Term 1 Edition
7 November 2025
7 November 2025
By Amelia Waite
CANTON, MA -- Karen Read’s trial took the state by a storm. After a mistrial in July 2024 she was back in the courtroom, and this time a real result came. Read below to find out what happened.
Karen Read, formerly of Mansfield, was accused of killing her boyfriend John O’Keefe. He was a Boston cop, and passed after a peculiar night out. The story of that fatal night contradicts: the prosecution said Read hit him with her car and the defense claimed he was killed inside coworker Brian Albert’s home. Each team put up a well-fought argument, with many witnesses called to the stands. A snow plow driver - the night of his death there was a big snow storm - said he saw nothing, that O’Keefe was not in the lawn the early hours of January 29th, 2022. A medical examiner was also called to testify, and she stated his cause of death was blunt head trauma. Some of the most compelling evidence against prosecution was the dog bite found on O’Keefe’s arm. How would a dog bite randomly appear while getting hit by a car?
After four days of deliberating, jurors had a decision. Karen Read was found not guilty for 2nd degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The only charge she was found guilty of was operating under the influence. Her sentence of one year of probation is a stark contrast to the possible life imprisonment she could have faced.
This now leads to the question: will anyone be prosecuted for John O’Keefe’s death? Due to double jeopardy, Read won’t be tried again. This does not mean his family will never get justice, but the reality is that it is unlikely. A major conspiracy is that the death is being covered up by big Massachusetts Police officials, which just adds to the chance that justice will not be served.
By Maliah Noel
NORTON, MA -- The arrival of a new principal has sparked curiosity and conversation throughout our school community. To capture a range of perspectives, I spoke with several students and staff members about their impressions and experiences so far.
To gain some insight into the school's direction under new leadership, I sat down with the vice principal, Jesse Shaughnessy, for an interview. The vice principal's opinion on the new principal and his character is shared below.
When asked about the new principal, the vice principal responded positively: “I like him. I think he’s doing a good job; he’s a good dude. He is very good with the kids, the students like him a lot. He is very dedicated, and deeply involved with the school.”
Mr. Shaughnessy shared his thoughts on his first impression of Mr. Flanagan, saying he initially thought he was “a good dude” and “very talkative.”
According to Mr. Shaughnessy, “Opalite” by Taylor Swift would be Mr. Flanagan’s karaoke pick.
When asked about the new principal, one student said, “He’s a very chill dude.” Another commented, “I think he’s really nice, and he seems to really care about the students and showing up for them.”
Mrs. Fay, an English teacher, shared her opinion: "As soon as I learned he was a part of Sarah's Village, I knew he was a good fit for this school.”
To gain a deeper understanding of Mr. Flanagan’s background and vision for the school, I had the opportunity to sit down with him for an interview.
Flanagan's path to education began in an unexpected field. “I actually graduated from Stonehill College with an accounting degree,” he explained. “But I realized early on, through tutoring high school students in math while I was in college, that I wanted to be an educator to help support kids.” Following this realization, he returned to school to become licensed as an educator and began his teaching career in January 2001 as a math teacher at Oliver Ames.
He credits his own mentors for inspiring his journey. “My eleventh grade English teacher was one of my mentors,” Flanagan said. “She pushed me to put forth my best effort in school and to never give up.”
As he steps into his role as principal, Flanagan is focused on creating an inclusive and engaging environment. “I envision a school where everyone feels supported, where students are actively engaged in their learning, and where they can pursue their interests; whether in the arts, music, sports, or other extracurricular activities,” he shared.
When asked about the most rewarding part of his role, Flanagan emphasized the importance of relationships. “The most rewarding part is helping and supporting students and supporting those who educate, help, and support students,” he said.
Flanagan concluded with a message for the Norton High community: “I am grateful for this school community and feel so fortunate to be a part of it.”
With his approachable personality, student-focused vision, and dedication to fostering a supportive school culture, Mr. Flanagan is already making a positive impression on both staff and students alike.
By Megan Smith
Halloween is a holiday synonymous with childhood where kids enjoy piles of candy and relish in the jumpscares and adrenaline of hanging with friends in the midst of the spookiest night of the year. However, the teen demographic’s indulgence in this fun shrinks each year. After all, teens are caught between the maturity of adulthood and the carefree innocence of childhood. So, what do other teens think is the cause of the decrease of trick-or-treaters throughout high school?
Teens from each grade at the high school provided their input. Most planned on trick-or-treating, but many admitted their main reason for doing so was “because [their] friends want to trick-or-treat.” However, when asked why so many teens stop trick-or-treating, the same culprit was to blame: friends. Social pressures seem to both push uninterested teens into trick-or-treating and prevent teens from trick-or-treating. Factors preventing trick-or-treating include the desire to appear mature or cool, which is strengthened by peer pressure.
“Free candy” is also a common reason to participate, but participation is closely tied to whether or not a teen has friends who are trick-or-treating.
As teens grow older, insecurities grow as well. The teenage years are a crucial part of finding oneself, which is why participating in Halloween festivities can be a way to express oneself or a way to conform. The appearance and interests of teens are a medium for expression as well, but they are much more vulnerable to judgment in daily life, leading to conforming to what’s seen as “normal.” Therefore, Halloween can be a breath of fresh air or an opportunity to break out of a spell of conforming.
However, trick-or-treating is also a way to express oneself to some. One teen trick-or-treats in order to “make people laugh when they see me.” Evoking a reaction was a key reason for this teen’s participation. Costumes can be a way to get a reaction and also apply creativity. On a night where everyone can blend in on Halloween despite being in potentially “weird” costumes is a delightful opportunity to express oneself without standing out. In fact, the eerie, uncanny costumes of Halloween, as well as the entire concept of horror, is meant to stand out and evoke a reaction. The uncanny valley is a concept that twists the mundane aspects of society into something disconcerting and weird. Therefore, costumes, which are perceived as “weird” on any other day, are accepted.
Society, however, has conflicting views on who should be trick-or-treating. Most of the teens interviewed, believed that school-aged kids, including teens, can still trick-or-treat. Some even said that nineteen year-olds could also participate, while others thought junior year should be the cutoff. When asked how many students they knew who didn’t go trick-or-treating, one group reported “fifty percent” and that it depends on “personal preference.” According to them, some people lose the joy of trick-or-treating. Age definitely plays a giant role: adults trick-or-treating would be “a little creepy.” Therefore, it may depend on if the teen appears older or younger than their actual age.
Teens have the chance to change others’ perceptions of trick-or-treating. They have the power to cause a tidal wave of change in what’s considered “normal” in their society and the younger generation. Many children look up to teens, whether it be their siblings, cousins, or social media idols, and will follow their lead when it comes to defining “normal.” No matter what, teens should seek to be bold in who they are in order to not blindly follow trends created by mobs. Trends can be dangerous, as seen throughout tragic movements in history such as the French Revolution, when people submit out of fear of judgment.
A conforming society might be the scariest thing of all this Halloween.
By Rylan Savas
NORTON, MA -- Many students and families are concerned about the new policy regarding absences and tardies. The most frightening part of the new policy is that if a student is absent five times in a term, all of their grades will be dropped down to a 59%. The new policy was put into place because of the concerning number of student absences. Most members of the NHS community agree that absenteeism is a problem that needs to be addressed. However, is this really an appropriate response to student absences?
Personally, I believe that if a student is missing a significant amount of school, the very first step should be a talk with the student with their guidance counselor. Many teens struggle in silence. If they are having mental health struggles, I think it’s entirely reasonable for a student to take the day off of school in order for them to improve their mental health. On the other hand, if the student is simply choosing to skip school then further consequences should be put in place such as detention. I absolutely disagree with dropping all of the student’s grades to 59%. If a student has high grades, but cannot get a ride to school consistently, why should their hard earned grades be destroyed?
Lastly, if a student is absent from school too frequently, there are already consequences put in place by the state. Students' parents can be fined after a certain amount of missed days. If the absenteeism continues, the student will be considered habitually truant. This will lead to a court date in which further actions regarding truancy will be addressed. Since schools must prove that there were reasonable efforts to help the chronic absentee, I understand that further effort is needed to help prevent truancy cases. However, I think that this policy needs to be corrected to ensure that the students' best interest is kept in mind.
Do you think that the new absentee policy is truly effective and fair?
By Emily Munafo and Caroline Abreu
NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA -- Over the past year, a dessert called the pizookie from BJ’s Brewhouse has become very popular. Pizookies are large cookies served with ice cream which have plenty of variety in how they can be made. We visited BJ’s to see if these desserts lived up to the excitement.
There are currently ten types of pizookies available at BJ’s with the addition of their fall special: the spooky pizookie. In our interview with the waitress, she told us that the most popular types are the traditional chocolate chunk or cookies ‘n’ cream. However, while the spooky pizookie is available, it is by far the most frequently ordered.
We tasted four different types of pizookies: sugar cookie, double chocolate, salted caramel, and gluten free. We ranked all four of them on a scale from one to ten. The salted caramel and double chocolate pizookies each got a 7 out of 10. We decided that the gluten free deserved an 8 out of 10, and the sugar cookie received exactly 9.7 out of 10. To be sure that our rankings were fair, we had a friend of ours try the pizookies, and she agreed with our ratings. The warm cookie paired with the cold ice cream tasted unreal, and the unique and varied tastes of the different flavors were unmatched. The only flaw was that the desserts can become overly sweet .
Overall, the pizookies met our expectations and deserve the praise they receive on the internet. Though the pizookies were amazing, the restaurant itself should not be overlooked. The menu was diverse, our meals were incredible, and we received great service. The next time you are looking to eat out, we highly recommend giving BJ’s Brewhouse a try.