By Edwyn Calalpa

As some people may have noticed there is no longer an “A” in front of class name in their schedule. The previous levels of classes have been scrapped in favor of a new system that will give every student the incentive to do his or her best.

This past year PHS has been a rollercoaster ride of changes, with new a new administration of staff including our new principal, Mr. Velez. With this new administration came changes in the level of classes. Honor’s classes have become open to nearly anyone who is willing to participate and challenge themselves, but they are not as exclusive as before.

The most significant change of this system shows that the school system administration wants more students to strive to push themselves. It is now up to the student to “step up to the plate” and become honor students. The curriculum is more “challenging and the atmosphere brings more pressure, but the past 3 months definitely top last year’s” commented a Senior student who did not wish to be named.

Various students and teachers have commented that the new style classes have become more challenging which is evident just by the title, yet many people are oblivious when it comes to how demanding these classes are. Many students have been in these classes all year, but are not aware that there was any difference from last year.

Although many people see faults in the new class system, the new layout correlates to the school’s mission and vision. These classes show diversity in the classroom and a clear path to success in PHS. Let’s hope that they help us to become the number one urban school district in New Jersey.