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Back to Artwork Portrait Back to Sections Mirror Reflection By Sienna Munro January 20, 2021 Photography Volume 1 Issue 4

Back to Artwork Purpose Back to Sections Kimberly Shrestha - Purple Yellow Study By Kimberly Shrestha November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Story Behind the Shot 03 By Eva Grace Martinez Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Original photography by Grace Martinez Hello everyone! Welcome to the third instalment of “Story Behind the Shot”! My name is Grace Martinez, and I’m the NORTH STAR’s photo editor. That means it’s my job to make sure every article we publish has a photo that goes along with it. In all honesty, I wouldn’t blame you if you read those opening sentences and assumed I spend every waking hour on Instagram. It’s an app full of people sharing stunning photography, so why wouldn’t I be? In truth, I had to reset my password to even write this article. Instagram is far from my favorite social media platform, but when given a shot to talk about photos I’m proud of, I knew I couldn’t waste the opportunity. I should also probably address the other interesting thing about my account; there are no photos of my face. This wasn’t some kind of intentional faceless aesthetic. I just spend too much time behind a camera to capture anything of me in front of it. With that being said, let’s dive into some photos. First up is one of my more recent photos, which features a heavily edited view out a suburban window and a sky full of clouds captured mid sunset. This photo was taken after I had spent the day helping to clean up around the house. I remember seeing the sunset and finally being able to relax. It’s cliché, but there’s something about a sky turning to gold that just puts me at ease. Sadly though, those golden rays don’t always capture well on iPhone cameras. So, I began editing, and although I had planned to keep the editing minimal, one mis-click in lightroom later, I was stunned. Something about the intensity of the colors seemed too good to pass up, and on to my Instagram feed it went. Second is a photo of a girl mid aerial, performing directly in front of a bright colored mural. This photo is still one of my favorites even years after I originally took it. This was the first photo that made me realize that people took pictures as more than just a way to keep track of things. There was an art to this, and it was a skill I wanted to learn. Even to this day I still love the contrast between all the colors in the photo. There are a few things that scream amateur to me now, such as the fact that my friend is facing the opposite direction, but I can’t help but love it due to all the happy memories it holds. If you have even spoken to me once, you’ve heard me mention going to a concert. I have no shame in admitting it, I love live music (even if my bank account doesn’t). This last photo was taken in November of 2019, at the last concert I went to before the pandemic. It isn’t the most high-resolution photo I’ve ever taken, but it’s chock full of memories and some pretty cool-colored lighting. The way the blue spotlight can be seen faintly on the side of the image, and then how everything is so blue it almost hurts amazes me every time. Concert photos are often hard to take because of low lighting, and the movement of the crowds/artists. To have this one come out well was amazing, and I still take so much pride in the fact that this is the raw photo, completely unedited. If you’d like to write our next “Story Behind the Shot,” please contact our Media and Entertainment Editor Garrick Neuner or our Chief Editor Mrs. Mansfield! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections My Sister and I By Willene Exinvil November 24, 2020 Charcoal Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections Who Am I? By Arunima Roy November 19, 2021 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 2

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections An Ode to my ID Shea Flanelly Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 Walking into VSN I see, three machines staring back at me The security guards at the desk wave, knowing who I am Here’s my ID, the machines beckon for me to scan Security and protection it offers, feeling its presence on my neck, Feeling safe and secure, I walk ahead From lunch, to class, and through the halls Your presence grants safety to us all Swinging the shining photo side to side I walk around with my head up high With it on, I begin to shine Because it holds the essence of a student inside. Even with an unfavorable picture, Its assistance helps my school differ Who I am, where I am, and decipher where I belong Teachers say it’s important, and they were right all along The ID is like my key, that gives me access to my home, Like a knight protecting a king and his throne. With every scan, it unlocks us through the doors Where we can find friendship, community, clubs, and more When that part of me is lost, I know where to go On MySchoolBucks, I can order it and know What’s lost can be found, Especially when you find an ID on the ground. So, here’s an ode, to the one people hate For maybe some will understand that it keeps us safe. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Jeysi Henriquez-Ventura - Pop Art By Jeysi Henriquez-Ventura January 14, 2022 Acrylic Volume 2 Issue 3

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Life is imperfect By Gabriella Basile Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Forbes Nothing is Perfect Life is imperfect, and that is ok Stress is leaving your body, As good things come your way Learning how to find the good is the hardest part, but once it is found, it’s relieved in your heart No more anxiety over every little thing, The “craziness” is over, and is slowly being recovered The good in your life is finally being uncovered Leaving Me Life without you was hard I didn’t understand why you left, you didn’t ever write me a card I wanted things to be okay You said you left for good things, but it felt like it was to just be away I searched for perfect, but realized it’s not what people said The Feelings of Anxiety The feelings of anxiety can make you feel crazy, When you can’t control it, you don’t even feel normal No one is perfect… that’s real moral The only way to feel confident is to let it out Keeping it in, my horrible feelings, just makes me want to shout. I wish I knew how to tell people about it, Because now I can’t believe how much I grew. BACK TO TOP

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Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections What is Being Done About Mental Health at VSN? By Craig Papajohn-Shaw Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by HRZone On Sunday, January 24th The New York Times reported the Clark County school district in Nevada, the 5th largest district in the nation, announced they would begin to allow in-person school for students. With 18 teen suicides of youths between the ages of 15 and 19 (double the number of adolescent deaths by suicide than in 2019) and 3,100 alerts of suicidal searches flagged on the district’s iPad devices from March to December 2020, the school system has linked the online, full-remote period to an increase in students' mental health issues. Additionally, the New York Post reported on February 11th that 12-year-old Hayden Huntstable hanged himself after battling depression amid COVID-19. His father stated he had limited insight on his son's struggles with depression. Hayden’s story demonstrates how crucial it is for mental health issues to be addressed in school so there are outlets available. Further on the adolescent mental health crisis, according to the American Health Ranking, the global pandemic has resulted in increased suicides. In 2019, the death of adolescents between the ages of 15-19 was 10.2 per 100,000 from suicide, while in 2020, it increased to 11.6 per 100,000 nationwide. These startling statistics would make one think schools would attempt to do anything in their power to reach out to students to provide resources and/or produce a safe outlet for students to talk about their mental issues that may have arisen due to the pandemic. However, Valley Stream North and surrounding school districts alike have taken limited observable action to address the mental health issues resulting from the student-teacher disconnect in the classroom. The district took the liberty of putting together a Summer Bridge Program to “provide social-emotional resources to the school community” as described on the district’s website. The five-volume newsletter released in the Summer of 2020 provided insight into the “new normal” in the classroom. The district presented some resources on stress management, but has done little to promote the resources to the school community. Since the release of the fifth Summer Bridge issue back on August 28th, the district has not supplied nor advertised flyers and/or meetings to help students cope in this everchanging world. While the district may be at fault for not providing enough mental health resources to the schools in Valley Stream, each respective school administration has fallen flat regarding raising awareness about the mental health complications evident in their schools. The World Health Organization found half of all mental health conditions start at age 14, but most cases go undetected, unreported, or untreated. As a result, this statistic would make one think addressing mental health issues in schools would be a priority. The rise in mental health issues, attributed to the pandemic, has also been evident in the classroom environment. In an interview with Spanish teacher Ms. Milazzo-Soto, she expressed, “Students just seem like they’re not enjoying school like they used to. Many appear bored and disinterested. Most seem reluctant to participate and interact with each other.” While she cannot postulate that the disconnect is solely due to the students’ mental state, she does say that more should be done by the administration to address mental health. She does “encourage all students if they are having difficulties [to] reach out to their teachers, guidance counselors, or any other adult in the building.” However, it is difficult to reach out to adults who have not yet introduced themselves. For instance, Valley Stream North employs three school psychologists: Ms. Kehoe, Ms. Christiansen, and Dr. Byrne. However, the failure to introduce themselves would make it difficult for a student to feel comfortable or even know where to talk to the psychologists, regardless of their qualifications. Prominent staff members generally have not addressed the drastic change in the learning experience which has taken a toll on the mental health of students. A perspective from a student at the school reads, “I feel as though many teachers do not take into consideration how hard it is to be a teenager during these times. We are constantly staring at a screen or being assigned an endless amount of work and this is very mentally taxing on the adolescent brain. Most of us have been forced to put our mental health aside to get all our schoolwork done. The limited outreach by staff has also made it difficult to stay committed to virtual learning. Most teachers do not even respect the ten-minute breaks we received which have been reduced to 5 minutes in the second semester, and most students end up with no break causing them to attend classes back-to-back, and it is not okay.” I reached out to school psychologist Dr. Melissa Byrne and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Christian Bowen to see how they are exactly attempting to address the mental health crisis on a school and district level. However, both did not respond to the opportunity to comment for this article. My intentions are by no means to solely criticize the school and the district, but rather to shine some light on the issue and how perspectives from teachers and students further prove my claim about the limited action taken to address mental health issues. It is difficult to understand the necessities of students, especially during a time where no one, adult or adolescent, has any prior experience or frame of reference. Solutions that I recommend would be first, for the school psychologists to make an introductory video. This would allow for students to know what they look like and to understand their job descriptions and how specifically they can assist students. Once that is done, the PPS, or Pupil Personnel Services, team should implement an optional mental health survey per grade level to evaluate students’ wellbeing in order to grasp the number of students who may be dealing with mental health issues and then maybe meet with students who are struggling. Lastly, utilizing students’ Outlook emails to send them weekly to monthly emails with links to resources on how to better attend to common mental health issues such as stress management. Students need to know administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, and psychologists care; however, in some instances, staff neglects to convey their care for students' mental well-being. With suicide being the third leading cause of death by adolescents between the age of 15-19, it is crucial that Valley Stream North emphasizes how the difficult encounters teens may face during the pandemic contribute to mental health and it needs to be addressed. BACK TO TOP