After you share your Google Doc with Ms. DeVries, copy and paste your news article here to share with your classmates and the world. Read over what others have written. Write positive comments about their writing moves.
It was a cold december day. I only was wearing a light coat, and my friends pressured me to go outside for recess. The chilling winds bit at my face. My fingers were sharp icicles that cut through my thin and loose gloves. This is just one story from a former 8th grader. Sadly, this is a common issue for students at BMS.
This reporter found out that 9th graders at PHS, who don’t have recess, have more time to do other activities. PHS also has a longer lunch time than BMS. So that is why some were interviewed.
9th graders that were interviewed said that when they were in BMS, their friends pressured them into going outside for recess. Usually, they went outside even when they weren’t wearing proper gear for the weather. Some 8th graders also reported that their friends try to convince them to go outside.
One common use of the longer lunch times at PHS is using the extra time to talk and hang out with their friends. 8th graders interviewed said that they would like to have more time to talk with their friends also.
8th graders rejoiced the idea of being able to do homework at lunch. At PHS, students are allowed to do homework at lunch. The 9th graders interviewed reported that they work on homework and study for upcoming tests at lunch. The 8th graders interviewed reported that they would like to have more time to do homework.
This author is unsure whether lunch times should be changed, but PHS shows off the advantages of longer lunches.
Every day, Bartels Middle school students arrive at school around 7:45, tired from lack of sleep. During middle school, students often stay up later than they have in previous years, reducing their time in bed. Why is this?
Teens enter and important developmental phase during middle school. During this section of puberty, teen’s internal clocks shift forward 2 hours. Since they will start school at the same time as they always have, the lack of sleep badly impacts students. This reporter interviewed six Bartels middle schoolers. All of them reported being tired in the morning. Several felt they were too tired to operate well until later in the day.
One student specifically that one of the main reasons he cannot go to bed early is extracurricular activities. This struggle is shared by many other students of both middle schoolers and high schoolers. They are forced to juggle extracurriculars, homework and sleep. Because of these complications, students may have to stay up later.
This issue seems difficult to solve. The idea of moving the beginning of the school day forward is supported by many Bartels students, as well as Portage High school students. However, this may be problematic for some. Justin Konopacki, a Portage High school Freshman, states his worries. “ To move school back would affect sports and other activities, forcing sports to collide with each other, prohibiting people (from) being in several sports (and other activities).” Others share similar views, worried that extracurriculars will have to go later into the night.
What is the answer to this problem? Teens are becoming too tired. We cannot control when they go to bed, but extracurricular activities and other unforeseen factors may interfere with moving the start of the school day forward. Many still believe that something must be done. Maybe, the best way to find a solution to this exhausting problem is to sleep on it.
Students at Wayne E. Bartels Middle school disagree with the backpacks in class rule. Our journalist interviewed six 8th grade students for an inside look.
Students with many binders and books reported that backpacks would help their daily school life. One of the 8th graders say that he frequently late due to him dropping his heavy load of books.
8th graders with grains of salt to carry said they could care less if the rule was in place or not. A student stated, “it would take up room”. Another said, “it would get in the way and keep me unorganized.” One of the 8th graders later went on to say why he understands the rule. He had heard about many school shootings in the past year. The student ended saying, “rule is for our safety.”
The students showed our journalist ways we could stay safe while having backpacks in school. There is a new clear backpack. They could carry their books and binders and stay safe at the same time.
With all of the all of the benefits and consequences students believe the answer is pretty clear.
Every female in this world goes through the menstrual cycle sometime in their life. A girl can start her period anywhere between the ages of 8 and 15. Most goet it during middle school( 6th to 8th grade). During this time, most students are undergoing changes physically, mentally, and socially. This is the time in someones life where they really start to care about what others think. “Being a middle school girl is hard.” said one student in 8th grade.
When a girl is on her period, she PMS’s, which stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. This can cause her to experience food cravings, fatigue, moodswings, and sometimes depression. Some might say this doesn’t make going to school much easier.
Females tend to use pads, which often need to be changed every 2-3 hours, and tampons which when left in for too long can cause a life-threatening bacterial infections called Toxic Shock Syndrome. When interviewed, girls between the ages of 13 and 15 years said both both of these methods are “uncomfortable” and “stressful”. Having to go to the bathroom often means missing class. Most teachers understand the constant circus of running to and from the bathroom. One teacher said “She really has to go, so I let her leave.” when asked what went through her mind when a female student asks to use the restroom.
However, girls do run into a teacher or two who will not let them use the bathroom. One girl said, “If I wasn’t allowed to go, I would go up to the teacher to ask politely and explain that I was on my period, and really had to go.” Another said she would expect the answer but would not be able to stop thinking about. Therefore taking her attention away from the lesson being taught.
On occasion a girl could soak through ther pad and end up leaving blood on the chair she had been sitting on. When this does happen, it is “...very embarrassing because you have to change your clothes, and now everyone knows.” Teachers for the most part are understanding when this occurs. All in all, when a girl is on her period during school, she undergoes many struggles and worries just to get through the day.
Today, the city of Portage, and its local reporter went to interview the children at Bartels Middle School. The reporter, Graham, asked the children the question, ¨how many of your friends do you know, that go to this school vape?¨. Out of the 20 kids asked, 18 said yes. There have also been incidents at this school where kids have been caught vaping on campus.
Vaping is a health concern for some doctors, and professionals, like Dr.Hays of the Mayo clinic who said a worry of theirs is diacetyl. Diacetyl when inhaled in large quantities, and prolonged exposure causes extreme scarring of the lungs, which is irreversible. The short name for this condition is called ¨Popcorn lung¨ and is a serious concern for vapers, and is called this because people first got it while working in popcorn factories. Another worry is addiction, since one Juul pod, a type of vape, contains 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine, a addictive chemical.
A positive, as stated by the Mayo clinic is the vaping can help someone quit smoking, but they say there are better, safer ways. Some examples are nicotine gum, patches, and other habits that can keep you distracted.
Of all people, professionals say that children shouldn't vape, as they have no idea how it could affect our growing mind, and there's no incentive to do so, except to look ¨cool¨ Professionals also warn that vaping is a gateway into smoking cigarettes.
The dress code is a controversial issue in Bartels Middle School. I have definitely heard lots about it, but also noticed some do not seem to have an issue with it. Girls more commonly appear to get dress coded according to my research. This seems to be because they dress more ¨provocative.¨ The clothes that are in for girls right now just seem to be more edgy and revealing.
Girl students have reported being dress coded for bra straps, ripped jeans, and off the shoulder tops. Boys reported no issues with their outfit choices except muscle tanks once in awhile. There was something reported from multiple boys that was very intriguing. They feel they are being blamed for the dress code because they are ¨attracted¨ to certain or most things girls wear. One boy stated ¨ We are thought of as moths to lights except we are the moths and the lights are girls.¨
Based on middle school kid reports 5/5 think the dress code is sexist even if they do not have issues with it. One girl reported thinking that girls have more restrictions than boys. Another issue that came up was girls having to watch what they buy for themselves when shopping. One girl reported feeling restricted to what she wanted express herself with because it was not appropriate for school.
One student was very upset about not being allowed to wear a bandana in her hair. ¨ Why is this an issue?¨ she wants to know. She stated that it is a trend and woman empowerment symbol. 4/5 students claim the dress code has a few decent rules, but also harsh ones. This means that around 20% say they are not affected by the dress code.
School districts around the globe have taken away their students’ ability to listen to music during their study halls and worktime. “Some kids really need music.” Says one student. “I get really anxious without it.” Says another. When teachers were confronted about the issue, music was claimed to be too much of a distraction. Multiple students agree that may be true for a few students, but for many, music is the life vest keeping them afloat in the ocean of stress and anxiety that comes associated with schoolwork.
Based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, research showed that the number of kids diagnosed with anxiety or other panic disorders increased 20% in the past year, and that more than 1 and 20 students suffer from these disorders. Compare the number of students to an average classroom of 22 students. One or possibly more could be relying on music, and that doesn’t count for those undiagnosed. Music has had reported effects on calming people down, and helping them focus on what they should be doing.
Multiple 8th grade students from Bartels Middle School have said that without music in class, their motivation to finish their schoolwork decreases. From a student’s perspective, taking away music can be incredibly difficult if they use it as an outlet to increase their motivation and improve their mood. Based on interviews done, every student agreed that they use music in some way to motivate or help them.
Creative thinking has also been known to be improved with music, as it’s a commonly used art and writing practice. A certain song may provoke a certain emotion, like a dramatic song helping to improve a dramatic story or art piece, and gets the student’s mind moving.
In the end, students will always misbehave, but according to the students interviewed, one student misbehaving shouldn’t be the reason it’s taken away from a whole group of people. As one student said, “those who can’t plug in headphones and just listen obviously aren’t making an effort to finish their work anyway.”
During lunch time countless students barely eat anything or don’t eat at all. Then when they come in from recess they are sometimes hungry. There are many ways to help students eat and play in the same lunch time with just a few changes.
One of the main reason why students barely eat is because they want to fly outside to recess like a cheetah on the hunt. This is one reason why schools should increase lunch time to about an hour at the least so there are thirty minute lunches and recesses. This minor improvement can help kids eat the right amount of food and get to have fun.
During the interviews some of the students would like the food to taste better. Better tasting foods can also lead to a better attitude during other classes. They could also be enticed to eat more than what they do now.
Most students also said they would like a staff operated oven or microwave to heat up leftovers from home. This could help students who don’t like the school lunches because they could bring what they wanted from home to eat for lunch.
Passing Times Students have very similar opinions about what the length of the Bartels Middle School passing times should be. Some students think their passing times should be 5 minutes long, some think 7, and one very educated parent said passing times should be 10 minutes long. All of these responses to interviews say one thing: the change in passing time this year has caused some great disturbances in the stress levels of most of the students at BMS.
All of the students at BMS get three minutes to go to their lockers, switch materials, go to the bathroom, get a drink, ask questions, and get to their next class. All that time was said to be used right away and then some. Students wonder how they will accomplish what they need to accomplish in three minutes time.
All teachers expect students to have their materials for class. That takes a while because students have to open their locker, switch their materials, and then close their locker and walk to the next class. Teachers also want students to go to the bathroom in between getting materials. Most students aren’t that fast. Then teachers want students to get a drink, and ask learning/homework related questions. Also the school board wants students to be active, so they should require at least two minutes of being active in between classes.
Students with close together classes reported that they are almost late, but a few students with far away classes were so close to being late. When teachers say walk in the halls, that sometimes impacts if students are late. Some students also have to almost run to their classes so they aren’t late.
Some students think that learning is impacted by how long our passing time is. If kids were late they might miss out on the beginning of a lesson. Then they wouldn’t know what to do because if they ask what’s going on, then they would be interrupting class and might get in trouble.
Students would add minutes to the passing time so they don’t have to feel rushed and not have to run around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. If students take their time, they could get a detention, or be written up.
This isn’t a matter to be taken lightly. Improving use of time could be a start, but students can be really focused and still miss class due to too short passing times.
There are many people with different experiences in vaping. There are 2 topics being covered. People coming off of smoking and going to vaping. And vaping in teens.
Teen vaping is coming up quite a bit in the news lately. The first results recovered in an interview of students in Bartels Middle School was that of those interviewed, 100% of them had been around vaping first hand. 33% of them said there first thought was that it made the scene awkward. The other 67% said that it was fine and they had no issue with it. The students were asked what types of vapes were used they said that a Juul was present 83% of the time. The other 17% said there was a vape box being used. Juul is a record setting company. They became the fastest company to reach a $10 billion net Worth. This record surpassing big companies like facebook and instagram. A Juul pod has about 200 puffs. That is equivalent to the nicotine in 20 cigarettes. This information being published in a New York times article. An average vape costs between $30-$70. A Juul costs $35. On average annually a teen will spend about $1,460.
Many people believe that vaping is an escape from that life-long addiction. But, as far as the F.D.A. and other research organizations are concerned there is no proof that vaping is safe. They have no long-term research to back up peoples claims. Vaping is new to the face of the public. They have found that vaping can cause something called popcorn lung. It causes your lung to deteriorate. As far as many can tell there is no good or bad alternative at the moment.
“I was bullied for about 4 years a different person each year during recess. They made me not want to go outside anymore. They got in no trouble none of them did.” says one person that was interviewed.
We have Interviewed some students at a local middle school. The students were asked a series of questions here are some of the statistics and answers. Out of all the students that were interviewed all say they were bullied. They say they were bullied because of their looks. They would also say the bully would call them names and say hurtful things. Unlike when a caterpillar turns to a butterfly and can’t turn back bullies can realise their mistakes and stop and go back. Surprisingly even though all these kids were bullies most of them say they were bystanders to other being bullied. But don’t worry all said they helped someone out that was being bullied.
Out of the people we interviewed they all told similar stories of being bullied, being bystanders and being the bully. But don’t think these kids think bullying is just something that happens or it’s ok. All said that interviewing was not an acceptable thing to do. We asked why these people thought bullies bully here are some of their answers. “They are missing something in life and want to feel better about themselves.” Another reason someone said was “They do it for fun or entertainment.” The last question they were asked was if they think bullies should receive harsher or less harsh punishment. “They should get the police involved and they should be fined.” Another says “They should be fined.”
As you see there are many instances of bullying. Also cases of bullying cause others to become bullies. You can decide where to stand on the subject.
Part 1 Passing Time A student named Naomi Saalsaa from Bartels Middle School reported that” O got to the science room, but then realized that I has to fo to the bathroom. The bell was about to ring, and I didn’t want to use my last bathroom pass/ I asked the teacher to go to the bathroom, but she said that if I got back after the bell I would be late, but I didn’t know that I could wait until the end of class. The bathroom was a little ways from the classroom, so it took a few minutes to get there. I got to the bathroom, but as soon as I was washing my hands the bell rang, and it still took a few minutes to get back to class.The teacher then yelled at me for being late. I wonder how I am going to make it through the rest of the year with limited bathroom passes, and little passing time”.
The quick three minute transition from one fifty minute class to another fifty minute class goes as fast as a cheetah running down the length of a safari. This causes physical and emotional stress for middle school students. After interviewing Wayne E. Bartels Middle School students the reporter had found that mostly all of the students think that they do not have enough passing time, and reported some suggestions on how they could change it to make it more suitable for the students attending Bartels Middle School. All students at Bartels Middle School which are grades six through eight have a three minute passing time in between each class, which tends to be about fifty minutes long. Five out of five students that were interviewed feel that the passing time that they have currently is not suitable for everyone, and the location of the classes that they need to get to.
Students reported that they were usually able to get to their classes on time, but most of the time they would have to speed walk to get there, or they would walk through the door as soon as the bell rang. Although these are just five out if many students attending Bartels Middle School, these students feel that if they were to have more passing time, the detentions, and bathroom passes that other students use would be greatly decreased.
Students reported that for some of their classes, they were not able to go to their locker to get their materials for the next class. Instead, students would have to carry many materials for many different classes around with them, to ensure that they wouldn’t be late to any of their classes. Students also reported that there are classes that are on the other end if the school, or even outside that are very hard to get to on time. These students even reported to be late to these classes, and not to get a detention and or a punishment, because their teachers understand, and may even think that the passing time should be longer for their benefit also.
Even though not all of these students are “dedicated” to school, the ones that are have enough trouble getting to their classes, so imagine how hard it is for those students that necessarily “don’t care”.
LGBTQ rights have become quite a hot-button issue. Whether you think that it is right or wrong, any positive story or issue has probably been dragged all over social media or the news. The same cannot be said for Bartels Middle School.
Many students here think it is overlooked. One even said,”It feels like they try to ignore it and not offer any support.” Others think some teachers have a much biased opinion, an 8th grade girl telling this reporter,”My girlfriend and I were walking down the hallways holding hands and a teacher told us ‘There’s no need to hold hands.’ and to ‘Knock it off.’ Other boy-girl couples walk past the teacher holding hands every day and the teacher doesn’t say anything about them.” This could be an isolated incident, but other conversations of the same nature seem to be a frequent topic of discussion.
While a part of the adults at our school choose to ignore LGBTQ bullying or call out LGBTQ behaviors as “inappropriate”, a majority of the students think people coming out is a joke or something people do to call attention to themselves. “It sort of gets annoying after a while. It’s ‘Oh look! This popular person came out! I should fake it because I want to be more like them.’ Then everyone who is serious get overlooked.” says another 8th grader.
A part of why the 8th grade treats LGBTQ issues in school the way they do could be lined to the overall climate of the class. What they think is wrong is highly influenced by sho they look up to. “A lot of people use offensive slurs and think its cool and funny to bully LBTQ members. They like to see the reactions.” commented an 8th grade student at our school. You can see the same sort of actions in how they treat teachers and other superiors. Most teenagers are naturally rebellious, but this class, at times, seems to take it a bit far.
Not to say the whole grade is like this. There are many students who are very supportive and inclusive. An idea a student brought up was that at the Portage High School, there is a support group for those in the LGBTQ community who want to talk, share problems, or just chill with people who are in the same boat as them. This could be a positive implement here at Bartels, if run properly. “I wish they had something like that here. It’d be really helpful sometimes,” says the student who brought the idea up. Whether the school chooses to use this idea or not, it could be said that this 8th grade class has a lot of climbing to do to reach the top of the stigma and label free ladder.
Part 2 Students proclaims that going to their locker in between classes, going to the bathroom, getting a drink, etc is highly accomplishable. Students also reported that they find it extremely distracting when students students are constantly asking to go to the bathroom. They feel that it makes it hard to concentrate and that is is very easy to lose their train of thought when there are interruptions. Students also feel that there isn't enough time to learn when there are distractions/interruptions.
In addition to the students response, teachers also express the fact that there should be more passing times, not only for the students benefit, but also for theirs too. Teachers reported that the only passing time (of three minutes) is the only time that they have to get their things ready from one class to another. Teachers reported that a lot of their other prep times such as homeroom, or lunch sometimes gets taken up with meetings or other things, so the passing time is really the only time that they have to get ready for their upcoming class. Teachers also reported that they often times don't get the chance to use the bathroom a task that they are also supposed to so during passing time. They reported that a lot of the time they would have to leave their class, or sometimes get another teacher to fill in while they use the bathroom, because they just don’t have enough time.
Students reported that they should pass more time to the passing time. Students said that they had one more minute last year, making it a total of four minutes. They reported that even last year it wasn't enough time. They said that they should add two minutes, or more to the passing time to make it suitable for everyone. Students reported that time should be added, even if it means ending school later to make up for the minutes that would be used during the day.
In conclusion, students believe that they do not have enough passing time. There are many benefits for the addition of minutes in passing time, let alone that there are more minutes for you brain to adjust between one subject to another. Adding time to the passing time will ensure that there is enough time for students to go to their lockers in between classes, decrease the rate of detentions and bathroom passes, and lastly have a positive effect on students learning.
“The food here isn’t that good”. “The think it has improved since last year”. These are two statements taken from two students at Wayne E. Bartels Middle School. School lunch has been a debatable topic, so this reporter has gone into the local middle school to get some opinions.
We asked one 8th grader what her opinion was on the school hot lunch and she said, “It’s not always filling or healthy”. Also some students complained about have chicken nuggets too often, and another student said that the milk offered tastes a little watered down. Other students said that the lunch was a little too pricey. One student even said, “The lunch here tastes like rubber”.
When asked the same question another student said, “I actually like the lunch here. It can be, meh, sometimes but I like it.” The interviews conducted were about half and half, where some students said they liked the lunch and others weren’t very fond of it.
In a study written by The Brown Center Chalkboard, they researched how the quality of school lunches affect students academic performances. They said that, “We find that in years when a school contracts with a healthy lunch company, students at the school score better on end-of-year academic tests.” They also stated, “A number of recent studies have shown that providing (potentially) hungry kids with greater access to food through the National School Lunch Program can lead to improved test scores”.
With this information, the research done and interviews conducted, maybe we could think a little bit about the schools lunch.
Imagine this, you’re in sixth period and it’s a reading day and you forgot your writing notebook in your locker. You have to either go get it from your locker and get a lunch detention or get behind in your classwork. Many kids at Bartels Middle School are going through situations very similar situations. Some students at BMS are thinks it wouldn’t happen if they were able to carry their stuff around in bags or backpacks. The reasons that backpacks aren’t allowed in classes is because you could hide illegal things such as, weapons, alcohol, and drugs. BMS student Tycen Martens said “It’s probably once a week that I forget something in my locker, but it only effects the amount of homework I have so it’s not a big deal. We also have a quote from an experienced teacher. Ms. DeVries told us “there is no real need for bags or backpacks as long as you can remember you’re stuff, plus I already trip enough on chromebook bags we don’t need anymore.” Maybe Ms. DeVries has a point, maybe bags would be more of a annoying goose than a helpful horse. No tests have been done to see if bags would help or hurt.
Dress code is a recurring topic of conversation at the lunch tables of Bartels Middle School. Not only for the students but for the staff as well. It only became prevalent when ripped jeans were banned at the end of the 2017-18 school year. Since then more rules have been made and even more, have been broken.
Why are problems arising now? According to one teacher, the dress code hasn't truly changed in the 22 years she's taught here, but fashion has. She believes that the issue stems from fashion, not the dress code. 22 years ago, it was concluded that mainly boys broke the dress code.
The students have different opinions. When asked of their thoughts about the dress code, the females said it was "unfair to women." The males reported that it was alright, however a little strict. One boy said that he doesn't wear clothes outside of the rules, therefore "the rules don't really affect me (him)."
How you see the dress code really depends on your experiences. Some students said they've seen others get dress-coded for "almost off-the-shoulders and crop tops." One individual declared that she's heard a teacher say "No more of that!" and that her friend once had to wear a teacher's sweatshirt. A student recalled the story of a "hot, first day of sixth grade" when she was dress-coded because her fingertips reached past the bottoms of her shorts.
Not only does it depend on your experiences, but also your position. It's frustrating to students when they're dress-coded, however, there is another side. Teachers say they don't enjoy dress-coding as much as students think. An eighth-grade teacher stated that "Kids get mean and nasty when you dress-code them." Bartels principal, Mr. Rueth, said that he mainly asks boys to pull up their pants or to change shirts displaying inappropriate messages. Rueth mainly asks girls to cover their "bellies" or their shoulders. In general, his most common request is for students to remove their hat or hood.
Most of the students dislike the dress code. If they had to pick a rule they thought was unnecessary, it was the ban of ripped jeans and off-the-shoulder shirts. One female has a problem with the rule against tied shirts and the showing of bra straps. A staff member noted that the ban on cold shoulder shirts was unnecessary because there was a portion of the shirt covering the bra straps. Another said that the rules are there for a reason and deems all of them needed.
Although the students feel aversion towards most of the dress code, they agreed the some of the rules are necessary. The ban on crop tops was voted important. One student likes the rule against inappropriately labeled shirts and mesh tops. An eighth-grade teacher believes that the restriction of deep v-necks is an appropriate rule. A staff member expressed that rules are set forth for "an educational environment" and that every rule has a purpose.
Not a single person could think of a rule to add. It appears that students feel the dress codes only changes should be to remove some rules. Others would contradict that statement but only to the point of keeping the dress code the same.
Those for the removal some of the rules, however, admit that there is still a need for the dress code. Every one of them reported that some would abuse their rights and that there would be an excess of skin exposure. Except for the one student and two staff members who believe it would be crazy for a bit, then it would die down and people would dress quite normally. A teacher declared that “If it’s not ‘illegal’, kids won’t think it’s as much fun.”
The dress code is a very controversial and common topic at Bartels Middle school. The students show that they feel the dress code is an unrelenting jail. While the teachers see it as more of an overcomeable barrier for students. However, in all the fuss, no one can come to a resolution. Some steps are too drastic while others are not enough. What makes one student comfortable, might make another cringe and you can't forget about the comfort of the staff. One question remains, will there ever be an end to the dress code debacle?
Do We do too Much Homework? By: Ella Denure Do we do too much? Many students have expressed their dislike of homework. We often hear phrases like, “it stresses me out” or “ it takes up too much free time.” Its statements like these that make us wonder, do we do too much homework?
What do the Students say? This reporter asked several students from Bartels Middle School to answer 3 simple questions. How does homework affect your life? Do you think homework has a positive effect on your life? And do you think homework helps you learn? Many students stopped to think about the first one, some of the students answered “It makes me stressed out” and “it's stressful.” In fact, out of the 12 students interviewed 5 mentioned the words stress, stressful, and stressed out. Most reported that they thought homework has a positive effect on their life, one student said, “it helps me understand the topic more.” While some students believe this, others do not. When asked do you think homework has a positive effect on your life? One student answered, “no, not at all.”The last question spurred up many different answers. One student even answered, “ It depends, sometimes it's hard work, other time its busy work.”
What about Teachers? If this is how the students feel, what about teachers? This reporter interviewed 4 eighth grade teachers to hear their thoughts on the issue. Some teachers said that they gave between 15-20 minutes of homework each night and it helps prepare for quizzes and tests. They also said that out of their approximate 100-140 students, 70 to 80 percent do their homework on a regular basis. The teachers believe that homework is very beneficial and can help prepare.
What does the Research Say? A study by Stanford University said that 56% of students from high performing high schools said that homework is the main stress, and less than 1% said that homework was not a primary stressor. The amount of homework affects students in multiple ways. One of the students interviewed said, “It takes up a lot of my life because I’m involved in lots of extracurricular activities and it's hard to find time for homework.” Research shows that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting developmental needs or critical life skills.” Kids that spend too much free time on homework are more likely to drop activities they enjoy and not spend as much time with family.
Conclusion: The effects of homework can either be very beneficial or can lead to stressful situations. This reporter interviewed both students and teachers. The 2 groups had very different ideas on the issue, so it's hard to know what to believe. Although many students said that homework positively affects their life, They also said homework stress was like a 300-pound weight on their shoulders. Although this could be considered “ middle school complaining” how can we know for sure?
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and the Queer (LGBTQ+) community have been fighting for their rights ever since 1986 when the LGBTQ+ project was launched in by the American Civil Liberties Union.
9.6% of people in the United States of America identify by being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Out of that 9.6% middle schoolers make up about 4%. Most of middle schoolers, (consisting of 13 year olds) have said that they feel that in their school environment it feels that they really don’t feel that the school really doesn’t do anything about LGBTQ+ freedom and don’t really touch the subject. The students say that at times the atmosphere around them feels “dense and suffocating” because of the jokes some of the students make.
The students also say that they are afraid of coming out because of the things said about kids who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, mostly consisting of very offensive derogatory terms, which also includes the cruel jokes thrown around.
Recently, in January 2018, a nine year old boy, named Jamel Myles, commited suicide because of the excessive bullying he got because he came out as gay to his peers in the beginning of the school year. Jamel made his final decision on the second week of just starting 4th grade. His mother, Ms. Leia Pierce, stated that she feels that nothing is being done for the young people who are apart of the colourful community in their educational environment.
About a little over a half of the kids in the middle school have stated that they have been verbally bullied and do not feel very welcomed when they come to school. Some even said that sometimes teachers are present when derogatory terms are being slurred around and would just dismiss it as “childish behavior”.
Say you were walking in the hallways of your school and you heard someone gets called gay. Would you let it slide or speak your voice? A lot of people get called gay every day no apparent reason. Two females were interviewed to see what they thought about gay being an insult.
Nadiayvonne Campos (Nadia) and Annabelle Luschei are both supporters of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, etc) community. They were started with being asked what they thought about LGBTQ+. ¨LGBTQ+ isn't bad. It's the same things as being heterosexual (straight) just with different taste in people.¨ Nadia replied. Annabelle was asked next. ¨I think its really cool and neat to be a part of this community with everyone being so understanding.¨. I asked them both what they thought about the word gay being used as an insult. ¨It shouldn't be an insult¨ said Nadia. ¨It is not an insult and people should stop treating it like one.¨ said, Annabelle. Lastly, they were asked if they knew why it was used an insult. ¨No, love is love so what are you gonna do?¨ replied Nadia. ¨I can't explain why or know why it is an insult, but it is being used improperly¨ said, Annabelle. It seems that most student/people feel like the LGBTQ+ community is a pure and beautiful sunlight that goes away when homophobic people come and stand in the way of it. Many hope that in the future, people can live freely without having to be worried about being criticized for who they are.
Eighty percent of BMS students admit to being bullied. While being interviewed everyone who had been bullied said that it had occurred regularly in fourth and fifth grade. This would surprise most people considering that it is mainly talked about in middle school.
Reasons behind the bullying varied vastly. One of the girls interviewed said that she was bullied for her appearance, especially for wearing glasses. Another reported that his things were taken and hidden around the school.
When asked what we should do to stop bullying there were many different answers. A popular answer that came up was that there should be stricter punishments. An example that was given was that the bullies should have to talk to the police and potentially go to juvenile detention. Another suggestion to stop bullying was that there should be some sort of reporting system to alert adults of the bullying while being anonymous.
After being asked if they had ever bullied only one out of five admitted to it but had many ideas as to why others bully. They all agreed that the main reasons were to fit in, be funny, or because they felt insecure about themselves. When someone who used to bully was asked, they said they did it to be “cool”.
Unlike a caterpillar, after turning into a butterfly (a bully) they can morph back into a friendly caterpillar. To prove this everyone interviewed said that they had stood up to a bully, whether it was separating a fight or helping someone walk away. They had all done something to benefit this community, even if they had once been an angry butterfly.
Saldaña told CNN on Tuesday that he and his family have yet to see power restored to their home and local business inside El Yunque, on the northeast side of the island. His family runs La Muralla which is a small business that has been selling local food in El Yunque for the past 40 years. His parents, both in their 60s, live above the business, and haven't had power since Hurricane Irma hit the island, weeks before Maria wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico. When asked why Prepa is claiming 100% power restoration when El Yunque residents still don't have power, Quiñoes said they "don't have control in El Yunque" and pointed at the US Forest Service, saying the utility needs the agencys permission to be on federal land and install posts. Saldana has also been steadily losing money, spending 600 dollars a month to run a generator for his store, and this is just not sustainable for him, and his family. Experts say that disasters like this could be caused by ¨Global change¨, or another word for ¨Global warming¨, and as stated by the American Geographical Union:"Human‐induced climate change requires urgent action. Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change, and the only ones who can help change it.¨. One of the leading causes of Global Change is the increase of greenhouse gasses, which are gases that absorb sunlight, which means the heat gets into our ozone, but is not let out, and another is actually the agricultural industry, and with a growing population, the agricultural industry is needing to produce more food, faster, and more efficiently than ever before, which includes raising cattle, and other livestock. And overall includes about 9% of all of the U.S carbon emissions. The one that really worries professionals, is the growing need for electricity, already the #2 emission of carbon, behind transportation, means we need to figure out how to make our electricity more efficient, and environmentally clean. Some of the causes Global Change could have on us, in the future include increased droughts, tropical rainstorms, wildfires, tornadoes, and other natural disasters due to the changing wind patterns across the Atlantic, and Pacific from our rising average heat. This means we will need to spend more money each year, and start taking major preventative measures. Due to the rising temperature, sea ice is at a century low, not reaching nearly to the extent it used to, and each decade the ice declines at an average of 12.8%. This will only be Sped up by increasing global temperature, but the real increase is actually the arctic it self, having warmed at an average of 3.6 degrees since 1960. Experts, like Aliya Haq, Ceo of NRDC’s clean power plan say that there are some steps that you can take to help global change, like insulating your homes to be more energy efficient. You can also take alternative travel methods like riding your bike, or using public transit. ANother step that can really help, is conserving water, and using it wisely. The world is running out of fresh water, and there are places in Africa, and others where finding water is DIfficult, or All Fresh water has just run out, period. Doing these steps, even by yourself could help save our planet. We only have decades to save our planet, and if we set our minds to it, it is entirely possible to, but can you step up and help?
It was a cold december day. I only was wearing a light coat, and my friends pressured me to go outside for recess. The chilling winds bit at my face. My fingers were sharp icicles that cut through my thin and loose gloves. This is just one story from a former 8th grader. Sadly, this is a common issue for students at BMS.
ReplyDeleteThis reporter found out that 9th graders at PHS, who don’t have recess, have more time to do other activities. PHS also has a longer lunch time than BMS. So that is why some were interviewed.
9th graders that were interviewed said that when they were in BMS, their friends pressured them into going outside for recess. Usually, they went outside even when they weren’t wearing proper gear for the weather. Some 8th graders also reported that their friends try to convince them to go outside.
One common use of the longer lunch times at PHS is using the extra time to talk and hang out with their friends. 8th graders interviewed said that they would like to have more time to talk with their friends also.
8th graders rejoiced the idea of being able to do homework at lunch. At PHS, students are allowed to do homework at lunch. The 9th graders interviewed reported that they work on homework and study for upcoming tests at lunch. The 8th graders interviewed reported that they would like to have more time to do homework.
This author is unsure whether lunch times should be changed, but PHS shows off the advantages of longer lunches.
Good metaphors
DeleteGreat metaphors
DeleteAmazing metaphors
DeleteAstoundingly spectacular metaphors!
Deleteawesomely fascinatingly incredibly marvelously prodigiously shockingly stunningly surprisingly unbelievably wonderfully amazing metaphors!!!!!!!!!!!
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ReplyDeleteEvery day, Bartels Middle school students arrive at school around 7:45, tired from lack of sleep. During middle school, students often stay up later than they have in previous years, reducing their time in bed. Why is this?
ReplyDeleteTeens enter and important developmental phase during middle school. During this section of puberty, teen’s internal clocks shift forward 2 hours. Since they will start school at the same time as they always have, the lack of sleep badly impacts students. This reporter interviewed six Bartels middle schoolers. All of them reported being tired in the morning. Several felt they were too tired to operate well until later in the day.
One student specifically that one of the main reasons he cannot go to bed early is extracurricular activities. This struggle is shared by many other students of both middle schoolers and high schoolers. They are forced to juggle extracurriculars, homework and sleep. Because of these complications, students may have to stay up later.
This issue seems difficult to solve. The idea of moving the beginning of the school day forward is supported by many Bartels students, as well as Portage High school students. However, this may be problematic for some. Justin Konopacki, a Portage High school Freshman, states his worries. “ To move school back would affect sports and other activities, forcing sports to collide with each other, prohibiting people (from) being in several sports (and other activities).” Others share similar views, worried that extracurriculars will have to go later into the night.
What is the answer to this problem? Teens are becoming too tired. We cannot control when they go to bed, but extracurricular activities and other unforeseen factors may interfere with moving the start of the school day forward. Many still believe that something must be done. Maybe, the best way to find a solution to this exhausting problem is to sleep on it.
Good job only telling facts, instead of telling opinions.
DeleteThe facts seem very trustworthy. :)
DeleteI like how you use facts, and not opinioned biased to show bad facts. It is well wrote and a smooth read.
Deletegreat pun......
Deletegreat pun.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteStudents at Wayne E. Bartels Middle school disagree with the backpacks in class rule. Our journalist interviewed six 8th grade students for an inside look.
ReplyDeleteStudents with many binders and books reported that backpacks would help their daily school life. One of the 8th graders say that he frequently late due to him dropping his heavy load of books.
8th graders with grains of salt to carry said they could care less if the rule was in place or not. A student stated, “it would take up room”. Another said, “it would get in the way and keep me unorganized.” One of the 8th graders later went on to say why he understands the rule. He had heard about many school shootings in the past year. The student ended saying, “rule is for our safety.”
The students showed our journalist ways we could stay safe while having backpacks in school. There is a new clear backpack. They could carry their books and binders and stay safe at the same time.
With all of the all of the benefits and consequences students believe the answer is pretty clear.
I enjoy the clear pun at the end.
DeleteEvery female in this world goes through the menstrual cycle sometime in their life. A girl can start her period anywhere between the ages of 8 and 15. Most goet it during middle school( 6th to 8th grade). During this time, most students are undergoing changes physically, mentally, and socially. This is the time in someones life where they really start to care about what others think. “Being a middle school girl is hard.” said one student in 8th grade.
ReplyDeleteWhen a girl is on her period, she PMS’s, which stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. This can cause her to experience food cravings, fatigue, moodswings, and sometimes depression. Some might say this doesn’t make going to school much easier.
Females tend to use pads, which often need to be changed every 2-3 hours, and tampons which when left in for too long can cause a life-threatening bacterial infections called Toxic Shock Syndrome. When interviewed, girls between the ages of 13 and 15 years said both both of these methods are “uncomfortable” and “stressful”. Having to go to the bathroom often means missing class. Most teachers understand the constant circus of running to and from the bathroom. One teacher said “She really has to go, so I let her leave.” when asked what went through her mind when a female student asks to use the restroom.
However, girls do run into a teacher or two who will not let them use the bathroom. One girl said, “If I wasn’t allowed to go, I would go up to the teacher to ask politely and explain that I was on my period, and really had to go.” Another said she would expect the answer but would not be able to stop thinking about. Therefore taking her attention away from the lesson being taught.
On occasion a girl could soak through ther pad and end up leaving blood on the chair she had been sitting on. When this does happen, it is “...very embarrassing because you have to change your clothes, and now everyone knows.” Teachers for the most part are understanding when this occurs. All in all, when a girl is on her period during school, she undergoes many struggles and worries just to get through the day.
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ReplyDeleteToday, the city of Portage, and its local reporter went to interview the children at Bartels Middle School. The reporter, Graham, asked the children the question, ¨how many of your friends do you know, that go to this school vape?¨. Out of the 20 kids asked, 18 said yes. There have also been incidents at this school where kids have been caught vaping on campus.
ReplyDeleteVaping is a health concern for some doctors, and professionals, like Dr.Hays of the Mayo clinic who said a worry of theirs is diacetyl. Diacetyl when inhaled in large quantities, and prolonged exposure causes extreme scarring of the lungs, which is irreversible. The short name for this condition is called ¨Popcorn lung¨ and is a serious concern for vapers, and is called this because people first got it while working in popcorn factories. Another worry is addiction, since one Juul pod, a type of vape, contains 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine, a addictive chemical.
A positive, as stated by the Mayo clinic is the vaping can help someone quit smoking, but they say there are better, safer ways. Some examples are nicotine gum, patches, and other habits that can keep you distracted.
Of all people, professionals say that children shouldn't vape, as they have no idea how it could affect our growing mind, and there's no incentive to do so, except to look ¨cool¨ Professionals also warn that vaping is a gateway into smoking cigarettes.
Graham I like your use of a professional doctor.
DeleteThat was very pre-postdoctoral of you Graham.
DeletePostdoctoral= someone with a doctor's degree.
The dress code is a controversial issue in Bartels Middle School. I have definitely heard lots about it, but also noticed some do not seem to have an issue with it. Girls more commonly appear to get dress coded according to my research. This seems to be because they dress more ¨provocative.¨ The clothes that are in for girls right now just seem to be more edgy and revealing.
ReplyDeleteGirl students have reported being dress coded for bra straps, ripped jeans, and off the shoulder tops. Boys reported no issues with their outfit choices except muscle tanks once in awhile. There was something reported from multiple boys that was very intriguing. They feel they are being blamed for the dress code because they are ¨attracted¨ to certain or most things girls wear. One boy stated ¨ We are thought of as moths to lights except we are the moths and the lights are girls.¨
Based on middle school kid reports 5/5 think the dress code is sexist even if they do not have issues with it. One girl reported thinking that girls have more restrictions than boys. Another issue that came up was girls having to watch what they buy for themselves when shopping. One girl reported feeling restricted to what she wanted express herself with because it was not appropriate for school.
One student was very upset about not being allowed to wear a bandana in her hair. ¨ Why is this an issue?¨ she wants to know. She stated that it is a trend and woman empowerment symbol. 4/5 students claim the dress code has a few decent rules, but also harsh ones. This means that around 20% say they are not affected by the dress code.
Nice job great work!
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ReplyDeleteThis fact seems very true
DeleteSchool districts around the globe have taken away their students’ ability to listen to music during their study halls and worktime. “Some kids really need music.” Says one student. “I get really anxious without it.” Says another. When teachers were confronted about the issue, music was claimed to be too much of a distraction. Multiple students agree that may be true for a few students, but for many, music is the life vest keeping them afloat in the ocean of stress and anxiety that comes associated with schoolwork.
ReplyDeleteBased on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, research showed that the number of kids diagnosed with anxiety or other panic disorders increased 20% in the past year, and that more than 1 and 20 students suffer from these disorders. Compare the number of students to an average classroom of 22 students. One or possibly more could be relying on music, and that doesn’t count for those undiagnosed. Music has had reported effects on calming people down, and helping them focus on what they should be doing.
Multiple 8th grade students from Bartels Middle School have said that without music in class, their motivation to finish their schoolwork decreases. From a student’s perspective, taking away music can be incredibly difficult if they use it as an outlet to increase their motivation and improve their mood. Based on interviews done, every student agreed that they use music in some way to motivate or help them.
Creative thinking has also been known to be improved with music, as it’s a commonly used art and writing practice. A certain song may provoke a certain emotion, like a dramatic song helping to improve a dramatic story or art piece, and gets the student’s mind moving.
In the end, students will always misbehave, but according to the students interviewed, one student misbehaving shouldn’t be the reason it’s taken away from a whole group of people. As one student said, “those who can’t plug in headphones and just listen obviously aren’t making an effort to finish their work anyway.”
During lunch time countless students barely eat anything or don’t eat at all. Then when they come in from recess they are sometimes hungry. There are many ways to help students eat and play in the same lunch time with just a few changes.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main reason why students barely eat is because they want to fly outside to recess like a cheetah on the hunt. This is one reason why schools should increase lunch time to about an hour at the least so there are thirty minute lunches and recesses. This minor improvement can help kids eat the right amount of food and get to have fun.
During the interviews some of the students would like the food to taste better. Better tasting foods can also lead to a better attitude during other classes. They could also be enticed to eat more than what they do now.
Most students also said they would like a staff operated oven or microwave to heat up leftovers from home. This could help students who don’t like the school lunches because they could bring what they wanted from home to eat for lunch.
Passing Times
ReplyDeleteStudents have very similar opinions about what the length of the Bartels Middle School passing times should be. Some students think their passing times should be 5 minutes long, some think 7, and one very educated parent said passing times should be 10 minutes long. All of these responses to interviews say one thing: the change in passing time this year has caused some great disturbances in the stress levels of most of the students at BMS.
All of the students at BMS get three minutes to go to their lockers, switch materials, go to the bathroom, get a drink, ask questions, and get to their next class. All that time was said to be used right away and then some. Students wonder how they will accomplish what they need to accomplish in three minutes time.
All teachers expect students to have their materials for class. That takes a while because students have to open their locker, switch their materials, and then close their locker and walk to the next class. Teachers also want students to go to the bathroom in between getting materials. Most students aren’t that fast. Then teachers want students to get a drink, and ask learning/homework related questions. Also the school board wants students to be active, so they should require at least two minutes of being active in between classes.
Students with close together classes reported that they are almost late, but a few students with far away classes were so close to being late. When teachers say walk in the halls, that sometimes impacts if students are late. Some students also have to almost run to their classes so they aren’t late.
Some students think that learning is impacted by how long our passing time is. If kids were late they might miss out on the beginning of a lesson. Then they wouldn’t know what to do because if they ask what’s going on, then they would be interrupting class and might get in trouble.
Students would add minutes to the passing time so they don’t have to feel rushed and not have to run around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. If students take their time, they could get a detention, or be written up.
This isn’t a matter to be taken lightly. Improving use of time could be a start, but students can be really focused and still miss class due to too short passing times.
Great use of the Metaphor!
DeleteThere are many people with different experiences in vaping. There are 2 topics being covered. People coming off of smoking and going to vaping. And vaping in teens.
ReplyDeleteTeen vaping is coming up quite a bit in the news lately. The first results recovered in an interview of students in Bartels Middle School was that of those interviewed, 100% of them had been around vaping first hand. 33% of them said there first thought was that it made the scene awkward. The other 67% said that it was fine and they had no issue with it. The students were asked what types of vapes were used they said that a Juul was present 83% of the time. The other 17% said there was a vape box being used. Juul is a record setting company. They became the fastest company to reach a $10 billion net Worth. This record surpassing big companies like facebook and instagram. A Juul pod has about 200 puffs. That is equivalent to the nicotine in 20 cigarettes. This information being published in a New York times article. An average vape costs between $30-$70. A Juul costs $35. On average annually a teen will spend about $1,460.
Many people believe that vaping is an escape from that life-long addiction. But, as far as the F.D.A. and other research organizations are concerned there is no proof that vaping is safe. They have no long-term research to back up peoples claims. Vaping is new to the face of the public. They have found that vaping can cause something called popcorn lung. It causes your lung to deteriorate. As far as many can tell there is no good or bad alternative at the moment.
You did great on your points and how you wrote it.
DeleteNot obviously biased at all and good strong facts that really help get the point across
Delete“I was bullied for about 4 years a different person each year during recess. They made me not want to go outside anymore. They got in no trouble none of them did.” says one person that was interviewed.
ReplyDeleteWe have Interviewed some students at a local middle school. The students were asked a series of questions here are some of the statistics and answers. Out of all the students that were interviewed all say they were bullied. They say they were bullied because of their looks. They would also say the bully would call them names and say hurtful things.
Unlike when a caterpillar turns to a butterfly and can’t turn back bullies can realise their mistakes and stop and go back. Surprisingly even though all these kids were bullies most of them say they were bystanders to other being bullied. But don’t worry all said they helped someone out that was being bullied.
Out of the people we interviewed they all told similar stories of being bullied, being bystanders and being the bully. But don’t think these kids think bullying is just something that happens or it’s ok. All said that interviewing was not an acceptable thing to do. We asked why these people thought bullies bully here are some of their answers. “They are missing something in life and want to feel better about themselves.” Another reason someone said was “They do it for fun or entertainment.”
The last question they were asked was if they think bullies should receive harsher or less harsh punishment. “They should get the police involved and they should be fined.” Another says “They should be fined.”
As you see there are many instances of bullying. Also cases of bullying cause others to become bullies. You can decide where to stand on the subject.
Part 1
ReplyDeletePassing Time
A student named Naomi Saalsaa from Bartels Middle School reported that” O got to the science room, but then realized that I has to fo to the bathroom. The bell was about to ring, and I didn’t want to use my last bathroom pass/ I asked the teacher to go to the bathroom, but she said that if I got back after the bell I would be late, but I didn’t know that I could wait until the end of class. The bathroom was a little ways from the classroom, so it took a few minutes to get there. I got to the bathroom, but as soon as I was washing my hands the bell rang, and it still took a few minutes to get back to class.The teacher then yelled at me for being late. I wonder how I am going to make it through the rest of the year with limited bathroom passes, and little passing time”.
The quick three minute transition from one fifty minute class to another fifty minute class goes as fast as a cheetah running down the length of a safari. This causes physical and emotional stress for middle school students. After interviewing Wayne E. Bartels Middle School students the reporter had found that mostly all of the students think that they do not have enough passing time, and reported some suggestions on how they could change it to make it more suitable for the students attending Bartels Middle School. All students at Bartels Middle School which are grades six through eight have a three minute passing time in between each class, which tends to be about fifty minutes long. Five out of five students that were interviewed feel that the passing time that they have currently is not suitable for everyone, and the location of the classes that they need to get to.
Students reported that they were usually able to get to their classes on time, but most of the time they would have to speed walk to get there, or they would walk through the door as soon as the bell rang. Although these are just five out if many students attending Bartels Middle School, these students feel that if they were to have more passing time, the detentions, and bathroom passes that other students use would be greatly decreased.
Students reported that for some of their classes, they were not able to go to their locker to get their materials for the next class. Instead, students would have to carry many materials for many different classes around with them, to ensure that they wouldn’t be late to any of their classes. Students also reported that there are classes that are on the other end if the school, or even outside that are very hard to get to on time. These students even reported to be late to these classes, and not to get a detention and or a punishment, because their teachers understand, and may even think that the passing time should be longer for their benefit also.
Even though not all of these students are “dedicated” to school, the ones that are have enough trouble getting to their classes, so imagine how hard it is for those students that necessarily “don’t care”.
LGBTQ rights have become quite a hot-button issue. Whether you think that it is right or wrong, any positive story or issue has probably been dragged all over social media or the news. The same cannot be said for Bartels Middle School.
ReplyDeleteMany students here think it is overlooked. One even said,”It feels like they try to ignore it and not offer any support.” Others think some teachers have a much biased opinion, an 8th grade girl telling this reporter,”My girlfriend and I were walking down the hallways holding hands and a teacher told us ‘There’s no need to hold hands.’ and to ‘Knock it off.’ Other boy-girl couples walk past the teacher holding hands every day and the teacher doesn’t say anything about them.” This could be an isolated incident, but other conversations of the same nature seem to be a frequent topic of discussion.
While a part of the adults at our school choose to ignore LGBTQ bullying or call out LGBTQ behaviors as “inappropriate”, a majority of the students think people coming out is a joke or something people do to call attention to themselves. “It sort of gets annoying after a while. It’s ‘Oh look! This popular person came out! I should fake it because I want to be more like them.’ Then everyone who is serious get overlooked.” says another 8th grader.
A part of why the 8th grade treats LGBTQ issues in school the way they do could be lined to the overall climate of the class. What they think is wrong is highly influenced by sho they look up to. “A lot of people use offensive slurs and think its cool and funny to bully LBTQ members. They like to see the reactions.” commented an 8th grade student at our school. You can see the same sort of actions in how they treat teachers and other superiors. Most teenagers are naturally rebellious, but this class, at times, seems to take it a bit far.
Not to say the whole grade is like this. There are many students who are very supportive and inclusive. An idea a student brought up was that at the Portage High School, there is a support group for those in the LGBTQ community who want to talk, share problems, or just chill with people who are in the same boat as them. This could be a positive implement here at Bartels, if run properly. “I wish they had something like that here. It’d be really helpful sometimes,” says the student who brought the idea up. Whether the school chooses to use this idea or not, it could be said that this 8th grade class has a lot of climbing to do to reach the top of the stigma and label free ladder.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteStudents proclaims that going to their locker in between classes, going to the bathroom, getting a drink, etc is highly accomplishable. Students also reported that they find it extremely distracting when students students are constantly asking to go to the bathroom. They feel that it makes it hard to concentrate and that is is very easy to lose their train of thought when there are interruptions. Students also feel that there isn't enough time to learn when there are distractions/interruptions.
In addition to the students response, teachers also express the fact that there should be more passing times, not only for the students benefit, but also for theirs too. Teachers reported that the only passing time (of three minutes) is the only time that they have to get their things ready from one class to another. Teachers reported that a lot of their other prep times such as homeroom, or lunch sometimes gets taken up with meetings or other things, so the passing time is really the only time that they have to get ready for their upcoming class. Teachers also reported that they often times don't get the chance to use the bathroom a task that they are also supposed to so during passing time. They reported that a lot of the time they would have to leave their class, or sometimes get another teacher to fill in while they use the bathroom, because they just don’t have enough time.
Students reported that they should pass more time to the passing time. Students said that they had one more minute last year, making it a total of four minutes. They reported that even last year it wasn't enough time. They said that they should add two minutes, or more to the passing time to make it suitable for everyone. Students reported that time should be added, even if it means ending school later to make up for the minutes that would be used during the day.
In conclusion, students believe that they do not have enough passing time. There are many benefits for the addition of minutes in passing time, let alone that there are more minutes for you brain to adjust between one subject to another. Adding time to the passing time will ensure that there is enough time for students to go to their lockers in between classes, decrease the rate of detentions and bathroom passes, and lastly have a positive effect on students learning.
“The food here isn’t that good”. “The think it has improved since last year”. These are two statements taken from two students at Wayne E. Bartels Middle School. School lunch has been a debatable topic, so this reporter has gone into the local middle school to get some opinions.
ReplyDeleteWe asked one 8th grader what her opinion was on the school hot lunch and she said, “It’s not always filling or healthy”. Also some students complained about have chicken nuggets too often, and another student said that the milk offered tastes a little watered down. Other students said that the lunch was a little too pricey. One student even said, “The lunch here tastes like rubber”.
When asked the same question another student said, “I actually like the lunch here. It can be, meh, sometimes but I like it.” The interviews conducted were about half and half, where some students said they liked the lunch and others weren’t very fond of it.
In a study written by The Brown Center Chalkboard, they researched how the quality of school lunches affect students academic performances. They said that, “We find that in years when a school contracts with a healthy lunch company, students at the school score better on end-of-year academic tests.” They also stated, “A number of recent studies have shown that providing (potentially) hungry kids with greater access to food through the National School Lunch Program can lead to improved test scores”.
With this information, the research done and interviews conducted, maybe we could think a little bit about the schools lunch.
Imagine this, you’re in sixth period and it’s a reading day and you forgot your writing notebook in your locker. You have to either go get it from your locker and get a lunch detention or get behind in your classwork.
ReplyDeleteMany kids at Bartels Middle School are going through situations very similar situations. Some students at BMS are thinks it wouldn’t happen if they were able to carry their stuff around in bags or backpacks. The reasons that backpacks aren’t allowed in classes is because you could hide illegal things such as, weapons, alcohol, and drugs.
BMS student Tycen Martens said “It’s probably once a week that I forget something in my locker, but it only effects the amount of homework I have so it’s not a big deal. We also have a quote from an experienced teacher. Ms. DeVries told us “there is no real need for bags or backpacks as long as you can remember you’re stuff, plus I already trip enough on chromebook bags we don’t need anymore.”
Maybe Ms. DeVries has a point, maybe bags would be more of a annoying goose than a helpful horse. No tests have been done to see if bags would help or hurt.
PART ONE:
ReplyDeleteDress code is a recurring topic of conversation at the lunch tables of Bartels Middle School. Not only for the students but for the staff as well. It only became prevalent when ripped jeans were banned at the end of the 2017-18 school year. Since then more rules have been made and even more, have been broken.
Why are problems arising now? According to one teacher, the dress code hasn't truly changed in the 22 years she's taught here, but fashion has. She believes that the issue stems from fashion, not the dress code. 22 years ago, it was concluded that mainly boys broke the dress code.
The students have different opinions. When asked of their thoughts about the dress code, the females said it was "unfair to women." The males reported that it was alright, however a little strict. One boy said that he doesn't wear clothes outside of the rules, therefore "the rules don't really affect me (him)."
How you see the dress code really depends on your experiences. Some students said they've seen others get dress-coded for "almost off-the-shoulders and crop tops." One individual declared that she's heard a teacher say "No more of that!" and that her friend once had to wear a teacher's sweatshirt. A student recalled the story of a "hot, first day of sixth grade" when she was dress-coded because her fingertips reached past the bottoms of her shorts.
Not only does it depend on your experiences, but also your position. It's frustrating to students when they're dress-coded, however, there is another side. Teachers say they don't enjoy dress-coding as much as students think. An eighth-grade teacher stated that "Kids get mean and nasty when you dress-code them." Bartels principal, Mr. Rueth, said that he mainly asks boys to pull up their pants or to change shirts displaying inappropriate messages. Rueth mainly asks girls to cover their "bellies" or their shoulders. In general, his most common request is for students to remove their hat or hood.
Most of the students dislike the dress code. If they had to pick a rule they thought was unnecessary, it was the ban of ripped jeans and off-the-shoulder shirts. One female has a problem with the rule against tied shirts and the showing of bra straps. A staff member noted that the ban on cold shoulder shirts was unnecessary because there was a portion of the shirt covering the bra straps. Another said that the rules are there for a reason and deems all of them needed.
Although the students feel aversion towards most of the dress code, they agreed the some of the rules are necessary. The ban on crop tops was voted important. One student likes the rule against inappropriately labeled shirts and mesh tops. An eighth-grade teacher believes that the restriction of deep v-necks is an appropriate rule. A staff member expressed that rules are set forth for "an educational environment" and that every rule has a purpose.
PART TWO:
ReplyDeleteNot a single person could think of a rule to add. It appears that students feel the dress codes only changes should be to remove some rules. Others would contradict that statement but only to the point of keeping the dress code the same.
Those for the removal some of the rules, however, admit that there is still a need for the dress code. Every one of them reported that some would abuse their rights and that there would be an excess of skin exposure. Except for the one student and two staff members who believe it would be crazy for a bit, then it would die down and people would dress quite normally. A teacher declared that “If it’s not ‘illegal’, kids won’t think it’s as much fun.”
The dress code is a very controversial and common topic at Bartels Middle school. The students show that they feel the dress code is an unrelenting jail. While the teachers see it as more of an overcomeable barrier for students. However, in all the fuss, no one can come to a resolution. Some steps are too drastic while others are not enough. What makes one student comfortable, might make another cringe and you can't forget about the comfort of the staff. One question remains, will there ever be an end to the dress code debacle?
Do We do too Much Homework?
ReplyDeleteBy: Ella Denure
Do we do too much?
Many students have expressed their dislike of homework. We often hear phrases like, “it stresses me out” or “ it takes up too much free time.” Its statements like these that make us wonder, do we do too much homework?
What do the Students say?
This reporter asked several students from Bartels Middle School to answer 3 simple questions. How does homework affect your life? Do you think homework has a positive effect on your life? And do you think homework helps you learn? Many students stopped to think about the first one, some of the students answered “It makes me stressed out” and “it's stressful.” In fact, out of the 12 students interviewed 5 mentioned the words stress, stressful, and stressed out. Most reported that they thought homework has a positive effect on their life, one student said, “it helps me understand the topic more.” While some students believe this, others do not. When asked do you think homework has a positive effect on your life? One student answered, “no, not at all.”The last question spurred up many different answers. One student even answered, “ It depends, sometimes it's hard work, other time its busy work.”
What about Teachers?
If this is how the students feel, what about teachers? This reporter interviewed 4 eighth grade teachers to hear their thoughts on the issue. Some teachers said that they gave between 15-20 minutes of homework each night and it helps prepare for quizzes and tests. They also said that out of their approximate 100-140 students, 70 to 80 percent do their homework on a regular basis. The teachers believe that homework is very beneficial and can help prepare.
What does the Research Say?
A study by Stanford University said that 56% of students from high performing high schools said that homework is the main stress, and less than 1% said that homework was not a primary stressor. The amount of homework affects students in multiple ways. One of the students interviewed said, “It takes up a lot of my life because I’m involved in lots of extracurricular activities and it's hard to find time for homework.” Research shows that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting developmental needs or critical life skills.” Kids that spend too much free time on homework are more likely to drop activities they enjoy and not spend as much time with family.
Conclusion:
The effects of homework can either be very beneficial or can lead to stressful situations. This reporter interviewed both students and teachers. The 2 groups had very different ideas on the issue, so it's hard to know what to believe. Although many students said that homework positively affects their life, They also said homework stress was like a 300-pound weight on their shoulders. Although this could be considered “ middle school complaining” how can we know for sure?
I appreciate your use of interviews as well as factual information!
DeleteThe Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and the Queer (LGBTQ+) community have been fighting for their rights ever since 1986 when the LGBTQ+ project was launched in by the American Civil Liberties Union.
ReplyDelete9.6% of people in the United States of America identify by being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Out of that 9.6% middle schoolers make up about 4%. Most of middle schoolers, (consisting of 13 year olds) have said that they feel that in their school environment it feels that they really don’t feel that the school really doesn’t do anything about LGBTQ+ freedom and don’t really touch the subject. The students say that at times the atmosphere around them feels “dense and suffocating” because of the jokes some of the students make.
The students also say that they are afraid of coming out because of the things said about kids who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, mostly consisting of very offensive derogatory terms, which also includes the cruel jokes thrown around.
Recently, in January 2018, a nine year old boy, named Jamel Myles, commited suicide because of the excessive bullying he got because he came out as gay to his peers in the beginning of the school year. Jamel made his final decision on the second week of just starting 4th grade. His mother, Ms. Leia Pierce, stated that she feels that nothing is being done for the young people who are apart of the colourful community in their educational environment.
About a little over a half of the kids in the middle school have stated that they have been verbally bullied and do not feel very welcomed when they come to school. Some even said that sometimes teachers are present when derogatory terms are being slurred around and would just dismiss it as “childish behavior”.
Sean Grady - Investigative Journalism - Bend 2
ReplyDeleteSay you were walking in the hallways of your school and you heard someone gets called gay. Would you let it slide or speak your voice? A lot of people get called gay every day no apparent reason. Two females were interviewed to see what they thought about gay being an insult.
Nadiayvonne Campos (Nadia) and Annabelle Luschei are both supporters of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, etc) community. They were started with being asked what they thought about LGBTQ+. ¨LGBTQ+ isn't bad. It's the same things as being heterosexual (straight) just with different taste in people.¨ Nadia replied. Annabelle was asked next. ¨I think its really cool and neat to be a part of this community with everyone being so understanding.¨.
I asked them both what they thought about the word gay being used as an insult. ¨It shouldn't be an insult¨ said Nadia. ¨It is not an insult and people should stop treating it like one.¨ said, Annabelle. Lastly, they were asked if they knew why it was used an insult. ¨No, love is love so what are you gonna do?¨ replied Nadia. ¨I can't explain why or know why it is an insult, but it is being used improperly¨ said, Annabelle. It seems that most student/people feel like the LGBTQ+ community is a pure and beautiful sunlight that goes away when homophobic people come and stand in the way of it. Many hope that in the future, people can live freely without having to be worried about being criticized for who they are.
Eighty percent of BMS students admit to being bullied. While being interviewed everyone who had been bullied said that it had occurred regularly in fourth and fifth grade. This would surprise most people considering that it is mainly talked about in middle school.
ReplyDeleteReasons behind the bullying varied vastly. One of the girls interviewed said that she was bullied for her appearance, especially for wearing glasses. Another reported that his things were taken and hidden around the school.
When asked what we should do to stop bullying there were many different answers. A popular answer that came up was that there should be stricter punishments. An example that was given was that the bullies should have to talk to the police and potentially go to juvenile detention. Another suggestion to stop bullying was that there should be some sort of reporting system to alert adults of the bullying while being anonymous.
After being asked if they had ever bullied only one out of five admitted to it but had many ideas as to why others bully. They all agreed that the main reasons were to fit in, be funny, or because they felt insecure about themselves. When someone who used to bully was asked, they said they did it to be “cool”.
Unlike a caterpillar, after turning into a butterfly (a bully) they can morph back into a friendly caterpillar. To prove this everyone interviewed said that they had stood up to a bully, whether it was separating a fight or helping someone walk away. They had all done something to benefit this community, even if they had once been an angry butterfly.
Saldaña told CNN on Tuesday that he and his family have yet to see power restored to their home and local business inside El Yunque, on the northeast side of the island.
ReplyDeleteHis family runs La Muralla which is a small business that has been selling local food in El Yunque for the past 40 years. His parents, both in their 60s, live above the business, and haven't had power since Hurricane Irma hit the island, weeks before Maria wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico.
When asked why Prepa is claiming 100% power restoration when El Yunque residents still don't have power, Quiñoes said they "don't have control in El Yunque" and pointed at the US Forest Service, saying the utility needs the agencys permission to be on federal land and install posts. Saldana has also been steadily losing money, spending 600 dollars a month to run a generator for his store, and this is just not sustainable for him, and his family.
Experts say that disasters like this could be caused by ¨Global change¨, or another word for ¨Global warming¨, and as stated by the American Geographical Union:"Human‐induced climate change requires urgent action. Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change, and the only ones who can help change it.¨.
One of the leading causes of Global Change is the increase of greenhouse gasses, which are gases that absorb sunlight, which means the heat gets into our ozone, but is not let out, and another is actually the agricultural industry, and with a growing population, the agricultural industry is needing to produce more food, faster, and more efficiently than ever before, which includes raising cattle, and other livestock. And overall includes about 9% of all of the U.S carbon emissions.
The one that really worries professionals, is the growing need for electricity, already the #2 emission of carbon, behind transportation, means we need to figure out how to make our electricity more efficient, and environmentally clean.
Some of the causes Global Change could have on us, in the future include increased droughts, tropical rainstorms, wildfires, tornadoes, and other natural disasters due to the changing wind patterns across the Atlantic, and Pacific from our rising average heat. This means we will need to spend more money each year, and start taking major preventative measures.
Due to the rising temperature, sea ice is at a century low, not reaching nearly to the extent it used to, and each decade the ice declines at an average of 12.8%. This will only be Sped up by increasing global temperature, but the real increase is actually the arctic it self, having warmed at an average of 3.6 degrees since 1960.
Experts, like Aliya Haq, Ceo of NRDC’s clean power plan say that there are some steps that you can take to help global change, like insulating your homes to be more energy efficient. You can also take alternative travel methods like riding your bike, or using public transit. ANother step that can really help, is conserving water, and using it wisely. The world is running out of fresh water, and there are places in Africa, and others where finding water is DIfficult, or All Fresh water has just run out, period. Doing these steps, even by yourself could help save our planet.
We only have decades to save our planet, and if we set our minds to it, it is entirely possible to, but can you step up and help?