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
Daniel Barnes

Daniel Barnes

Andrea Meyers, CJ1 Writer • November 6, 2025

“I think good teachers are very intentional about the way they structure and sequence their classrooms. A lot of students just view the assignments as work, whereas I think good teachers view it as opportunities...

Principal John McCabe works at his desk after the Aug. 24 pep rally during Ac Lab. McCabe did his first substituting job as a sophomore in high school and has been an educator ever since. “I strongly believe in public education because it's a calling to serve others. That quality of serving and supporting other people is one of the things that I love the most about working in schools,” McCabe said.

Who is Principal John McCabe?

Serena Liu, Editor-in-Chief • September 13, 2022

Wearing a bright smile, custodian Sean Smith sits on a bench greeting students in the morning. Smith believed that if the first thing students see when they enter the school is someone saying good morning, it will make their day that much better. “Now, if you're walking up that walkway with an attitude, I want [you] to see a cheery face that says ‘hey, I'm glad to see you,’” Smith said.

More than a custodian

Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief • May 20, 2022

A loving husband. An affectionate grandpa. An attentive dad. A devout Christian. A friend to all staff and students. Like all the behind-the-scenes staff, Sean Smith is more than just a custodian. Smith...

Latin teacher Tom Herpel prepares to cut a piece of wood with his table saw. He has enjoyed woodworking for several years now because of the creativity it requires. “With woodworking, I like that you can think of anything and make it a reality, especially if you have the right tools,” Herpel said.

From classics to carpentry

Tiffany Ung, Staff Writer • April 22, 2022

Getting a driver’s license is one of the most exciting moments for a teen. The possibilities are endless with the keys to freedom and the family car. However, one of the most important indicators of...

Math teacher Michelle Meers teaches her class about a superstition in her 7th period class. Meers reminds her class of the monthly luck booster a day before the new month. “It just helps them remember what day it is and that a new month is coming up. [It also] perks them up and helps them listen,” Meers said.

Rabbit rabbit

Evan Vaisvil, Staff Writer • April 20, 2022

On the first day of every month, students in math teacher Michelle Meers’s class find themselves a part of a unique tradition. Since the 1900s, the Rabbit Rabbit superstition is said to have brought...

ASC teacher Kristen Witt returned to school after a second week away at Cognitive FX concussion rehabilitation center in Utah. Witt graduated from in-person rehab and is back to work.

ASC teacher Kristen Witt trusted her gut, no bandage necessary

Sapir Zachary, CJ1 Writer • March 4, 2022

On her daily trip home during lunch to consult with construction workers in 2010, ASC teacher Kristen Witt was T-boned by a vehicle going around a trash truck. Witt had been hit twice while turning onto...

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...

Mathematics teacher Jason Townsend travels with 34 students to experience life outside of America.. “You kind of get really addicted to wanting to travel around to see it all. And I've probably been to 40 of the 50 states and about 20 different countries, but I would love to just keep piling on to that. It's been a lot of fun and you'll learn so much just about different people, different cultures, different, you know, social things, different geographic things,” Townsend said.

Traveling out of his comfort zone

Hayley Hubert, CJ1 Writer • February 1, 2022

Outside of school, math teacher Jason Townsend can be found at the podium guiding college students at Maryville University through website and app development. Townsend has over 22 years of high school...

Latin teacher Tom Herpel helps freshman Maaz Siddiqui understand the practice sentences in the Latin 1 textbook.

Latin teacher Tom Herpel brings his class to life with international travel opportunity

Drew Hayes, CJ1 Writer • January 31, 2022

Attempting to bring the curriculum to life, Latin teacher Tom Herpel offers a 10-day trip to his students to travel to Italy over spring break. During the trip, students immerse themselves in the archeology...

A graphic using album covers from our staff's top picks.

2021’s Staff Song Reviews and Top Picks

Achyuta Ambal, Staff Writer • December 31, 2021

As a result of quarantine downtime, some artists pushed previous boundaries. Here are some artists and songs Pathfinder journalists have handpicked to highlight.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3