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
A graphic created to visualize mental wellness. Students throughout the Parkway School District met with the Board of Education concerning mental health issues facing teens.

Is mental health getting the recognition it deserves?

Achyuta Ambal, Staff Writer • January 18, 2023

The clock ticked in deafening silence after Deputy Superintendent Tiffany Holman-Besse, a board member, made her opening statement. Fifteen participants mulled the question: “How does poor mental health...

Board member-elect Tiffany Mapp Franklin was recently voted onto the school board as a replacement for Kristy Klein Davis. Davis was offered a job transfer in Florida and had to resign from her position. “I have been asked to run for the past two years, and I was considering it, but I also [was involved] with other activities that took a lot of time, so it wasn’t an ideal moment to run. When this vacancy occurred, it seemed like it was at the right time,” Franklin said.

Meet your new Parkway Board of Education member: Tiffany Mapp Franklin

Elizabeth Franklin and Achyuta Ambal • May 31, 2022

Parkway Board of Education member Kristy Klein Davis will officially be resigning June 3 due to a new job opportunity. The Board followed a transparent process of interviewing the candidates who applied...

Students and staff face the decision: to mask or not to mask?

To mask or not to mask?

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • March 16, 2022

Wednesday, Feb. 16 the Parkway School District Board of Education voted in a 5-2 decision to recommend but not require masks for students and staff in grades K-12. In a community update published Feb....

School board members Jeff Todd and Pam Hill take notes as the Advocacy Club describes ways Parkway can be more environmentally friendly. Advocacy Club sponsor and English Teacher, Erin Fluchel oversaw the meeting and assisted the club when needed. "It takes a lot of work to prepare for something like this. I am incredibly proud of the research they have done. I was beaming at the end of their presentation," Fluchel said.

Advocacy Club meets with school board, discusses climate change and sports funding

Audrey Ghosh, Opinions Editor • March 16, 2022

Parkway West High is ranked fifth-best public school in Missouri; still, there are some issues the school’s Advocacy Club wanted to address. The club focused on two specific topics一climate change and...

Spending their seventh hour in the cafeteria Jan. 6, juniors Matthew Feng, Sangarshan Kumar, Michael Feng, Govind Menon, Om Shinde, Samarth Samal and Bennett Christofferson join a Zoom with their teacher to get help with their assigned work. Their teacher assigned a packet with lecture notes, guided problems and self-check problems and opened a Zoom room during class hours to ensure students were supported. “For some people, school is the only place they feel safe. On the other hand, we’re also in the biggest COVID-19 spike [of cases] right now. Both sides have ups and downs,” Samal said. “I personally am fine with staying in school as long as it doesn't interfere with my learning too much because I'm vaccinated and I wear my mask properly. If I can cover the content by myself with my teacher available on Zoom, I'm flexible with any option.”

Staff scramble to keep school open amid COVID-19 surge

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • January 7, 2022

In the cafeteria during fifth hour Jan. 6, Principal Dr. Mitchell taught three classes simultaneously. Academic Support teachers left their classrooms to deliver lessons, substitutes rushed from class...

According to data from the Dec. 21 Parkway Board of Education meeting, in-school exposure to COVID-19 has resulted in at least 234 staff quarantines and positive cases, each one represented by a dot in the above image.

Parkway needs to listen to its educators

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief • January 12, 2021

Consider the Parkway School District’s four-pronged strategy to ensure staff safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Creating objective measurement systems that are third-party verified to measure...

Ken Susman stands in front of the board of education in the foyer of Central Middle school. He is wearing a red shirt and speaking into the microphone at the podium, empassioned.

Parkway teachers take a stand for increased inclusion

Dani Fischer, MANAGING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • May 9, 2019

“Tolerance for racism is racism” and “no room in this room for racism”: both of these are phrases that are hung in teachers’ classrooms across Parkway. Below the white text is a hashtag—#EndRacismInParkway. These...

Answering a question asked by a student, Board of Education candidate Pam Hill sits beside Tom Wilsdon representing Sudhir Rathod at the student-sponsored School Board Candidate Forum March 11 at Parkway Central. Candidates Farida Ahsan and Dr. Sam Sciortino also attended the candidate forum, and all candidates answered questions surrounding topics such as mental health, curriculum, student drug use and more. “I think those forums are a great way to learn more about the candidates, and I just loved the student-sponsored one,” Hill said. “There are things you need to read and issues you need to study up on as a school board candidate, and because I have an interest in education, reading things about education is something that I’m going to want to do and going to be willing to put in the time to do.”

Parkway Board of Education candidates plan for future of the district

Sabrina Bohn, Managing Editor-in-Chief • April 1, 2019

Yard signs boasting candidates’ names line the streets of Parkway’s district as the community prepares for the election Tuesday, April 2. With two seats open on the Board of Education, newcomers Pam...

Speaking about school safety at the League of Women Voters meeting March 12, candidate Amy Bonnett is running for one of the two open director positions on the Parkway School Board. All candidates, which includes Jeanie Ames, Matt Schindler, Jonathan Taylor, Kevin Seltzer and Bonnett answered audience questions at this forum. "I have always been a proud Parkway West alumna, and I care deeply about our schools and district," Bonnett said. "For the last three years, I have served as the [West Parent's Organization] President at Parkway West. Running for School Board is simply a natural extension of my service and enthusiasm for the district that has educated me and my children."

6. Parkway Board of Education election brings controversy

Carly Anderson and Sabrina Bohn • March 23, 2018

With student participation in politics on the rise across the nation, Parkway’s own Board of Education election approaches. Community members will vote for the two open seats April 3, and the candidates...

The new curriculum will introduce a new variety of topics including LGBTQ identities.

Approved sex education curriculum causes controversy

Sydney Kinzy, PHOTO EDITOR • April 28, 2016
It has been over a month since the new sex ed curriculum was passed, but controversy has sparked into a possible lawsuit.