Northwood has grown not just in size, but in spirit over the last 25 years since it opened in 1999. What began with just the 900s and 1000s buildings, no pool or turf field, has transformed into a community of over 2,000 students. But beyond the brick and mortar, it’s the student experience that has truly evolved: Northwood has created not just a high school, but a community where students can feel heard and supported.
Programs like tutorial and Advisement are now integral parts of the Northwood student experience, and surveys that gauge student opinion have become an important tool for administrators to understand student needs, refine student support systems and adjust class curriculums accordingly.
“In 25 years, I think that we as educators have become more intentional at understanding our part in student well-being,” assistant principal Christina Banagas-Engelerdt said. “So we have made changes, from grading practices to our learning targets. Everything is becoming much more thoughtful about what kids need to know and how they will demonstrate that knowledge.”
Northwood has been willing to abandon the norms for the better interest of students. Whether through the implementation of standards based grading or the introduction of embedded honors courses, the staff has remained committed to implementing teaching methods based on how they think they can serve students and their needs.
This has also included multiple revisions to courses like the Humanities and Integrated Sciences, as well as the addition of new classes such as Interdisciplinary Climate Exploration, Forensics and Anthropology—all aimed at providing the best experience for all students and broadening their opportunities.
“The staff here is more comfortable with changing things and growing their practice than a lot of other high schools,” Banagas-Engelerdt said. “The staff has been really good at identifying what could be improved and putting in the work to make those changes. That’s really a testament to the teacher-student connection we have.”
But beyond the academics, Northwood has continuously succeeded at fostering a strong sense of community and inclusion. What we may see as normal, like an active counseling staff, weeks made for student-teacher conferences or advisement periods, are all ways that Northwood has been committed to creating pathways tailored for the well-being of students and fostering strong staff-peer relationships.
An essential part of creating these changes at Northwood has been the strides made in ensuring the voices of all students are heard. ASB, while important in providing a platform for student concerns, is by no means the only venue for student input. Other groups, such as Student Forum and Class Council, have played crucial roles in amplifying the voices of a broader range of students who might not typically be a part of ASB.
“The best resource we have to use student feedback is Student Forum,” ASB president senior Lily Ye said. “It could be as fast as having a spirit day idea mentioned in a student forum and having that spirit day the literal next week.”
The past 25 years have proven that the school’s success is rooted in its ongoing commitment to listening, adapting and growing. And even with all of this change, improvement is still at the forefront of Northwood’s mission.
Furthermore, programs like Challenge Success, which offer a platform for students to discuss the pressures and stress they face and the school’s ongoing work with equity teams, will continue address student’s concerns.
Because no matter how much the school evolves, Northwood will always stay true to its core: a space where the interests of students are its priority.
