The turn of the calendar to a new year is often cause for celebration and excitement, and the month of January did not disappoint the staff and advisor of The Pinnacle, the art and literary magazine of Bernards High School. They were awarded First Place recognition in not one, but two contests, for their stellar publication.
For decades, The Pinnacle has been showcasing the creative side of the Somerset Hills School District’s high school students. In addition to creative writing pieces, it includes original artwork, photography, jewelry, woodworking, and more. In a school district known to have strong academics and athletics, The Pinnacle is a testament to the right brain thinkers, where creativity meets excellence.
The Pinnacle staff is composed of 42 students who work tirelessly throughout the school year to produce a quality magazine. The process begins in September by arranging the magazine staff into committees based on their interests and talents. They are wise enough to know that organizing and planning are critical components to the overall success of the final product. Creating the magazine is multi-faceted, with the staff formulating the layout, outlining fundraisers, developing advertisements, and designing web content. Above all, there are a lot of decisions to be made, along with a consistent display of collaboration and cooperation.
Throughout the fall and winter, staff engage with teachers of the creative arts, as well as with students directly, to encourage them to share their talented works. All students at BHS are welcome to take part, and submissions are due March 1st.
The Pinnacle staff meet during lunch often, in rotating groups. They have an editor-in-chief and six separate committees; the leaders of those committees form the magazine’s board. They are an incredibly dedicated and motivated staff, passionate about creating and creativity. “From March to May it gets intense, as the students turn hundreds of submissions into something beautiful,” said Allison Snyder, advisor of The Pinnacle. “This is truly a student-run publication and it is gratifying to see them take ownership.” Year after year they get more submissions than their budget can support, yet they place high priority on including as many students as possible. While they produce The Pinnacle for themselves and their peers, the news they received in January was extremely validating.
In June 2023 they entered the Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines contest run by the National Council of Teachers of English. This was a new contest for the Somerset Hills School District. They earned First Place category recognition for an exceptional publication. Additionally, they entered the American Scholastic Press Association Review. In that contest they also scored a First Place category designation for The Pinnacle, along with a special category award for Best Photograph, taken by Joseph Morandi. In the photo, he was able to capture the striking coloration of his panther chameleon, Randal. In the spirit of continuous growth, the 2022-2023 school year was the first year that The Pinnacle created a web version, allowing anyone in the school community, and beyond, to see it. In addition to the professional printed copies that East Coast Media prints for the district, students were able to share their art and literacy magazine proudly with family and friends across the country. Kudos to the entire staff of The Pinnacle, and to all of the BHS student contributors, on their accomplishments.