Junior High

"The Sun and the Star Tour"

March 17, 2023
By: Tia Seeto

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Some of you might’ve heard about the new book that Rick Riordan is releasing: The Sun and the Star. It is a journey that features the two lovebirds Nico di Angelo and Will Solace. Here is a basic synopsis of the upcoming book.
   Nico di Angelo has been bothered by these strange voices from the depths of Tartarus, who he believes belong to the Titan Bob (Iapetus) calling out for help. Through his dreams and Rachel Dare’s prophecy, it confirms that he must journey on a quest to the land of monsters to save Bob. Now, since his lover Will Solace couldn’t bear to even think about Nico entering Tartarus alone, he joins Nico on his voyage. In the prophecy told by Rachel Dare, it notes that Nico must “leave something of equal value behind.” 
Simply from the synopsis of the book, I’m sure that you, reader, would love to read this book now! Fortunately, you don’t have to wait long! Not only is this book published on May 2nd this year, but author Rick Riordan is doing a tour, traveling across the country to meet up with his beloved readers and fans. This tour will be done during the timespan of May 2nd to May 6th of this year, and the exciting thing is: he’s coming to San Francisco! On the day of Friday, May 5th, Rick Riordan will host San Francisco’s part of the tour at 7:00 PM in the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. This is the first time that Rick Riordan would be doing a tour with a co-author, and that co-author is Mark Oshiro. The meaning behind having this specific author co-write this fantastic story, in Riordan’s words, is “As I’ve shared before, it was really important to me that writing a book entirely from the perspective of two queer characters, I collaborated with a great queer author who could bring perspective, authenticity, and a different set of writing strengths to the project.” Rick Riordan also promised that he’ll add the link to purchase tickets on his website after things are sorted out. “Buy them soon,” he said, “because the tickets will sell out very quickly!” Many of his fans, including me, are eager for the tour to start, excited to witness what Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro will share to the world.
 

"Scientists Find Evidence of Another Layer in Earth's Inner Core"

March 10, 2023
By: Kyle Tung

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The Earth, a very interesting planet, is changing slowly, especially the Earth's crust. Scientists have found proof that the Earth is developing another layer because of studying earthquake’s seismic waves. When seismic waves go through this place, its speed changes. The shift in speed tells scientists that something is different in the Earth’s inner core. They are calling this new layer at the middle of Earth's inner core, “the Innermost Inner Core.” Because Earth’s inner core is separated from the Earth’s surface by thousands of miles of rock, it makes it hard for scientists to study it.
   During 2002, scientists already suggested that the inner core of our planet might have another layer inside of it based on observations from these waves. Even though they already suggested that, scientists only had infrequent observations that couldn’t confirm this hypothesis. To one hundred percent confirm this they had to pick up a seismic wave carrying data from the Earth’s core. What they needed were sensors put on the opposite side of the Earth from the earthquake. Because of this, many of these locations were often in the middle of the ocean. As such, scientists have already suggested that the Earth’s inner core has another layer since 2002, but just needed more evidence to prove it.
   The Earth’s inner core is 1,500-mile-wide and like a hot ball of metal made of iron and nickel. Scientists have already suggested that there might’ve been a new layer in the core since 2002. And to confirm their hypothesis, they had to run experiments to collect data about the Earth’s seismic waves. In conclusion, the Earth is changing everyday and scientists are finding out new things happening to our planet.
 

"What Makes a Good Teacher?"

September 13, 2022

By: Kady Fong

 

What makes a good teacher? I went around the school asking sixth-grade students this question. Most of them preferred teachers who are understanding, show patience and listen to their students. Surprisingly, strict teachers were also quite popular; especially the ones who made sure their students were doing what they were supposed to. Lastly, some students favored teachers that were organized. These types of teachers made sure that their lessons were thoroughly planned and prepared for lessons, making class more effective and enjoyable. Overall, I found that a majority of sixth-grade students liked teachers who were nice but still encouraged hard work.

   The students I interviewed also tended to opt for a certain type of personality. They preferred chatty teachers who would talk to them about topics outside of the assigned school work. I also found out that students would rather have teachers that were passionate about the subject that they were educating us about. This makes their lessons more engaging and typically more knowledgeable for students. There are many hardworking teachers who put their work into making sure their students understand the topics and are not lost. They want their students to feel comfortable in their learning environment. Students, in turn, want their teachers to accept them for who they are and not judge them if they had a hard time with their work. In the end, all teachers have unique personalities and different ways of teaching, but their ultimate goal is to teach kids and ground knowledge for their futures.