“She’s Making Jam”

by Alicia, 8th Grade

She stands at the stove before dawn,
hair pinned up with yesterday’s patience.
The kettle trembles. The bills rattle, upset.
And the house already knows what it will ask of her.
She crushes berries with hands that have held
too many endings, too many mornings.
The sugar will forgive her,
like mercy—undeserved, but given anyway.
Heat lifts the worry from her chest
until it turns see-through, almost holy.
The spoon circles, scraping metal,
She breathes when it tells her to.
In this slow burn, time loosens its grip.
Her thoughts grow softer at the edges.
She pours the quiet, still warm, into waiting jars,
dates them like promises,
seals them against the long cold.
When the house wakes, she will spread
this small silence on toast
and call it breakfast,
call it love—
Something sweet made under pressure,
something that still holds,
even when the ache speaks louder than hope.

The Shift of Love on February 14

by Keshav, 9th Grade

Every February 14, hearts, flowers, chocolates and sentimental gifts fall into our loved ones’ hands around the world. Valentine’s Day is a time when people celebrate and express love in all its forms, but it wasn’t always about gifts and fancy dinners. Long ago, this day existed more quietly and felt personal rather than commercialized.

Valentine’s Day has its roots in ancient Roman and early Christian traditions. Before it became the holiday we know today, people expressed love by writing letters and poems by hand. One example is Robert Burns’s poem “A Red, Red Rose,” which compares love to a rose:

“O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.”

Poems like this were treasured because of the effort and emotion behind them. Love was often shared through words and promises rather than flowers, jewelry and online posts filled with likes and comments. Valentine’s Day today feels very different. Walking into a grocery store, eyes are bombarded with roses, chocolates, balloons and heart-shaped gifts. Restaurants fill up with couples enjoying dinners, and advertisements use clever marketing to remind people to spend in order to show love. The holiday has evolved into a celebration often centered on consumerism rather than meaningful expression.

In today’s world, love is just a click or swipe away. From text messages and video calls to social media posts and digital e-cards, technology has transformed how people show affection. What was once a holiday of handwritten notes has become a fast-paced celebration measured in likes, emojis and instant replies. Still, while the tools have changed, the heart of Valentine’s Day remains the same: showing someone you care, even in an increasingly digital world.

Overall, despite how much it has evolved, Valentine’s Day still carries one simple purpose: love. But love should not be limited to a single day. The people who make our lives special deserve appreciation every day, not just on February 14. Whether through a handwritten note, a kind gesture or a simple sentence, expressing love can make someone’s day.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness

by Taliha, 11th Grade

It is unbelievable that we are already more than one month into 2026! January flew by and the shortest month of the year is among us. February is the month for love, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, but it is also an important time to bring attention to an issue that has persisted throughout the past decade: teen dating violence.

Teen dating violence is defined as “violence among adolescents or adolescent relationship abuse — includes physical, psychological or sexual abuse; harassment; or stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 in the context of a past or present romantic or consensual relationship.” It is most common among tweens and teens and can lead to dire consequences if not discussed. While it may be considered “taboo” to talk about such a sensitive topic, raising awareness can help millions of people across the world who may not even realize they are a victim of teen dating violence.

Teen dating violence affects almost 10% of teens across the US and is a major problem within our country. Because it is not talked about often, many victims do not recognize what they are experiencing and this lack of awareness can lead to serious consequences such as self-harm, mental illnesses or even suicide.

Teen dating violence can occur in any relationship and under any circumstances. Throughout February, organizations and individuals nationwide come together to shed light on this important issue, teach healthy boundaries within relationships and work to prevent it from happening in the future. If you see someone you know who may be a victim of teen dating violence, it is important to speak up.

This month, reflection is crucial and we must continue to speak up against violence.

“Archaeology”

by Betty, 10th Grade

Every morning, I wake to rubble.
There is always something to gather:
splintered edges, dust that remembers being whole.
I sweep it into my lap like a secret ceremony,
become the archaeologist of a civilization that never
learned to stay standing.

I glue the pieces
the way priests hold candles
—careful, reverent,
my breath shallow enough not to disturb the ritual.
Somewhere in the cracks
I leave pieces of myself, like burial offerings:
skin, patience,
whole hours I could have lived.

No one asks where I go at night.
They only see the artifact
when it stands again
—marvel at how unbroken it looks,
how it holds water without leaking.

They never touch the seams
to feel their pain.
And when it falls again
—because it always falls again
—I am the first to kneel.
I tell myself this time I will let it stay shattered.
This time I will not trade bone for porcelain.
But I always do.
I hold it together until both hands shake,
until glue becomes blood,
until shadows become permanent
on the floor where I work.

And perhaps this is love:
to give yourself away
to something that refuses to stay whole.
To spend a lifetime picking up what was never meant to hold you.

Perhaps, too, this is the cruelty
—that the vase
has never thanked me,
that no one ever saw
I was not just mending it.
I was mending them.
I was mending us.
I was mending the quiet between us
so it would not swallow me whole.

Tomorrow, I will wake to rubble.
And I will kneel again.
Because the only thing worse than breaking myself for something that will not stay whole
is letting the pieces stay exactly where they fell.