To walk the halls of Northfield Elementary School in Gering with principal John Wiedeman is to see a man surrounded by 250 of his best friends. Wiedeman, who grew up the son of two teachers in Dalton, has been principal at Northfield since 2016. He says heâs excited to wake up every day and know he gets to go to school, and the students return that enthusiasm. One student called out to Wiedeman from inside the classroom as he walked past. Another clapped as Wiedeman entered the classroom. A kindergarten student enthusiastically insisted that Wiedeman look at her Play-doh creation. And multiple hugs from the students reinforced their love for their principal.