Letters from the Editors

What a year. Loved ones have been lost, family connections have been tried, complex algebraic equations have been taught via zoom, and life has continued almost as if all of these challenges didn't exist. Northside has endured transformations and changes while adapting to new health codes and CDC recommendations. Through it all, though, we made it out. Students showed their resilience by turning in assignments and joining zoom while battling mental health hurdles and rising above adversity. Northside's staff exemplified their resilience through adapting lesson plans and teaching techniques, incorporating curriculum regarding current events, battling through tremendous changes, and always putting students first. Overall, though, we did it together. A student coming off of mute and greeting a teacher changed the tone of the day. A teacher creating slides representing student successes, giving students the ability to voice their opinions, calling home to remind parents how wonderful their children are- this is what held our community together. The relationships we built, the times we spent in meetings venting and comparing strategies to keep those pesky cameras on; this is what got us through.

Northside has always been more than a school. It has been a community. It has withheld its integrity throughout revisions and modifications and it has been a safe place for staff and students alike. This connection will supersede distance, time, and inevitable obstacles, for it is the very bond that makes us who we are.

I tip my hat to all of the students who showed nothing but courage and strength throughout this difficult year. I commend my colleagues who have been the very light that kept Northside bright throughout such darkness. So, cheers to you, students and staff. We did it the Northside way: together.

Thank you to all the students and staff that made this possible.