October 2022

With the start of the 2022-23 school year, The Current will be beginning its second full year of operation as Oregon Charter Academy’s student-run digital newspaper. 

It’s certainly been quite the journey – what started off as an ambitious idea in 2020 became an eight-article debut issue in June of 2021, released by a small staff that barely finished the edition before the end of the school year. A year later, the staff and participation had grown exponentially, culminating in a 22-article June 2022 issue and over 150 total published works on the website. 

First of all, a major ‘thank you’ is due to the students, parents, and staff of Oregon Charter Academy for supporting, facilitating, and contributing to The Current throughout its history up to this point. The Current wouldn’t be what it is without the great, supportive school it has to cover. 

But despite having reached these new heights, The Current has even bigger goals and improvements planned. And for those, we’ll need your help. 

It all starts with the “Contact” link on the upper right and footer of The Current’s website. Use this to share your thoughts with our staff on anything newspaper-related. Whether it’s letting us know you really liked a certain article or providing some constructive criticism to improve future editions, any and all feedback helps us improve our product and fine-tune it to what ORCA students want to read. 

The contact form can also be used to provide The Current with news tips. ORCA is a vast school with a lot going on, meaning that numerous stories can slip under the radar of our staff. Are you or a fellow student doing something remarkable? Is there an interesting school event coming up? Is there just a topic you’d like to read an article about? Let us know! 

We can’t guarantee every tip will become a full-fledged article, but such recommendations will not go unnoticed. We appreciate any efforts to help improve our coverage of the many happenings at ORCA. 

In the same dropdown menu that contains the contact form, you can also access the website’s contribute form. Here, you can submit articles, stories, photography, art, and other such content to The Current without having to be part of our staff. If you’ve ever written a commendable short story for your language arts class or painted a beautiful landscape for an art class and want a wider audience, now’s your chance. 

If your media submission is school-appropriate and passes our editorial standards, it’ll be featured in The Current for the entire school to appreciate. By contributing to the newspaper, you’ll be able to showcase your talents to a larger audience all while enriching The Current’s scope of content. 

And if you’re the competitive type, you can join our monthly contests as well for another chance to be featured in an edition. 

However, perhaps the biggest way you can help out The Current is by joining our staff. There’s a decent amount of commitment, from weekly (sometimes more) Zoom meetings to the expectation of one finished article or other contribution per month. There’s also a 26-page guidelines document you’ll probably want to browse through as a preview of our dos and don'ts. But at the very least, if you can simply bring some new ideas and a positive attitude to our staff you’d be more than welcome. 

It’s a challenging but highly collaborative and constructive environment, one in which you’ll definitely improve as a writer and likely have a great time as well. If you have some big ideas for improving the newspaper or want your voice heard as you make a positive impact on the school, joining The Current staff will be a choice you won’t regret. 

That being said, whether you’d like to help with all the steps above or none of them, you can always help The Current by doing exactly what you’re doing right now: giving it a read. It gives purpose to the hard work the staff of this newspaper puts in each month and further unites our school community. 

Oregon Charter Academy, thanks for reading The Current. 

It’s that time of year again. New classes, new teachers, and new classmates. Going back to school can be daunting and quite stressful. After three months of summer break, it can be challenging to feel excited about going back to the classroom. 

But with a new school year comes a fresh start, and with these seven timely tips, you can kick off the year strong.

1. Start the Day Right

Developing a daily routine will provide a sense of consistency as you tackle your course load throughout each day. It’s a good idea to set a designated time to wake up, eat breakfast, and start school. Figure out your class schedule and follow it throughout the day. By creating a schedule, you can organize your most important tasks and get those done on time. 

Habits don’t form overnight. The key to long-term success is persistence. Committing to good habits allows you to stay on track, do your best work, and achieve any goal you set for yourself. It can take time to get into the groove, but adding a little structure to your day can help. 

2. Keep Track of Tasks

Setting a list of goals and tasks you need to complete is the best way to stay on track. This to-do list may include assignments, due dates, test prep, creative projects, goals, chores, or other items you plan to accomplish in a specific time frame. Google Calendar or an academic planner is a great tool to schedule important tasks, dates, and events in advance. 

Did you know? When you write your goals down, you are 42% more likely to accomplish them, according to a study by psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews. Start small by writing down your plans for each day, and check your list throughout the day. It’s that simple – and you’ll find that it results in a tremendous boost in productivity. 

Use Canvas’s planning tools to your advantage. On your Dashboard, you will have the option to view your courses and lessons via Card View, List View, and Recent Activity. On List View, you will be able to see all your assignments (missing and upcoming) and other scheduled classes at a glance. However, List View does not show everything on the Weekly Starter Page – only items with due dates. It is important to check the Weekly Starter Page (through Card View) for each class every day to make sure you’re on track. Setting reminders on your phone or Canvas app can help remind you about classes, due dates, and graded assignments. 

3. Create a Clear Study Space

Distractions – from friends to cell phones and loud siblings – are everywhere. Rummaging through a cluttered desk and checking every phone notification can easily break your focus. Keep all distractions “out of sight and out of mind” by turning notifications off or putting away games and electronics.

Find a clean and quiet space to study, preferably a desk or someplace comfortable. If complete silence is hard to find, using headphones or listening to music can help drown out background noise. It is important to communicate with other people in your household to help establish a study space that works for you. 

4. Take Breaks

Studying doesn’t always come easily. It can be easy to lose focus, even if you have carved time out of the day for it. If this sounds like you, try to pair this task with a reward.

For every hour or so that you spend working on a task, give yourself a little break to do things you enjoy – grab a snack, take a short walk, or do something to get your body moving. Breaking up your study time will prevent brain drain and help you avoid procrastination. But for this to work properly you have to be intentional with managing your breaks and making sure the task merits the reward – one hour of studying shouldn’t result in four hours of TV.

Timely tip – The Pomodoro Method is an effective technique to help you work time over task. Using a timer, break down your work into 25-minute increments, separated by a short five-minute break. This way, you’ll focus more on the task at hand and keep yourself from distractions.

5. Stay Engaged

Attend live classes on a regular basis and participate – ask questions, take part in discussions, and get involved in class activities. If you can’t make it to one, recordings and resources are available to catch up. 

Your teachers are here to help. If you find that you are struggling with a lesson or have a question, reach out. Scheduling one-on-one meetings or calls with your teacher is another great option to find extra help. 

Remember, the sooner you ask for help, the better. If you can recognize that you’re starting to fall behind early on in the semester, there’s a better chance of getting caught up before midterms or finals.

6. Get Involved in the Community

As a student, one of the most important ways to prepare yourself for success after high school is to explore different areas of study and extracurricular activities that you are passionate about. By getting involved in your community, you will have more opportunities to explore your interests and refine which areas of study you want to pursue in the future. 

Find clubs that interest you, join student organizations, or volunteer in your community. The extra hours you put into extracurricular activities and work are a crucial component of college and job applications. 

7. Stay Ahead

While starting new classes, remember that your attitude about this school year can impact your performance all year long.

It’s easier to keep up an A if you do your best from the start and stay on track instead of slacking off and having to play catch-up the rest of the semester. Mentally prepare yourself to put your best foot forward in the first half of the semester and try to stay on track as long as you can. You may be surprised by how far you’ll go.

Success comes from persistence and hard work. Once you learn to tackle the obstacles that come with fighting procrastination and staying motivated for school, you’ll be able to start off strong by forming good study habits and setting yourself up for success. 

Starting on October 10, ORCA Student Government’s will host a virtual harvest festival that is open to all K-12 students.

The event consists of two exciting contests: a Costume Contest and a Pumpkin Carving/Painting Contest. The Costume Contest will have three categories that students can choose to participate in: Funniest, Best Homemade, and Most Creative. For the Pumpkin Carving/Painting Contest, students should enter a photo of their decorated pumpkin into one of the following categories: Scariest, Funniest, and Painted. More information can be found here.

Students may participate in the Costume Contest, Pumpkin Carving Contest, or both.  The deadline to submit photos is October 28. Winners for both contests will be announced in the first week of November; the chosen costumes and pumpkins will be given the opportunity to be featured in the Monthly Video Newsletter.

More details can be found on the Student Government website. 

Autumn always brings nature’s beautiful color palette to another level and creates a dreamy effect in both the weather and general mood. The Current is giving all ORCA students a chance to submit a take on fall-inspired art with any style including but not limited to photography, drawing, painting, pottery, and graphic design.

Your artwork may be selected to be featured in the next issue if the guidelines listed below are respected.

Use this form to submit your artwork. Your submission must: 

• Be school appropriate (must not contain graphic or explicit content, politics, discrimination, or controversial topics).

• Be your original work. 

• Include a clear picture of your artwork. 

• Be submitted by October 21st.

• Add your name (The Current is a public newspaper, so note whether you want your full name or initials adjacent to your artwork.)

 This is a great opportunity to show off your creativity and try something new with your artwork. Good luck!

This month, wearing the color blue signifies bullying awareness. Across the globe, students who attend virtual and brick-and-mortar schools are bullied for being different. According to 2019 survey data from the Centers for Disease Control, 16 percent of high school students reported being bullied electronically in the previous year. 

As of last year in brick-and-mortar schools, nine out of ten LGBTQ+ students reported getting harassed and bullied, according to STOMP Out Bullying. These attacks range from physical assault to harassment and can lead to negative influences on mental health. In October, ORCA counselors are urging students to open up and share their experiences with a trusted adult or counselor. 

Ms. Hammond, a high school counselor at ORCA, gave a word of appreciation in a recent interview, saying that she is grateful for her students and understands that it can be hard to get your voice heard about this issue. She appreciates students putting their trust in ORCA staff in times of need, as they work to provide help.

It’s important to tell a trusted adult if bullying or inappropriate content starts to become an issue. This is especially true when it comes to connecting with people on social media.

Bullying can take many forms. When bullying happens in a virtual environment it is called cyberbullying. Consequently, social media is one hotspot for cyberbullying among students. Even though this won’t work on school-issued Chromebooks, some students that communicate outside of school have accounts linked to popular social media platforms. According to a study by Security.org, a technology research firm, many social media platforms have consequential effects on mental health. Users of Youtube, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Facebook report the highest percentage of cyberbullying: 79 percent for Youtube, 69 percent for Snapchat, 64 percent for TikTok, and 49 percent for Facebook. 

Cyberbullying can cause unwanted attention to the victim, such as when harmful messages are sent via an image, video, or text. Mrs. Churchill, one of ORCA’s middle school counselors, pointed out that cyberbullying attacks can range from insulting to harassing behavior.

After these incidents, how well do students respond mentally? According to the Security organization, their study showed that half of teens that have experienced cyberbullying were angry, a third was hurt mentally, and about fifteen percent were scared about their experience. Two-thirds of 12-year-olds said that it has negatively affected how they think about themselves.

However, there is help available. In a call to action, ORCA’s middle school and high school counselors have teamed up to bring awareness into the hearts of all students school-wide. According to Riverside Medical Clinic Foundation, about 70 percent of students have reported that they are not confident in their school’s handling of bullying situations. Fortunately, counselors are raising awareness, and taking action in hopes that their efforts can make a difference at ORCA.

To raise awareness, Ms. Churchill encourages students in middle school to attend their assigned advisory class for a presentation that she and other middle school counselors will be hosting. Speakers will share  information regarding Bullying Awareness Month, preventions, interventions, and encourage students to share their experiences. Afterward, a Q & A will conclude the presentation. 

For high school students, Ms. Hammond will be putting information and other resources to combat the effects of bullying on her counseling page, and all other high school counselors will follow in her steps. As of October 1st, “We will be encouraging staff and students to wear blue throughout the month (i.e. during live classes),” she stated. With all of the extra resources provided on the middle school and high school counselor pages, students can stay up-to-date and continue the fight to end bullying. With encouragement from our counselors, students and staff aren’t just wearing blue because it looks nice, but also to emphasize how showing kindness can help eliminate bullying. Ms. Hammond applauds students who report these incidents, especially if they have done so in the past and not received enough support.

On a related October note, don’t forget to keep track of World Unity Day. Ms. Hammond notes that “On October 19th we will celebrate World Unity Day, and we will all wear orange,” a departure from the anti-bullying blue that is encouraged throughout the month. By wearing orange on the 19th, students can celebrate each other's differences and make a point to accept one another no matter what. According to National Today, orange is selected for this particular day as a symbolic example of safety, protection, and visibility. 

Bullying is an issue that requires vigilance and kindness. This month, blue and orange aren’t just colors, they are symbolic reminders of the effects that bullying can have on students, and that the kindness that we form in our virtual environment can create an inclusive learning environment for all students.

For more information regarding bullying, how to reach out for help, or World Unity Day, please talk to your counselor in your grade band, or check out these sites for resources: STOMP Out Bullying, National Today, the Security organization, Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center, and the Riverside Medical Clinic Charitable Foundation. 

Oregon Charter Academy’s wealth of clubs, extracurricular groups run by teachers and students, are a great way to become more connected and involved in the school while pursuing various interests. 

As of October 1, club information and sign-ups for the 2022-23 school year were opened schoolwide. The pertinent links can be found on the Principal’s Corner of each grade band. 

Many clubs will be open to new members immediately on October 1, such as the NASA club, National Honor Society/NJHS, Music club, Newspaper club, Rosetta Stone, and others. These clubs can be joined via a Google form that will be provided. 

Students should still check the club pages after October 1 as many additional clubs will be added in the following months. Students will also have the opportunity to request new school clubs in a Google form, and if there is sufficient student interest and a teacher willing to serve as club advisor, that club can be added to ORCA’s roster if approved. 

Talking about clubs with fellow students and teachers at ORCA is a great way to discover new opportunities and even plan to start new clubs to fit more of the school’s many interests. 

At ORCA’s September 16 Open House event, students were asked to provide club ideas to the school to help expand ORCA’s catalog. There should be plenty of new and exciting options on ORCA’s club page this school year. 

“ORCA’s clubs provide our students with a variety of topics to engage in and a venue to collaborate with their peers that have similar interests,” said ORCA Applied Programs Administrator and club advisor Dan Vasen. “A goal of hosting so many club options is to ensure ORCA students have multiple opportunities to connect with each other outside of live class to help build ORCA’s school community.”

Money can’t buy happiness – but can it buy quality? 

Amazon certainly hopes so. The corporation recently poured $715 million into the making of its show The Rings of Power, putting the project well on track to be the most expensive TV show ever made. Loosely based on the skeletal details of the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, it was certainly a monetary gamble despite a guaranteed viewing audience. 

But most expensive doesn’t always correlate with best, and The Rings of Power’s disappointing pilot confirmed that. Episode one is an overlong, boring mess that does little to interest the audience in any of the introduced characters and plotlines. There’s little action or intrigue to hook the viewer while the script is full of attempts at poetic, Tolkien-esque dialogue that can border on the point of parody. The episode does succeed in setting the major characters in motion, but it does nothing to further the interest in what they do next. 

Episodes two and three, on the other hand, are a completely different case, and their forward momentum seems to be a promising trend for the rest of the series. Episode two introduces a sense of humor to the show that doesn’t overstay its welcome and provides some direly needed personality. The action is a step up as well, with some clear horror influences that skillfully build suspense and dread. Episode three isn’t quite as riveting, but it further adds to the story and world-building of the show while including many of the same elements that made the previous installment enjoyable. 

The fourth episode is a small step back from the prior two, stalling the pacing much like episode one. It also highlights a major shortcoming of the series: when the show tries to be a slow burn, it does so by just stretching out plot advances with a lot of unnecessary filler instead of using that extra runtime to aid in meaningful character development and depth. Sometimes The Rings of Power feels like it’s trying to be long simply for the sake of it, not because the story requires it. 

Even though some of the character work could be improved, those weaknesses lie more in the writing of the show than the acting. The cast is surprisingly lacking big-name talent, but each actor gives a solid and fairly consistent performance. The show’s greatest weakness, however, lies in the sheer number of characters it follows. The series is well-directed for the most part but there are just too many characters initially to follow. This will inevitably be cleared up as the storylines start to merge, but it’s a bit much at the beginning. 

It’s also worth noting that the main plot of the show revolves around setting up the well-known story of The Lord of the Rings, meaning that some of the suspense regarding what happens next is rendered useless. That isn’t to say that the series won’t have some twists and turns up its sleeve, but the lack of true uncertainty is a detractor. 

While not explicitly stated to be in the same timeline as Peter Jackson’s near-perfect Lord of the Rings film trilogy, The Rings of Power clearly attempts to fit into the world of the former. New faces are cast as characters from the film trilogy that could pass as younger versions of Jackson's original choices. Additionally, Howard Shore, who scored the films, was brought back to compose music for the series alongside Bear McCreary. The final result is a grand, sweeping musical effort that elevates the show and also sonically connects it to the films. 

Where The Rings of Power struggles the most to hold up to Jackson’s films is in the visuals. The show has no shortage of a special effects budget, but modern CGI hasn’t been perfected quite yet and there’s a slight computerized sheen that can give some shots a flat, unrealistic feel. The Lord of the Rings’ lower definition cameras and heavier use of practical effects gave them a more tangible, gritty feel that few high definition, CGI-heavy shows have been able to replicate. That isn’t to say that The Rings of Power doesn’t have some great setpieces, but it still falters in comparison to the originals. 

Another, much smaller nitpick lies in the modern-looking haircuts inexplicably given to some of the elf characters, a baffling creative decision that hurts the overall immersion of the series. 

If it isn’t clear already, it’s the legendary status of Peter Jackson’s trilogy that detracts the most from Amazon’s efforts. Those films, and Tolkien’s novels, are so highly regarded universally that any attempt to replicate or expand on them will undoubtedly be disappointing. Just look at The Hobbit films. 

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is noticeably far from perfect, but as the series progresses it continues to find its stride. There’s certainly a grand story to tell, and with hardly any monetary restrictions and plenty of episodes still to be made, there’s a chance that Amazon will deliver. 

The verdict: 6/10

On Friday, September 16, students and their families attended ORCA’s Open House event to celebrate the start of the 2022-23 school year. 

Open House is an annual school-wide event in Mill City for students and families to meet teachers and peers, collect ORCA merch, explore extracurricular activities, and take student photos. 

A wide array of booths circled the lot of Santiam Elementary School, quickly filling up with families and students of all ages. The crowd buzzed with lively chatter as people gathered around in friendly groups, eager to meet teachers and classmates in person, some for the first time. 

A large selection of extracurricular activities available at ORCA was featured at the club booth, where students nominated ideas for future clubs and programs. 

The Scholastic Book Fair, held inside the school’s entryway, featured a sweeping display of books of various genres – ranging from science picture books to teen reads, graphic novels, and posters. Seventh grader Khai O. commended the book fair, noting that it was great and had a broad selection. 

The photo booth was especially popular, with a crowd of students lined up inside the school’s hall to get their student pictures taken. Outside the hall, students visited the “swag” booth for ORCA t-shirts and wristbands. The first-aid station offered resources for ASCEND Medical Science and first-aid supplies, as well as a CPR dummy for students to practice real-life medical exercises. One of the biggest hits was the harmonograph, an art tool that makes geometric shapes using physics, made by Mr. Rodriguez, a high school science teacher.

ORCA’s Student Government and National Honor Society hosted a canned food drive to support the local Stayton Community Food Bank. The drive accumulated six bags and a full box of donations. 

The event’s in-person socialization was notably the biggest draw, as many students and teachers mentioned that meeting each other outside of Zoom and making new friends was the highlight of the day. High school senior Alex Leventhal, a member of Student Government, added that it was “awesome to see teachers, past and present,” and it was fun seeing classmates together. 

High school principal Mr. Lacy joked that he still remembers getting pied at last year’s Spring Celebration – and so did Mrs. Lacy, who had to smell sour milk the whole ride home. 

Many students noted that they were looking forward to joining new clubs and programs this year – notably AVID and Student Government. One seventh-grade student said that she was excited to join new clubs and get more involved. 

“It was really cool meeting new people and [to] take part in these events,” she added. ORCA is a “great community and having events like this is a great way to start the school year.”

Event photos are featured in the image carousel. 

October is the month when bullying awareness takes center stage. It doesn’t matter if you attend virtual or brick and mortar school, one out of five students have reported being bullied, according to Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center. This epidemic  raises alarm bells for teachers, schools and administrators.  Many  authors have lent their pens to this cause, taking a stand to protest bullying.

Here are a few books that can be read in support of anti-bullying this October.

Patina by Jason Reynolds

• As a sequel to the novel Ghost from the Track Series, author Jason Reynolds captures the feelings of balancing hurt and trust. Patina is trying to fit into her new environment, but it’s hard when she doesn’t trust anyone. Patina is the fastest runner out of all of her classmates, and therefore she pursues her passion of track. However, she does this for many reasons that others might not understand: her mom, her classmates’ taunts, and the fact that she doesn’t enjoy her new school or the new transition that she was forced to accept. She keeps her pain to herself. However, her whole life turns upside down when she learns an upcoming meet will be a relay instead of an individual race. Will Patrina be able to trust others enough to complete this relay?

Hello, Universe by Eric Entrada Kelly

• As a Newbery medal-winning novel, this story shows the point-of-view of four different kids. Two are boys and two are girls. All of these young people have nothing in common; they are thrown together by the forces of nature when their classmate is in need of help. Valencia, Kaori and Gen must help Virgil and his guinea pig, who are both stuck at the bottom of a well. As humorous as it sounds, it's up to the readers to find out the rest of the story for themselves.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

• Viv is a sixteen year old girl that knows what is right and fights for it. But she experiences mistreatment every time she walks the halls and even struggles with the school dress code. She feels something has to be done. As she forges friendships to help her cause, she finds that friendship helps break the boundaries related to popularity.

Liar & Spy  by Rebecca Stead

• In a balance between friendship and morals, Georges, a name with a silent ‘s’ at the end, must make the choice between right and wrong. Allying with a twelve year old neighbor, Georges makes an unsettling discovery. Both friends live in the Brooklyn apartment that Georges just moved into. However, as their investigation of a mysterious neighbor upstairs escalates, Georges starts to question their friendship. Will Georges stand up to his only companion even if it means risking their whole friendship, or will he blur the lines to let it slide?

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks, Gita Varadarajan

• Struck by the same bully, Ravi and Joe have to take control of their lives before it’s too late. Joe’s life was perfect until his best friends moved and then everything changed. Joe and his new classmate Ravi didn’t get along at first, as they felt they didn’t have anything in common. However, they did share something. It was their school bully. 

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

• August Pullman was born with a difference that affected the way many of his classmates and others saw him, but it didn’t affect the love that his family had for him. Nicknamed Auggie, he tries to find acceptance in a world that can’t always handle differences. As he journeys to reach out to more people, such as his sister, his classmates, and many others, his big heart works to change the way other people look at those who are different.

October is an important month to start recognizing that bullying creates an unsafe environment. These novels will help remind you of the many forms bullying can take.

2022’s slate of summer films contained a few pleasant surprises as well as a number of disappointments. Let’s take a look at some of the season’s most popular movies: 

Thor: Love and Thunder

Taika Watiti’s surprisingly uneven direction dooms Thor’s fourth solo outing from the start, which is disappointing as the film gets a lot right. Thor: Love and Thunder packs an absolutely loaded cast, a promising villain, and some fun visuals and jokes.

But it gets Thor completely wrong. 

What had developed into one of the more complex hero storylines in Marvel’s catalog becomes thrown to the wayside as Thor becomes not much more than a joke in his own film. Nearly every semblance of emotional weight and smart storytelling is thrown out the window for increasingly ridiculous gags, while characters and plotlines feel severely underdeveloped and empty. The comedic tone that made Thor: Ragnarok a success is unbearably turned up to 11. 

Still, this movie is fun. Dumb fun. Which isn’t always a bad thing, but it has become an increasingly worrying trend in phase four of the MCU. 

The verdict: 5/10

Top Gun: Maverick

Despite being a few decades late, this sequel to 1986’s wildly popular Top Gun somehow outdid the original in both critical reception and box office success. 

Its appeal is partially due to how heavily Maverick borrows from the formula that made the original such a smash hit, from a roguishly charming cast to the subtle Navy recruiting pitch slickly hidden behind the film’s effortless swagger and catchy soundtrack. It’s an homage to an earlier style of the summer blockbuster in nearly every way, made skillfully enough to be just as entertaining as the best 80s action flicks. 

Maverick loses some speed when it comes to the human-interest side of the story, as a romantic subplot does nothing for the overall storyline and a few of the nostalgic callbacks to the previous film feel ever-so-slightly heavy-handed. But when the fighter jets are off the ground, Top Gun: Maverick is immaculate. The breathtaking in-air sequences, shot with real F-18s, provide a sense of realism and unrelenting intensity that stand head and shoulders above other such action films. 

The lack of a true emotional core, beyond a heavy dose of nostalgia, means Top Gun: Maverick isn’t exactly the groundbreaking piece of cinema some have heralded it as. But it’s undeniably a rock-solid summer blockbuster, and easily one of the most entertaining films of the past few years. 

The verdict: 8/10

Jurassic World: Dominion

This movie is simply terrible. And it’s a shame, as generally films with giant monsters such as this one contain at least a smidgen of enjoyability. But Dominion doesn’t even manage to fall into ‘so bad it’s good’ territory. It’s so bad that it’s just boring. 

Dominion contains far too many cookie-cutter characters to keep track of as well as a dizzying array of storylines and setpieces so hastily strung together that it feels like a scriptwriter’s fevered dream. The frenzied editing doesn’t help either, making the action scenes incomprehensible and further convoluting the story. As the end credits roll, it’s still difficult to piece together what exactly happened in the previous two-and-a-half hours. 

It’s unfortunate that such an iconic franchise comes to such an unremarkable end, although it’s fair to say that none of the films in the series ever came even close to touching the legacy of the 1993 original. Perhaps Universal Pictures should’ve paid more attention to the message of its own movie: maybe it’s time to stop building Jurassic Parks. 

The verdict: 2/10

Dog

This film was released in February of 2022, but an understated theater run resulted in this being a summer movie for many via streaming and rentals. 

Dog is part comedy and part drama, all packaged into one solidly-made road trip movie. It succeeds in its simplicity, with uncomplicated emotional beats and a largely straightforward story. Led by a good performance by Channing Tatum (and his four-legged costar, a Belgian Malinois named Britta), Dog is a surprisingly touching film about a man and dog recovering from the effects of serving in a war. The film still manages to land most of its comedic scenes as well, striking the right balance of somber and funny for a sincere, heartfelt tone. 

If there are any complaints, it’s that Dog’s unmemorable score borders on cliched at times during the more emotional scenes, and a few of the characters’ misadventures can feel a bit contrived. A few blemishes aside though, Dog still stands out as a good old-fashioned feel-good movie. 

The verdict: 7/10

Author’s note: Some ratings seem too low? On this rating scale, anything with a 5/10 or above is a decent movie, or at least worth a watch. A 10/10 is reserved for the select few pieces of media the ranker would view as perfect. This is to avoid cheapening the value of a great movie by giving it the same score as a good movie. A 10/10 is hard to achieve.

Do you have a piece of writing or art that you are proud of? If so, this award competition is the perfect way to showcase your abilities. On September 1, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards began accepting entries for the 2023 competition year.

Students in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) are eligible to enter this competition. There are twenty-three different art and writing categories that can be chosen upon submission. These categories include, but are not limited to design, painting, mixed media, journalism, poetry, and flash fiction.

The deadlines for submissions are on December 6th (writing) and December 12th (art), but these dates may vary by region. To learn more about deadlines, click here and enter the required information.

For each category, there are specific requirements and criteria that must be met. Click here for more details. 

To enter, a personal Scholastic account must be created with an email, preferably a personal one, due to the fact that the school's email system blocks contact from outside sources. This detail is key as updates are sent through email. An official educator is required to upload a work, so please communicate with your teachers or advisor before deciding to enter.

For each entry, there is a submission fee of $10 for individual works and $30 for portfolio entries (seniors only). However, Scholastic Art & Writing waives any submission fees that may be a barrier to participation.

For both the art and writing entries, Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mentions are awarded regionally. National Winner awards are selected from the Gold Key recipients. In addition, there are scholarships and cash awards awarded to works that fit into a certain theme.

To learn more about the competition and the criteria, click here.

There’s a bit of mystery in every novel, from a hidden past to a cliffhanger ending. What a lot of people love about the mystery genre is the promise of unexpected plot twists. You never know who to trust or what might be lurking in the shadows. 

Here are four young adult novels in this riveting genre.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

• The Inheritance Games has become wildly popular in the years since its release. The story follows Avery Kylie Grambs, a clever high school student who suddenly becomes the heir to billionaire Tobias Hawthorne – a man she’s never even met – after he leaves her everything in his will. All she has to do is live in his mansion for a year – if she can survive that long. Thrown into the crazy Hawthorne family, she meets Tobias’ four grandsons and an abundance of mind-twisting puzzles. Avery starts to question everything she’s known about herself and becomes a sleuth on a mission to discover why she inherited 46.2 billion dollars from a supposed stranger.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

• The first of a trilogy, this novel brings the worlds of fantasy and mystery together with unique settings and plenty of chaotic magic. Two sisters, Scarlett and Tella, used to dream of going to Caraval – a performance that only happens once a year where the guests are part of the show. Now that they are reaching adulthood, Scarlett has given up dreaming of going to the performance until Tella gains tickets to participate in the games. Without permission from their monstrous father, they sneak away with help from a sailor to the magical, dangerous world that is Caraval. Will they make it out alive?

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

• The Naturals is about Cassie, a 17-year-old profiler who is recruited by the FBI to join a classified program that uses a few remarkable teenagers to solve cold murder cases. She goes to Quantico to live with four other teens who all have skills and pasts as complicated as her own. She begins learning how to hone in on her abilities with help from mentors and fellow teen profiler, Dean. Everything is not what it seems when a killer’s targets are too close to home and the Naturals find themselves working together to survive.

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

• Emily Hughes’ best friend Sloane abruptly goes missing without warning. The only clue Sloane left behind was a list of adventurous activities to complete like “Hug a Jamie” and “Steal something.” Emily sets on a quest to complete everything on the list, convinced it’s the only way to find Sloane where she might just find herself. This novel is more on the side of contemporary fiction and is great for anyone testing the waters of mystery for the first time.

True mystery novels keep you on the edge of your seat and up late reading just one more chapter. Give one of these books a try soon.

Oregon is known for its remarkable natural beauty. The topography of this state is very diverse, from volcanic mountains to rocky beaches and high-elevation plateaus. Perhaps one of Oregon’s more underlooked natural opportunities for adventure would be rockhounding.

If you are unfamiliar with the term, rockhounding is the act of searching or hunting for rocks or fossils. With the various landscapes across Oregon, there is a vast amount of rocks to be found.

Arguably the most well-known stone that’s searched for on the Oregon Coast is the agate. They are translucent and, if you hold an agate to the light, the color of the stone should become clearer and will shine a bit. There are specific beaches where you can find beautiful large agates. Oceanside is a nice place to find agates, but the beaches are generally off-limits to the public. Less than two miles north of Oceanside you’ll find Short Beach. 

True to its name, Short Beach is of modest size and pretty closed off from the rest of the coast. It’s like a secret little slice of paradise. You have to park on the street and take a short hike down to the beach. Instead of being greeted by sand, the beach is full of rocks. Closest to the water is where you’ll find jaspers, fossilized seashells, chalcedony, lots of sea glass, and agates. 

Other Oregon beaches where you can find agates include Moolack Beach, Nelscott Beach, and Gold Beach. The best time to go rockhounding on the coast is during low tide when the waves recede and reveal more stones. 

In Lake County, Oregon, Glass Butte holds varieties of obsidian, including black, rainbow, pumpkin, fire, and mahogany. Obsidian has a glassy look and typically is jet-black in color. According to the USDA Forest Service, at Glass Butte, there is obsidian you can collect on the ground surface or you can also dig for preferred material. If you plan on rockhounding, be sure that what you do is safe and legal. Check local laws and regulations to find out the amount of rocks you can collect in designated areas. Although many types of public land in Oregon allow small amounts of rock to be collected from the surface, some areas would consider rockhounding as theft. It’s important to research property lines and rules before setting out. 

If you plan on digging at a rockhounding site, these materials will come in handy:

• Supportive shoes

• Portable shovel

• Rock pick

• Gloves

• Safety glasses

• Bucket

• Water

Near Madras, Oregon, resides the Polka Dot Agate Mine and the Canyon Rim Thunderegg Bed. This spot is known for holding agates that have many spots, hence the name, and an abundance of large thundereggs. This mine is open to the public and a great excuse for an excursion with family and friends.

There are many ways to make use of the rocks you might find while hounding. Stone jewelry has recently exceeded in popularity and it’s surprisingly easy to make rings with collected rocks. People also decorate their gardens or give away rocks they found as gifts.

What is great about rockhounding is that it’s usually free with many places and opportunities to explore. While you are in nature adding to or starting your collection of stones, take the time to appreciate the scenery. Oregon is a prime location of natural beauty, so you might as well enjoy it.

Read more about rockhounding in Oregon and what’s important to know before setting out on the hunt at “Oregon is a Rockhounding Paradise: All the Best Public Sites Are Right Here” on thatoregonlife.com.

Now is a great time to explore new careers and opportunities outside of school. The Portland Workforce Alliance, a non-profit organization partnering with Oregon Charter Academy, offers a wide array of programs for students to explore fast-growing careers in various industries. These in-person opportunities are available to all high school students and take place in the Portland metro area. 

KGW News Career Day

Interested in working in journalism? KGW News is a great place to start. 

Students will learn how this Portland news outlet works behind-the-scenes, explore news sets and control rooms, and hear from industry professionals about their experience working in a fast-paced environment.

The program will run from 9:15 to 11:45 a.m. on October 19. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the event. 

To register, fill out the student interest form and parent/guardian form on the PWA website as soon as possible – available spots are limited. Students must also register on the form in Field Trip Central.

ZGF Architects Career Day

Visit ZGF Architects to explore the world of architecture at one of Portland’s leading firms. Students will tour downtown Portland, design building styles with other students, and hear from top architects and professionals in the field. 

The event will run from 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on October 26. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the event. 

Students must fill out the student interest form and parent/guardian form on the PWA website to apply. Make sure to also register on the form in Field Trip Central.

AWS Elemental/AWS Amazon Career Day

Come meet the engineers, designers, and architects at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Portland to explore the world behind the internet. This program includes a behind-the-scenes tour, an interactive activity about streaming videos, and breakout sessions to connect with industry professionals for job insights and career advice.

The event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on October 27. Students will be responsible for transportation to and from the event. 

To apply, fill out the student interest form and parent/guardian form on the PWA website. Availability is limited. Don't forget to register on the form in Field Trip Central as well.

Intuitive Digital Career Day

Ever wondered what it's like to be a digital marketing specialist and work in the field of advertising? Spend the morning at Intuitive Digital, a B-Corp-certified Digital Marketing agency specializing in search engine optimization (SEO), paid media advertising, and web design and development. Students will have the chance to go behind the scenes at Intuitive Digital to explore digital marketing and engage in interactive activities led by industry professionals.

The program runs from 9:15 to 11:50 a.m on October 28. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the event. 

To register, fill out the student interest form and parent/guardian form on the PWA website as soon as possible – available spots are limited. Students must also register on the form in Field Trip Central.

These career programs offered through the Portland Workforce Alliance are a great way to explore new fields and learn how to get started in the industry. Remember to register through the PWA website for these events since only the KGW and Intuitive Digital event are official field trips so far. 

Student Reporting Labs, an education program that is a part of WETA and PBS NewsHour, recently announced PBS NewsHour’s first journalism challenge. The competition invites students ages 13 to 18 to submit articles expressing the theme “My education, my future.” This challenge allows students to submit their entries in one of the three following formats: print, video, and audio. This competition started on August 1, and all submissions must be turned in by December 2 at 11:59 p.m ET. 

Entries are limited to a 500-word or four minute cap, and an adult must submit the work for the student. Entries cannot contain any copyrighted material. Please check PBS NewsHour’s website for more rules and information.

There will be 30 finalists and six winners, with two winners being selected from each category. The results will be announced in February of 2023. Winners will have their work published on PBS NewsHour platforms and channels as well as Forbes’ Well Being blog if it is a print entry. The winners will also receive a $250 Tango gift card and have the chance to gain mentoring opportunities.

This challenge allows students to not only showcase their writing skills but also gives them the chance to participate even if they are new to journalism. Helpful tips and tricks for those starting their journey in the field can be found on the PBS NewsHour website. Across the country, this is a chance for students to showcase their ability, creativity, and knowledge in journalism, with the possibility of acquiring a commendable resume addition.

You can find the submission form and other details related to this challenge at studentjournalismchallenge.org or check out the press release from the PBS NewsHour’s website. 

Last year, Mr. Lacy, Oregon Charter Academy’s high school principal, announced the groundbreaking news that students can connect outside the boundaries of live classes by using Gmail. Now that students have access to this resource, it’s important to note that some changes have come to the platform. 

Google announced that as of April 2022, they’ve rolled out an updated format that will help teachers and personal users use the service more effectively. This new layout allows for finer organization as users receive and send emails without sacrificing functionality of many of its features. This new format will also allow teachers to reply to their colleagues through Google Chat and set up internal meetings between colleagues using Google Meet.

Let’s take a look at the two new tabs that were implemented into Gmail’s inbox for organizational purposes. 

Primary

One of Gmail’s newly added Inbox tabs, the Primary tab, contains emails that have been sent to students by other students or their teachers. In short, ‘Primary’ is used when a student or teacher sends an email to another school-based user. The intent here is to show person-to-person messages.

Updates

The second tab in Gmail’s new inbox integration is the Updates tab. The Updates tab incorporates “auto-generation of confirmations, receipts, bills and statements” in a non-academic way. From an academic standpoint, this is used for receiving updates in Google, whether they are notifications of scheduled events in Google Calendar or Canvas updates of teacher emails, announcements from courses, or comments from graded assignments. Using ORCA’s Onboarding course, you can find ways to customize your Canvas notifications to fit your personal preferences. 

If students set up these notifications, educators and students have a more organized way to add and remove tabs from the inbox through Settings. These are just some of the changes that Gmail has implemented to make the lives of its users, educators, and students easier.

For further information regarding Gmail’s new integrated format, please refer to Google’s support page for more details. And if you would like to know how to set up these notifications from Canvas to your school Gmail account, please check out the Orientation Course provided by Ms. Dillon. 

A note from the writer: Students cannot email or receive emails from outside of the school, and they’re also unable to email other students that aren’t within their grade band. For instance, a middle school student cannot email a high school student. Students can only email students within their grade bands, such as middle school to middle school, and high school to high school.

Movie nights are a classic way to spend time with family and friends. With television comes the need for tasty snacks. Whether you and your loved ones prefer soap operas or action-packed films, these easy recipes are a great addition to the fun.

Snack Mix

The great thing about snack mixes is that it’s easy to create many different flavor combinations. Here’s a salty mix you might find appetizing:

Corn Chex cereal

Pretzels

Goldfish crackers

White cheddar Cheez-Its

Bugles

Vegan Cheesy Popcorn

Many people are eating vegan and recreating classic snacks. This popcorn recipe is guilt-free – and, of course, delicious.

Ingredients:

⅓ cup popcorn kernels

3-4 tbsp refined coconut oil

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Steps:

1. Use a spice grinder to grind the nutritional yeast flakes to a fine powder and set them aside.

2. Heat oil on medium in a large pot.* Add a few kernels to test the temperature of the oil.

3. Once the few kernels have popped, add the remaining popcorn, and cover. Shake the pot every several seconds to evenly coat the kernels.

4. Remove the pot from the stove when the kernels have all popped.

5. Quickly add the nutritional yeast and salt. Cover the pot again and shake it to coat the popcorn.

6. Remove the lid, stir, and serve warm.

*Seek parental guidance when using a hot stove.

Pico De Gallo Dip

This Latin American dish is often called Salsa Fresca and originated from Aztec culture. It’s a fresh dip that is great with tortilla chips and won’t be too spicy for the family. 

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes

4 avocados

1 sweet onion

¼ cup fresh cilantro

1 tbsp lemon juice

Garlic salt

Parsley flakes

Fresh ground pepper

Steps:

1. Chop all the vegetables and mix in a large bowl. 

2. Add spices to taste and serve. 

These simple recipes are a great way to fulfill you and your family’s movie night snack cravings. 

As if the fall season couldn’t get any better, on October 16 the world celebrates Global Cat Day. Whether you love or hate these mischievous fur balls, this day is a great way to raise support for non-lethal feline organizations.

In honor of cats, here are some purr-fect so-bad-they’re-good jokes.

What ORCA club would a cat join?

Pens and purr-ose.

What is a cat’s favorite movie?

Cat-touille. 

What’s a cat’s favorite classic novel?

The Great Catsby.

What song is on a cat’s playlist? 

The Final Catdown

What is a cat’s favorite part of the holidays?

Santa Claws

What’s a cat’s favorite school subject?

Hiss-tory.

Give a cat some extra love and share these jokes on October 16, Global Cat Day. American cats are also celebrated on National Cat Day which takes place October 29.

The wide array of field trips available to students, both virtual and in-person, help ORCA students stay connected and remind us how online school translates into real-world experiences.

Let’s take a look at some of the field trips ORCA is offering for the month of October:

Dream Job: Pharmacy Technician (10/5)

Students in grades 6-12 have the opportunity to learn what it takes to be a pharmacy technician in this upcoming field trip presented by ASCEND and Rubin Education. 

The description states that this virtual trip will provide insights on the training and skills needed to succeed in that area of work, led by a technician currently working in the field. Students are encouraged to come prepared with questions. 

It will be important to RSVP ahead of time for this field trip as that is the only way students can access the Zoom link. The event is expected to last 45 minutes. 

Day of the Dead Arts & Crafts (10/21)

Open to grades 6-12, this field trip presents a unique in-person opportunity. 

Attendees will be able to move around different stations to create art based on the Day of the Dead. It’s a great way to learn about the holiday, make friends, and connect with fellow ORCA students. 

Information regarding the time and location of this event can be found on Field Trip Central.

Summerville Stables - Fall Fun (10/21)

For K-12 students who are fans of horses, harvest, and Halloween, this field trip is a great way to celebrate all three. 

Per the event description, students will have the chance to “listen to a fun fall story, enjoy a hay ride… horse and pony rides, a bounce house, crafts, and more!” 

The field trip is free but will have pumpkins for sale for $5 apiece. The description notes that attendees will want to dress appropriately for the weather and wear close-toed shoes as there will be animals nearby. 

Portland Community College Information & Campus Life (10/28)

For high schoolers exclusively, this field trip is a great opportunity for ORCA students to explore an in-state college option. 

“Come learn about Portland Community College from the PCC Admission Coordinator - Heidi Edwards,” states the event description. “This presentation will include information on degree/certification options, admissions process, financial aid and scholarship opportunities.” 

Because ORCA is an Oregon-based high school, the presentation will be customized to contain information pertaining to all 17 Oregon community colleges and the Oregon Promise Grant. 

This is a virtual field trip, but an in-person tour will be available later in the month. Information on how to RSVP can be found on Field Trip Central. 

Pumpkin Patch & Halloween Costume Field Trip (10/28)

This Halloween-themed field trip will be open to all ORCA students, parents, and siblings. Participants will have the chance to receive a pumpkin, go on a hayride, and check out the corn maze and hay pyramid. 

Those attending will have to pay $5.50 per person for the field trip. 

This field trip is an in-person event. Details regarding its time and location can be found on Field Trip Central. 

The field trips listed above are just a few of the many field trips offered by ORCA this October. Make sure to check out the school’s constantly updating Field Trip Central, which can be found in the Principal’s Office, for a listing of every available field trip.