Looking back eight months ago, we were working just as members of newspaper, still figuring out how to work efficiently together and become a cohesive team.

At this point, we are happy to say that we not only discovered how to connect with each other but we also learned the strengths of each member on our team. Most importantly, we consider ourselves a team and not just a newspaper staff.

We began the school year with six new editors, each with their own unique talent. Working with them to design our newspaper to its fullest capability was at times frustrating because of conflicting opinions of how a page should look. In the end, every page turned out well, and stood out for their own reasons.

The editors wholeheartedly dedicated themselves to creating eye-catching designs that intrigued our readership.

New staff writers were often quick to jump at a journalistic opportunity. More so than in the past, writers covered more controversial topics allowing students to discuss and debate topics from our newspaper. During the LAUSD bomb threat in December 2015, writer and editors worked on that story all day during the unexpected day off. Other school publications turned to our coverage for updates. Their actions that day showed how we have a committed staff. Investigation and hard work on their behalf made the publication more intriguing with the various angles presented in their stories.

A goal for the online publication was to update the website frequently and only provide the best content. This proved beneficial because this year we received an important accolade at the Spring 2016 Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association convention we were recognized as an Online Pacemaker Finalist.

This showed us that we are very capable of reporting, writing and editing stories in a timely manner that benefitted both the online and print publication. We have been able to find a structured balance so neither suffer.

The staff award was admirable, however we are also proud to say that our individual staff members took home impressive awards at local, state and national on-the-spot write-off competitions.

Although we are losing some admirable staff members at the end of the school year, the succeeding members have been left with the foundation to keep The Pearl Post thriving for the years to come.