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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

Missouri Central school buses wait outside of West High to take city students home in the afternoon. The VICC provides one round trip to and from school for its students, including transportation home if they choose to participate in school-sponsored after school activities; the average ride time is 54 minutes.

Desegregation is not dead

Pathfinder Staff May 8, 2018

With a 10.8 percent African-American and a 71.9 percent white population, West High school is not exactly an exemplar of diversity. The statistics have been growing more disparate in recent years, and...

A student sits outside of the counseling office, looking at a poster directed at stressed students. The posters were hung in response to the rising anxiety levels of students. Because of busy schedules, counselors have limited time to deal with the emotional needs of students, and so students are forced to look elsewhere for help.

Editorial: counseling department is understaffed

Pathfinder Editorial Board April 9, 2018

The counseling office is a constant hub of activity. All five counselors have a table used as a waiting room filled with drop-form-toting students, kids with parents’ notes requesting schedule changes;...

Advanced Placement tests carry drawbacks amid great benefits

Advanced Placement tests carry drawbacks amid great benefits

Pathfinder Editorial Board February 22, 2018

Because the Pathfinder staff vote of 25 respondents was significantly divided on the subject of Advanced Placement (AP) exams, with 60 percent agreeing that the AP tests are beneficial despite 40 percent...

Scheduling stunts opportunity

Scheduling stunts opportunity

Pathfinder Editorial Board January 8, 2018

The counselors start coming around and teachers start conferencing with students: it’s registration time and for many students that means groans and the thought of another screwed up schedule. Everyone...

Parkway's ALT program began rolling out in elementary schools in the 2016-2017 school year, and middle schools in the 2017-2018 year. "Even if ALT were not becoming a reality in our high schools, we cannot continue what has become an inefficient use of resources particularly when there are more effective products available," Beckner said. According to Parkway, the end of Scantrons® and the expansion of ALT are unrelated.

Parkway drops contract with Scantron® testing

Pathfinder Editorial Board November 30, 2017

The question on everyone’s minds after learning about the latest Parkway policy change: How are we going to replace the gap that Scantrons® leave in our hearts–I mean, educational system? In line...

A student drinks coffee during school. Students currently bring coffee to school from places like Starbucks, Panera, and 6 North. "I really hope that there’s good coffee. I’m not a Kaldi’s fan, so I think they should get good tasting coffee. We need people to know how to adequately operate the latte machines," junior Natalie Butler said.

Editorial: Caffeine or Quarantine

Pathfinder Editorial Board October 30, 2017

Encouraging individual and healthy snacks, the Parkway food policy frowns upon the sharing of food with other students and tries to steer students towards healthy, contamination-free food options in order...

Feeding into societal division: what happened when West failed to acknowledge Sept. 11

Pathfinder Editorial Board September 20, 2017
The last time America was truly unified as a nation was 9/11. It didn’t matter who were you were, the color of your skin, or your political party of choice.
Editorial: School-wide Snapchat warrants Parkway technology policy updates

Editorial: School-wide Snapchat warrants Parkway technology policy updates

Pathfinder Editorial Board August 28, 2017

Despite the app being banned on school wifi, students are among the 150 million worldwide Snapchat users that utilize the platform to send 'disappearing' photos and videos. The latest craze? A school-wide...

Students exchange money in the hallway.

Drug problems need to be addressed

Katie Spillman, PHOTO EDITOR May 5, 2017
The smell of marijuana permeates the hall, it is never spoken about. Why?
Students discuss social issues such as racism, sexism and discrimination in Common Ground small group discussions.

Common Ground moving forward

Bennett Davis, STAFF WRITER April 18, 2017

Students sitting around, sharing their feelings once a month, with students they barely know and teachers they barely see... wonderful. Emphasizing building character in the community, Common Ground...