Academics

Letter from the editor

It’s finally come! The first issue of the 2022-2023 school year! With that being said, we wanted this one to be a special one, one that would tie into the holidays with important mental health struggles relating to the holidays and academic pressure.

Because of the seriousness we wanted to present, we decided to do a darker academia concept. Darker colors were chosen to accommodate that.

The front cover and back cover includes a student who is overwhelmed by the amount of school work they have to do. As the future generation, we wanted to present the problems that need to be fixed. The mental and physical health of our students is definitely a big concern for our future generations. We also wanted a fun read for readers.

With the holidays just around the corner, the issue includes ways people celebrate the holidays, some yummy recipes, and an opinion on thanksgiving.

Happy Holidays everyone and we hope you enjoy this issue.

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Katie Wright, Co-editor-in-chief

Academic Pressures 3 the occurRence deSIGN BY BY IVANA Wang Weigh on mental health

The mental health of Junior High students has been negatively affected by their academics, primarily due to the combination of stress from their academic responsibilities and the internal or external pressures they face.

A student’s environment may become a source of pressure and further impact their academic performance. These outside factors can include adults, peers, or their general life outside of school. All are influential towards the developing minds of students.

Many students feel that adults, such as parents and teachers, greatly impact their opinions on their grades, therefore affecting how they perform in school.

“I’m more pressured to give up a lot of my time and people expect me to be focused solely on academics,” ninth grade student, Emely Grave, said.

Studies found that parents or guardians who appear only interested in children’s grades during the developing years of their life can lead to anxiety and high stress levels due to the feeling they need to achieve good grades in order to appease their guardians’ high standards.

“Adults in my life definitely play a role into how I handle situations, especially teachers. There are teachers who make you more enthusiastic about learning a subject,” Grave said.

Every teacher has a significant impact on the mental growth of their students. Each teaches in their own way, which might benefit some, but may be difficult or even harmful for other students. Along with teachers, the peers and the classroom environment that one is surrounded in can also affect how students perform academically.

“The classroom environment is important for being able to learn, and is heavily affected by my peers. If there is a bad classroom environment, I don’t learn as much as I would in a good classroom environment,” ninth grade student, Michaela Dixon, said.

Many of students’ external pressures are the causes for their internal pressures, such as how adults in a student’s life may impact their mindsets or how they think of their grades. These environmental factors can often inflict a lot of stress upon a student.

Stress is a common feeling among students, whether that includes stressing over homework, exams, or relationships. Over time, however, this stress could grow into a constant state of worry, and when pressure is continuously piled on, it can lead to anxiety.

“If I’m not doing good mentally then I also show it in my work because I won’t feel the confidence to get it done when it needs to be. If I’m doing good mentally, then I’ll be pushing myself to get it done,” ninth grade student, Blaine Wood said.

The longer anxiety is allowed to fester, the more negative tendencies develop; one prime example of this is procrastination, an unhealthy coping mechanism. When a deadline becomes an overwhelming source of stress and worry, it’s often avoided through procrastination.

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“It’s very easy for [students] to procrastinate and put things off instead of facing them immediately,” BJHS Counselor, Courtney Harp, said.

External pressures mold and shape adolescents’ minds in a way nothing else can, and expectations become integrated until nothing else matters. Pressures, whether it be from parents, teachers, or peers, can determine how a student functions for the remainder of their life.

“Who we surround ourselves with, in large part, is who we become, and at this age, a huge part of human development is for us to be liked and cared for, and for people to accept us.” Harp said.

Story: Ivana Wang and Teagan Willyard

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health issues or are in need of assistance with alcohol addiction call:

Alcoholics Anonymous: 212-870-3400 Arkansas Crisis Center: 988 National Suicide Prevention: 1-800-273-8255

Tears of A Tiger helps TEENS Navigate Trauma

TRIGGER WARNING: contains sensitive topics including death, suicidal thoughts and alcohol

Sharon M. Draper released Tears of a Tiger in 1994, the first book in the “Hazelwood High Trilogy.” The book focuses on the life of seventeen-year-old Andy (Andrew) Jackson, a cheerful and good-spirited boy with a bright future and possible basketball career ahead of him. A car accident leads to the death of his best friend Rob and the beginning of Andy’s descent into depression.

While not everyone can relate to drunk driving and its consequences, they can all relate to feeling guilty about something. Whether that might be cheating on a test, missing a shot at a basketball game, or getting someone in trouble for something they didn’t do.

There are times when we observe Andy reaching out for help but giving up on it. Help is key in advancement through the dark parts of one’s life and when seeking the help of others one one must preserve and be open about their emotions.

This book is intended to showcase the consequences of drunk driving, ignored mental health, and the importance to accept, move on, and get help. This teaches readers the do’s and don’ts of life by letting them get to know Hazelwood High’s class clown, Andrew Jackson. Story by

Addison Warford and Katie Wright

PSAT Guide6

A guide to taking and being prepared for the PSAT

1. Know what the psat is The PSAT is a way to find out how prepared you are for your college education and career. It has three different tests, writing and language, math and reading. They’re scored by how many questions you get correct, so missing or incorrect answers won’t count against you.

2. Know how the test is organized The PSAT is organized into three tests. The Writing and Language Test, the Math Test, and the Reading test. Each test has an allotted time to be completed, and a set number of questions. In total, the entire PSAT takes 145 minutes to complete and has 120 questions. The Reading Test takes 55 minutes and has 42 questions, Math takes 60 minutes and has 38 questions, and Writing and Language takes 30 minutes with 40 questions. PSAT is not a required With the PSAT coming up on December 1st, you might be wondering what it is and how to prepare for it. The PSAT is not a required test, but it’s important if you want to know what skills you need to work on in order to stay successful throughout high school and college. Also It’s important to know the ins and outs beforehand so you aren’t confused on the day of the test. Here are 5 ways to prepare for the PSAT.

3. Know what is/isn’t allowed You should bring a No. 2 pencil, calculator and snacks/ drinks. Snacks and drinks must be hidden under your desk during testing. They may not be consumed until testing staff tell you when and where you can have your snack. You may not bring electronic/bluetooth devices (Phones, smartwatches, AirPods, etc), any writing utensil other than a No. 2 pencil, papers of any kind, cameras, or timers. 4. Go over the official 22/23 psat guide. This guide goes over the basic things you need to know about the PSAT, but the official student guide goes into more detail. You can find the guide at satsuite. collegeboard.org. If you want to be the most prepared you can be for the PSAT, you should go over this guide as well as the official student guide. Creating an account on college board. org is also a good idea if you want to be able to access your scores as they become available.

5. Know testing guidelines You should make sure all equipment you bring for the test is working, like sharpened pencils and calculators with working batteries. There might not be extras available if you do not have working supplies. You need a No. 2 pencil. Make sure to fill the entire test bubble completely and darkly. Erase mistakes as much as possible to avoid confusion.

Story by: Dexter Lowery