Chocolate dunk: Raising funds leads to wet-headed teachers

Lincoln PRIDE—Personal Responsibility in Daily Endeavors

Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3 Quarter One 2019-2020

by Wyatt Pakkala and Lathan Coca It's not every day that stu-dents who participate in a school’s fundraising efforts get to dunk their teachers. At Lincoln Middle School on a sunny day in September, any student who sold a $60 box of chocolate got three balls to hit the mark and soak a teacher. The annual school fundraiser netted $15,000, more than the previous year. “I had a lot of fun,” said eighth-grade United States history teacher Brandon Lucero, one of the staff mem-bers who got wet in the dunk tank that was set up on the patio during the three lunches on September 25. Other prizes included lan-yards and little animals to attach to them. As another incentive, those who received different-colored tickets got large bars of chocolate, head-

phones and other prizes. “The dunk tank was because we wanted to reward the kids,” said administrative as-sistant Toni Caputo, who oversees the annual chocolate fundraiser. It drew crowds with students and staff lining the sides to cheer when a teacher went into the water. “I thought the fundraiser was a huge success, because everyone loves chocolate, and the kids sold many boxes to raise tons of money for the school,” said seventh-grader Joshua Booth. Due to positive feedback, Gage Romansky, a school counselor, said LMS might rent the dunk tank for future events. “Any time students and fac-ulty can interact outside of their traditional roles, I think it develops closer relation-ships and improves our school family culture,” he said.

by Payton Black and Max Brewer Several Lincoln Middle School teachers have some thoughts about how to en-sure our planet's future is a long one. Whether it be more studies, electric cars or solar energy, they are think-ing big, like many of the student protesters across the country voicing thoughts about the climate. For example, sixth-grade math teacher Todd Ganger had this to say: “I think that we need to research more of this, because if we spend trillions going green, and it has just a tiny effect, we will have wasted so much mon-ey. Earth may just be in a cycle of increasing heat, then decreasing heat.” Stephanie Weinkauf has an idea that makes sure oil companies make money but release less emissions.

“I think that we could still use fossil fuels combined with electricity to run our cars,” said the seventh-grade sci-ence teacher. “That way, we still use fossil fuels, but we are being more environmen-tally friendly.” It would also be less expen-sive than going purely elec-tric. Ms. Weinkauf also en-courages people to study more about this topic and wants youth to stand up for what they believe. Michael Sylvester, a sixth-grade science teacher, tends to agree. “Big corporations need to change, not us,” he said, add-ing that solar power for travel might be more efficient. Still, not everyone is focused on climate change. “The people who are trying to solve it aren’t doing a very good job, so I’m not going to worry about it,” said seventh-grader Manuel Nevarez-Ortiz.

Photos by Kelly Pearce

Heyo, Ms. Daddio by Anthony Godinez-Burns and Joseph Brown Jennifer Daddio has been to more than 20 countries and over half of the United States. She also likes to hang out with her daughters and eat ice cream. Those are just a few facts about Lincoln Middle School's new principal. “I feel very welcome at our school,” she said, adding, “I think we have great teachers who all work hard. We have a reputa-tion for having the best teachers in the district.” Before Ms. Daddio was a principal, she was an assistant prin-cipal at Rio Rancho Middle School, and a teacher and educa-tional technology specialist at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elemen-tary School. She also has taught in Belgium, which allowed her to pursue something she loves: travel. Now at LMS, she is enjoying the students and culture of mid-dle school. As far as the administrator knows, she has never broken a major law, claiming the most illegal thing she has done is driving a little over the speed limit. In the office next to Ms. Daddio, assis-tant principal Betty Scheppmann said the educator is a good leader, who is bright and full of ideas. The two are still getting to know each other. So, too, are the students, who see her in the halls and cafeteria, and out at duty. “Ms. Daddio seems like a great person and principal, and I think she’s going to do better in the coming years,” said Lalo Garcia, an eighth-grader.

Climate change: What can we do?

Photo by Anthony

Godinez-Burns

Inside This Issue Students read announcements Page 3

Free college in New Mexico? Page 4

LMS football camaraderie Page 5

Reactions to Middle East unrest Page 7

Page 2 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3

Balancing the screens in our lives by Veronica Atencio and Lilian Pizarro Technology is something we gaze down at daily. But it’s important to look up and enjoy nature, too. In an article on the CNN Health website, it states that people should shorten their time on digital devices. So, why aren’t these expec-tations always followed? With science going to a digi-tal curriculum and Chrome-book carts wheeled into math classes this school year, computers are being used at Lincoln Middle School more than in the

past. Brandon Lucero, an eighth- grade American history teacher, said, “I think that’s a balancing act, and we need to do different activities that require discussing.” He believes that teachers should consider students’ learning styles, using both pen and paper as well as technology. Others say students need breaks after spending time on a computer. Sage Baxa would like to see longer lunches. “We only get one period to rest, and if we have a test, it might be harder,” the eighth-grader said.

by Jasyn Smith and Isaiah Garcia Hoodie season has arrived as everyone gears up for fall. Many wear hooded sweatshirts for the chillier temperatures. But this is not always the reason for wearing sweat-shirts, said Lincoln counselor Sheryl Bauer. “It gives people their own space,” she said. In the media, sometimes hoodies get a bad rap. In schools, they often are consid-ered a safety hazard because a hood that is on someone’s head can obscure part of that person’s face. “I think there's two sides to the topic,” Ms. Bauer said. “It can be comforting, but the teachers want to see your face.” Ray Rodriguez, drama teach-er, understands that students

love their hoodies. “I think it gives them a sense of togetherness,” he said. Step into the hallways during passing periods and you can spot many sixth, seventh-,

by Shaidel Chavez and Donald Lee Halloween equals horror movies, candy, and pumpkins. But did you know some peo-ple are afraid of the October holiday? It’s called Samhainophobia, which is the fear of Halloween or the fear of the dead. The term comes from “Samhuin,” meaning summer's end, ac-cording to internet research. If you ask some Lincoln Mid-dle School teachers, it be-comes obvious that they do not suffer from this phobia. Paula Blagrave, who teaches robotics for all grades, even has Halloween-themed shoes. “Every member of the family gets a pumpkin to carve,” she said. In addition, they watch horror movies, including John Carpenter films. It’s the sweets that entice others. According to eighth-grader Dailynn Anderson, “The candy is the best part.” Art teacher Pam Elam is even more specific. “I like Sweet Tarts and Jolly Ranch-ers,” she said. What will Ms. Blagrave be eating while carving pumpkins and watching scary movies? “I’m going to have to go with Snickers,” she said.

Learning to limit your screen time is an important detail of using technology. An eighth-grade physical science teacher, Tricia Urioste, tries her best. “I spend six hours (on tech-nology) at work because of teaching with Amplify, and at home for one hour because I have toddlers,” she said. Using different modes in education is key to learning different skills in life. Victoria Watson, another Lincoln eighth-grader, agreed. “For English I prefer a computer and for math I prefer pen and paper,” she said.

and eighth-graders sporting sweatshirts that have hoods. “Heck yes. I hate wearing shirts without hoodies,” said seventh-grader Liam Lukaszonas, adding that comfort matters.

Photo by Bryan Bustillos-Pena

Time of spooks, sweets right around the corner

Heading into autumn with hoodies

I hoodies

From Common Sense Media

Created by Kelly Pearce

Page 3 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3

Student leaders take over intercom in the morning

by Tegan Friedland and Isaiah Romero Listen closely each morn-ing in homeroom, and you will hear a variety of student voices. For the first time this school year, Lincoln Middle School Student Council members and other leaders are reading the announce-ments. AJ Romero was part of the first trio during the week of September 23-27. ”I was scared to do this, because I was talking to the whole entire school,” the seventh-grader said later. AJ, who ultimately enjoyed the experience, says that participating in this new

tradition might be a way for those who don’t read well to practice. Another fun feature, said principal Jennifer Daddio, is that students might get more out of the announcements if they hear their peers. “This is great because it will let them practice their leader-ship skills,” she said. “Students will have more ownership in our school.” Rachel Garretson, who is the Student Council sponsor, en-joys hearing the voices of her student leaders. At least one student has tak-en that to heart. “I think it is good because we we will listen more,” said seventh-grader Hector Estrada.

Siblings teach at the same school by Ryleigh Robinson and Conner Christensen Erin and Brandon Lucero grew up in the same home. These days, the sis-ter and brother teach eighth grade inside Lincoln Middle School, in classrooms that are side by side. Ms. Lucero teaches Eng-lish language arts and Mr. Lucero is a United States history teach-er. Both said they are happy to be working in the same place. “I really enjoy teaching in the same school as my sister,” said Mr. Lucero, who joined the LMS staff after his sister did. He began as a sixth-grade world history teacher and moved to eighth grade this school year. “She is an excellent teacher and role model for me, and having her right next door to me makes me excited to come to work every day,” he said. Both are known for the posi-tive relationships they build

The lowdown on lockers by Benjamin Mackenzie and Steven Marruffo Lockers that won’t close; others that won’t open. Is Lincoln in need of a locker makeover? Some say “yes.” Betty Scheppmann, LMS assistant principal, calculated that it would take $107,160 to replace all of the lockers scat-tered across campus. Stu-dents use them to store their backpacks and other belong-ings during the school day, because backpacks are not allowed in classrooms. “I’ve placed two capital re-quests for new lockers,” she said. But, so far, other needs in Rio Rancho Public Schools have taken precedence, she

with students. The Luceros, who are volley-ball coaches, like sports and value their family. Ms. Lucero is the oldest. Still, they do not always agree. For example, the brother and sister differ about whether they got along when they were children. Ades Aguilar Mendez is a student in both of their class-rooms. “It is fun because, if one of them spells something wrong, I can tell the opposing sibling as a joke,” he said.

Photo by Kelly Pearce

Photo by Conner Christensen

added. “The money comes to us in bonds, and we don’t get to spend the bonds on things that they weren’t meant for,” Ms. Scheppmann said. Some students are not pleased the lockers are dete-riorating. “The lockers are hard to open, so I am late a lot,” said Michael Quintana, an eighth-grader. Head custodian Daniel Cun-ningham said that he and his crew have had to make 75 repairs on lockers recently, including fixing ones that are bent or stuck. “There is a supposed plan to replace them, but nothing is certain,” he said.

Potty issues at LMS by Justin Jurado and Anastasia McLawhon If Lincoln Middle School is more than three decades old so, too, are its bathrooms. “The restrooms are old,” said assistant principal Betty Scheppmann. “They are clean, but they are 36 years old. It's hard to make them look clean, especially when the students mistreat them.” That has included graffiti and behavior that has re-quired custodians to spend extra time cleaning them. Many students reported that they dislike the restrooms, which are grade-level specific. For seventh-grader Aliyah JonesMitchell, it’s because “they have no mirrors and the locks to the stalls are miss-ing.”

Yet, it’s all about perspec-tive. Serena Luna’s first day at LMS was in early October. “These restrooms are clean-er than my old school,” said the seventh-grader who transferred to Rio Rancho from Albuquerque’s Cleveland Middle School. Also, some students use the restrooms to vape, which security guard Rick Salgado believes is a bad idea. “Many students don’t know what it can do to their body,” he said. “There have been deaths, and the nicotine in it can damage their body be-cause they are so young.” If caught vaping at Lincoln, consequences range from one day of in-school suspension to out-of-school suspension, according to the RRPS disci-pline matrix.

S Kitts Page 4

by Lorenzo Encinias and Ades Aguilar Mendez Colleges are expensive. But do not fear. New Mexico is leading the pack to make higher education free to all state residents. The proposal by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was announced in September and still needs the approval of the state Legislature. It would apply to all 29 of the Land of Enchantment’s two- and four-year institutions,

and would not be depend-ent on how much money a family makes. Nationally, there are at least 17 states that offer free university tuition to students in certain income brackets, according to a New York Times article. Without a doubt, Lincoln Middle School’s Rachel Gar-retson is an excited parent. “I have three kids and two are in college,” said the consumer science teacher. “One is going next year. Free sounds good to me.” While not every middle school student is thinking about college, there are those who already are. “I want to go to college, because I want a good edu-cation and I also want a good paying job that I en-

Universities, college could be free of charge in New Mexico

Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3

by Emilio Garcia and Elijah Padilla-Muniz Even if Lincoln Middle School students and staff did not see President Donald Trump when he came to Rio Rancho on September 16, they were impacted by his trip. Due to anticipated traf-fic congestion, officials at Rio

Rancho Public Schools canceled school for the day. For Jaylen Haynes, an eighth-

grader, the unexpected school-free day was amaz-ing. “It was cool,” he said. “I stayed home with my ferrets and sugar glider.” A sugar glider, which looks

like a flying squirrel, is part of the marsupial family. For staff, the Monday was a half-day, with adults leaving LMS at 11:30 a.m. Trump spoke to a sold-out crowd at the Santa Ana Star Center that evening. It was a cam-paign stop as voters are about a year away from the 2020 presidential election. “It is kind of exciting for a president to visit your city,” said Alan Sanchez, a physi-caleducation teacher. “I was home when he was here. I didn’t want to be in all the traffic.” For Michael Martinez, a seventh-grade math teacher, being at home was an added bonus. He got to spend time with his boys, one of whom was born several months ago. “It wasn’t all that bad,” he said.

by Landon Day and Cienega Richards Instagram recently added a feature to encourage people to think twice before hurting someone’s feelings. It is a comment warning, which supposedly detects offensive content as a per-son is typing, then asks them to reconsider before posting. The social media platform, which has a billion monthly users, is fighting cyberbullying. “I have never been bullied but I have seen mean comments on people's posts, and sometimes I see mean headlines,” said Gage Jones, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School. Educational tech-nology specialist Deb Hill said that 59 percent of teens say they have been bullied on Insta-gram, according to statistics gathered by the Pew Re-search Center. “Keep your ac-count private,” she advised. Some say bullying happens more often over technology than it does in per-son. “I think people are very brave be-hind their screens and don't think twice about what they post,” said Christina Sandoval, a sixth-grade math teacher, adding that it’s important to make social media users mindful of their digital footprint. Certainly, there are many who would not need the new fea-ture. “I've never been directly bullied on Instagram, and I would never bully someone because it’s mean,” said seventh-grader Kalayah Romero.

joy,” said Syn-cere Smith, who is in eighth grade. It should be noted, however, that not every-one believes the governor’s idea is the best. “I don't want free college to be a thing, because I had to pay for mine,” said as-sistant principal Betty Scheppmann. The free-college proposal could go before lawmak-ers at the Round-house in Santa Fe as early as January 2020.

From https://martinomalley.com

Instagram standing up to cyberbullying, hate messages

Unexpected day off from school

Created by Lorenzo Encinias

Quarter Two October 22: Pink Out = Wear Pink

October 24: AVID Boo Bash at Peter Piper Pizza

October 31: Honor Roll Assemblies

November 26: Credentialing Conferences

December 18-19: End-Of-Course Exams (Exam makeup day will be December 20.)

by Joseph Baca-Saiz and Josh Johnson Lincoln's volleyball coaches are in agreement: It's all about the wins. Coming off several champi-onship years, eighth-grade coach Greer Gessler is pumped for the season. “We prepare the girls to play at the high school lev-el,” said the seventh-grade English lan-guage arts teacher. The love of the game also is shared by Bran-don Lucero, who coaches the seventh-grade squad. “One of my enjoyments is coaching volleyball,” said the teacher of eighth-grade American history. Several of Mr. Lucero’s starting players are helping keep the number of wins dramatically more than the number of losses. For example, Kyli Burgett is averaging 20 points per game and Monique Cavalier is averaging 22. There are double-digit-scoring players on Mr. Gessler’s team, too. “The season is going strong,” he said. As of the middle of Octo-ber, eight-graders had a 12-2 record and seventh-graders were 8-4.

Page 5 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3

Lincoln's volleyball

Fall = football Coach remains optimistic season will turn around

by Milo Harman and Julian Esquibel There may not be any wins yet on the scoreboard, but the Lincoln football team definitely is successful at building team spirit. “They have a great bond and a good family going,” said Daniel Cunningham, the school’s athletic director. Last year’s record was 2-4. As of mid-October, this year’s was 0-6. The football field was re-seeded earlier in 2019, and players still are getting used to it. Plus, there is a mix of skills and abilities. “We could definitely be doing worse, but there is still a lot of room to grow,”

said eighth-grade football player Isaiah Vigil. Assistant coach Josh Holley re-mains hope-ful. “We have a lot of talent-ed players,” he said. “But we still need a lot of prac-tice on the field.” Besides focusing on community, players are doing their best in the class-room. “They use their teamwork as an advantage,” said

Alyssea Johnson, an eighth-grade math teacher. However, occasionally this mindset can be a distraction, she added.

by Alivia Henderson and Madelyn Goff When you were in elemen-tary school, do you remem-ber how adults often made sure you had a fruit or veg-etable on your lunch plate? You can still make healthy choices but in middle school, your fruit and vege-table intake is not being

monitored as much. Some-times, the less nutritious snack-food choices are hard to pass up, especially when ice cream products were added to the list this school year. There are five different flavors, including cook-ies and cream, cake batter and French vanilla. Students enjoy the cold addi-tions to lunchtime. “They added ice cream so that

Photo by Paula Blagrave

Photo by Kelly Pearce

Who’s hungry for ice cream for lunch in the Lincoln café?

they can make more money and give kids more options of things to eat,” said seventh-grader Mys-tik Skeet. Sandra Sisneros, Lincoln Middle School cafeteria manager, said it is hard to please every eater. “There are kids that don't eat at all, because they hate the lunch options,” she said. Meanwhile, Jennifer Daddio, LMS principal, said she remem-bers when former First Lady Michelle Obama fought for health-minded, sugar-free foods and drinks to be added to public school cafeterias in 2012. “It's constantly changing, be-cause the federal government approves what types of food we have,” Ms. Daddio said.

Winter Concerts

Choir

December 9

Rio Rancho High

Band

December 12

Lincoln Middle

Orchestra

December 13

Rio Rancho High

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Technology continues to work its way into life at Lincoln

Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3

by Danae Scott and Saniah Nelson In an age of violent video games, Mario Kart Tour is full of fun, not fighting. The smartphone version of the franchise that began its gaming career in 1992 was released September 25. The Nintendo mobile game must

be played vertically on your phone. It features racetracks, some of which might look fa-miliar to travelers, including the roads around Paris’ Eiffel Tower. “I like to play video games sometimes with my brother,” said eighth-grader Syncere Smith. “My favorite games are Mario Kart and Fortnite.”

by Bryan Bustillos-Pena and Asher Hiatt Instead of only the sound of pencil on paper to solve equations, math students at Lincoln are also clicking keys to learn. About 190 Chromebooks debuted this school year in all math classes, allowing students to view instruc-tional videos, play digital games to practice skills, and take online tests. That means there are Chromebook carts in histo-ry, science, English lan-guage arts, some electives and other classes and, now, math. Altogether, LMS is home to more than 1,000 Chromebooks, as well as two classrooms and two labs with desktop com-

puters, said Deb Hill, the school’s educational technol-

ogy specialist. For those who say handwriting gives them hand cramps, the devices are a pleasant addition to school life. “They are fun,” said Maddy Goff, a seventh-grade student. Teachers, too, are enjoying the edition of technology to their daily lessons. One said she was fearful at first, but now they have become a wonderful resource in her classroom. Agreed, said Kimber Morales, who is a student teacher in Jenifer Barrett’s seventh-grade math classroom. “I like them because they are very helpful,” she said.

Mario Kart Tour phone game drives to LMS

Chromebooks add up in math classes Science has been amplified by Diego Villa and Aaron Mitchell If you walked into a sev-enth-grade science class-room earlier this semester, you might have seen a me-tabolism simulation on Chromebook screens. That would have included what the human stomach looks like when food is digested, as well as its effects on the body’s cells. Like never before in Rio Rancho’s middle schools, science is more hands-on and includes real-world ex-periments and questions. Jennifer Rossiter, who teaches seventh-grade sci-ence, thinks the digital Am-plify curriculum this school year is a good source of in-formation. “I love it” because it is en-gaging students in the learn-ing process, she said. With anything new, though, it is taking time to get used to it, for both teachers and stu-dents. Internet connections can be slow and the loading of graphics and other fea-tures is not always immedi-ate.

According to the Amplify curriculum website, the mis-sion is to blend “hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digi-tal tools to empower students to think, read, write, and ar-gue like real scientists and engineers.” The program de-buts as the Next Generation Science Standards are fully implemented this school year across New Mexico. Stephanie Weinkauf, the other seventh-grade science teacher, is learning the im-portance of flexibility. “I love it, but it can be a little technology-heavy for the kids,” she said. Diego Briones, a seventh-grader, appreciates when teachers guide students as they become accustomed to the format of the lessons. “It's better than last year,” he said.

Nationwide club reaches Leopard territory by Brennen Stephens and Zayiel Manzo Did you know that fewer than one in five people who graduated from col-lege with computer science degrees are females? That is exactly why Girls Who Code clubs are pop-ping up across the country, including one this school

year at Lincoln Middle School. Research shows that having a female teacher increases the odds of female students beat-ing the odds. The organization was recommend-ed to principal Jennifer Daddio, who immediately thought of robot-ics teacher Paula

Blagrave. “New clubs tend to take a while to start up,” said Blagrave the GWC sponsor,

who has five mem-bers this fall. Al-ready, club mem-bers have decided on their first pro-ject. “It is a meme generator for mu-

sic,” said Averie Lucio, a seventh-grade club mem-ber. She could see herself one day working in a coding-related career. Aver-ie took part in the robotics club last school year. While Ms. Blagrave is committed to the newest LMS club, she wants to let everyone know that the robotics club is still going strong, too.

As a matter of fact, fellow student Audrey Del Curto also enjoys the game that features the mustached Mar-io. “Mario Kart is fun to play,” the seventh-grader said. When he was younger, seventh-grade math teacher Michael Martinez considered himself a big gamer. He doesn’t support violent video

games, however. “It’s not just bad games, it’s bad culture for young people,” he said. Christina Sandoval, who teaches sixth-grade math, said violent games are best for adults. “My husband plays those games, but I can’t watch,” she said. Instead, she loves digital Solitaire.

Photo by Paula Blagrave

Photo by Bryan Bustillos-Pena

Page 7 Leopards Rawwwr Volume 13, Issue 3

Middle Eastern aggression: Lincoln reactions

Dorian and Imelda:

The mystery of the weather

by Rose McBee and Tara Anderson Dorian and Imelda took the weather world by storm. In the Bahamas, Hurricane Do-rian killed more than 40 peo-ple after sitting over the is-lands for three days, accord-ing to the BBC. Then there was flooding in Houston in the wake of Tropical Storm Imelda. September was a wet and windy one. “A lot of people lost homes and it’s really hard to recov-er from a loss of money,” said eighth-grader Jessica Shaffier, of the hurricane that destroyed buildings across the islands that make up the Bahamas.

Another student, seventh-grader Elena Blea, said, “I think it will take some people longer than others to recover because of the shortage of supplies. It’s kind of shocking how much damage it did.” With 40 inches of rain, bro-ken-down cars everywhere, trees laying on the ground and pieces of houses blown about, cleaning up from Tropical Storm Imelda may take years “Any natural disaster can be scary and devastating,” said eighth-grade physical science teacher Tricia Urioste. Even from far away, people are encouraged to help. Check out redcross.org if you are interested in donating.

by Reid Ross and Seth Velasquez The Middle East may be thousands of miles away. Still, the fighting and bombing that is part of daily life there is on the minds of some Lincoln Middle School teachers and students. “The Middle East is beautiful but violent,” said Kelly Pearce, who teaches media literacy and en-courages students to explore current events in the news. From Syria to Iraq to Afghanistan, various groups that do not get along have made war more prevalent than peace in the region. Sometimes, con-flicts develop over land, other times they are tied to religious differences. Because the Middle East is rich with natural resources, the United States has had a longtime interest. In September, issues between Iran

and Saudi Arabia re-emerged in the headlines. Reports indicat-ed that Iran might be behind attacks on several Saudi oil refin-eries. At LMS, Ms. Pearce has been keeping up with threats that war could break out, as a result. “I think Iran should have some consequences to keep the

country’s power in check,” she said. Zackery Garcia, a seventh-grader, holds a similar perspec-tive. “I just feel that this might help stop their military domination in the Middle East,” he said. Yes, said Wes Koerner, who teaches seventh-grade New Mexi-co history. “The recent aggression is violent and unnecessary,” he said.

Pollution is hard on wildlife by Skylar Paden and Angelo Gallegos

More than one million sea-birds and 100,000 sea mam-mals are killed by pollution in water sources every year. According to the National Geographic website, much of this is due to the animals eating plas-tic left behind by humans. Jennifer Rossiter remembers her own middle-school years, when the focus was-n’t so much on this issue. “The bigger concern was the ozone layer and air pollution, not ocean pollution,” said the seventh-grade science teach-er. “Ocean pollution is trash or chemicals dumped in the

ocean.” She continued, “I think what we are trying to do to stop it is small-scale, and we need to be more serious about this issue, if we want to save the planet,” she said.

When he was the age of his sixth-graders, Michael Sylvester recalls that ocean pollution issues were fewer – and different from those that domi-nate the news today. “There were a

lot of oil spills,” he said. Nowadays, there are more marine problems and more wildlife impacted. “Many animals are affected by pollution in the ocean, and it’s sad,” said seventh-grader Ryanne Hughes.

Photo by Rachel Garretson

Consumer science students baked hundreds of cookies in September, which Student Council members sold. Nearly $1,000 was raised for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, which was matched by Oxo.

Volume 13, Issue 3 Page 8 Leopards Rawwwr

by Wyatt Pakkala EDITORIAL CARTOONS by Benjamin Mackenzie

by Lorenzo Encinias EDITORIAL CARTOONS by Veronica Atencio

This issue of the Leopards Roar was

created by students in Ms. Kelly

Pearce’s media literacy classes.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR

HARD WORK!