It’s that time of year that we close our binders and shut down our computers for the holiday break. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas by an open fire or on the coasts of SoCal, the best eleven days of a student’s life is upon us, and though school may not be on the foreground of your mind, Cowboy Country has drastically changed over the past year, and it’s that time of year where we look at some of the best – and the few bad – moments of the year.

1. Boys Soccer Team

 Headlining every local newspaper was the Cowboys’ victory over Ramsey, where a sea of orange invaded the fan section to see goalie Evan Lazarus block their final penalty kick in arguably the most nerve-racking game in Hills’s history, clenching the victory and giving PHHS our first ever North 1, Group 2 Boys Soccer sectional title.

2. #HillsPride

 Between students of all ages, freshmen and seniors alike, donning brown, white, and orange every Friday and the record-high attendance at championship games, where Cowboys put their differences aside to stand shoulder to shoulder cheering for our teams, Mr. deMarrais’s idea of a school bursting at the seams with pride has become closer and closer to a reality. Hopefully our fan section continues to attend games, meets, and matches for winter and spring sports!

3. New Kid On The Block

 Though the unexpected departure of veteran theater director Mr. Bialkin brought sadness to the theater community, Peter Fournier, a PH graduate and fellow thespian, took the reigns, directing what many believe to be the best Fall drama in recent memory. Make sure to check out the Spring musical, Legally Blonde, this March!

4. Extra, Extra! No More Extra Credit

Completely off the dartboard is the recently implemented extra credit policy. Though some teachers have found loopholes into rewarding students for their hard work, students unsurprisingly received the policy horribly. This all opened up my eyes to a horrible truth, that a vast majority of students won’t help the greater good or less fortunate without an incentive to bump up a test grade or two.

5. Introducing… The New SAT!

 Though this technically could go under the ‘2016’ category as well, considering the SAT’s new and ‘improved’ test won’t be available to students until this winter, the PSAT baffled many sophomores and juniors, with the class of 2017, who took last year’s PSAT as well, generally preferring last year’s. Though we can’t make any official calls until the winter, the change has steered many juniors away from taking the test. If interested, make sure you ask your guidance counselor about the test and when you’re able to take it!