering final paper, “as if analysis were the third of those impossible professions in which one can be sure beforehand of achieving unsatisfying results. The other two, which have been known much longer, are education and government.” It’s a strange claim for the man credited with founding psychoanalysis — a field which defines what Freud called “neuroses” as results of unchecked unconscious desires — to make: imagine a teacher ending the school year with a lecture about how their class had been predestined to disappoint. And yet the impossibility of fully satisfying the psychoanalytic patient was at the center of Freud’s theories. To understand why — and to understand whether Freud’s ideas, and the discipline that arose from them, matter at PHS — we have to talk about transference.

Don’t let its academic aura fool you: the theory of transference is, quite simply, a theory of love. In his “Observations on a Transference-Love,” Freud proposed that the “layman’s” conceptualization of love as a pure, quasi-spiritual force was shortsighted. This conclusion, characteristically, comes from a deep personal failure: in the early days of his practice, Freud pushed away a string of patients (most notably the pseudonymous Dora) who had become inexplicably attracted to him. His attempt to understand the roots of the pattern, despite being tainted by sexist misconceptions and unscientific assumptions, ended up producing t h e seminally important idea of transference: Freud posited that we bring the emotional expectations and desires of our childhood with us wherever we go — including, of course, to the analyst’s couch.

Today, analysts agree almost unanimously (a rare thing, in the fraught world of psychoanalytic institutes) that doctors can allow nothing to arise from a patient’s love. But this is not because the patient’s love isn’t real — it has the same transferential roots as any other of their romantic attractions. The rule exists simply because an analyst’s office is an inappropriate and manipulative context for genuine romantic intimacy.

Perhaps I’ve failed to explain how lonely and terrifying Freud’s theory is. Janet Malcolm, in “The Impossible Profession,” does it more justice: “even… romantic love is fundamentally solitary, and has at its core a profound impersonality. The concept of transference… destroys faith in personal relations.” Or, more succinctly: “we cannot know each other.” And yet the idea is vital to the psychoanalytic encounter, in which the analyst is often tasked with “knowing” their patient. As it turns out, only by recognizing and “harnessing” countertransference — feelings from the doctor towards the patient which arise from what Malcolm calls “early blueprints” — can an analyst ensure that their patient’s unconscious urges (and the analyst’s own) don’t destroy the possibility for a productive and genuinely helpful process. Some psychoanalysts would object to my language here. Thankfully, I’m not a psychoanalyst, and I have no institutional reputation to uphold. What I am is a high schooler — one who thinks that the classroom, too, should be productive and genuinely helpful, and that student teacher relationships form (of course) an inappropriate context for romance.

Don’t get me wrong: focusing on the erotics of a high school classroom is unhelpful and weird. And Freud — sexist, self-centered, pseudoscientific Freud — hardly seems like a figure you’d want helping teachers at PHS to relate with their students. But a general understanding of transference, as I see it, should help rectify (or at least explain) some of the expectations we form (consciously or otherwise) of the classroom.

As the analyst Leo Stone explained in 1967, rather than casting teachers as lovers, we recognize in them the “caretaking functions of the original parents.” Deadlines at school and curfews at home are subject to the same set of tangled emotional push-backs. But the same time, students crave the teacher’s parental love: we want to be cared for. Of course, openly addressing transference in the classroom would be, as Merve Emre puts it in “Are you my Mother?,” “its own variety of pedagogical failure.” Classes have neither the time nor the moral obligation to become therapy sessions. Still, students would do well to remember that a teacher is not obligated to love them — or even care about them on an individual level — in the same way a parent might. Often, instead of wanting to be taught, we yearn for the teacher to seek out our own knowledge: in a class with 30 other students, though, an educator failing to do so is a practical choice rather than a personal slight.

I’ve also come to believe (with significantly less authority, never having been a teacher myself) that PHS teachers can learn from the way an analyst deals with the urge to reciprocate their patient’s “transference love.” Caring for students is, of course, important, but replacing constructive rigor and challenge with either a doting, carefree environment or one where the teacher feels as though they must make the class wildly, unhelpfully difficult in order to reaffirm their own authority, is harmful for everybody involved. It’s hard, as someone who finds a perhaps embarrassing amount of joy in the classes I take here at PHS, to agree with Freud that education is an impossible profession. But it seems that students who want to please or defy their educators at all costs and teachers who seek to become surrogate parents or all-knowing kings each fall prey to the same misguided assumption: that the high school classroom could ever be truly satisfying.

Teachers and transference: does Freud matter in high schools?

   On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the Muslim authority of the Gaza Strip, invaded the state of Israel. In response, the Israeli cabinet vowed “to wipe… Hamas off the face of the Earth.” In the following weeks, the world watched the attack become the bloodiest war in Israel’s history. According to the New York Times, as of November 7, there have been over 1,400 Israeli and 10,000 Palestinian civilian and militant casualties, as well as 422 Israeli hostages and 1.5 million internally displaced Gazans. 

  The war has also come with inflammatory speech and calls for violent protest. The Anti-Defamation League has recorded a 388 percent rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. between October 7 and October 25, compared to the same period last year. Similarly, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, reports of Islamophobia were up 182 percent in the U.S. between October 7 and October 24, compared to the average 16-day period last year. Educational institutions have been particularly rife with confrontation. For instance, at UMass Amherst, a student was recently arrested for assaulting a fellow Jewish student at a vigil. Stanford has also been investigating possible hate crimes committed against a Muslim student. And at Harvard, a group of pro-Palestinian students received widespread condemnation after “holding the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all ongoing violence.” 

   Other, less extreme responses have also contributed to the deafening noise. One such reaction is performative activism on social media, and the rush to take sides; this is often caused by the widespread lack of empathy for others and a general lack of understanding of this nuanced situation. You have probably seen it online; a binary stance, or lack thereof, becomes a part of one’s character. This pressures people to hop on social media to share a quick something about the war and get it over with. A global conflict becomes a box they can check off, a guilty feeling they think they can dispose of with a simple click. This leads to a common sentiment — when people lack compassion and time and space for reflection, the results are horrendous. In October 2022, AP News conducted a poll that found that around 75 percent of adults in the U.S. agree that misinformation leads to violent views and behaviors.

   Incorrect, radical, and often conflicting messaging related to the Israel-Hamas war can make it difficult to discern the truth and process our reaction to it. However, instead of trying to easily address the situation with a simplistic perspective or opinion, the most effective solution is to take time to develop a complete understanding and keep empathy at the center of thought.

   While not all responses to the war have been peaceful, we are fortunate that at PHS, we have had thoughtful and constructive opportunities for reflection. On October 17, PHS invited Rabbi Merow from The Jewish Center to help students process their reactions. On October 20, PHS hosted a Gathering for Peace and Hope, in which the Muslim Student Union, the Jewish Club, and the Middle Eastern Students Association came together to recite Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb.” 

   Rather than making rash and violent decisions or participating in performative acts without a true understanding of the issue at hand, we should continue to encourage each other, and ourselves, to take time in making decisions and keep an open mind. It’s not an easy topic. That’s not to say that one may not have an opinion on the subject; individual opinions are encouraged and valued, but it is essential to maintain an anti-violent and open-minded approach when developing them. This war, and our reactions to it, are anything but a justification for hatred. If we want true unity, true resolution, and true peace, the best reaction is a thoughtful and empathetic one. 

Embracing empathy amidst the conflict in Israel and Palestine

  In the past, celebrities were shining stars: singers, dancers and politicians only seen by fans on the black screens of television. Now, in the age of unrestrained usage of social media, the distance between celebrities and fans is stripped. From convincing fans to purchase a product they endorse to imposing their views on important world events and issues, celebrities and public figures now hold the power to influence an impressionable audience with the click of a button. 

  After the senseless killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement saw a massive influx of attention on various media. From trending Twitter “blacklivesmatter” hashtags to the 28 million Instagram users who participated in “Blackout Tuesday,” publicly proclaiming support on social media for BLM was deemed the right thing to do, and keeping silent was perceived as immoral and almost racist. Brands and celebrities rode on this social media wave, blacking out their social media profile pictures and professing their support to the movement in posts. While these popular gestures were intended to show solidarity with the movement, it set a larger precedent that activism simply meant announcing one’s alignment with a cause without the intention of further support. 

  Mass distribution of misguided statements is the central cause for the spread of misinformation, an all too common consequence of celebrity “activism.” A study conducted by researchers at Reuters Institution in 2022 found that 20 percent of posts containing misinformation about COVID-19 were created by influencer profiles. Even more damaging, because of their large monopoly on social media, celebrity posts on important issues often overshadow expert opinions and helpful resources posted by lesser known accounts, devaluing the function of professional journalism. The often performative nature of celebrity activism becomes clear upon nuanced situations such as the Israeli-Palestinian war, which saw much less celebrity engagement. Given the extreme nuance of the conflict, there was no longer a clear-cut, “politically-correct” side to side with or to jump on the bandwagon for. Many fans blasted their idols upon observing their “silence,” questioning why they weren’t using their platform to weigh in on the situation. However, celebrities shouldn’t be pressured to “speak up” on political issues that they have no background in when expert opinions hold more importance in informing the public. 

   The influence celebrities have on impressionable fans regarding social issues often unfolds on an emotional level rather than from factual evidence, resulting in unacceptable behaviors by hot-tempered fans that attack individuals who speak out against the misguided ideologies spread by biased public figures. For example, in April 2020, the actor Woody Harrelson shared his claim regarding the 5G network being the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic to his two million followers on Instagram. The time frame of his claims correlated with at least 20 cell tower polls being burned to the ground in the UK. Telecom employees were also harassed on the streets while attempting to set up 5G fiber optic cables. Kanye West, also known for his anti-vaccination stance, told Forbes that he believed COVID-19 vaccinations would “put chips inside of us” during the pandemic. This proven-false conspiracy theory snowballed and soon became a popular statement spread by anti-vaccine groups. Furthermore, the misinformed statements of celebrities are often regurgitated in popular media in order to generate more clicks, consequently exacerbating the spread of their falsified claims.

   As teenagers, the demographic most susceptible to celebrity influence, PHS students should be mindful of avoiding valuing their favorite celebrities' opinions over expert opinions in order to make informed decisions. In a time where rampant false information is spread online, it’s important to realize that the power of reliable research to uncover truths is longstanding and undeniable. 


Stop relying on celebrity activism

   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 16, Princeton Public Schools’ English Language Learner and Title 1 families gathered in Princeton Middle School for the third annual Parent Community Night. The Night included Interactive workshops on family financial planning, technology assistance, and K-12 academic support that hoped to provide a way for attendees to connect and learn about available resources.

   “[Trinidad] Rodriguez and I decided to create this event after noticing many of our ESL families requesting outreach to help understand and know of all the offerings within the school system in the United States,” said Vanessa Bernal, a co-organizer of PPS’s Parent Community Night along with Rodriguez. “Both of us [grew] up with families who immigrated from other countries, [so we] felt this was so important and necessary to do.” 

   At the event, student volunteer translators from PHS were available to assist non-English speaking parents in registering their children for school athletics, the Dual Language Immersion program, and specific school counseling. Several local Princeton organizations — including the Princeton Public Library, Community House, YMCA, the Princeton Health Department, HiTOPS, and Corner House — were also invited to share out-of-school resources with attendees. From providing free academic tutoring for low-income students to helping attendees schedule flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, the variety of community offerings all work towards ensuring that families can have their needs addressed. 

   As an effort to build a sense of community among families, a free shared dinner was hosted at the event with the help of a $1000 Princeton Regional Educational Support Staff Association grant. Following the meal, attendees listened to a keynote speaker, Levi Geurrero, share tips on how to support their childrens’ education, as well as his experience in K-12 and higher education as an immigrant student. 

   “I [want] to be a voice for people that don’t have a voice,” said Guerrero. “I feel like if [people] see someone that looks like them, speaks their language, and comes from the same background, [then] they can relate to them. It’s great to have families engaged in [their] kids’ educational future.”

  Growing up speaking English as a second language in PPS, Guerrero understands the importance of creating a school environment that fosters cultural inclusion and enrichment. As a multicultural school district, PPS’s English Language Learners Program plays an integral role in bridging connections between students who are learning English and their peers. Having at least one ESL teacher in each school, the growing program develops student English proficiency in four fundamental skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. 
	
   “[School] districts are required to provide programs taught by ESL certificated teachers if there are ten or more [ESL] students,” said Priscilla Russel, the District Supervisor of World Languages, ESL/Bilingual, and Dual Immersion Programs since 2004. “Our ESL students contribute to the demographic and cultural diversity that characterizes our schools.”

   Individualized classes for ESL students are based on their English screening performances, a language proficiency assessment required for non-native English speakers upon registration in the school district. At PHS, students with limited English proficiency can enroll in Welcome Center I, II, or III, ESL English, History, Science, or Math, where they develop English vocabulary through specialized instruction.

   With the goal of eventually integrating ESL students into mainstream classes, students are taught and expected to complete grade-level history, science, literature, and math assignments in English, allowing them to strengthen their English proficiency while progressing alongside the school curriculum. While classes are primarily taught in English, ESL instructors put emphasis on creating an environment that promotes bilingualism and respects linguistic diversity. 

   “We always emphasize the importance of home languages,” said Ted Holsten, an ESL teacher at Littlebrook Elementary School. “All studies show that students who continue speaking and learning in their home languages have an easier time learning English.”

    At PPS’s elementary schools, ESL lessons combine grade school activities with formal English instruction, with students playing games, singing songs, and writing Halloween stories. 
 
  “I like to let students shape their learning when possible. Some beginners want to start trying to speak right away; some are quieter and are not comfortable trying to speak,” said Holsten. “I try to be sensitive to each student’s personality and interests. I enjoy seeing the way that students are motivated by wanting to communicate with each other and help each other.”

   Opportunities for enrolling in adult ESL classes, or English Conversation Groups, at Princeton Public Library were also offered at the Parent Community Night. 

   “What helps the families the most this evening is just being able to connect, to see themselves in the speaker and the teachers, and to see their children be in the school building and connecting with other students,” said Bernal. “That sense of community is really important.”

PHS Profiles

The Tower