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
“[With teaching,] It's very hard to know what you need until you start teaching. But I would say [that] just knowing students are typically doing their best [is the most important factor]. Many of the behaviors you might [recognize] are indications of not understanding [the lesson], or feeling that they're not confident in the class. Knowing that, I think [this mindset] would’ve helped me from the beginning instead of this adversarial type of situation that a lot of teachers might feel going [into teaching]. [It's important to know] that things get easier as you teach because you add more tools to your toolbox as you go. And the more tools you have, the more engaging your classes [will be] and the better feedback you can give [to your] students.” - Sonya McGowin, Spanish

Sonya McGowin, Spanish

Srisha Gujjula, CJ1 Writer • February 23, 2024

Spanish teacher Jessica Verweyest stands in front of her Hispanic-themed classroom, decorated to show her love for the culture. Verweyest fell in love with the Spanish language through her travels to various Hispanic countries after high school. “I lived in Colombia over one summer, and then I received a scholarship through the Youth Rotary Club to live in Ecuador as a gap year. Those immersive experiences encouraged me to continue to speak Spanish. In Ecuador, I had the opportunity to do some volunteer work. I worked with an underprivileged group of children between the ages of five and 15 to teach them English. That opened my eyes to the difficulties of communication and turned me to wanting to teach Spanish,” Verweyst said.

Flashback Friday: Spanish teacher Jessica Verweyst

Sakenah Lajkem, Staff Writer • February 23, 2024

What school did you go to? I went to Edgar Road Elementary School in the Webster Groves School District. Then, I went to Steger Sixth Grade Center, Hixson Middle School and Webster Groves High School.  How...

“I love working with students. I love seeing ‘aha moments’ [from my students] and when things click. I enjoy offering study opportunities or travel opportunities specifically. I'm really eager to take students on trips, especially Spanish-speaking communities to see them interact in a real-world scenario with native people. The hardest part of teaching is its crazy political. There are a lot of agendas that get pushed in school and it frustrates me because it shouldn't be about agendas, administration, and politics. It should be about students and their learning and providing the best environment so sometimes it is like a dual-sided coin.” - Jessica Verweyst, Spanish

Jessica Verweyst, Spanish

Raneem Hussein, Staff Writer • August 29, 2023

Senior Ava Kayser cooks a meal with her nanny Angela Cupajita. Kayser's parents wanted her to learn a different language growing up and hired Cupajita to teach her.

A nanny’s love, a students legacy

Ava McLeod, CJ1 Writer • April 5, 2023

With three kids under seven, doctors Jason Kayser and Sarah Garwood decided to enlist some help on the homefront. After talking to friends about their childcare needs, they decided a nanny would be a great...

French and Spanish teacher Blair Hopkins evaluates Spanish 1 students' speaking abilities during a speaking test. Tests in the third quarter are taken outside the classroom for 3 minutes to evaluate the curriculum learned in that unit. “Since we’re in-person, each student has to scan the QR code to be outside the classroom,” Hopkins said.

Saying hola to new teaching strategies

Lydia Kirkou, Staff Writer • April 13, 2021

“I can’t hear you.”  “Please turn on your screen.”  “My screen can’t be on while you are presenting or my computer knocks me out of Zoom.”  “There is such a lag with what...

Junior Sara Albarcha practices her Spanish. On top of learning the Spanish language, Albarcha is proficient in both English and Arabic. “Learning new languages is important, and we shouldn’t stick to the only language that we speak because it’s really not what everyone else is speaking,” Albarcha said.

Students say “¡hola!” to the biliteracy exam

Leah Schroeder, Managing Editor-in-Chief • February 12, 2020

By taking the biliteracy exam, students had the opportunity to achieve the Seal of Biliteracy, a seal that demonstrates achievement in both English, a language other than English (LOTE) and sociocultural...

Continuing their story, juniors Emma Pence, Chloe Stillman and Ruthie Vierling participate in an activity at a Spanish Club meeting Jan. 24. Club members added one sentence in Spanish before passing the paper onto the next student. "Chloe Stillman had some really creative ideas about Harry Styles concerts. She's just hilarious, and I love being around her," Vierling said. "[I think it is] important to experience other cultures and step out of your own comfort zone because you have to not understand it at first to understand it."

Photo of the week – Jan. 20

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief • January 24, 2020

During fourth hour planning period, Dominique and Francisco Navarro discuss lesson plans. The Navarro's enjoy sharing teaching strategies and having the opportunity to brainstorm what is best for students together. ''I love to inspire people and [make them] a little more open-minded to the world around us,” D. Navarro said.

Los dos Navarros: spouses and Spanish teachers in the same corridor

Tasneem Nasufovic, Staff Writer • December 6, 2019

It all started with a lunch date in Madrid, talking about archaeology and boasting about raising chickens. Traveling and learning different languages and cultures brought Spanish teachers Francisco...

Using balloons and newspaper to construct piñatas in Eileen Rodriguez-Kiser’s Spanish II class, sophomore Logan Wich and junior Ridwan Oyebamiji laugh as they glue together their project. The class has been exploring different types of birthday celebrations in Hispanic countries. “It was really cool to take a hands-on approach to learning Spanish,” Oyebamiji said. “Instead of just sitting at a desk, we were able to be immersed in the culture, which really deepens your understanding.”

Photo of the week – April 29

Emma Caplinger, Arts and Entertainment Editor • May 3, 2019

In a Boomalang session, junior Quinn Berry practices her Spanish skills. Berry, a Spanish three student, opted to participate in Boomalang. "Boomalang forces me to only speak Spanish with a Native speaker so it helps me in my speaking and listening tests which helps me overall in Spanish,” Berry said. “It gives me a chance to interact with other cultures while building my comprehension skills."

Saying Bonjour, Hola and Guten Tag: Modern and Classical Language Department offers crosscultural language opportunities

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief • April 10, 2019

Sitting in front of her computer screen French five student and senior Sophie Pellegrino has just finished a 30-minute conversation, in French, with a native speaker from Paris, France. “It’s really...

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