Newsletter 9

However, everyone would soon find out that this wasn’t just a break but rather the introduction to a new way of life we all would have no choice but to grow accustomed to. As we near the anniversary of the start of COVID-19, Reef students have taken the year to make new discoveries, seek opportunities, and enact changes in their lives. In the pessimistic cloud of hopelessness we live in, these moments have become our silver lining.

Paulina Godoy started her freshman year in 2019 with a hopeful attitude, but the transition from middle school to high school soon became overwhelming to her as she struggled to maintain a healthy balance between her social life and school work. For her, the pandemic allowed for a break from her busy world. When asked about what good came out of this tumultuous year, Godoy replied: “I think it provided a sort of isolation to really ground myself and figure out what I really wanted. It gave me introspection on my life and how to keep going.” Our lives sometimes become so busy that we get lost along the way, and it’s only when we take a step back that we realize how off track we’ve become. Other students like Veronica Romeleux express how COVID-19 has opened new opportunities for her. For example, “being at home all day and having more time by myself allowed me to be able to sign up for an online college class, which I’ve been meaning to do but never had the time.

I was able to have time to take French 2 during the end of the school year and similarly other students have gotten the credits they needed with the extra time.” It seems that time has always been lacking in the life of a Reef student, and, if the pandemic gave us anything, it certainly gave us more time.

COVID-19 has made us appreciate things we’ve never thought of before: a hug from a friend, walking in the crowded hallways waving at the people you know. The simplest things have become a distant memory we long for. It’s hard to form relationships through a Zoom video, but it’s made us appreciate and long for the company even more. It’s made us value a sense of community, as Reef students find new ways to connect to each other by joining after-school activities like the Anime Club that now has seventy-four members. Clubs have become more than a name on a high school resume, but rather a way to meet new people and explore one’s interests. The pandemic has led to pain for so many and caused a severe strain on our society. However, it’s these little things that remind us that life is not all rainy skies and that the sun will be peeking out very soon. It’s highly doubtful that life will ever completely go back to normal, but I think that the new reality we’ve made is one that teaches about the good in humanity and how, during these hard times, we have found solace in each other despite the obstacles placed before us.

From Start to Finish

by Aurore Boyd

Track and cross country runner Katelyn Williams has been competing in sports since she was eleven years old. Running has become a part of her identity and she knows the ins and outs of it: Katelyn understands the foods she must eat to keep her muscles in shape for running, as well as the amount of exercise needed to safely challenge herself. Katelyn began competing for Coral Reef starting in 9th grade but had her 10th grade track season cut short. This year she is back on the track team, ready to race, but she is faced with some changes to the system of tryouts, practice, and races that she knew so intimately.

When asked about the changes that occurred between this year and the previous years she stated that due to the overall shift in the way people gather, the aspects of the practices became more unpredictable. For example, it was uncertain when they were allowed to start officially practicing together. This year she started training for the fall cross country season in June and ran independently until August. She emphasized how mentally challenging the workouts were, some entailing a 10-mile run or 100m sprints, due to the lack of support around her. Normally, she would be surrounded by her teammates who also participated in such workouts; with no one to tell her to push through, it was hard for her to remain motivated.

“Others on my team were impacted because they did not perform as well. They were constantly unimpressed with their times and many people cried after the races.”

Many of the races she attended were not labeled as a school function, which led to her attaining a couple of “unexcused” absences. To deal with this issue she talked to all of her teachers before and after each of these races to make sure she missed as little as possible. In the beginning, when everyone was online, she was able to listen in on the lecture as she traveled to the out-of-town races, allowing her to learn what she needed for her upcoming tests and assignments.

The rapid alteration of the atmospheric protective layers has distorted our climate, leading to even more consequential effects on the organisms and biodiversity that make the Earth Earth. Scientists predict a permanent change in the near future if we do not take the initiative to rectify the daily actions that have led us up to this moment.

At Coral Reef, many students take part in voicing the necessity of caring for the environment more attentively. Sophomore Julia Bernarde is among these students who are dedicated to looking for a better tomorrow. For about eight years, Bernarde’s family has been doing mangrove cleanups in their neighborhood. This year, Bernarde decided to take the lead, keeping up with her family’s time-honored tradition. Working tirelessly, she helped gather volunteers and organize the event which occurred on Saturday, March 6. Even Reef’s very own Ecology Club members participated in order to care for the mangrove environment. Bernarde reflects on the experience, stating that it “felt very rewarding in the end” when she was able to “see the turnout of young people who cared for the environment and all the trash that was gathered” (60 garbage bags!). However, the most significant reward was “seeing how accomplished all of the volunteers felt about helping the mangroves,” as knowing that there are people out there just as invested in caring for the Earth brings forth an overwhelming sense of joy. The event will be an unforgettable memory for the participants who took their responsibility as humans with stride and thanked the Earth for all it has provided.

Able to see beauty at every turn, Bernarde expresses that growing up in South Florida is a major factor in her love for the environment. All her life she has been surrounded by nature, a privilege she is grateful for.

As she started to get older, she learned more about the environment and the detrimental impact humans have on it. She was “disappointed to see the amazing treatment nature provided to the world being rarely reciprocated” and decided then that she had to “protect the environment around” her that is “being mindlessly threatened each day.” Bernarde’s passion for the environment sparked her desire to enact change in the sphere of environmental legislation by pursuing a career as an environmental lawyer. Through Bernarde’s eyes, “protecting our planet and environment is one of the most crucial issues of the next few decades.” Despite the continuous disregard for the issue and the controversy that surrounds it, she has hope that this generation will bring forth change.

For anyone interested in how to become active and make their mark, Bernarde suggests that “the first step is to start learning and educating [oneself] on environmental issues. Gaining the proper knowledge about our environment will allow for several ways to mitigate the environmental concerns we face today. Once the research is done and there is a substantial understanding of what problems need to be solved, take action! The best way to do this is by getting involved in any way you can. Participating in cleanups, signing petitions, or even advocating for changing bad environmental habits in your community are a few of many ways to make a direct impact on your local environment. A little dedication of your time goes a long way in making a difference.”

The planet of life is seemingly becoming a planet of death, as the Earth is slowly suffocating at our own hands. Advocating for change will forever impact our future. There is only one planet Earth; let’s unite and take care of it, together.

Teachers Are Now a Priority for the Vaccine

by Sofia Peralta

On March 13, 2020, all Miami-Dade County public schools were closed. Students and teachers were sent home, kicking off the beginning of virtual learning and our new reality. One year later, the United States is now approaching 30 million cases nationwide and 550,000 deaths and Florida is nearing 2 million cases and 35,000 deaths. Additionally, Coral Reef has had 82 cases, the highest number within the MDCPS school system. These numbers are reasonable considering Coral Reef has the largest quantity of physical students; although, it is still very daunting for students, parents, and staff alike. Of those 82 cases, 10 employees have contracted coronavirus. However, it appears that life at school may be shifting for the better, as President Biden is now prioritizing teachers for the vaccine.

Previously, the list of those prioritized solely included health care workers and people 65 years and older, putting all teachers younger than 65 at risk, especially those with underlying health conditions. At this point, the CDC stated that teachers should be counted for the vaccine as well because they are considered frontline essential workers. Coach Solomon, a PE teacher at Coral Reef, states that “teachers are in contact with their students, who in turn have their own life outside of school, as well as coaches with their athletes, who again, have their full lives out of school which for some, includes traveling.” This used to pose a huge problem for teachers, as they were forced to choose between their work and their health. Fortunately, Coach Solomon was recently able to receive the vaccine because of his new status as part of the prioritized group.

President Biden’s goal is that most teachers get the first dose of the vaccine by the end of March.

For example, Sofia Peralta, a ninth-grade student in the IB program, said that the amount of sleep she gets varies depending on the amount of stress that she is under, the amount of homework she has, and the number of tests she has the next day. In addition, another ninth-grade student in the IB program, Samantha Weber states that she usually gets around seven to eight hours of sleep, but that the same thing

happens to her. The amount of sleep she gets does vary depending on the amount of homework she has, but on the weekends, she can get distracted by her phone and may go to bed even later.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, experts recommend at least seven to nine hours of sleep for most people at night. They say that those who do not get the recommended hours of sleep are more likely to be at risk for diabetes, strokes, heart disease, and many more health problems. Harvard Health Publishing states that scientists have found that there is a brain clearing function that happens when you are asleep. According to Dr. Joanne E. Manson, a professor at Harvard Medical School, the glymphatic system, which is a waste clearing system that rinses the brain using cerebrospinal fluid, flows better while we are asleep, and it washes away a harmful protein called beta-amyloid.

To continue, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a lack of sleep can affect how someone functions throughout the day.

For example, it can take longer for someone to finish a task, and that person could make more mistakes on that task than usual. It also states that 100,000 car accidents are a result of the lack of sleep of a driver. This proves that a person can function better with a sufficient amount of sleep and can prevent things like car accidents from happening.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students have been attending school online. This means that students can wake up later than normal since they do not have to drive to school every day. In school, you could miss part of a lecture or directions because of how tired you are, or it may be harder to register what a teacher is saying because of how tired you are. Even when going to school in person, not getting enough sleep can affect how well a student does in school. To solve this, everyone could develop a steady sleep schedule so that they can make sure that they are getting the necessary number of hours of sleep needed for school or work. Furthermore, having no phones when going to bed would help since there would not be any distractions that would prevent someone from going to sleep earlier. Avoiding caffeine in drinks, such as coffee, would also help a person go to sleep earlier. Then, when waking up in the morning, you could exercise to get ready for the day.

A Change of Pace

by Ava Volman

Recently, chatter has been stirring regarding whether or not we will face an entirely new scheduling system as of the 2021-2022 school year. This new schedule would include eight periods rather than the current six, with four classes each day. Many people are in favor of this plan, as it would provide more electives for everyone and give more opportunities for classes they may not have been able to take as a result of a limited school schedule. However, there are several downsides to this new scheduling system, as both students and teachers could face immense workloads and stress.

Many students are in great favor of this new system, especially those in the IB and VPA academies. An eight-period scheduling system would give students an opportunity to try new classes their busy schedules beforehand didn’t allow them to take. They can be extremely useful in maintaining their GPA, providing a creative outlet, and exploring passions that they may want to pursue later in life. Such a limited scheduling system, like the one implemented at the moment, prevents students from doing so.

One student, Mckenna Warren, from the German portion of the IB program, said, “I was really excited when I heard of the possibility of an eight class schedule next year because that would mean I could finally have an elective. The German IB program currently has two German classes and no electives for freshman year or the rest of high school. The eight-course schedule would mean I could have two electives, and I could use that to relax during the school day or get more AP credits.”

When asked for her opinion on this new development in Reef’s schedule, IB English teacher Ms. Woolley-Larrea said, “I’m very much in favor of an eight period day. I think it would be very good for IB, and very good for VPA, so they could have more electives.”