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
“It's nice having [my dad, senior principal Mario Pupillo] in the building, [but] It's kind of funny [because] everybody knows who he is. I [could be] walking to lunch [and see] him in the hallway. I stay after school and sit in [my dad’s] office and get most of my homework done between 2:30-4:30 p.m., [because I have] cheerleading [soon after]. [It’s good because] the workload and the amount of homework is a lot. I'm taking a few honors classes, but [they are] pretty manageable. I try not to procrastinate my homework [because] I would like to have all 'A's and 'B's. So, [going to my dad’s office after school] is really nice because I can get a lot of [homework] done before going to practice [by] having him here.” - Gabriella Pupillo, 9

Gabriella Pupillo

Sophie McCarthy, Staff Writer • October 23, 2023

After hearing that the King of Hearts dance got canceled, Student Body President senior Esha Francis immediately turned her car around and returned to school in search of a solution. After staying in constant communication with the rest of the LoCo Executive Board, Francis met with Principal John McCabe to reinstate the dance. “This year, McCabe and our student council have been more in touch than in previous years. I feel like there's a greater trust there. He told us that he knows that we can do it and that we're capable. We've put things together last minute for our school before, and he knew that we could do it. McCabe and I have a good professional relationship, we have a better connection, and we're on the same page about a lot of things, so I don't always have to go to the local sponsors to get things done. It's great that I have a direct connection to him - we can get things done within a day,” Francis said.

Save the last dance

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • January 20, 2023

On Monday, Jan. 9, freshmen parents received an email from the administration notifying them that the King of Hearts (KOH) dance would be canceled. KOH, a biennial winter dance thrown by Longhorn Council...

Former Principal Beth Plunkett poses with her memoir “Lessons That Endure: Reflections of a High School Principal.”

“Lessons That Endure”

Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief • October 14, 2022

One day at West, former Principal Beth Plunkett was in an English classroom when she saw a fire start from a telephone line. It shimmied towards a nearby generator, which exploded into flames, sending...

Principal Jeremy Mitchell sits in his homecoming float and waves to the students lined on the sidewalk for the homecoming parade. During homecoming week, he enjoyed getting to build connections with students. “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to work for,” Athletic Director Brian Kessler said. “[He] pulled off homecoming, [when] nobody knew what it was going to look like. It happened, it was great, it was beautiful, and [students] loved it.”

Principal Jeremy Mitchell decides to pass the torch onto new leadership

Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • February 23, 2022

After a 28 year long career in education, including 12 years as head principal, Dr. Jeremy Mitchell announced his plans to retire in July. Read on to learn more about his journey and his contributions...

Secretary Susan Lowenstein works on her computer to update the school schedule for September. Lowenstein works with Principal Jeremy Mitchell on the overall workings of the school rather than with a specific grade level. “Secretaries want people to be comfortable around them,” Lowenstein said. “They almost act a counselor sometimes.”

The increasing responsibility of the modern secretary

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR • September 28, 2018

Secretaries are a critical part of school communities. However, there is some dispute on the functions of their office, especially after the retirement of front desk receptionist Vickie Hankammer. The...

Junior Principal Corey Sink poses with his wife, Molly and sons, Asher and Ryder.

Getting to know junior Principal Corey Sink

Gabby Leon, STAFF WRITER • October 20, 2017

Pathfinder: What got you interested in your job? Sink: “I have always wanted to be a teacher. Working with kids was certainly a passion of mine, and I enjoy coaching too, so the sports aspect met...