Rambler - Spring 2023

LogobyIsoldaCorenaandSennaLieber HotSeatInterviewWithSeñoraMenacho

AndSeñoritaMenacho byJackCampagna

Ms.Menacho:Isawmymomteachinthe classroomandsheinspiredmeanditmade mewanttobecomeateacher.

R:DoyoulikeMcdonalds?

Mrs.M:IwouldlovetogotoMcDonalds withpeoplelikeyouorsomeotherfriends, butthefoodisnothealthy.

Ms.M:IgrewuplovingMcDonalds. FrenchfriesfromMcDonaldsismyfavorite.

continuedonpage2

PhotobySeñoritaMenacho

CheckoutJackCampagna'sHotSeat InterviewwithSeñoraMenachoandSeñorita Menacho!Tofindoutthemostfamousperson they’veevermet,iftheyfoldtheirpizza,orif theylikeMcDonald’s,keepreading!

Rambler:Whydidyoubecomeateacher?

Mrs.Menacho:Ibecameateacherbecause IliketosharewhatIknowinthehopesof newgenerationstobebetterthanme.

Highlights

● ReadaboutSeñoraMenachoandSeñorita MenachointhelatestHotSeatInterview

● Checkoutfeaturearticles:

○ SoftServeinDiningHall,p.3

○ PinnipedCove,p.4

○ Meerkats,p.6

○ SleepawayCamp,p.7

○ Untouchables,p.10

○ WaveofChange,p.11&12

○ WordSearch,p.13

○ RamblerLaughs,p.14

○ Editor’sPage,p.16

HotSeatInterview

ByJackCampagna

continued from page 1

R:WhydidyouchooseHarveytoteach at?

Mrs.M:Iknewsomeofthepeoplewho wereworkinghereandsomestudentsthatI taughtbeforeforover20years,cameto Harvey,andIwashighlyrecommendedby otherparentstocome.Iwasverywelcomed hereandIjoinedthem.

Ms.M:IjoinedHarveybecausewhenIwas inelementaryschoolIwenttoaschool wherealotofmyfriendscametothis school.Aftertheygraduated,I knewalotof myco-workerswhoInowworkwith,who werealsoHarveystudents.Theytoldme reallygreatthingsaboutthisschool.I originallystartedteachinginpublicschool andwasinBoston.Ilikedtheenvironment butfeltlikeIwasmissingthatfamily communityandsincemymomwasalready workinghere,theytoldmetherewasan opening.IgotthejobandI'mhere.

R:Doyoufoldyourpizza?

Mrs.M:Iamnotapizzaperson.Idonot likepizzatoomuch,soithastobeapizza that'sreallygood,liketheoneatLaFamilia withdressing,andtoppingsthataredifferent likechicken.Idonotlikegreasypizza soit dependswhereandIneverorderpizzaat home.

Ms.M: IdonotfoldpizzabutIlovepizza. IjusteatitflatlikeitisandIloveallkinds ofpizzabutmyfavoriteispepperoniand sausagepizza.

Whoisthemostfamouspersonyouhave evermet?

Mrs.M: Idon'tknow,Ihavenotmetmany importantpeople,Ithink. RenyaFlemingis anoperasingerandsheisverywellknown allovertheworld.Imetherbecauseher daughterusedtoattendtheschoolIusedto teachat.

Ms.M:Iwenttoaconcertthispastsummer andfromveryfarawayIsawBadBunny who'smyfavoriteartistandisreallypopular inLatinAmericaandSouthAmerica,soI reallyenjoy hismusic.IalsometRyan Reynoldsthispastsummer.Iwaswalking mydogandIranintohimonthestreet,so thatwasfun!

Whatcrimewouldyoucommitifyou knewyoucouldgetawaywithit?

Mrs.M:Idon'tknow

Ms.M:That'sagoodquestion.IfeellikeI wouldneedmoretimetothinkaboutit. MaybeIwouldstealanempanadaifIcould getawaywithit!

R:Wouldyousupport“NationalAvocado Day”asaworkholiday?

Mrs.M:IwouldsayyesbecauseIwould getthedayoff-ifIgotthedayoff,yes!

R:DidyouspeakbothEnglishand Spanishwhenyouwereyounger?

Mrs.M:IstartedtolearnEnglishat10 yearsoldandIlearnedbothEnglishand Frenchatthesametime.Spanishbecauseit ismynativelanguage.

Ms.M: Yes,Idid!

The End; Thank you Señora and Señorita Menacho!

StripedSkunk

defensivecapability,thestripedskunkhas fewnaturalenemies.Predatorsusuallyavoid skunksunlesstheyarestarving.Those predatorsincludecougars,coyotes,bobcats, badgersandfoxes.Theskunkcantakeon thingstripleitssizewithitsrazorteeth!In conclusion,youcancheckoutthestriped skunkattheMaritimeAquariumin Norwalk,CT.

ServeMachinesintheDiningHall

Haveyoueverseenaskunkwholivesinthe sea?Well,keepreadingbecausethismight beyourfirsttimeseeingandlearningabout thestripedskunk!

Thestripedskunkisitscommonnamebut itsscientificnameisMephitismephitis.Did youknowStripedskunksbelongtothe familyMephitidae.Mephitidaeisafamily ofmammalscomprisingthe|skunksand stinkbadgers.Thestripedskunksarestoutly built,shortlimbswithlongfluffytails!The stripedskunksarebetween52-77 centimetersinbodylengthandweight between4and10pounds.Malesareabout 10%largerthanfemales.Thestripedskunks liveNativetosouthernCanada,theUnited States,andnorthernMexico.Thestriped skunksarereallyfastswimmersandmostof themlivereallyclosetothepacificand atlanticocean.Theskunksliketolivein habitatslikemixedwoodlands,brushy corners,andopenfieldsalongwithwooded ravinesandrockyoutcrops.Theyare omnivorous,meaningtheyeatplantsand meatjustlikeus!Theirdietincludesinsects, smallmammals,fish,crustaceans,fruits, nuts,leaves,grasses,andcarrion.They mightlookharmlesswithbigcuteeyesbut youwouldn’twanttomesswiththis creature!Fortunately,duetotheirpowerful

since1916,andwithalltheeducationcomes thegreatfood.TheHarveySchooldining hall,forsomehowever,ismissingjustone thing.Thatis…AsoftserveIcecream machine!IfHarveyhadanicecream machine,thenstudentscouldhaveagreat lunchanddinner,whichcouldbecompleted withawonderfulcold,softdessert.Soft servemachineswouldbeamazing.

Next,icecreamisoneofthemost popularfoodsintheworld,andI’msure everyonewouldliketoenjoynotonlya greatmealbutwhowouldn’tloveicecream duringtheschoolday?.Eventhoughitwill costalot,Iamhopingthatfundscouldbe raisedtopayforhavingtheseaddedtothe dininghall..Therecouldalsobehealthy toppingsfortheicecream.

WhyHarveyShouldHaveSoft

by Henry Leibowitz

Photo via Google

TheHarveySchoolhasbeenaround

PinnipedCoveReview

by Emily Bigman

veterinaryandquarantinefacilitiesthatwill benefitnotjusttheharborsealsbutmany specieswithintheAquarium.Forthe community,“PinnipedCove”offersa breathtakingviewintotheunderwaterworld ofmarinemammalsthatwillcomplement theAquarium’saward-winning interpretative,educationandoutreach programs.

Reaching160,000gallons,thesealexhibitis nowthelargestdisplayinthe33yearsofthe aquarium.Notonlyisitasealexhibitbutit isa4Dmovietheaterandredesignedmain entrance,thelargesttransformationsinthe aquariumhistory Thereisaboveandbelow seatingtowatchthe5seals

ItopenedinJune2021,anditopenslikethe restoftheaquarium,at10,closingat5.

ThecityofNorwalkmanagedtheproject, withAPConstructionandO&GIndustries doingconstructionmanagementandthe designoftheexhibitwasdonebythe architectfirmBeyer,Blinder,Belle.Atthe endofthedayitwasateameffort.

Itoffersanexhibitdesignandlife-support systemsthatarestate-of-the-art,with

Constructionofthesealexhibitandthe4D theaterrepresentauniquecollaborative effortbytheStateofConnecticut,theCity ofNorwalk,andtheAquarium.TheWalk BridgeProjectrequiresrazingthe Aquarium’sformerIMAXTheaterand replacingtheoriginalindoor-outdoorseal habitat,sothattheseals–andAquarium guests–canhaveasecure,indoorhabitat protectedfromtheconstruction,justyards away TheStateprovided$40millionin funding,andthecitymanagedthecapital constructionprojectfortheAquarium,to compensateforthelossofthosesignature assets.

Photo by Mrs. A

ThePinnipedCoveisanexhibitatthe MaritimeAquarium.

Photo via Google

Sources: The Maritime Aquarium

Seals

by Lilah Groff

Whenwalkingdownthehallway fromtheentranceoftheaquariumyou’re greetedbytheMaritimeAquarium’sbiggest displaytodate;theseals.Notonlycanyou viewthis22-foot-deeptankunderwaterfrom thefirstfloor,butabovethesurfaceonthe secondfloor Thistankishometofive femaleharborsealsandaccordingtoBarret Christie,thedirectorofAnimalHusbandry, inthefuturemorewillcome.

MeetAriel,Leila,Polly,Rasal,andTillie! Allofthesesealswereborninthelate1900s makingthemolderthanusstudents!Leila andRasalwerebothrescuedasabandoned pupswhileAriel,Leila,andTilliewereall bornataquariumsacrosstheNorthEast. RasalandArielbothlivedatTheShedd AquariuminChicagountiltheybothcame totheMaritimeAquariumin2005.Leila andTilliehavebeenheresincetheopening in1988.PollywasbornattheMystic AquariuminConnecticutandcametothe MaritimeAquariumin1994.

Theoldexhibitfeatureda19,000-gallon indoor-outdoorpoolwhichwasLeilaand Tillie’soriginalhomesincetheyhavebeen herefromthebeginning.Nowtheseseals canroamina160,000-gallonhabitatthatis morethan8timesthesizeoftheoldone! Thatmeansit’sbiggerthanthe 110,000-gallonand18-foot-deepsharktank! Theseal'snewhabitatincludestwoseparate areastorest,afeedingareathattiltsintothe waterforeasyaccess,underwatercolumns andnichesforexploringandnapping. Visitorscanseethesethingsbeingused daily,includingduringfeedingtime!The fivesealsarefedat11:30AM,1:30PM,and 3:30PM.Duringthistimeyoucanlearnfun factsabouttheseals,seecooltricks,andof coursewatchthembeingfed!

Didyouknowthatallofthesealsatthe aquariumaremorethan30yearsold?That’s olderthanthemedianlifespanof25yearsof asealinthewild!Butdon’tholdyour breathyet,theycanholdtheirsfor30 minutes!Thankstotheir“state-of-the-art lifesupport-system”tomaintainwater quality,thefilteringcleansandsanitizesall 160,000gallonsevery66minutes!Didyou knowthatallofthesealsattheaquariumare morethan30yearsold?That’solderthan themedianlifespanof25yearsofasealin thewild!Butdon’tholdyourbreathyet, theycanholdtheirsfor30minutes!Thanks totheir“state-of-the-artlifesupport-system” tomaintainwaterquality,thefilteringcleans andsanitizesall160,000gallonsevery66 minutes!Nowondertheyliketostayunder forsolongandplay.

Photo by Lilah Groff

Wevisitedthesealsforourselvesanditwas mypersonalfavoriteexhibit.Ifyouever stopbythisaquarium,makesureyoustop theseadorableseacreatures!You’llknowa funfactortwotoimpressyourfriendsand family.

Scotlandfoundmeerkatsusecomplex coordinatedbehavior,whichrivalsthatof chimps,baboons,dolphinsandeven humans.

Meerkatsareimmunetovenom.Theyare abletohandlemosttypesofsnakevenom becausetheyshareancestrywiththe mongoosefamily.Insomepartsoftheworld suchasIndia,peopleprizemongoosesas houseguardsbecausetheycanwagebattle withdeadlysnakes,likecobras.

AlthoughMeerkatsliveinthedesertthey don'tneedtodrinkanywaterbecausethey getallthemoisturetheyneedfromthe insectsandgrubstheyeat.

Inconclusionmeerkatsareveryinteresting andadorablecreaturesandyoucanseethem attheMaritimeAquarium.

Themeerkatisasmallmongoosefoundin southernAfrica.Itischaracterizedbya broadhead,largeeyes,apointedsnout,long legs,athintaperingtail,andabrindledcoat pattern.Theyalsohavegrizzledgrayand browncoloredcoatsoffurwithdarkpatches aroundtheireyes,whichhelpprotecttheir eyesfromtheglareofthesun.Theheadand bodylengthisaround24–35cm,andthe weightisusallybetween0.62and0.97kg. Ameerkatslifespanisabout12-14years.

Meerkatsaremuchsmarterthantheylook. ArecentstudyatStAndrewsUniversity

Lookingforcreativewritingandphotos donebyfellowstudents?Besureto collectacopyofthisyear'sliterary magazine,theEquinox!Fromfictional storiestovariouspoems,thisyear's Equinoxisoneyouwon’twanttomiss. AskLilahGroffforacopytoday!

Sources: The Maritime Aquarium

Meerkats by Johann Fueting

Photo by Lilah Groff

IchoseMeerkatsbecausemygoodfriend Jackchosethetopicforme.

Hadestown

by Sophie Frankel

Hadestownisamodernspinonthismyth, includingtheideaofclimatechange.This musicalalsofeaturesthemythof PersephoneandHades,thequeenandking oftheunderworld,Hermes,themessenger god,andtheFates,whocontrolwhenpeople areborn,howtheirlivesplayout,andwhen theydie.

Ihighlyrecommendthismusical.Youcan purchaseticketsathadestown.com.Itis showingatWalterKerrTheaterinNew YorkCity Mypersonalfavoritesongis “Waitforme.”Havefun!

Hadestownisanamazingmusicalbasedon theGreekmythofOrpheusandEuridice.It isabreathtakingstory,completewithdrama andalittlebitofromance.Tostart,you shouldknowtheoriginalmyth.

Intheoriginalmyth,Orpheusisthesonofa Muse,oneoftheGreekgoddessesofmusic. Therefore,hehadamazingmusicaltalent. EuridicewasadaughterofthegodApollo, thegodofthesun.OrpheusandEuridicefall inloveandgetmarried.Unfortunately,not longafter,Euridicewaspursuedbythegod Aristaeus,thegodofbees.Shewasbittenby aviperanddied.Shewasthentransportedto theUnderworld,or“Hadestown”.Orpheus cameafterherandpersuadedHadesto releaseherontheconditionthathenotturn arounduntilheandEuridicebothreached thesurface.Orpheushowever,wasnot trustingenoughinEuridice,andturned aroundjustbeforetheyemerged.Euridice wastoreturntotheunderworld,and Orpheuswaslefttowandertheworldalone.

SleepawayCamp

by Senna Lieber

Areyourparentsannoyingyou?Do youhavesiblingsyoujustcan'tdealwith? Thengotosleepawaycamp!Sleepawayhas manybenefitsotherthangettingawayfrom yourparents.

Despitetheobvious,(gettingaway fromparents)sleepawayhasmanyhidden benefits.Oneofmanydifferentbenefitsis helpingyourkidgainconfidence.Inthe article,“Whyyoushouldsendyourkidto sleepawaycamp”byParentMap,theysay,

Photo via Google

Photo via French Woods

“Oneofthemostimportantbenefitsof sleepawaycampisthatchildrenbuild confidenceandselfesteemwhileliving awayfromtheirparents.Thesepositive attributesstemfrombelonging,learningand contributing”Sleepingawayfromparents canhelpbuildconfidencebyputtingyouor yourkidinchargeofthemselves,theymake theirowndecisionsandfixtheirown problems.Afewmorebenefitsaregaining broaderperspectives,beingapartofa communityandpromotingselfreflection.

Manydifferentkindsofpeople withmany differentinterestsgotosleepaway Itcan rangefromsportstomusicaltheaterto codingandgaming.Nomatterwhereand whenyougoyou'llbeabletofindsomeone withthesameinterestsasyou,oreven someonewhoisexactlytheopposite.Most campsrangefrom7yr-18yrbutsomecan golowerorhigherdependingonhowlong thecampgoesforandwhatactivitiesthey offer.Thereisalsoabigrangefor counselors.Nomatterwhereyou'restaying youcanfindacounselorthatyoulike.

AsImentioned,therearesomanydifferent interestsatcamp.Someexamplefrom FrenchWoodsFestivalare:Circusrec, gymnastics,Woodworking,leathercraft,glass mosaics,mosaics, jewelry,painting& drawing,ceramics,silkscreen,photography, rocketry,needlecraft,ModelsandTrains, shortfilms,graphicdesign,DigitalDjing, ComputerArt,AllAmerican Sports,mountainbiking,fitness,martial arts,soccer,fencingDemo,SkatePark, Tennis,projectadventure,TheProducers, THEWEDDINGSINGERSHOW, AIDA SHOW,Ladiesatthealamo,HALCYON DAYSSHOW,PETERPANSHOW, ANNIEGETYOURGUNSHOW,sketch comedy,MusicalTheatreAudition, performanceworkshop,auditiontechnique, characterization,actingtechnique,Clowning

fortheTheatre,stagecraftpavilion, stagecraftplayhouse,lighting,sound, costume,puppetry,MAGICSHOW, waterskiing,canoeing,swiminstruction, VocalEnsemble, juniorstrings,concert band,StreetPercussion,musicTheory,a CapellaGroup,songwriting,RockBand Rehearsal,BeginningguitarLesson, BeginningDrumLesson,Intermediate guitar,bass/keyboardlessons,BegJazz,Beg Tap,Stretchand

Dependingonthecamp,some sleepawayscanstartinMayandgoallthe waytoSeptemberwhileothersmayonlygo foraweek.Iknowmycampsessions usuallylastabout3weeks,butifyoulike youcanalwayssignupformoreandgofor longer.Alotofcampsalsodoatrialweek whereyougoforashorteramountoftime thanusualtoseeifyoulikeit.Allcampsare differentthoughandnomatterwhatyoucan findsomethingthatyoulike.

Therearealotofdifferentcampswithall differentthings.Sometomentionare: FrenchWoodsLocatedinHancock,NY, FrenchWoodsisperfectforeveryone.They havelotsofactivitiesforeachinterest,some beingtheater,dance,waterfront,singing,art, cooking,sports,codingandlotsmore.

CampLohikan

ThisisinComo,Pennsylvania.Theyhave over65dailyactivities,aspycampandisa greatplaceforfirsttimecampers.

LongLakeislocatedintheAdirondacks. Theyfocusonperformingandfinearts. Longlakeisagreatcampwithagreatview.

Overall,campisagreatplacethatoffersso muchmorethanagetawayfromyour parents.Itbuildsresponsibility,offersa problemsolvingmindset,andmost importantlycreatesfriendshipsthatlasta lifetime.

Whataretheyreallylike?

by Emily Bigman

R:IfyouhadtobeanyanimalonEarth, whatanimalwouldyoube?

MR:Panda.

R:Whatwereyoudoingbeforeyoucame toHarvey?

MR:IwasteachingmusicaltheateratNYU andManhattanSchoolOfMusicwhile creatingoperaandworkingonBroadway shows.

WeknowMx.Redlerasthemusic teacher,butdowereallyknowthem?

Mx.Redlerisourmusicteacher,butthey arealsoanartist,composer,andanathlete. ThereasonIdidthisinterviewisbecauseI alreadyknewtheyworkedsohardeveryday anddidn’tletup,butIwantedtolearnmore. So,withoutfurtherado,theinterview!

Rambler,Emily:Whatisyourfavorite typeofmusic?

Mx.Redler:MusicalTheater.

R:Howdidyoufeelwhenyougotto Harvey?

MR:Ifeltverywelcomed.

R:Ifyoucouldtravelanywhere,where wouldyougo?

MR:Kyoto,Japan.

R:Ifyoucouldn’tbethechorusteacher, whatwouldyoupick?

MR:YogaandMeditationorHistory.

R:What’syourfavoritecolor?

MR:Green.

R:Doyoulikesingingorcomposing more?

MR:Composing.

R:What’syourfavoritesport?

MR:Long-distancerunning.

R:What’s yourfavoritesubjectin school?

MR:Music,becauseIwasabletostudyand practiceacraftthatIlove.

R:Wherewereyouborn?

MR:Plattsburg,NY.

R:IfyoucouldbeanycharacterinShrek, whowouldyoube?

MR:Pinnochio,becauseI’mstilltryingto figureoutifI’mrealornot.

R:What’syourfavoritefood?

MR:Iwouldsayagedcashewcheeseon sourdoughbread.

Allinall,thisshowshowmuchwedon’t knowaboutMx.Redler,buthowcoolthey reallyare.FromwritingBroadwayshowsto creatingchildoperasto…justeverything theydo!Inconclusion,Mx.Redlerisavery specialperson,andwaymorethanjustour musicteacher

Photo by Lilah Groff

Untouchables

by Aoife Lazzaro

fishhasenoughpoisontokilleverything aroundit!Also,thisamazingfish’seyes looklikeagalaxy.ThenextfishthatIwill betalkingaboutisthestonefish.Thestone fishareapartofafamilyoffishcalled Synanceiidae.Stonefisheshavesomany amazingfactsbut,Iwillonlytellyoua couple.

Haveyoueverbeeninadeath defyingexperience?Doyouwanttobesafe andhaveknowledgeintheoceanaboutsea animals?Well,headstraighttotheexhibit theUntouchablesinNorwalkMaritime Aquarium!Theexhibit,theUntouchables, consistsofdangeroussealifewhocancarry harmfultoxinsandcangiveapowerful sting.Thesealifeinthatexhibitincludes, cowfish,conesnails,cuttlefish,andstone fish.

Theanimalsintheexhibitare dangerousseacrittersthatwillgetyourjaw dropping. Thefirstsea animalthatI willbe talkingabout isthe longhorn cowfish.The longhorn cowfishisa tropicalfish thatisa dangerouscritterintheocean.Acouple factsabouttheLonghorncowfishisthatthe

Thefirst factI will share with youis thatthey have amazing camouflagingskills!Theycanattacktheir preyinlittlethan0.05seconds!Sowhen youareintheoceanmakesureyoudon’t steponanoddlookingstone!Another extraordinarycrittertowatchoutforisthe cuttlefish.Didyouknowthatcuttlefishhave veryimpressiveeyesight,theycansee behindthem!Also,theseanimalshavea coolnickname.Theyarecalledthe chameleonsoftheseaduetotheircolor changingabilities!MylastseaanimalthatI willbetalkingaboutistheconesnail.The conesnailisthemostvenomouscreatureon earth.Someconesnailscangetuptoasbig as9.1inches!

Theseamazingcreaturesmakeup theocean.Ifyouwouldliketoknowmore aboutthemheadstraighttotheNorwalk Aquariumsoyoucanbeeducatedabout them.Maybeafteryougoyouwillbeless fearfuloftheocean.Ifyou'reheadedtothe beachwatchoutforthesecrazycreatures!

Photos by Lilah Groff

AskanUpperSchooler

by Aoife Lazzaro, Isolda Corena, & Senna Lieber

Whatisyourfavoritefood?

Pasta/Grace,Grade11

Whatisyourfavoriteclass?

English/Grace,Grade11

Wherewouldyouliketotraveltoifyou couldgoanywhereintheworld?

Paris/Grace,Grade11

What'syourfavoriteartisttolistento?

PierreBourne/Grace,Grade11

What'syourdreamcar?

Fordtransit/Sofia,9thgrade

What'syourfavoriteshoebrand?

Crocs/Sonia,9thgrade

Dogsorcats?

Dogs/Maeve,9thgrade

Dogs/Khalil

DoyoulikeIceSpice?

Yes/Maeve,9thgrade

Yes/Conrad

No/Khalil

What'syourfavoriteclothingbrand?

Nike/Olaf,Grade11

Istheearthflatorround?

Round/Amani,9thgrade

AdviceforMiddleSchoolStudents from8thGrade

by Aoife Lazzaro, Isolda Corena, & Senna Lieber

Rylan“Don'tstressaboutlifeanddon'tbe scaredtogoaskateacherforhelp”

Mallon“Itisokaytohaveasmallfriend group.”

Ben“Doyourhomework!”

Lily“Forgive,don'tforget.”

Neel“Gettoknowteachersandpreparefor highergrades

Stephen“Buildatrustfulrelationshipwithyour teachers.Respectthemandtheywilltrustyou.”

Grahm“Socialismandtotalitarianismarebad systemsofgovernmentandyou’lllearnthat whenyouread Animal Farm!

Madison“Don’tbelieveeverythingyouhear”

Sydney“Don’tputyourselfinthemiddleof drama ”

WaveofChange:Creatinga CleanerOcean

by Vivienne Stoller

Bytheyear2050,theoceanwill containmoreplasticthanfish.Sincethe beginningoftimepeoplehavebeen mindlesslythrowingtrashonthebeaches, dumpingsewageandtoxicwasteintothe sea,andnotproperlytakingcareoftheir recycling,allofwhichcontributestomarine pollution.Ibelievethatitisimportantto informstudentsaboutoceanpollution,the effectsithasontheenvironment,andhelp themcontributetoreversingthenegative impactpollutionhasonmarinelife.

WhatisOceanPollution?

Google Images

Oceanpollution-alsoknownas marinepollution-isamixtureofmaterials thathavebeendumpedintotheoceanand causesseriousdamage.Becauseofpeople's mindlessactions,over5,652marinespecies areendangered,includingwhales,sea turtles,otters,salmon,sealions,andso manymore.Marinepollutionhasdestroyed manyofourcorals,takingawayfood sourcesandshelterformanydifferent speciesandevencontributestoclimate change.Althoughyoumaynotnoticeit,you probablyhavecontributedtooceanpollution multipletimes,whetheritisbylittering, relyingonsingle-useplastic,usingmaritime transportation,orsimplyjustnotrecycling whenyoushouldbe.

HowCanIActtoStopOceanPollution?

Atfirstglance,helpingtheoceanto becomehealthiermayseemdifficult,but thisisnotthecase.Reducingyourcarbon footprintisagreatwaytobeginyour journeytowardscreatingacleanerocean. Thiscouldmeanadjustingyourthermostat, gettinginthehabitofswitchingoffyour lights,walkingorridingyourbikewhenyou can,andevenunpluggingelectronicswhen notinuse.AccordingtoarecentWWF report,theoceanhasabsorbedover90%of theexcessheatcreatedbyburningfossil fuels.Becauseofthis,ourwatersare warmer,coralreefsaregettingbleached,sea levelsarerisingRAPIDLY,andthousandsof fisharedying.

Thinkbeforeyouusesingle-use plastic.Ittakessingle-useplasticover1,000 YEARStodisintegrate,andevenwhenit has,themicroplasticsthatabsorbtoxins continuetoharmtheenvironment.Utilizing reusablewaterbottles,shoppingbags, containers,andmetalstrawsaregreatways toeffectivelykeepouroceanscleaner.Avoid usingplasticbags,waterbottles,straws,and take-outpackaging.

Andfinally,refrainfromusingselect items,includingcoraljewelry,shark products,andtortoiseshellaccessoriesas theyprovideseriousthreatstomanyofour endangeredspecies.Insteadsupportmarine sustainablecompaniessuchasHydroFlask, 4Ocean,Patagonia,Pela,Dr Bronners,and somuchmore.

ToWrapItUp…

Insummary,animalsaredying,our atmosphereiswarming,theclimateis changing,andthewondersoftheoceanare slowlyfadingallbecauseofpollution.We needtobeginconservingouroceansbefore itistoolate.Beforetheoceancontainsmore plasticthanfishandmorebrownthanblue. Sorecyclebeforeyouthrowout,andfillup yourreusablewaterbottles.Tocleanand conserveouroceanwouldbeawonderful thingtodobecauseitprovidesuswith endlessbenefitsandfun.IknowIwanta strong,clean,andbeautifulocean,doyou?

by Aoife Lazzaro

Photo by Mrs Alexander

RamblerLaughs

by Lilah Groff

Editor’sNote: DearReader,

InthistermofPublicationsweexploredbeneaththesurfaceofKatonahandventuredouttoNorwalk,tovisitthe MaritimeAquarium!Wetookthisopportunityasachancetogetinspiredinwritingsomeofourarticlesandof course,seecutesealife!Itwasaveryfunandvaluableexperienceandweallgottomakegreatmemorieswith everyoneandofcourse,visitStarbucksandgetpizza.

Throughoutthe2022-2023schoolyear,Publicationshasseenpeoplegoandnewcomersstay,buteveryteamhas madeafantasticpaperthatwouldn’thavebeenpossiblewithouteachperson.WhileeditingthepaperI’veseen howpassionateeveryoneisaboutthesubjectthey’vechosenandtheirinterestsandstrengthsfromtheirwriting. WhenatPublicationswecollaborate,workhard,andaddontoothersideas,whilelaughingandplayingatthe sametime.Eachdaywetakeonanewtask,whetheritberevisingarticles,takingphotos,orevenplayingtrivia games.Onetaskthatalwayssticksouttomeisrevisingarticlesbecauseeventhoughpeoplemaynotwanttodo it,intheendthey’llfindoutitmadeabigdifferenceintheirarticleandliketheadjustmentsthey'vemade.The revisionmadeinourarticlescanhelpuslearnbetterwaystoelaborateandultimatelymakeusallbetterwriters.

Fromlaughingwithothers,writingandeatingfood,Publicationshasbeenandalwayswillbeaspecialelectiveto meandothersbecauseofthememorieswe’vemadewitheachother Throughoutthiselectiveallofushavemet newpeoplefromalldifferentgradesandmadegreatfriendships.

Aftereachtrimesterends,it’salwaysapleasurelookingbackatthepaperofourhardworkandrememberinghow alltheslot2’swerespent;brainstormingideasandofcourse,havingfun.Itrulyhopeyouenjoyedthiscopyof TheRamblerasmuchaswealldidcreatingit

Thankyoueveryoneforanincredibleandunforgettableterm, LilahGroff

DearReaders,

Ithasbeenaveryproductiveandexcitingyearinthepublicationselective.Whilewedevelopedthesameprojects (TheRamblerandliterarymagazineEquinox),theleadershipchanged ThisyearLilahGroff,grade7,steppedup totheplateaseditorofboththenewspaperandmagazine Inaddition,Lilahalsocreatedsomelayoutanddesign forafewmiddleschoolpagesinthisyear’syearbook.Shecollaboratedwith11thgradeupperschoolstudent PhoebeSchwarztolearntheyearbookdesignsoftwareandhopefully,shewillcontinuetoworkontheyearbook nextyear.Thestudentsinpublicationsresearched,ledinterviews,wrotearticles,collaboratedwithoneanother andhadlotsoffunthroughouttheyear.Fieldtripsprovidedanewwaytopracticealloftheseskillsandadded deepermeaningtotheschoolday Iamnotsurethedirectiontheclasswilltakenextyear,butIdoknowthatwith theleadership,creativity,andguidanceofourmiddleschoolstudentstheelectiveclasswillcontinuetothrive! Thankyoutoallthemiddleschoolstudentsforworkingsohardontheseprojectsandhaveawonderfulsummer!

Mrs.Alexander Advisor,MSPublications

Toreflectonourtimeattheaquariumandtogettoknowourstaffmore,weallansweredquestionsbasedonthe fieldtripwetooktotheMaritimeAquarium.

Whatwasyourfavoriteanimal/exhibitattheaquarium?

Mina:Theseals.

Jack:Monkey.

Senna:Seals.

HaveyoubeentotheMaritimeAquariumpriortothistrip?

Johann:No.

Isolda:No.

Whatwasyourfavoritepartofourfieldtrip?

Vivienne:Thebigturtleortouchingthestingrays.

Henry:Goingtolunch.

Howdidthistripimpactyourarticle?

Ruth:IthelpedalotthatIcouldseemyexhibitinperson.

Aoife:Notmuch.

Emily:Itdidn’treallybecauseIalreadyfoundstufffromwebsites,butitwasreallyfun.

Lilah:ThistriphelpedbecauseIcouldseethesealsandtanksformyself.

Whatisyourfavoriteseacreature?

Sophie:Dolphin.

Sunflower:Axolotl

EmilyBigman,JackCampagna,IsoldaCorena,RuthDoran,MinaFischer,SophieFrankel,LilahGroff,AoifeLazzaro,HenryLeibowitz, SennaLieber,VivienneStoller.Specialthankstoalltheteachers,staff,andstudentsforyourcontributionstothisissue!Thankyoufor sharingwriting,photos,andtakingthetimetoassistwithediting!ThankyoutoDr.Byrne,Dr.Metz,andMrs.Lombardi!

PhotobyRylanandMallonGilligan