Welcome Back: A Short Guide to the Beginning of the Year at North

Welcome back North Star Readers!

I hope you all had a relaxing summer and a promising beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. With the world, including schools, starting up again, I hope I will help you all accommodate and enjoy it as much as possible! Similar to last year, feel free to send me all of your questions, school or non-school-related, and I will try to help you to the best of my abilities.

To kick off a new year, I would like to introduce you to some of the electives and clubs that our school has to offer.

Starting with departmental electives, I recommend Drawing and Painting from the Art Department. It can help you get to know yourself better and develop your art skills. Additionally, from the math department, AP Statistics is an excellent choice. Besides changing students’ perspectives on mathematics and the world around them, it teaches valuable skills for adult life. Women’s History, taught by Social Studies Department Chair Ms. Parisi herself, teaches students about the systemic biases towards women in history and the present, making them more self-aware. And lastly, if you have any previous experience in Band, Orchestra, or Chorus, consider joining them again here at VSN. They are great for bringing students closer to the music world and appreciating all types of music.

After attending the Club Fair, I can recommend a few of VSN’s clubs as well. Firstly, Senior High Student Council, for grades 10-12, and Junior High Student Council, for grades 7-9, and individual grade councils serve essential roles in moving the school and your grades and leadership skills forward. You can help organize school events and get to know your schoolmates. The Alliance, the school’s club for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, is also worth joining for diversity, social activism, and fun. Currently, they are preparing for National Coming Out Day, so if you would like to help them, feel free to join!

Last but not least, with no bias whatsoever, North Star! North Star, the club in charge of the magazine you are reading right now, brings the North community closer. You can submit an article to us and become a member anytime you would like!

Of course, there are many more electives and many more clubs. If you want to find out more about them, contact your guidance counselors or ask your friends who made it to the Club Fair.

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Have a great school year, everyone!