
Students urged to ‘be kind,’ feed others
Northwood Middle School held a food drive from Nov. 12 through Dec. 13 to benefit local food pantries. The drive was coordinated by the members of the school’s Student Council […]

Northwood Middle School held a food drive from Nov. 12 through Dec. 13 to benefit local food pantries. The drive was coordinated by the members of the school’s Student Council […]


Like many longtime educators, Robert Hackbart wore many hats: Outstanding math teacher, inspirational coach, and beloved principal. Even after his 2016 retirement, Hackbart left his legacy with schools known throughout […]


Three First Lego League robotics teams from Woodstock School District 200 middle schools qualified for state competition based on their performances in a 16-team tournament hosted Dec. 7 at Northwood […]

Three District 200 prekindergarten teachers have developed an idea to teach their young students about multicultural awareness. Pre-K teachers Gina Abruzzo and Beth Miller, along with Pre-K dual-language teacher Mary […]



A new scholarship began with the efforts of a local teacher who was seeking travel opportunities for her students. Bayza Senbetta, dual-language science teacher at Creekside Middle School, sent emails […]

Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.