North’s community has been built on the dedication and kindness of its staff since its founding; without a doubt, they have shaped the school through its years and given students a safe and friendly environment to learn, grow, and heal. After 20 years of being a fundamental part of North’s driven community, head nurse Amy Boynton plans to retire at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Beginning her D303 career as a substitute, Boynton quickly found a passion for school nursing and a home at North. She was excited to educate students and staff about the importance of valuing your health and becoming autonomous when caring for yourself.
“You have to take care of your health because it’s one of your greatest assets,” said Boynton. “It’s one of those things that if you don’t take care of it, you can lose it, and it can affect the rest of your life. So, just take really good care of yourself.”
Driven by the ability to care for and empathize with others, Boynton has spent her years at North aiding students of all conditions and complaints, learning and growing alongside them. Unlike traditional teachers, she views success through a lens that focuses not only on academic achievement but on all aspects of a person: mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Through this method of care, she finds that helping students be successful is much more subjective than one might think, and much more dependent on their individual needs.
“Success isn’t always grades to me; success is finding their way in school, being exposed to something they might want to do for the rest of their life. Everybody’s not going to be an A or B student, everyone’s not going to go to college … we just want to work with students to help them find where they want to be and where they want to go,” said Boynton.
Through her longevity at the school, Boynton has built a team of wellness employees she is proud of, including the deans, psychologists, nurses, and social workers who work together to address each unique concern. Alongside them, she has been able to provide all-encompassing care to students to provide tailored assistance to each of their conditions.
Having worked with many different nurses over time, Boynton has found that her team at North has become equally driven through the years to find solutions and provide care for each unique student need that comes their way. Striving to teach complex analysis of each person’s needs, all of North’s nurses work together to constantly adapt and improve the lives of students needing specialized care. Holding this value dearly, Boynton hopes that this practice will continue past her retirement and holds pride for her coworkers.
“I hope that I have encouraged my colleagues to always be learning, to always treat people kindly, to identify a solution if there’s a problem,” said Boynton. “I think they really want what’s best for kids.”
While many view school nursing as only treating those with immediate issues, Boynton has strived to foster a healthy and educational environment for all, leaving a profound impact on students who may not have otherwise been able to care for themselves. Treating North’s population over the years has given her the rare opportunity to watch countless students evolve into independence.
“I think it’s exciting to see somebody grow up,” said Boynton. “To see someone grow from a freshman who’s maybe unable to handle themselves or their medical condition very well, and then be totally independent by the time they leave high school and are truly ready to be on their own.”
After seeing year after year of students and staff circulate throughout the school, Boynton has left an unforgettable impact on North through her compassion towards students and staff. By learning about changing health standards and treating everyone with kindness, she has worked to create a place of growth, acceptance, and understanding of every student’s individual needs.
“I laugh every day, there are things I do learn every day … here it’s just so easy to learn and grow,” said Boynton. “It does make me wonder what I’m going to do next.”
