The mascot for Thornwood High School is the thunderbird, but the mythological phoenix may be a better fit.
Like the bird that perishes in a burst of flames at the end of its life only to rise alive again from the ashes, the South Holland high school and its two sister schools in Dolton and Harvey are unfolding into a new Thornton Township High School District 205.
The fire of No Child Left Behind requirements and financial troubles has forged necessary bonds among former adversaries: administrators, teachers, parents, school board members and students.
"We’re relearning how to be collaborative and how to work together," said Gina Collier, president of the 450-member Thornton Township District 205 Faculty Association. "Sometimes, it really feels like we're getting it."