The Eagle's Nest

Students Need a Free Period

By Maddy Smith (8th Grade)

"Rest is not the opposite of learning. Rest is part of learning," Mariam Owoade states. Many people agree with the idea that having a free period can help rest your mind and give yourself a break from learning. Students go hours with only learning, and that can cause severe stress and anxiety. They work hard for 6 hours straight, 5 days a week, and don't get a rest. They should be able to have a small free period to rest their minds at least once a day to give an advantage for better learning. Schools have kids working all day with no stop time. Even adults have small breaks throughout the day when working, and so should children. Young kids' brains are not fully developed, and children tend to have a harder time processing things and sitting still. They need a break to help them learn in the most effective way possible.

Students need a break for health advantages. It gives the brain the break it needs, lowers stress, and helps with mental health. In the article, "Why Your Students Need Free Time At School (And How You Can Make It Happen!)," it states that breaks can "teach you responsibility, encourage development of social and communication skills, and support students’ physical health and motor skill development." This is important because all the advantages that a break gives you help the mind and help with school skills. The small breaks give you enhanced skills and help the brain in an effective way.

A break can help students focus better on their work and focus in their learning environment. In the article, "Working Hard or Hardly Working," it states, "Many students are exhausted throughout the day and are unable to focus in class because of this. If they are not focusing in class, they are not absorbing nearly as much information as they could." Not being able to focus can impact your learning in a negative way. Learning is the main reason you attend school, and not being able to learn to your best ability can cause issues. The free period can give you an advantage when learning, which every student needs.

Schools give lots of workload, causing students to struggle to get work done. Getting work done tends to be a struggle for middle school and high school students. Around 40% of students say they struggle to get work done with extracurriculars and outside jobs. Getting your work done is a key factor in being successful throughout school. Struggling to complete work can cause further issues as you continue through school over the years. A free period would give students extra stress-free time to get their uncompleted work done, which can strongly impact students' learning.

Some people may argue that having a free period can waste time and prevent students from learning to their best ability. This is understandable because many people want to use their learning time to their advantage and not waste a second. But having a free period gives you the time to work on subjects that you need to work on or gives you time to have a break if you are ahead in school. The free time would give students time to work on what they need and not the class they're stuck in.

Young brains need the break to help reduce the stress caused by school. Schools go all day with little to no stop time, which means your brain is nonstop working all day. Everyone needs a stress-free break to help their mental state and give students better academic advantages. Think about the advantages of a free period and all the things you could get done: homework, classwork, or even just a break to clear your mind from school thoughts. Teachers also have the advantage of free time to grade work or have a snack during the free period. Students and teachers should work together to get students a break during their long school day. The break can give students and teachers advantages for learning and impact their well-being for the better.

Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea?

By: Gavin Morales (6th Grade)

The show I am reviewing is SpongeBob SquarePants. This show is great for people who enjoy comedy and slapstick-style television. It can be watched on various platforms such as Prime Video, Paramount+, and others. I really love this show, and it has a special place in my heart.

This show is about a character named SpongeBob, who is a sponge that lives with his pet snail, Gary. They live in a yellow pineapple house next to his best friend, Patrick. Between them lives Squidward, who often gets annoyed by them because of their loudness and immaturity. SpongeBob lives in Bikini Bottom and works at the Krusty Krab, where Squidward also works. Their boss is Mr. Krabs, and all he seems to care about is money.

One thing I liked about this show was SpongeBob's childlike behavior and how immature he can be around Patrick and others. Another thing I liked was the amount of detail in the show and the great variety of music. I also liked the visuals that were used during the songs. A third thing I liked was the many iconic quotes, such as "Firmly grasp it!", "Is mayonnaise an instrument?", and "No, this is Patrick!" These are just a few examples of the funny quotes featured in the show.

I would recommend this show to people who are looking for a fun, action-filled show with lots of comedy. It is perfect for both kids and adults. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Saving the Day with My Hero Academia

By: Shae Roncarati-Howe (6th Grade)

The show I am reviewing is SpongeBob SquarePants. This show is great for people who enjoy comedy and slapstick-style television. It can be watched on various platforms such as Prime Video, Paramount+, and others. I really love this show, and it has a special place in my heart.

This show is about a character named SpongeBob, who is a sponge that lives with his pet snail, Gary. They live in a yellow pineapple house next to his best friend, Patrick. Between them lives Squidward, who often gets annoyed by them because of their loudness and immaturity. SpongeBob lives in Bikini Bottom and works at the Krusty Krab, where Squidward also works. Their boss is Mr. Krabs, and all he seems to care about is money.

One thing I liked about this show was SpongeBob's childlike behavior and how immature he can be around Patrick and others. Another thing I liked was the amount of detail in the show and the great variety of music. I also liked the visuals that were used during the songs. A third thing I liked was the many iconic quotes, such as "Firmly grasp it!", "Is mayonnaise an instrument?", and "No, this is Patrick!" These are just a few examples of the funny quotes featured in the show.

I would recommend this show to people who are looking for a fun, action-filled show with lots of comedy. It is perfect for both kids and adults. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Behind the Scenes with Mr. Taylor

By Emily Mumper, Emily Baldyga, and Siobhan Mahoney (8th Grade)

You learn so much behind the scenes of a science teacher from just a simple 2 minute interview. Behind the scenes of him teaching every day, you don't see him coaching volleyball for Chaug or what his personal life is like!

Mr. Taylor is a 6th grade science teacher. He has been teaching for many years and hasn't just stuck with middle school. Before his middle school career, he taught kindergarten. He also coaches girls volleyball at Minnechaug. In his free time, he hosts programs to teach experienced and inexperienced players.

Building mutual respect with students is one of the foundations of Mr. Taylor's teaching philosophy. He goes on to say, "if I give them rules, I stick with those rules, I think that's how you create those relationships of respect in the classroom."

Mr. Taylor's inspiration for becoming a teacher came from one of his own high school teachers. He talks about an old teacher of his in high school whose name was Mr. Kelly. Mr. Kelly was the Teacher of the Year in 1984 for the entire state. Mr. Taylor first had him in 1985. Mr. Kelly is what first got him interested in the teaching profession, even though he didn't feel that way initially.

When asked what career he might have pursued outside of teaching, Mr. Taylor reflected on his experience as a coach. He says that besides teaching science, he coaches a lot and that would most likely have something to do with it. He states, "I don't know what I would be doing because I've done a variety of different things so finding something else would be pretty hard." He also said that coaching is very similar to teaching people.

One of Mr. Taylor's favorite memories from his teaching career comes from his time as a kindergarten teacher. He says that his favorite memory was when he used to teach kindergarten and there was one student named Colin. Mr. Taylor has an unforgettable memory with him. Colin would come in crying every day. "He would always come to me," says Mr. Taylor. He had to do simple tasks like tying his shoes. "He would grab my hair, I had long hair at the time. He would run his hands through my hair." Colin then proceeded to say, "Mr. Taylor, your hair feels so funny." He said that memory still sticks out in his head.

Mr. Taylor also shared his perspective on the students he teaches each day. He was immediately stunned by the question and didn't understand it at first. He talks about how he views them as kids and how teachers are trying to raise expectations and treat them like incoming high school students.

Mr. Taylor holds a lot of secrets and fun stories behind just being the teacher he is. You wouldn't even know these things if we never asked. Can you believe he used to teach kindergarten students?

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