Northrop New Year's News 2021

 Northrop New Year’s  News 2021

Dear Family and Friends, 

Over the course of our lives, there have been certain “sweet spots” where everything feels right, or as right as it can be in our world. For me, it was the first year of college or that first few years of marriage. Then, it was when we had one baby who just came everywhere with us. Next, when our youngest hit Kindergarten and all the kiddos were in school. The next ten years have been up and down, non-stop parenting and working, and now we find ourselves in perhaps another sweet spot. With three high schoolers who are athletes, musicians, students, and more - the downtime moments feel few and far between. However, we know that the constant movement, buzz of activities, and full calendars will not last forever, so we remind ourselves to enjoy the down moments in each day when we can connect or reconnect with our kids, our families, our friends, and each other.  Sometimes, it’s during a car ride, a bus ride, a facetime, a text, or time in the gym. Other times, it’s watching a funny show or a brief snuggle on the couch. In all of these times, we attempt to meet the moments with gratitude.

Gabe

Our G man spent his 18th birthday with cousins in San Francisco. He got to set the agenda - Japan Town, Alcatraz, and Ghirardelli Square.  He’s very into Manga and has accrued quite a collection of books from Barnes and Noble and other online book sellers. They have to be in perfect condition for his collection though, so we know the UPS store and the Amazon return process very well by now. He played JV basketball last year, and this fueled him to work on his foot quickness and strength for track and field.  Both track and field and basketball saw trips to the ER for stitches on his head. Despite that, he earned all conference honors for track and field and advanced to the Section meet in both high jump and discus. After clearing 6-1 in the high jump, he’s hoping for 6-4 in the 2022 season. His team also did great things, but we’ll cover that in Matt’s section. He still works at Menards in order fulfillment, reads a lot, and works on his computer. Gabe excels in the classroom, maintaining his 4.0,  and earned an excellent ACT score, so that makes the college search interesting. His top picks are currently University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and NDSU, with a possible major in computer science. Iowa State is also in the running after getting a scholarship award letter yesterday. Mom and Dad’s alma mater was “a solid 5th place (out of 6)” when we visited this summer.  People ask how it will be next year when he’s at college. For me, it’s like when we dropped him off at Kindergarten. There weren’t any tears, just excitement knowing that he was so ready for that next step. Of course we will miss him (and yes, I’ll cry at graduation), but we are both thankful to live in a world of facetime and texting so that we can get our Gabe fix when we need it. 

Ben

Ben is 16 and we think the thing he loves most in the world is his VR gaming world and his youtube channel. He’s worked hard to fill the channel with RecRoom tutorials and challenges. Check it out at Rock Lobster. He was confirmed this spring and it was great to have a celebration with family and friends. Ben does not have his driver’s license yet, partly due to the limited testing openings, but is looking forward to taking his test (again) in March. His favorite class currently is Peak Performance with Mr. Northrop and Foods class. Last spring, he enjoyed welding (but not the burn hole on his phone made from a spark through his pants pocket). Ben also did well as a thrower this year in track and field and is looking forward to the shot and discus again. Mom might make him join the distance group, since this fall he elected to run cross country instead of play football. Dad wasn’t too thrilled, but Mom loved having him on the team (except he’s not the best listener to his coach). He ran very well, dropping his 5K time by MINUTES by the end of the season and earning an alternate spot for the section meet. He’s using his newfound swiftness to make some smooth moves on the court as a big man. Busy with three sports, he doesn’t have much time for work, but is still employed at Panther Pals when school is not in session. Ben, who loves to perform in the choir, will be an ensemble cast member in the musical this March. He also loves hanging out with his friends on their various adventures of Marvel movies, nerf gun action, and cosplay at Nerdin’outCon. 

Lyndee

Lyndee will be 15 in just two weeks. She is now taller than me and much stronger as a HS athlete than I ever was. She did very well in track and field last spring and was our top thrower. She advanced to section in the shot put as an 8th grader and is looking forward to next spring as well. Lyndee played VB this summer and made the JV team this fall. She got the privilege of sitting the varsity bench for playoffs and that leaves her hungry for even more. She loves volleyball, especially because Mom knows nothing about it so I can’t coach her at all. In basketball so far this winter, she’s finding her groove on the JV and swings varsity as well. Just before break, she made her first varsity points - 2 free throws - only 998 to go. The rebounds are what she’s really going for in games, and her goal is 1000 in her high school career. Lyndee still loves TV and watching shows as her downtime. Along with Ben, she will be a part of the ensemble cast in the spring musical. She plays trumpet in the band and sings alto in the choir. She and I love to shop together (most of the time) and a consistent question is “Mom, would you let me wear that?” Frequently the answer from me is “Yes, but Dad won’t.” Lyndee worked at Panther Pals with Ben last summer and a little bit over fall break. She’s an excellent student, and though grades and tests can be very stressful, she soldiers on to maintain her 4.0. 

Matt and Amy

Parenting, teaching, and coaching dominate all of our waking moments (and some of our sleeping ones, too). While we ended the year with every day in person schooling, we were hoping that our world would be a bit more normal come fall. School started with a mask mandate which is not what we were hoping for, but we were so happy to just be back with every day in person. We have been determined to do what we need to for the good of our community of learners and their families. Lots of things will continue to fluctuate and we will adjust and do what is asked of us until normalcy, compassion, and common sense return. I have a GREAT class and am thankful for the team of educators and administrators and coaches that I work with every day.  Matt did not coach football this fall, and while he missed it, he was able to accomplish a lot in the woods, go to volleyball games and cross country meets, and hold down the fort for the family. Completing my 14th year of coaching cross country was rewarding and it’s the best when it ends with one of my athletes at the State meet. We are now in the thick of basketball season with Matt again holding down the home responsibilities and me assisting the varsity girls for the 2nd year. We are both looking forward to track and field this year and hoping to replicate the success of last spring. Our girls won the sub-section, placed 5th in the True Team Section and 4th in the Conference. The boys team was an amazing story this past season. They lost 18 talented seniors in the 2020 non-season, and really wanted to leave their own mark in PITF history. And leave it, they did. Matt’s team won the True Team Section, Conference, Sub-Section, Section, and True Team STATE! They are the first team in Pine Island’s history to bring home a State Championship. We are so proud of the athletes and  our amazing coaching staff for their part in this historic season. Of course, I am extremely proud of Matt for earning both Section and State Coach of the Year for Class A track and field. 

Family

We finally were able to visit with friends and family this summer and fall. We were also excited to finally have our SHED (or as brother-in-law Mark calls it - the garage mahal) finished in October.  We broke it in for my 50th birthday party and had a great time celebrating with friends, family, and framily (friends who are like family). 

Pets

Here’s the 2020 rundown–Dash - 10 years old, made a successful bid to become an inside dog, which has drastically reduced his running away and increased his cleanliness.  Tucker  - had a seizure and possibly a stroke in August. He suffered very little and is now laid to rest by Wrigley near the fire pit. Cat #3 - Louie - disappeared again in February and hasn’t been spotted since. Cat #5, Sunny - still loves Gabe and Matt when the mood strikes her, but mostly hangs out under the garage steps. Cat #6, Luna - joined our family when I had a weak moment after losing Tucker. I wanted another dog, but knew that it was too soon and that we needed someone who needed very little care. She’s a delightful kitty and really just wants to be friends with Sunny, who is diabolically opposed to anyone wanting to be her friend, thus lots of hissing and a few swipes at the kitty. 

It’s continued to be such a weird time, and one that has changed us, our families, our communities, and our friends. Especially when parenting teenagers feels like walking a minefield of homework, expectations, and growing independence, I’m reminded that we sometimes need to treat our teenagers like we did when they were toddlers. Almost all angst is temporary and can be solved with food, attention, or sleep. I know that with two of my three, I need to feed them to make them more amenable to anything I’m saying. This is how I find the sweet spot at times. Food, then conversation. We know that the last year or so hasn't been everyone's sweet spot, but we hope you find a moment in each day that feels like it is, or at least that it could be. Happy New Year! 

Love, Matt & Amy, Gabe, Ben, Lyndee, Dash, Sunny, and Luna

Northrop News 2020

Dear Family and Friends, 

We were watching “Home Alone” the other night. Gabe said, “Remember last year when we went to an airport? And there were lots of people there and nobody wore a mask?” Even now we watch tv shows or movies pre-pandemic, it’s a little jarring. Do you see them? They are sharing food! Look at the crowds! There are so many people. No masks?! After returning from our Costa Rica trip with Matt’s brother and parents, we could not have predicted what the rest of our year would be like. 

Gabe

We clearly remember the strong willed tantrums. We recall the times he wouldn’t let us throw anything away and we thought he was a hoarder in training. Now? He’s 17 and his room is neat and organized. He’s still a collector but the focus has shifted from random objects to retro video games (read - games we played in the 80s and 90s) and game systems.  During the Stay Home MN order, he started a hobby business buying up retro video gaming systems, repairing them, and reselling them. It kept him busy and learning about everything that that entailed. He’s inching toward adulthood, and pandemic or not, milestones of growing up were still apparent.  He got his first job - at Matt’s alma mater - Menards.  He’s an order pickup team member, so he gets the online orders for customers and loads things into cars.  He purchased his own vehicle, from our neighbor, with just a little help from us. And we could not be more grateful for his vehicle and his ability to drive his brother and sister to and from school and practices. While distance learning, or hybrid, or whatever model we are currently in - he remains a good student and became a Minnesota Honor Society inductee this fall. He chose NOT to play football, but is currently working hard to get stronger for an anticipated basketball season. Gabe and I had some great adventures this summer, visiting local and metro gaming shops once they reopened and listening to Creepy Pastas together. He’s starting to think about where he might go to college and is taking a few college credits concurrently with HS coursework.  

Ben

Ben is 15 and just passed his driver’s permit test, so we’ll soon have another driver! He got a job this past year working with Panther Pals (or school aged child care). Ben is really great with kids and this summer came home with great stories and, “Mom, listen to this - I made a list called ‘Why I don’t like the morning shift.” The list detailed why each of the kids he was in charge of were crying….all at the same time. My favorite one was, “X is crying because her shoe is wet.” He is gaining great experiences in patience with all kinds of kids. He’ll need that if he still wants to be a teacher. With his earned income, he bought his own computer which Gabe helped him assemble.  Ben loves gaming with his VR (virtual reality) set - another huge purchase - and is currently chasing challenge records in Rec Room (whatever that means). He also appreciates the buying power that comes with having a job, but is annoyed that Mom and Dad still have a say in purchases.  He played football this fall and had a role in the virtual fall play. Ninth grade can be a challenging transition, and distance learning isn’t his favorite, but his grades are good and he’s learning a lot. We recently read The Outsiders together and yes, I still cried at the end. It’s interesting to read it through the lens of parent and teacher and equity now as so much and so little have changed since the book was written in 1962. 

Lyndee

Lyndee will be 14 in just a few short weeks. Just when I think I’ve figured out how to parent a teenage girl, the rules change and what worked yesterday is SO WRONG today. She challenges me to be the best version of myself as her parent and is a consistent reminder that we cannot assume that just because our kids are growing up, that they need us less. She still wants to hang out with me and we definitely enjoy shopping. Since she and I didn’t want to argue each time she wanted some new item of clothing, we negotiated a monthly clothing budget.  Lyndee’s job is to take care of the dogs and just taking that task from us has been a relief.  Lyndee is currently enamored with the game “Among Us” and enjoys being the “Impostor” in the game. She was disappointed in the cancellation of her first track and field season, but did get a chance to do a “little” summer VB and BB. Lyndee loved playing volleyball this fall and is looking forward to basketball starting on January 4th. Lyndee’s favorite foods are fudge bars, ice cream, cereal, and popcorn with chocolate chips. We watched a lot of Full House and Fuller House together. Lyndee enjoyed babysitting and has applied to work at Panther Pals with her brother. She is doing a great job at distance learning and her worry about grades is completely unfounded. 

Matt and Amy

Coaching, teaching, and family. And family. And family. And (we are always together) family. While this year was completely not what we expected, wanted, anticipated, etc., we are ridiculously grateful for our kids, their independence, intelligence, and patience with us. Much to their annoyance, we have been cautious with letting them see friends and we both know how much they miss having a free and active social life. Living in the country was really great for the lockdown period. Our kids have always been used to relying on each other or themselves for entertainment, so it wasn’t too big of a stretch when we would tell them no to hanging out with friends. Even though we limit their screen time far more than they think is necessary, they still occasionally think it’s okay to have our “forced family fun” days. We weren’t able to coach track and field in person last spring, which caused much heartache for us and our athletes. We do know that this adversity will serve us all well in the future, but it didn’t make the loss of the 2020 season any less hard. We both were able to coach this fall with cross country and football. And, that was one thing that made our world seem normal again - even with how different those seasons were structured. As educators, we are permanently tied to a school schedule. I’ve actually been grateful for that through this year, since it’s one thing that has been predictable.  While others remained working from home, we actually got to experience the first day of school rituals with our students. We have changed models a couple of times with 7-12 currently in a full distance model. Since I teach 6th grade, I’ve gotten to teach in person with my students all year, with the exception of one week.  It’s technically a hybrid in person, since I teach half of one group of students and zoom to the other half each period, plus teach to those students who are fully online - all at the same time. Teaching in this way has provided many opportunities for growth and many challenges, but I appreciate that I get to be in person at all. Matt teaches in person right now to 6th graders, but via zoom to his high school classes. Right now, we are looking forward to the start of basketball season for the kids and I actually get to help coach the varsity girls this year after a 10 year hiatus.  Matt and I also are looking forward to a track and field season this spring. 

Family

We desperately miss our friends and family members and hugs and high fives and potlucks and everything else. But, we know we can do anything for a short time. Our deepest gratitude this year goes to the health of our family members - Matt’s 90+ year old grandmas, and our parents are persevering and healthy. Our siblings and nieces and nephews are all healthy and safe as well. 

Pets

Here’s the 2020 rundown–Dash - 9 years old, is making a bid to become an inside dog and only had to be picked up at the humane society once this year due to running away.  Tucker  - 8 years old, started suffering seizures this summer, but is now doing well with medication, has finally lost some weight, but still can’t be an inside dog because he thinks poop is delicious.  Wrigley – after finding out from the vet that he was probably closer to 12 than 10, he diligently guarded us through the stay at home order. Sadly, he left this world due to cancer on the last days of school. We still miss him every day. Cat #3 - Lucy recently reassigned as Louie) - disappeared last fall and showed up again in March! He comes and goes as he pleases and judging by his weight increase, we’re pretty sure he has another family that also feeds him. (Cat #4 - Pepper - went back to his original home and was replaced by Frodo who left with Louie last fall. Frodo remains at large). Cat #5, Sunny - loves Gabe and Matt when the mood strikes her, hates the rest of us and consistently swipes at us when we’ve done nothing remotely to annoy her other than walking by wherever she happens to be. 

It’s just such a weird time in so many, many ways. I have learned that I am grateful for my ability to arrange and rearrange how I think about things. I have learned that you can absolutely be angry and forgiving at the same time. That you can feel grief and joy together. That disappointment can be reframed into motivation. That I can feel scared and comforted in the same experience. That people can disagree and still love each other. We wish you perseverance, harmony, health, and most definitely hope. Through the darkness of the season, peace and stillness can provide an opportunity for reflection and the birth of Jesus can show us hope for what is to come. It won’t be without hardship, disagreement, or loss, and we will be changed when this is over. 

Love, Matt & Amy, Gabe, Ben, Lyndee, Dash, Tucker, Louie,  and Sunny

The Season That Wasn't

Hope seems to me to be the ultimate expression of optimism. Over the course of this crazy spring, people have wondered aloud to me if, by continuing to give workouts and motivation, were we giving false hope to athletes and their families? False hope? Believe me, I am not some Pollyanna who thinks bad things never happen or that  things never feel hopeless. I have known despair and disappointment and grief. And, I would choose hope over those every. single. time. This spring, hope got us out the door to get a workout in. Hope forced us to continue to plan workouts with our coaching staff. Hope gave us smiles and opportunities to see and support athletes from afar. Hope allowed us to create a new normal for a season which just *might* come to fruition. Hope saved us from the depths of despair and disappointment and grief. For a while, at least.

And now, here we are.  The 2020 spring seasons will not happen. The invitationals are off the calendar. The individual goals will not be met. The competition between teammates for a coveted spot on a relay team is simply melted away. The Section True Team championship goal, the State True Team championship goal, the Conference, Sub-Section, Section, and State - all gone. I am wallowing tonight in my own losses. But, I know my losses do not hold a candle to those who don't get the opportunities to compete for their last year - our seniors.  As coaches, we feel grief at the end of each and every season. But then, it's a loss of relationship, of the intensity that that relationship gives us for one season or over the course of many seasons. Now, not only is it the loss of relationships, it's also the devastation of thinking about what could have been and never got the chance to materialize.

Every athlete and coach has defining moments in their lives related to sports. Before this year, I had three.

The first one occurred in my senior year when my team lost the region 3A final in girl's basketball by a slim margin. The buzzer sounded, the other team and their fans exploded in cheers, and I sat on the court with my head in my hands and sobbed. We were so very close to realizing the dream of going to the state tournament in a season where others had already written us off.

The second happened during the Section track and field meet in 2002, long before live results even existed. Our boy's 4x400 team walked across the field toward Matt and me to see if their 2nd place might still qualify them for state. (At that time, only the first place relay team qualified for state.) We had to tell them that they had missed the qualifying standard by .01 seconds. There was nothing we could say to ease that pain.

The third was just two years ago at the State meet. Our senior athlete was running in the 800m finals. We were cheering on the backstretch of the track, feeling the joy and excitement as he sprinted down the homestretch. The runners disappeared behind the awards tent as he was vying for the lead with the eventual champion. We heard the crowd gasp, the runners emerged on the other side of the awards tent, but our runner did not. He had been tripped, got up, and crossed the line in 9th place. The officials ruled that he could rerun the race, alone, at the conclusion of the meet. We didn't want him to regret not trying, so we told him he would do the rerun.  It was emotional as the crowd gave him a standing ovation, but his rightful placing in the top 3 was not to be as his final time would not equal his best. Emotionally and physically exhausted, he crossed the line. Career over.

Each of the previous defining moments still gives me pause. Even the basketball game from 30 years ago. Each moment produces an ache that never will go away and has shaped who I am. I've gotten better at revisiting those moments and sitting with the ache and the sadness. I've gotten more efficient at squashing the what ifs, because now they've become what wasn'ts.  But still, I go back, sit in that space with the ache, cry a little, open to feeling the sadness, breathe in and out and let it go until the next time. That ache isn't a space I avoid anymore, because it's become a tool. When disappointment and despair occur again, as they inevitably do, I think, "Oh yeah, I've felt this before. I've been through this. And I've come through on the other side, maybe not stronger, but different. I can do this."

And now, I have a fourth defining moment. And oh, does it ache.  One of my strengths is empathy, and it's killing me right now. I feel all the feels for our seniors and their parents who just are suffering loss after loss after loss. I feel for the kids I've been coaching since I taught them as students in 6th grade.  I feel for my own kids whose goals for this season won't be realized. I feel for our coaching staff and the volunteers who were beyond compare this year! I feel for my husband who has been talking about THIS season and THIS team since the seniors were 8th graders. 

Grief is funny, and definitely not funny haha.  It's loss. It's disappointment. It's sadness. It's anger. It's despair. This spring, each of these is a response to something that we collectively had absolutely no control over. It's something that's happened or is happening to us, in which we have no say.  The only say we have is in our response.  Trite. I know. The one thing it ISN'T is regret. I often think regret can be even worse than grief. Regret happens when we choose our action or inaction to something with which we are faced.  I will never regret my season kick off speech to the girls. I will never regret the hours in invested in planning this season. I will never regret the meetings and the captain interviews and the planned workouts and the emails and the facebook and twitter posts.  And the athletes? They won't regret coming out for track and field. They will not like the pain and loss and disappointment. But, despite that, the emotional and physical and mental investment that they and their parents and our community has made in track and field will serve them well in the future.  It doesn't feel like it now, and won't for a long time. But this hardship? It will come to look like an opportunity, a gift.

Here's what else this is - a pivot. It isn't a stop sign, a brick wall, or a cliff. It's a pivot. And we choose HOW we pivot and where we go from here. It doesn't mean that we will easily and simply move on. We won't. We will move through, sit in the ache, cry a little (or a lot), and feel all the feels. This hardship is practice for what will come later in our lives - when we will return to the aches we've felt before and know we can get through whatever it is that's going on, because we got through the losses of  2020.

1981/2020

In 2020, it's Friday. The day when teachers usually say, "Phew, we made it through the week!" We celebrate what went well, bemoan what didn't, and start to gear up for the next week. So, when I walked out of my classroom today, I had a minor meltdown. I paused with my bin, filled with what I might need for the next 6 weeks, and just stared with my breath caught in my chest.  This classroom is my sanctuary, my energy, my home, and my work. My students are my why everyday.  My team, my family at work, is filled with the most dependable, innovative, and intelligent people. The administrators I work with? So dedicated, so passionate, so driven, and so good to work with. And, so, when I left today, there was no celebration. There was no relief. There was really only sorrow.

In 1981, in southwestern Minnesota where I grew up, money was tight, especially for a small, rural school district. Just four years before, the district had ended the year in the red - to the tune of over $100,000. And in 1980, by the narrowest of margins, only 30 votes, the school district approved a referendum to build a new athletic complex. Following that approval, between local and state budget shortfalls, the district had to cut almost $200,000. This led to staff layoffs and cuts to programs like language arts, home economics (now called Family and Consumer Sciences), and Physical Education.

In October 1981, in my small town, the teachers' union voted to strike. On Wednesday, October 14th, to coincide with fall break, classes were cancelled indefinitely. My mom was an instructor at the technical college at that time. This meant my mom was on strike, too. I honestly don't remember a lot about that time except the tension. At first, we just had a few days off. And then, a few days more. And then, a few days more. I do recall that this was very polarizing for the community. My friends whose parents weren't teachers, were parrotting their parents in saying, "I don't know why the teachers on on strike. It's greedy, don't they care about the kids?!"

That fall, I was a 10 year old fourth grader. My teacher was a strict, 90 pound, 5 foot tall fearless woman I was scared of. Mostly because once she called me in from recess to talk about a signature I had forged, but that's another story.  My sisters were in 8th and 9th grade respectively.  After 3 weeks, the negotiations were at a standstill. It was getting colder and the strike headquarters, a former gas station at the corner of Prentice and Ninth Avenue, was hopping with teachers unable to teach. And still, teachers were walking the picket line every day.  As supporters (because my mom was on strike as a teacher), we brought coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies to the striking teachers.

It was also cross country season, and my 9th grade oldest sister was a dominant runner who had qualified for the state meet.  On October 31st, she ran in the State Class A race. Our family brought her, our family supported her and cheered her 3rd place finish, and then we brought her home. She could have no contact, or receive any coaching from her coach. But, at that point, we were just so grateful that she would be allowed to compete.

In mid-November, with no settlement in sight, the district made the decision to re-open school with substitute teachers.  The polite word for them was substitute, the impolite word was scab. The substitutes who chose to cross the picket line and teach had a variety of reasons I'm sure.  It could have been money, experience, survival, who knows? I remember my mom telling us that school was starting up again, and for one brief moment, my heart surged. Yes! (I loved school.) I could be back with my friends and going to school which I loved. But, she went on to explain that, because she was a teacher, the three of us could not cross the picket line either. I hung my head and said, yes, I understood. It was solidarity. But, it didn't stop my sadness at not being able to return to school with my friends.

On that first day of school, I stood in our entryway and watched bus #10 turn the corner and head to school without me. That memory is crystallized in my brain. Backing away, I retreated to my room and allowed myself to lose my emotions in a book. The teachers who had school age children decided at that time to start their own school. Card tables were set up in my living room and my teachers and my friends came to my house. I know we had math because we had some worksheets to do. Where they got them, I have no idea. We also visited the planetarium as a "field trip." We had school, but it obviously wasn't the same. In the afternoon, my neighborhood friends would come over and were bursting with how much fun it was with the new teachers. My sister remembers that one of her classmates said, "These teachers are soooo much better than our regular teachers."

These were trying times for the community. Finally, In late November, the school district and the teachers' union reached an agreement. Our district was one of 35 in the state that lived through and learned through a strike that year. 

These last few weeks have been crazy, to say the least. At the same time, it's provided the opportunity for me to reflect on other times in my life where circumstances have been beyond my control. I've seen parallels between myself as a 10 year old student and my own 12 year old students. They have had unknowns, too. They went from spring break to another unexpected week off, while my fellow teachers and I planned for how we would teach them in a way we've never done before. Tonight, I'm sure they are uncertain, but anxious to try whatever we can offer them.

In this story, there are also perpendiculars. I'm sure that when my teachers left their classrooms on October 14th, they expected the negotiations to be over quickly. They didn't pack everything as a finality. They expected to be back quickly, doing what they loved to do. But, because negotiations went poorly, and neither side could come to an agreement, they were not able to return to their classrooms until almost six weeks later.

For myself as a teacher, there's rarely been a year where I haven't either been in school as a student or as a teacher. As it was when I stood in my entryway as a ten year old, tonight I'm faced with what I know and love - school - looking so very, very different. Tomorrow, I start teaching my students in ways I never have. My strengths as a teacher are connections, relationships, stupid jokes, small touches,  and personal interactions. Those things will be hard for me to do through a webcam, headset, and audio in an online forum while I sit in my dining room with a map of Minnesota taped to my china cabinet. But, just as I did in 1981, and my students will do in 2020, we will persevere and be educated by our circumstances and experiences. While my experience as a ten year old was of a polarized community, this definitely is not. We all understand the importance of staying home and making the sacrifices for the greater good. Our community understands that we love our students and that all of us will make it through this time stronger together.

We Are Track and Field

Unprecedented.

Uncertain.

Unusual.

These words have dominated our conversations, our posts, our in person and digital landscapes over the past week.  We will not downplay the seriousness of the pandemic. We’ve not dealt with something exactly like this before. But, we’ve experienced adversity and come out on the other side, and know that our track record for getting through hard things is 100%. 

We Are Track and Field. 

And, on an albeit smaller scale, we’ve done this before. We’ve stood in the rain and the snow and the wind. We’ve run in downpours. We’ve landed on a soaked pole vault pit and celebrated clearing a height, despite our discomfort. Our shoes have been soaked and dirty from landing in a drenched sand pit. We’ve slipped and fallen in a hurdle race, whether the track was wet or dry. We have entered the throws circle in a puddle, slipped past the toe board and scratched an amazing attempt. We’ve picked up our shots and discs, wiped them down with towels, and thrown again. We’ve high jumped right into the bar, or missed the pit altogether. We’ve taken water during races in oppressive heat. We’ve slowed down, tucked in behind another teammate or competitor on the backstretch to shelter from a driving wind. We’ve surged to pass someone, only to get caught right at the finish.  We’ve won big and lost big. 

See? We’ve already done this. Every competition and practice has provided us the experiences of frustration, exhaustion, and failure. But, it’s also provided us the experiences of joy, laughter, teamwork, and victory. 

We don’t know the outcome of our season, if we’ll get to practice together or compete. But, whatever happens, our track record for getting through hard things is 100%. 

Unburdened.

Unafraid.

Undefeated.

We’ve got this. We Are Track and Field.

Northrop News 2019

Northrop News 2019 *

*I realize it is 2020. But, I am optimistic that next December I will actually write a 2020 letter and send it off before 2021. There’s a good reason I’m late. Read through to the end if you care. :)

Dear Family and Friends, 

Trace Adkins sings, “You're gonna miss this, You're gonna want this back, You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, These are some good times, So take a good look around, You may not know it now, But you're gonna miss this!” When our kids were little, it was always noisy in our house, our van, everywhere. And now? Not so much. I mean, our kids are still here. But sometimes, they’re here, without being HERE. I realize that the time I have them in my physical reach is quite literally slipping through my fingers. Before, I just needed to get through each day until bedtime when I would find joy in the peace and quiet. Now, they don’t need me to tuck them in anymore. No stories need to be read or continued from the night before. They sleep with their bedroom doors closed and I don’t often peek in to see their chests rise and fall. I still relish the quiet and the chance to breathe and think and just be.  But more and more in that in between space, I feel it. I feel the loss of what is to come when it will be quiet ALL the time. So, for now, we plan to encourage the noise and the busy and the chaos. 

Gabe

Sixteen. Oof. We have a driver and a young man who’s thinking about the direction his life will move. Gabe is a great student. He doesn’t need our help or direction with his homework, and we have no worries about deadlines or due dates. He’s independent and yet, sometimes shows us the mushy prefrontal cortex by asking us things like, “Where is the cottage cheese?” when it’s in a giant case in Costco directly in front of him. He earned an academic letter last year and an athletic letter in track and field, where he high jumped for the varsity. He was confirmed in April and we enjoyed a celebration with family. He also built his own computer after learning what he needed to know from YouTube and with the financial backing of his Uncle Seth. Gabe played football last fall and is in the middle of basketball season, where he’s playing with the Junior Varsity.  He is my Target shopping buddy and still enjoys hanging out with me and running errands. Gabe sings in the choir and plays percussion with the band. He is thinking about computer science in college and exploring options about where that might lead him in the future.

Ben

Ben is such a loving boy, who sometimes needs redirection from his momma when his passion comes out at me after I say, “Let’s gooooo, get out of BED!” He LOVES all his grandparents and smothers them with love and kisses when he gets to see them. Ben has some great friends and concentrates in school on trying to be a good friend and a good teammate to others. After first quarter in 7th grade, he has taken full responsibility for his grades and his learning and warns us in advance if we are going to see something that is not up to our expectations. Ben had a supporting role in “Willy Wonka” this summer and simply shined on stage. He is fun to watch in concerts - both choir and band. You never know what you might witness from him. As my mom said, “Is he supposed to be doing that acting during the concerts?!” Ben also played football this fall, is currently in BB, and is looking forward to track and field this spring, where last year he LOVED his experience as a thrower. He knows everything you can know about Marvel and Star Wars and animals. We wonder how he stores all that information!  

Lyndee

Oh, my heart. She’s almost 13.  Soon, I will be shortest in my family. I look at her and wonder how I was so awkward at her age, and she’s just NOT. She checks her grades (to excess) and is deep into perfectionism. I’m sure I modeled that for her often, but hope that she will find meaning in her life in other ways as well. Like Ben, Lyndee also acted in the Willy Wonka play last summer and sang in the ACDA Honor Choir last spring.  She amazes us with her beautiful voice and her talent at the trumpet. Lyndee loves to read books over and over and is our most serious animal lover. She still is considering what life would be like as a vet, but wonders how she’ll handle her cat allergy. Lyndee loved volleyball this fall and is enjoying BB this winter. She’s playing with the 8th grade team as a 7th grader and is also looking forward to being a JH track and field athlete this spring. (“Mom, I am NOT running the 400.”)  

Matt

Last year, I’d see him the hallways at our school and think, “Wait, why are you here?” and then my brain would catch up to realize we both worked at the same school.  :) He resigned his position from Rochester this summer to truly begin his journey at Pine Island. It was scary to leave behind all the earned sick leave and seniority for sure. In the end, he decided it wasn’t about that, but about career fulfillment and family, which many times is one and the same.  I admire his intensity as an educator. He demands a lot from his students both physically and from their character. Matt had a track and field season that was amazing last year. His team won the True Team Section, Conference, Sub-Section, and Section. Many of those titles had not been won since the 1980s.  To top it off, he deservedly won the Section Coach of the Year honor. I am so proud of all of the time, effort, and energy he puts into coaching. In addition to coaching track and field, he also assisted in the football program this fall. 

Amy

Coaching, teaching, and family are my themes as always. I am ridiculously grateful for our kids. Even though I’m all up in their business, they still love me and think (some of) my jokes are laughable. I get courtesy chuckles and more than a few exasperated sighs of “Oh Momma.” They try to keep me in the loop about trends and help me figure out what’s cool and what went out a long time ago. Last spring, I took on a new role in the track and field program as the Head Girl’s Track and Field coach.  It was challenging and rewarding and I can’t wait for the upcoming season. In Cross Country, I was fortunate to have two athletes who qualified for the state meet in November. Running with the team (well, behind the team) gives me a chance to work out and connect with athletes while coaching. The Hot Cider Hustle was my 6th half marathon, so CC really helped me in my training for that. I continue to teach MN History to 6th graders. Every single day I think I about how lucky I am to be doing a job that I love. My whole heart lives in that school building with my husband, my kids, my friends, my students, and my athletes all in one place. How lucky can one girl get? Now, if only I could bring my dog to school, life would really be perfect!

Family

Last Christmas, we traveled to San Francisco to spend a week with Seth, Michaela, and the girls. We packed tons of activities into seven days, including the kids’ favorite - skiing in Tahoe. We also squeezed in two vacations with friends over the summer. In July, we drove to Chicago and spent four days with our friends the Winters exploring the city, going to a Cubs game, swimming in Lake Michigan, and eating deep dish pizza! In August, we drove to Colorado with our other longtime friends, the Koppelmans. We hiked Garden of the Gods, went white water rafting on the Arkansas River in the Royal Gorge, made it to Pikes Peak, did an unintentional seven mile hike in Winter Park, and mostly just hung out and enjoyed our time together. Finally, the reason this letter is late. On December 21st, Seth and Kaela provided the opportunity for our family and Matt’s parents to accompany them to Costa Rica. Two weeks in an amazing country with great food, Seth’s cooking, adventures galore, and excellent company was the trip of a lifetime. Each one of us had a favorite activity, but the top rated for us were the 1. Chocolate and Coffee Tour, 2. Finding a sloth in our very own backyard, and 3. Ziplining for three of us and parasailing with Grandma for Ben and Gabe. Most of all, time with family is precious so just occupying the same spaces was entertaining and good for the soul. We hope to travel and visit even more family in the months to come. 

Pets

Here’s the 2019 rundown–Dash - 8 years old and has run away 4 times this year, loves us, but wants more adventure than we can offer.  Tucker  - 7 years old, loves Lyndee the best, though eating cat litter is a close second.  Mia-The tortoise who is STILL at camp with the Kohners. Let’s be honest, she likes it better there anyway.  Wrigley – age unknown, hates storms and absent owners, often shows his displeasure by destroying small areas of carpet.  Cats #3 and #4, Lucy and Pepper - disappeared, probably joined the neighbors’ cat commune for a more exciting life. Cat #5, Sunny - loves Gabe the best and hasn’t been outside at all. We can’t expose her to the outside world due to our fear that she will end up like cats 1-4. And, we think she’s pretty cute and want to keep her around. 

Since this letter greets you after the 2019 holiday season, we hope you were able to find pockets of time where you could  enjoy being present with family and friends. And, when you are in that in between space, take a good look around and remember to value present over perfect. 

Love, Matt & Amy

Gabe, Ben, Lyndee, Dash, Tucker, Wrigley, and Sunny

For the Love of Minnesota, signed a Teacher

I've seen lots of posts lately on social media questioning, "Why do I live here?!" I'd like to preface this post by saying that I don't work outside. There are no animals that I need to care for that live outside of my house. I'm not in the field of public safety. As a teacher, I'd like to think that I'm an essential employee, but in reality, when my students aren't in school due to weather, I have options for whether or not I will go in to work in a quiet building.

I love Minnesota. I love it in the summer. I love it in the fall. I love it in the spring. And yes, I love it in the winter.  I was born in Minnesota. I've lived here all my life, except for 3 months in college when I lived in Florida. And no, I didn't love it in Florida.  Some people do! This girl didn't, so I was happy to come home. I adore Minnesota and am incredibly lucky as a teacher to teach what I love - Minnesota History!

Today, while driving into town during a winter weather advisory, I tried to be funny with my husband (who was doing the actual driving.) "Hey, get this," I said, "Winter weather advisory in December - 'Looks like we better stay home!' Winter weather advisory in February - 'What time should we head into town?' "  Hahahahahaha, I laughed at my own joke.  He didn't laugh. I said, "Sometimes I wonder if you even like it when I talk to you." He smirked, "Yeah, I like it. You think you're pretty funny." Yes, this is why I laugh at my own jokes, because I know that no one else will laugh or even understand my humor.

Where I live, our last few weeks have gone like this:

Monday, January 28th - No school due to snow and ice
Tuesday, January 29th - No school due to dangerous windchill (online learning day)
Wednesday, January 30th - No school due to dangerous windchill (online learning day)
Thursday, January 31st - No school due to dangerous windchill (online learning day)
Friday, February 1st - YAY! SCHOOL!
Monday, February 4th - No school due to snow and ice (online learning day)
Tuesday, February 5th - YAY! SCHOOL!
Wednesday, February 6th - YAY! SCHOOL! Our 6th grade students had a PERFECT Learn to Ski Day at a nearby ski hill.
Thursday, February 7th - No School due to snow and blowing (online learning day)
Friday, February 8th - 2 hour delay due to blowing snow

Now, here I am on Sunday, February 10th, staring into the face of another potential winter storm starting Monday night into Tuesday. Some models have suggested a possibility of 10+ inches of new snow.

Most people are gritting their teeth and again saying, "Why do I live here?!"

Me? I really, truly adore it. There is nothing better than sledding down our hill in fresh snow. Or waxing my cross country skis and going into the woods with huge flakes coming down. Or playing dominoes, or boggle, or something else with the kids. Or having a movie marathon, or two cups of coffee in the morning, or baking something yummy, or finishing a project that's been staring at me for too long.

Please, don't crucify me and other teachers on snow days with comments like, "What do teachers even get paid for anyway?! Did you see everything she likes about snow days? I wish I had a job where I didn't have to go in to work on a (scoff) snow day!"

The truth is, that I actually don't let myself enjoy any of those things (except the coffee) until after my school duties for the day are done. That includes answering emails from parents and students, getting up early to communicate with my team so that we can send a coordinated email regarding assignments for the day, or grading things that I took home with me anticipating a weather related delay or cancellation.  Did you know that the time that a teacher puts in outside of contract hours is exponential? Please realize how passionate we are about our jobs and our community's children. We are so passionate that we will ignore our own children on a snow day so that we can answer a student's email about how he/she can earn extra credit because the grades on the regular credit are not up to par.

Again, before complaining about teachers on snow days, note above that we have had FIVE online learning days. This is something truly innovative. Something that for someone who doesn't observe it or plan for it, is really difficult to understand. We are educators. We KNOW that the best learning is done in the classroom. We are fully aware that there are some assignments given on snow days that kids can't or won't complete for a variety of reasons. This is why we HATE being gone from our students, even for legitimate reasons like weather or illness or our own child's illness or appointments. It's why I've scheduled FIVE appointments on President's Day when we don't have school. It's why I moved my mammogram from tomorrow to spring break, so I don't miss time in the classroom with my students.

Despite what one might think, online learning days can be valuable. They teach more lessons than just about particular subject areas. Online days teach perseverance and communication. When a student doesn't understand the assignment, he/she has to communicate via email or message to the teacher who has to be able to explain it without being physically present. A student sometimes has to search for where the online assignment is posted. Is it emailed? Is it posted online? Is it messaged? Is is a calendar item? An online assignment forces students to be independent. They don't have their peers or table mate to ask clarification questions or to get answers. And finally, it teaches follow through.  If a student did not do the online assignment, he/she has to follow through and still complete it in a timely manner.

My own three kids have had varying levels of work to do on the online days. My freshman legitimately had 4+ hours of work each day. My seventh grader, and this could be due to how long it takes us to normally complete assignments, too, had about two to three hours of work. (Side note - we also realized this weekend that he was STILL missing three snow day assignments. Luckily his teachers are gracious enough to accept the late work. And yes, my son had consequences for those missing assignments.) My 6th grader had an hour of reading each day and an assignment from each core class. Altogether, probably 1.5 - 2 hours of work.

So, you see, snow days aren't what they used to be.  It's not a free for all for students and teachers.  We don't get "paid to do nothing." We get paid to do our jobs, just like every other day. We grade, we communicate, we team with our colleagues, we post assignments, we plan ahead.

And again, I realize that there are LOTS of people who don't get to stay home and do their jobs remotely. I do not envy your position, where you have to put your job above your own personal safety. I do not envy those people who keep us safe when we have to go out and I give them my utmost respect.

As I've gotten older, I've become less of a complainer or lamenter. I choose to embrace what is happening, because really, there's nothing I can do about it anyway - especially when it comes to the Minnesota winter weather. While I won't ever be a "when it's raining, dance in the rain" kind of person (I'd much rather watch it rain from inside), I AM an "embrace the winter" Minnesotan. It's why I live here. It's one of the reasons I love it here. And, it's one of the reasons I'll never leave. Keep me guessing, Old Man Winter, it's one of the things I love about you.