By: Emma Javor

As you may know, many students in Pennsylvania are required to take the Keystone Exams in order to graduate high school. The Keystone exams are tests given at the end of the year in order to measure proficiency in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature. Here in Kennett, students take the Algebra I Keystone following the course Algebra I, the Biology Keystone following the Biology course, and the Literature Keystone following World Literature. Keystone exams take place during the week of May 15th and conclude May 23rd.

While some students may feel that studying for Keystones is not important, it is because you must pass them in order to graduate. As a student who did well on the Keystones, I recommend looking up past exams and attempting the questions. Each question provides you with an explanation of the correct answer. It also does not hurt to review past classwork. This can help you get ahead in studying for final exams, taking place two weeks after Keystones.

As most students know, the school has inflicted an alternate schedule for the weeks of Keystone Exams. This schedule has students testing from 7:40-9:55. All non-testing students with their own transportation can arrive by 9:55. Classes will continue from 9:55-2:35, with only three classes a day and no AIE. TCHS students will be dismissed at 10:58.

I wish everyone luck and their Keystone exams and please refer to the Schoology calendar for more information about the Keystone schedule.

The History of the British Monarchy

By: Maya Ross

The British monarchy has been around for centuries dating back to Wiliam the Conqueror in the early 10th century. But before that, he was the duke of Normandy which was a northern province in France. This piece of land was given to Vikings, or “Normans”, by the King of the Franks. While the Normans conformed to the culture of the King of Franks, they nevertheless respected the martial spirit.

In 1066, William challenged the powers of the new English king, Harold Godwinson. This sparked an epic conflict in which William and his knights arrived in England and clashed with Harold’s army near Hastings. The English army consisted mainly of troops and a few archers. The Norman Calvary was first unable to break through a shield-made barricade on top of a hill. The battle’s culmination is shown in a 70-meter-long Bayeux Tapestry, where an arrow striking Harold in the eye secures the Norman triumph. His death caused the English army to flee. Thus, William was victorious and crowned himself King of England.

The Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hasting

He was referred to as “William the Conqueror” through a huge book known as the Doomsday Book. It recorded the population and ownership of every piece of land in England. This record is still preserved in the National Archives in London. He also oversaw the construction of several fortresses, keeps, and mottes around England, notably the Tower of London, to ensure that rebellions by the English or his followers failed. Norman’s conquest also led to English being used as the ruling class’s vernacular for roughly 300 years. Though most of the royal family are descendants of William, there are centuries of history that relate them to other major figures.

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDURHsCjARk&t=711s

https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/w/William_I_of_England.htm

https://www.historytoday.com/shot-through-eye-and-who%E2%80%99s-blame

As technology has advanced, it has become much more prevalent in classrooms across the world. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, schools became increasingly reliant on technology. Students participated in classes fully online, causing a shift from assignments on paper to assignments on a laptop. Even now, school revolves around laptops and Smartboards. The question is, does technology affect education positively or negatively? To answer this, it is essential to first consider the evolution of technology over the years as well as the effects Covid has had on education. Before Covid, many schools gained technology intending to improve the education of students. At this time, most assignments were still on paper and laptops weren’t predominant in classrooms. After lockdown and as students began returning to class, many, if not all assignments rem online formats. This shows that as technology has become more important to school, education has certainly changed. Numerous studies have been done to decide if this change is good or bad.

Let’s begin with technology’s negative effects on education. Research shows that typing is a less effective way to take notes than writing can be looked at. A study was conducted that tested students who typed their notes and students who hand wrote their notes. Both groups were tested on information immediately after taking notes. The results clearly showed that students who handwrote their notes did better on the test. This allowed them to conclude that handwriting notes is more effective than typing because handwriting activates areas of the brain that are responsible for memory while typing doesn’t. Because of this, using technology to take notes is a less effective way of learning. This shows that using more technology in the classroom can be a less effective way of teaching. Another negative effect of technology is that students become very reliant on technology. Because assessments and assignments are often online, students are heavily relying on the answers being online as well. Because this information isn’t always correct, it can be misleading to students and give them wrong information. For younger students, good handwriting skills are going extinct. Technology also provides a distraction for students in class because it is so accessible. As shown, more technology in classrooms has certainly had negative effects.

On the other hand, it has also had positive effects. For example, education has become more accessible for students. If a student is sick, they can access their school work throughout the day instead of waiting to get paper copies when they return to school. Along with more accessibility, technology can also increase student collaboration. Group projects that would not be possible without technology can now happen. Technology also makes receiving feedback from other students much easier. It provides teachers with more tools to assign students hands-on learning experiences, allowing students to learn better. Students have the ability to use search engines to look up unanswered questions and additional information to complete assignments. This can make schoolwork more motivating to students, allowing them to complete their assignments and receive better grades. Technology also provides students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom. For example, online planners and calendars allow students to keep track of their assignments.

Do the positive effects of technology outweigh the negative? Well, it does help students to be successful in the classroom when used in moderation, but it is not hard to become overly reliant on technology and allow it to become a disadvantage and a distraction. In conclusion, although there are positive effects of technology in the classroom, it has had an overall negative effect on students.

— Emma Javor

With masks becoming an option at school and around the country, is it better to wear a mask to school or not? Before answering this question, it is important to know why masks are becoming optional indoors across the United States. This is mainly due to a recent general decline in Covid-19 cases. The CDC has eased its guidelines on mask-wearing indoors, and masks have become optional in many places. Because case numbers have declined and more people have gotten vaccinated, more than 70% of the U.S. population is cleared to be indoors without a mask. However, continuing to wear a mask is a personal preference and can still protect you from the Covid-19 virus. With the eased guidelines, it is still recommended to get tested before being close to friends or extended family that have a higher risk for the virus in order to minimize the spread. This is because, as soon as cases shoot up again, masks will likely be required in more places again. All of this is key in deciding whether or not you should wear a mask.

Although masks are no longer required, they can still be beneficial. As we’ve seen, variants of the virus come and go. It is expected that new variants will emerge in the future. Continuing to wear a mask can still protect you and others around you from contracting the virus, which further prevents a new variant from spreading. We have also seen a wave of cases going through our community lately.  As of now, the CDC recommends wearing a mask in areas where many cases of Covid are reported or if you are sick or caring for someone who’s sick. People who are immunocompromised or have a family member who is immunocompromised should also still wear a mask due to having a higher risk of contracting or spreading the virus. Because the vaccine also helps to fight the spread, being up to date on the Covid-19 vaccinations is also helpful. It is still, however, possible to become sick even with the vaccine, so testing is also helpful to stop the spread of Covid. With this evidence, it can be seen that wearing a mask can still be beneficial for some, but is not necessary for all.

Although there are reasons to continue wearing masks, not all of these reasons apply to everyone. For example, if you are not immunocompromised or not seeing anyone who is immunocompromised, it may not be necessary to wear a mask. If you are vaccinated, you also may not need to wear a mask. With this information, it is important to know that just because schools are making masks optional does not guarantee you won’t get sick. If you are more comfortable wearing a mask, then it is fine to do so, but if you’d prefer not to wear a mask, it is also fine. In conclusion, it is your choice whether you wear a mask or not and your decision can be based on what you feel comfortable with.

— Emma Javor

With the raging war in Ukraine, people are fleeing and becoming refugees in countries all around the world. Over 5 million refugees have left Ukraine and moved into bordering countries to escape the horrors of war. Because of the excessive amount of people and families escaping Ukraine, countries with high numbers of refugees, like Poland and Moldova, plead for international help. They fear more money is needed to allow refugees to stay. And even though so many people have been successful at escaping war-ridden Ukraine, many people still residing within the country have been also displaced due to Russian attacks. Because of the harsh conditions the refugees within Ukraine are in, the United Nations along with other organizations have provided Ukrainian refugees with money to buy food, a delivery service that sends necessities, beds for bomb shelters, and transit points for people to leave the country. Obviously, the large number of refugees both inside and outside the borders of Ukraine have had to go through so much, but some other major problems could be caused by the large number of refugees.

For example, as Ukrainians leave, there is a risk of human trafficking. Because of this, some countries that are collecting a lot of refugees have installed police at the borders to watch for criminal activities. Along with this, children have also been assaulted. Because the war is deadly and has killed so many, some children are left to escape the war themselves. This is why unaccompanied minors make up a significant part of the refugee population. Luckily, organizations like UNICEF have set up camps for orphaned children to protect them. Other major issues include the discrimination of non-European people. For example, Ukrainian-Indians and African Ukrainians have faced poor treatment at the borders. Another issue faced by Ukrainians is bringing their animals and pets out of Ukraine and into another country. Many EU countries have restrictions regarding the international travel of pets, which has made it hard for Ukrainians to get both themselves and their pets to safety. As all these issues are occurring, it is predicted that they will only get worse as more Ukrainians leave in hopes of finding safety. What can we do to help Ukrainians who are dealing with these problems?

All around the world, people and organizations are doing things to make the life of Ukrainian refugees a bit easier. For example, many organizations are offering volunteer opportunities and ways to donate money, food, and other supplies to this crisis. Some people have even taken Ukrainian refugees into their homes. Out of all these, it is most accessible to donate money to organizations like LIRS that will give your money directly to Ukrainian refugees to help them rebuild their lives. Overall, the Ukrainian refugee crisis shows the awful effects of war.

— Emma Javor