The Cambridge Collective - Issue 8

CHS L1-4 Art & Design

Teddy Tatham

Xanthe Trim L2

Samuel Brown L1

Sofia Malmberg L1

Sophia Davids L1

Sofia Malmberg L1

Anna Savrasova L4

Editor's Letter

Dear Reader,

A very warm welcome to Issue 8 of The Cambridge Collective! This issue’s theme is <Ocean= and begins with a recordbreaking 13 <fin-tastic= feature articles highlighting all the amazing, strange, weird and wonderful things about the world’s oceans! Following the feature articles we introduce this year’s <Jaw-some= Prefect Team, and a new BSL Page where you can learn some ocean-related signs to practise with your friends!

As always, the Get To Know Your Teacher series will allow you to learn more about our beloved school teachers, this edition features Mrs Hope, Mrs Murray and Mrs Lochhead. This is followed by some interesting Ocean related Tips & Tricks.

This term we have received a <shrimp-ly= amazing number of submissions across the school, so take a look and <sea= if there is a Short Story, Poem or Comic from somebody that you know! Last but by no means least - a <sand-tastic= crossword puzzle, I hope you all attempt it and <seas= the day!

I would like to say a big <whale-done= to all of our incredible illustrators, layout designers and proofreaders who have been instrumental in creating this <fish-ue=, it has been truly <krill-iant= working with everyone. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to make this our biggest ever issue!

On behalf of the Editorial Team, we hope you’ll <otter-ly= love this issue.

Bo Burnham, Editor

Editor's Note: The articles, pictures, diagrams and all forms of content presented in this publication do not in any way represent or reflect the views, opinions or beliefs of the publication and of the editor's team.

TheCollectiveCambridge Editorial

Creatives

Illustrators

Bo Burnham, Natasha Tatham, Teddy Tatham, Alia Barry, Emily Coleclough, Sophia Malmberg, Dana Luna Zimmer

Layout Designers

Claire Enriquez, Bo Burnham, Xenia Plarre

Proofreaders

Xenia Plarre, Leo Brown, Cooper Berman, Sergej Metodijevic

Guidance

Mrs Howard, Mr Boylan, Xenia Plarre

Famous Shipwrecks

Written by Anya Coren & Dean French

MS Estonia

This is a more recent shipwreck, occurring on 28 September 1994. The MS Estonia was built in the German shipyard Meyer Werft in 1980. The accident happened in the Baltic Sea; despite frequent theories, however, no one has ever discovered the cause. The most probable explanation for this is the harsh weather, but we will never be sure. Over 800 casualties were suffered, and most of the bodies were never discovered.

Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was a fleet of 130 ships that was on a mission to invade England in 1588, until it got caught in a large storm. 5000 soldiers were killed in the storm as most of the ships were wrecked on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. Most of the soldiers who had drowned were crew members from the 32-gun warship La Juliana, which was built near Barcelona in 1570.

Andrea Doria

In 1956, this shipwreck was the result of a collision with the MS Stockholm (a Swedish ship). It was a liner traveling to New York City, carrying 1134 passengers and 572 members of crew. However, due to the ship9s quick and sensible actions, only 46 lives were lost. After the sinking of the vessel, it was rediscovered by divers Joseph Fox and Peter Gimbel. Today, it is a popular site for scuba divers and is commonly known as 'the Mount Everest of scuba diving'.

Andrea Doria

RMS Lusitania

For a short while in 1906, the Lusitania was the largest vessel afloat. It was travelling from New York to England in 1915, during WW1. Before its departure, it had been warned that torpedoing was a possibility, but the attack came without caution. A German submarine sent a first torpedo that then provoked an explosion inside the ship. After only 18 minutes, it sank, leaving passengers dying in freezing water. About 1197-1960 people died.

Bismarck

The Bismarck was a battleship named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and was built for Nazi Germany9s Kriegsmarine. The ship was built in 1936 and launched into battle in 1939 and was used in the German Fleet around a year later. Along with Tirpitz, the Bismarck is the biggest battleship ever constructed by Germany. The Tirpitz and the Bismarck were also two of the biggest ships constructed by a European power at the time. May 1941, Bismarck went to battle against the British Royal Navy9s HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales. The Bismarck managed to sink the HMS Hood but retreated to France for repairs after taking many blows.

The Royal Navy were determined to sink the ship so went on a hunt to find the Bismarck, and when they found it, they attacked with 15 torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. The next morning, the Bismarck was attacked by two British warships after already being damaged and the ship ultimately sank on 27th May 1941. In June 1989, the oceanographer, Robert Ballard, managed to find the shipwreck in the west of Brest, France.

Bismarck

The World’s Largest Iceberg

Written by Aryan Premjithlal Bhaskaran

It all started in 2016, when scientists noticed a growing fissure in the Larsen C ice shelf. Then, a few months later, in July 2017, the world9s largest observed iceberg started to drift into the ocean. The A-68 iceberg was born—an iceberg that was 6000 square kilometres and weighed over one billion tonnes. This enormous iceberg journeyed for 3 and a half-years

Ecologists started to worry that A-68 would collide with South Georgia, devastating local ecosystems; South Georgia is a breeding ground for many endangered species.

Fortunately, the iceberg broke apart and melted before it could do serious damage. Over time it became smaller pieces and

The cold freshwater transformed the marine environment, creating unique conditions. Scientists that studied A-68's birth and demise were able find what giant icebergs like A-68 do to the surrounding ocean and habitat.

The mighty birth of the A-68 exposed an unexplored seabed which polar scientists are eager to

Beneath the Waves: A Deep Dive into the Sea’s Top Predator

I think most of us can say we have watched a movie where a shark plays the role of the villain, a bloodthirsty creature out to get the happy holiday-goers or surfers at the beach. Though, is it really fair for sharks to always be portrayed in such a bad light? Are they really to blame? In this fact file we will look beyond the myths and misconceptions and find out just how wonderful this species of marine life really is!

An Overview of Sharks

Would you believe me if I told you that sharks were around long before the dinosaurs ever were? Well, they were! Sharks have been roaming the oceans for over 400 million years! There are up to 500 different species of sharks that vary in appearance and behaviour.

Written by Christiana McAleer Illustrated by Bo Burnham

Appearance

Sharks come in various shapes and sizes. They can span from just 8 inches to more than 55 feet in length depending on the species! Their skeletons are not made of bone like ours, but instead are made up of cartilage, which is a strong and flexible tissue. Sharks use gill slits, which are on either side of their heads, to filter oxygen from the water they live in. Sharks have large mouths containing many rows of teeth, which fall out and grow back regularly.

Behaviour

Sharks are found living in both deep and shallow waters and they travel great lengths to breed and feed. Some sharks like to be alone, although others enjoy being in groups. Sharks like to eat small fish,

Shark Attacks

Although shark attacks are a rare occurrence, I feel they need to be talked about more due to the negative stigma surrounding sharks. As National Geographic puts it, 8People aren9t on a shark9s menu.9 Many shark attacks happen because the shark has mistaken the person for its prey! Surfers on surfboards can look very similar to seals or turtles and can easily be confused for food. Another reason why shark attacks can occur is because the shark feels unsafe and threatened. After all, we are the ones intruding their home! Peter Benchley9s book 8Jaws9 explains that sharks also tend to take a bite of something just plainly out of curiosity!

Conclusion

A Close Encounter with Sharks: The Story of Jim Abernethy

Written by Nawaal Mahmood

Jim Abernethy, a renowned underwater photographer and conservationist, has spent decades diving with sharks in the waters around the Bahamas. His experiences highlight not only the thrill of these encounters but also the critical need for shark conservation.

The Encounter

During one of his dives in the Bahamas, Jim descended into the clear waters, equipped with his camera and a wealth of knowledge about the sharks he was about to meet. The area was known for its vibrant marine life, including sharks, which are often misunderstood and feared.

As Jim finally touched the ocean floor, he noticed a gang of bull sharks gliding around him like they were having a little underwater dance party. Instead of panicking, he was buzzing with excitement and curiosity! After all, he had discovered that these magnificent creatures were not just mindless predators; they were smart, social beings with their own intricate ways of interacting. Jim settled himself on the ocean floor, channeling all the calm he had been trained to master. Just when he thought it would be a quiet moment, one of the bull sharks glided his way, so close that he could see the stunning patterns decorating its skin. He had prepared for this encounter, but the sheer size and power of the creature took his breath away.

Capturing the Moment

In that magical instant, Jim whipped out his camera, eager to capture the beauty of these oftenmisunderstood animals. The shark circled him with such grace, and he felt an unexpected bond with this magnificent creature. It was not about the adrenaline rush; it was about utterly understanding and respecting the sharks9 behavior. Despite common misconceptions, Jim emphasized that bull sharks are not aggressive towards divers who keep calm and respect their space. His encounter with the shark transformed into a peaceful exchange, with the shark aware of his presence and curious about him.

JIM & EMMA: JIM &

EMMA:

Now, daily, the shark follows him like a dog just trying to get her head rubbed; Emma is an exceptionally large, friendly shark and is very playful and loving.

Even after almost 20 years, she still follows him around, but it was not easy to gain her trust at first – as like all sharks, she was afraid of him, but as time passed, she let him touch her head and as she gained a sense of trust, she would follow him around.

Jim's videos gained millions of views, reaching audiences everywhere. People were captivated by his friendship with Emma. Jim became a passionate advocate for shark conservation, leading initiatives to educate others about these remarkable creatures. Emma became a symbol of hope for shark conservation. Through Jim's storytelling, viewers learned that sharks are not mindless predators, but rather complex beings deserving of respect and protection. Each dive with Emma reinforced the idea that the ocean's health is intertwined with the well-being of its inhabitants. Through his work, Jim hopes to inspire others to see the ocean as he does: a world worth protecting, filled with creatures who, like Emma, have their own stories and experiences beneath the waves.

Crisis

Written and illustrated by Teddy Tatham OCEAN

Coral are complicated and clever, but slow. They9ve adapted lots of nifty survival strategies over time –and time they have had. It takes 10,000 years for a small reef to mature. One smart energy-saving strategy is that corals live with friends. Zooxanthellae (zoox) are small colourful algae which live inside coral cells. As plants, algae photosynthesize to produce sugars and proteins which they share with their host coral, providing most of its food. In return algae get shelter, exhaled carbon dioxide and nitrogen waste, plus fresh food caught by coral tentacles at night! The downside of living with algaefriends is that they9re sensitive to stress, which can be irritating. Scientists still don9t fully understand how and why it happens, but changes in temperature, pollution, disease levels, saltiness or acidity cause algae to produce a chemical that irritates coral – enough that they evict all their zoox from home. Luckily, if the unwelcome environment changes normalise quickly, and the zoox stop being irritating, they9re welcomed back inside. If not, without the friendly food source it has grown to depend on, the coral turns ghostly white, like a skeleton. It soon bleaches and

wiping out around 90% of foundation corals, and spread to the Pacific in 2024. Ocean heat remains at a record-breaking high for our time. Warmer oceans mean more energy for violent tropical storm formation, bringing damaging waves to break and upanchor reefs. Moreover, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from human activity like transport and factory fumes mean more carbon is being dissolved into seawater, making it extra acidic. Corals, like all shellfish and crustaceans, are made of calcium carbonate (limestone). They cannot form - and would actually dissolve - in acidic seawater. Think of the millions of people and animals who rely on seafood to eat, and all the reef-sourced medicines we use for good health: from ancient traditional Indian healing to modern-day bone grafting, AIDS

Around 1 billion people, many poor, benefit from coral reef ecosystems

resources give 3 billion people a livelihood and contribute a 5% to global wealth. Phytoplankton on shallow reefs are critical carbon sinks for the planet, and reef barriers physically protect our grazers, like parrot fish, damsel fish and molluscs, so quick-growing unfriendly algae and seaweeds find it easier to smother corals. As we deforest for more housing inland, and soil erodes down rivers into the sea after heavy rains, soil sediment can settle on corals, blocking sunlight needed for photosynthesis and survival. Likewise, the United Nations say around 80% of marine pollution comes from the land. Coastal development and surface run-off add nutrients and chemicals to reefs, which can quickly imbalance seawater. Our chemical sunscreens, boat fuel, anchors, ships, fishing nets, careless flipperkicks and plastic waste are all hazardous to coral. There9s a lot to think about.

Written and illustrated by Camila Po

Deep down, beneath the sparkling waves of the Pacific Ocean lies the Mariana Trench. A place so eerie and fascinating at the same time. It goes down to nearly 36,000 feet, and it9s the deepest known point on Earth, called the Challenger Deep. But this abyss isn9t just an underwater fascination; it9s a hauntingly beautiful place filled with insane looking creatures.

Imagine diving into the cold, dark waters, where sunlight fades faster than your motivation to complete your homework. As you go deeper, the pressure goes up 1,000 times more than on the surface, enough to crush almost anything. Only the bravest of the bravest dare to explore the Mariana Trench. Here, you might encounter weird beings that look like they belong to a

Some believe ancient sea monsters guard this abyss, lurking when no one is watching, ready to drag anyone who gets too close to their lairs. It9s like the ocean9s version of a scary bedtime story, <Don9t go near the trench, or the kraken will get you!= Stories of lost ships and explorers who vanished without trace only add to the trench's eeriness. In the trench, you can almost hear the whispers of those who dared to explore the trench, probably saying something like: <I should have stayed home and watched Netflix instead.=

We9ve only just scratched the surface of what lies beneath. As technology advances, who knows what other strange creatures and spooky stories we9ll uncover in this deep, mysterious ocean? So the next time you look out at the vast sea, remember that beneath the waves, in the Mariana Trench, a hauntingly beautiful world awaits, filled with wonders and mysteries just waiting to be discovered! (Along with a few underwater weirdos ready to give you the fright of your life.)

How the ocean became

Around 4.5 billion years ago, our planet was born from a sprinkle of cosmic dust left over from the birth of the sun, but we didn9t always have oceans; we didn9t even have our beloved moon! Oceans – which take up 71% of the entire Earth - are

Worse Than You Think

Written by Cooper Berman Illustrated by Sofia Malmberg

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the greatest and most diverse ecological sites in the world. The corals are vibrant and the fish darting about are healthy and colourful. The turtles are plentiful, the sharks swim alongside the dolphins, and the seaweed rises up out of the ground, flowing and fluid in the ocean currents.

Off the coast of India, China and Indonesia, the three countries that dump the most plastic into the sea per year, the bright and shiny colours of the bottles swim side by side with the food wrappers. The microplastics are bounteous, the cigarette butts are abundant and the plastic bags float gently on the waves.

by 2025, but did you also know that plastic increases the rate of climate change? When plastic breaks down in the ocean, it releases fossil fuels and greenhouse gasses that linger in the atmosphere, which harms the wildlife even more. If that wasn’t enough, over 100,000 animals die each year from entanglement when they are strangled in plastic.

There are creatures in that waste, but life has left them through the beer rings and spills of black oil alongside clumps of white Styrofoam. It is unnatural. It is dangerous. It isn’t inhuman, it’s too human.

While estimates vary significantly, around 8 million tons of plastic per year is dumped into the ocean. Everybody has heard that there will be more plastic than fish in the sea

But those are only the animals we find. Hundreds of thousands or even millions more may die, forgotten, alone and in pain. That is much more impactful to us than you may think. Over three billion people on Earth rely on marine life for food. With plastic levels in the ocean rising and marine life slowly having the life squeezed out of them, famine will quickly become a much bigger problem.

How did we get here?

Single-use plastics and plastic as an invention have been around since the 60s, but we only realised that they were bad for the ocean in the following decade. Even some people in the modern age don’t know the full extent of plastic pollution in the oceans. But how? In a world where all of human knowledge is accessible through a small device in your pocket, how can we not know everything?

I have an anecdote to share. It’s something that I feel ashamed of to this day, though I was only four when it happened, so I hope you can forgive me.

One day, when I was three years old, I went on a boat ride with my family. The seas were a pristine blue and the sands below were white and clean. My hair blew in the wind, my plastic water bottle sat in my lap, and life was good. I finished my water and, thinking no harm could come of it, I threw my water bottle overboard, letting the wind and the sea take it. Not everybody is an ignorant child of course, but such an example shows that a lack of information can lead to people adding to the problem instead of detracting from it.

Here are some ways you may or may not have known that you can help keep plastic in the oceans to a minimum:

It turns out that the worst flaw of paper straws is not how they immediately and reliably melt into themselves. 90% of paper straws contain a chemical called PFAS in the glue that holds them together, which not only doesn’t biodegrade but is also toxic. Don’t use paper straws.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Only 9% of plastics in the world are recycled. Everybody knows about it, but not a lot of people do it. Recycling keeps plastic out of the ocean.

One of the simplest ways is to not use single-use plastics such as plastic bags, utensils, straws, etc. Alternatives like metal or wood may be more expensive than the oneuse plastic ones, but you’ll save on thousands of single-use plastics.

Support anti-plastic legislations and organizations. There’s not a lot that one person can do by themselves, but a whole city, country or an international union can make a big difference. Support them, you just might make a difference.

Watch your products for microplastics and especially substances called <microbeads.= Microbeads refer to microplastics that are meant to exfoliate skin and can often be found in cosmetic products such as makeup and hairspray. These are particularly nasty particles that make up a large amount of plastic pollution in the sea. The following ingredients can often suggest the presence of microbeads: Polyethylene, terephthalate, nylon, polypropylene or polymethyl methacrylate.

actions like legislations that ban the circulation of single-use plastics - we should do whatever we can to make our world a better place. We only have one shot, one world, and we can’t throw it away.

Extraterrestrial Oceans

Written and illustrated by Natasha Tatham

Ours may be big, beautiful, and blue, but oceans aren’t unique to Earth. In fact, there may be multiple celestial bodies - mainly moons 3 with their own distinctive bodies of water. Which one of the following fascinates you the most?

Ganymede

Ganymede, a rocky, icy buddy of Jupiter’s, who takes the title as our solar system’s largest moon (and one of the few with a magnetic field and a rare, thin oxygenated atmosphere), has a HUGE subterranean salty ocean - even bigger and deeper than Earth’s! It doesn’t sound quite as appealing as dipping your toe into our earthly turquoise lagoons and crystal-clear fjords, though. Once you’ve dug through a 95-mile layer of icy fragments, the interaction between salt water and a rocky bottom makes these waters a good candidate for sustained life. Maybe we won’t book a summer holiday until the scientists know more...

Ganymede

Europa

Now on to Ganymede’s orbital partner, Europa: our solar system’s softest, smoothest moon. Studies suggest this sleek beauty has water vapor plumes over 100 miles high erupting from her surface and raining back down onto an icecloaked surface. There’s also evidence of tidal movement, and an induced magnetic field around the moon infers a deep layer of conductive liquid is present 3 something rather like salt water. Spouts sound like a lot of fun, but maybe a little soon for surfing?

Titan

Onto the ringed beauty, Saturn, with its many moons, including Titan. A deep, yellow, nitrogenmethane surface and dense atmosphere make breathing sound tricky, but theoretically, Titan could be a father to extraterrestrial life as well. His subsurface ocean made of ammonia and ice, and surface oceans, seas and lakes of hydrocarbon or liquid-methane would make for a rather suffocating and frost-bitten sailing trip, however.

All in all, scientists believe that dozens of oceans and seas lie tucked away in and around our solar system’s planets and moons, bubbling with potential for extraterrestrial life. For now, though, our own, gently salty, sugarsanded, fish-filled oceans feel just right.

Impact of Sonar on Marine Life

Written by Elisabeth Kirchner

Introduction

Sonar is a maritime technology which uses acoustic waves to find objects underwater. Sonar is very useful because it can detect animals, rocks, icebergs and ships. There are two different types of sonar which are used for different purposes. Passive sonar is used for detecting marine objects, e.g. submarines but also marine animals. Passive sonar does not emit its own signal which is beneficial for military ships. Active sonar is an acoustic wave which is emitted from a transducer.

Sonar is very important for multiple fields. e.g. fishing, ocean exploration and exploitation, military etc. In the navy, sonar is very important because it can be used by ships to find enemy submarines and other vessels. However, sonar does not only have positive aspects. Sonar has a negative impact on marine life too, including marine mammals, e.g. temporary or permanent hearing loss and also causing stress.

Effects

There are no direct positive effects of sonar for marine life. However, there might be some indirect positive effects. Such indirect positive effects could be the importance of sonar for the safety of navigation, e.g. to prevent ship accidents or oil spills which could threaten marine life. Another indirect positive effect could be the use of sonar in marine scientific research and its importance in understanding and protecting the marine environment.

Most of the effects of sonar, however, are negative. The most prominent negative effect, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is <the adverse effects on critical life functions for a wide range of marine life, including marine mammals, fish and invertebrate species, upon which many coastal indigenous communities depend for their food, livelihoods and cultures.= A sad example of this adverse effect is the more frequent strandings of marine mammals.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study, strandings were reported, e.g. two Cuvier's beaked whales stranded on 22323 August 2011, after a documented use of mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS).

Sonar can also cause a high level of stress for marine mammals, leading to behaviour changes. Sonar also has a big effect on the hearing of marine mammals since sonar can cause hearing damage or even loss.

Talking about Turtles!

Witten by Olivia O’gorman

Illustrated by Sofia Malmberg

Whether you are a fan of Squirt and his dad, Crush, from Finding Nemo, or love mastering your ninja skills with the Teenage Mutants in the sewers of New York, turtles are the totally loveable reptiles that chill in our oceans. They’ve been swimming around for 220 million years, but how many species of these cool paddlers can you name? Here is a quick guide to the 3 cutest species of turtle: Green, Leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles.

Firstly, what colour would you be if you turned the colour of what you ate? Well, Green Sea turtles get their Kermit-like skin tone from their diet, consisting of herbivorous green foods like algae, kelp, and sea grass. The coolest fact about Green Sea turtles is that the temperature of the sand where they lay their eggs determines the gender of their hatchlings! Temperatures more than 29.1 degrees mean girls are hatched, but at temperatures lower than this the hatchlings will be boys. However, this temperature

dependent sex determination is a problem, because as global temperatures continue to rise, this will cause a large gender imbalance in the hatchlings and therefore global warming is a major concern for the future of this already endangered species. Next, something with a bit more bite,

these green giants have a very specific caruncle tooth that allows them to chomp through their egg and make the treacherous dash across the sand to their ocean abode. Finally, Green Sea turtles amazingly survived the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs4so remember: When the sky is falling in, sometimes it pays to just swim away and mind your own business!

The largest sea turtle in the entire world – the loveable Leatherback! In existence since the time of dinosaurs, Leatherbacks can weigh 2000 pounds and be over 8 feet long. Their favourite snack is jellyfish, but they also indulge in squid, fish, crustaceans, algae, and floating seaweed. Unfortunately, thanks to their love of jellies, Leatherbacks are at an extremely high risk of ingesting plastic bags or balloons which resemble jellyfish floating in the water. Like Olympian Tom Daly, Leatherbacks are experts at diving in the ocean and regularly submerge 900 meters, but sometimes even as far as 1,200 meters below the surface (that9s roughly 4 times the height of the Shard in London!) What makes Leatherbacks different from other turtles is that they are the only turtle without any scales, but they have an extremely hard shell to make up for their lack of scales. Leatherbacks live in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans with a massive nesting site on Great Nicobar Island. Finally, Leatherbacks speed through the water like swimming Olympian Katie Ledecky, much faster than the other turtles, meaning the Leatherback takes the gold in the Turtlympics!

They may be little but they sure are mighty; Olive Ridley sea turtles are one of the smallest turtles, being only 0.6 to 0.7 meters long andweighing 36 to

50 kg. Olive Ridley turtles are named after the fruits that dominate the colour of their shells and the people of the Mediterranean9s hearts! However, what they lose in size, they make up in strength. The most abundant sea turtle, the Olive Ridleys are a force to be reckoned with, with an estimated 800,000 nesting females in the wild (though in the past there were over ten million of these little powerhouses!) In order to feed themselves, male Olive Ridley turtles swim down up to 500 meters to catch shrimps, snails and crabs, as well as consuming algae and sea grass. Every turtle needs its besties, and Olive Ridley turtles are ridiculously friendly, often mating in big groups, sometimes reaching as many as 100,000 coming ashore day and night to lay their eggs. They only gather on particular beaches in Costa Rica,

Mexico, Nicaragua and India, with this process known as <arribada=. Lastly, the lifespan of Olive Ridley Sea turtles is still a mystery, but one thing's for sure: these turtles are in no rush to reveal their age, proving once again that the best way to keep people guessing is to swim around and use sea kelp moisturiser while grabbing a snack!

In summary, turtles are amazing as well as loveable creatures that we must do our best to protect. To close, let’s end with the great prophet Crush the turtle - <Dude, you so totally rock!=.

What is the Ber

Written by Anya Coren & Dean French Illustrated by Emily Coleclough

The Bermuda Triangle is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean between Puerto Rico, Florida, and Bermuda. It is also known as the Devil’s Triangle because of all the strange things that have happened inside it. Unusual disappearances have been occurring there since the 19th century, and there are still many to this day.

Theories about the Bermuda Triangle:

Over time, we have found that the Bermuda Triangle is a mysterious place with many unknown secrets yet to be discovered. More than 50 ships and 20 aircrafts, with the passengers aboard, have gone into the vicinity of this mysterious landmark and have vanished, never to be seen again. Although lots of research may sound like supernatural causes for these mysterious disappearances, the most likely outcome would be environmental and geophysical factors.

Some

of the many disappearances:

The Navy Squadron Flight 19 (1945)

the 13-man rescuer aircraft. The attempted explanation for this was that the captain was having some personal issues,

By far the most famous disappearance in Bermuda history is Flight 19 of the Navy Squadron Flight. During WW2 (1945), five American Navy Avenger torpedo bombers on a training mission vanished without a trace, along with

and the inexperience of the other pilots inexperience of the other pilots were only contributing factors. Despite this being a logical argument, it does not explain the disappearance of the aircraft.

muda Triangle?

SS Cotopaxi (1925)

One day in 1925, a Freighter carrying cargo filled with coal, mysteriously disappeared on a trip to Cuba from Charleston, South

Carolina. Only 95 years later, in 2020, was it found miles off the coast of St. Augustine and identified as the Cotopaxi, with the wreck

being nicknamed the <Bear Wreck=. It was discovered that it may have sunk due to a tropical storm and all 32 people aboard the ship had perished. The ship was in poor condition prior to setting sail and the maintenance aboard and in advance of the cruise was practically nonexistent. After being identified, the freighter was searched and many unfolded the secret that most of the cargo was either missing or broken. This meant the cargo would have been filled with water throughout the storm, flinging it overboard.

starting on December 28th, 2020. The most mysterious thing about this disappearance is that even after 84 hours of coastal and aquatic search, no ship was found. What made this disappearance even more mysterious is the fact that no message or distress signal was sent prior to the disappearance and that the 20 people aboard were never identified. Many people rumour that the ship was attempting an illegal entrance into USA or potentially an illegal transport.

Conclusion:

The Bermuda Triangle is by far one of the most mysterious places on Earth, but what do you think the explanation could be?

Mako Cuddy

Cabin (2020)

A 29-foot long Mako Cuddy Cabin vessel went missing with 20 people aboard on a trip from Bimini to Lake Worth Beach, Florida, in USA,

I saved the world from evil sea creatures!

Written by Balthasar Waldburg

Illustrated by Emily Coleclough

From a very early age, I was fascinated by good stories from Enid Blyton9s <The Wishing Chair= to any Knights and Dragons adventure. But what interested me the most were myths about demigods and heroes. I ran through our garden with a picnic blanket as a cape, a stick as a sword and my imagination did the rest. I fought mythical creatures such as the Kraken, from Greek and Norse mythology, Mayan sea serpents and the evil Inuit water god Aipaloovik. So, it's safe to say that my fantasies about saving the world from evil sea monsters sparked my interest in ocean mythology. I listened to the audiobooks over and over again, learning about the tales of Perseus, Hercules and mythological characters.

by slaying Cetus. Queen Cassiopeia claimed she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the sea nymphs. Poseidon angered by this flooded Ethiopia and set Cetus loose on its shores. An oracle told the King of Ethiopia that in order to appease Poseidon he had to sacrifice his daughter by chaining her to a rock and leaving for Cetus to devour. I performed somersaults, flips, disappeared beneath my magical cloak thus disorienting the monster and slaying him heroically. In fact, it was Perseus who discovered Andromeda and saved her by turning Cetus into stone with Medusa9s petrifying stare.

While the adventure is most certainly more exciting, the reason myths were created by cultures and in turn became religion in multiple parts of the globe, in diverse civilisations and at different time spans is fascinating. The first recorded ocean myth appeared

about 3000 BC, and they still exist today. Ocean myths appear in Mayan, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse cultures as well as in various Asian traditions. Interestingly they often have similar protagonists and antagonists sharing the same characteristics, skills and abilities. These exciting tales of daring were created to quench a need to make head and tail of disasters, loss, death and destruction. It explained floods, the wrecking of coastal areas, loss of ships and sailors drowning. It helped explain the ocean9s unfathomable size, its unpredictable nature, the neverending blue and the massive amounts of creatures which dwell within it. The relationship of individual ocean dwellers with their gods gave them a sense of hope as they were able to pray for the safe return of loved ones, a good catch of fish and peaceful weather. In a similar way the Kind of Ethiopia believed he could appease Poseidon the individual could also make peace with the gods by

On the top of my 8I saved the world from an evil sea monster9 list is the story about Perseus saving Andromeda the princess of Ethiopia praying and sacrificing animals thus giving them a feeling they were not entirely powerless against

Over time, as societal perspectives shifted, these beliefs have come to be viewed as mythology, often seen as <unrealistic= by modern societies. nature.

Meet the Prefect Team

Head Girl

Country: I9m from Romania but I grew up in Dubai, UAE. I have been living in Romania for 5 months now.

Age: 16

Level: 5

Subjects: English Language, Sociology, and Art

Andrada

Cioban

Hobbies: I have a passion for cooking and love learning new recipes from around the world. Trying different cuisines and cooking for my loved ones brings me immense joy. Another one of my interests is cinema - I watch a wide range of movies and TV shows, as it has always captivated me. Dancing, however, is one of my oldest hobbies. Many years ago, I was a competitive dancer and primarily danced in hip-hop, jazz-funk, and lyrical contemporary. Although I9m no longer a part of a dance crew, I still enjoy learning or creating choreographies purely for fun. Similarly, football has been a passion of mine since I was young. I played for my school team and have always enjoyed the thrill and teamwork the sport offers.

One of my goals in life is to become a polyglot. I have been learning Spanish for the past three years, and growing up in the UAE has helped me retain some basic Arabic skills. However, I want to continue learning both languages until I achieve fluency. Creativity is a big part of who I am, and art is one of the ways I stay grounded and regulated. I enjoy expressing myself through painting and illustration, and I9ve recently started exploring cinematic videography and photography. I plan to begin sharing my creative work online, combining my love for visual storytelling with my artistic interests. Additionally, I am currently learning to play the electric guitar, which has been a fun and exciting way to channel my creativity into music!

Head Boy

Country: South-West England

Age: 17

Level: 5

Subjects: History, and Sociology

Sami MajidWood

Hobbies: In terms of my hobbies, I am a keen musician – I play the saxophone and I travel around 2.5 hours every Saturday to study at the junior department of the Royal Academy of Music in London. When I go on holiday, I love scuba diving; I learnt two years ago with my uncle who is a diving instructor in the Philippines and I have since dived across the Mediterranean and even in UK waters. Also in my spare time I enjoy playing online chess and following sport – I am a keen Arsenal fan and follow the England cricket team too.

On top of music, I enjoy my academic studies. My particular interests are the social sciences and philosophy, and I enjoy reading and having discussions about the world.

Olivia

O’Gorman

Deputy Head Girl

Country: England

Age: 15

Level: 4

Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, Geography, History, Maths, Sociology and Spanish.

Hobbies: I am a massive Arsenal Women9s football fan and go to every home fixture and some away games! As well as being an Arsenal fan, I am also a Swiftie; I love listening to Taylor Swift and proudly know all the words to All Too Well the 10-minute version!

When I9m older I would love to be a journalist and work covering the news all around the world. I also love watching other sports like rugby, cricket and the NFL – Go Bucs!

Deputy Head Girl

Country: I live in Dubai and have done so for the last twelve years. Previously, I lived in London (where I was born) but my family and I are Italian and Spanish!

Age: 16

Federica Barbieri

Level: 6

Subjects: Business, English Language, and Spanish

Hobbies: I spend most of my time on court playing tennis. When I9m not training, I love to read books and have a go at new recipes for my family to try.

An interesting fact about me is that I have been playing tennis for 14 years and am training to play professionally. I am grateful for CHS as they have been extremely supportive of my career.

Christian Joseph

Deputy Head Boy

Country: Australia

Age: 16

Level: 5

Subjects: Sociology, Law, Economics

Hobbies: Interests in public policy, particularly at the intersection of law and economics.

I have two adorable bunnies.

Jamie Coren

Prefect

Country: Isle of Man

Age: 12

Level: 2

Subjects: English Language, English Literature, Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Business, French, Spanish, Latin, Computer Science, Music, Drama, Art Hobbies: I like reading, knitting, baking and tennis.

My favourite tennis player is Martina Navratilova. I love History, Latin and Music, and playing with my brother!

Prefect

Country: Isle of Man

Age: 8

Level: Prep 4M

Subjects: English, Maths, Science, Topic, Art. Hobbies: I love the Arthurian myths and legends, music, archaeology and chess.

I love body boarding in the Irish Sea with my sister Anya. (Yes, it is freezing!)

Prefect

Country: Philippines

Age: 13

Level: 2

Subjects: I take Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drama, English Literature and Language, Geography, History, Maths, Physics, and Spanish. Quite a lot, huh? That's what it's like when you're in Senior School! My personal favourites are Art, Biology, Drama, and Spanish. Mostly due to the fact, that they are fun and quite easy in my opinion! (What makes them even more enjoyable, are the teachers :)

Camila Po

Hobbies: Hmm...Unfortunately, I don't think I have any hobbies or interests...just kidding! I usually like to sketch, sculpt, game, swim, play my electric guitar, debate, and tons more! I do have to admit, when I practise and perform my guitar, my fingers are practically DYING!!!

Fun fact about me, I collect many particular things. Things such as, tapes, stickers, sticky notes, basically just stationary! Whether it's that fresh peel of a sticker or the sound of brand-new tape stripping right off the roll, I just love it! Others would describe this as a "hobby"...how offending! It's very much a full-time...um...thing! But enough about me. I want to talk more about my incredible (boiling hot) home, the Philippines! When you live in the Philippines, every day is a vacation! The Philippines is a tropical country, located in the Southeast of Asia, with 7,641 islands! Aaaaand! It's the home of the world's smallest monkey, the Tarsier! People say it looks adorable, but frankly, It. Does. NOT. Aside from that, the Philippines is a wonderful place to live in, and I am very much grateful to be living here.

Prefect

Country: Malta

Age: 11

Level: 1 (Level 3 for Mathematics)

Subjects: I take all subjects that CHS offers, apart from Economics and Music. My favourite subjects are English Literature and Language, Maths and Biology.

Hobbies: Some of my hobbies include singing, painting/drawing and I have just recently developed a passion for making jewellery.

I was born on Friday, the 13th, at 13:20 in 2013 (lots of 8139s) and my zodiac sign is a Sagittarius. I come from a Polish-Swedish family. In Sweden, we have a house in the North and during winter, I enjoy going outside. Me and my brother, Filip, love sledging too and playing in snow! When we visit my grandparents in Poland, we get to see their dogs, Bentley and Aurora, and walk in the park in Nieznanowice. Malta has amazing weather almost all year around. I love swimming and walking on the rocky shores and spectacular cliffs in Dingly.

Prefect

Country: Bangkok, Thailand

Age: 11

Level: 2

Subjects: GCSE Mathematics and Physics, all subjects for Level 2 except for art Hobbies: For personal hobbies I love quantum mechanics, nuclear and rocket science. If upon sports sense I would love a good match of badminton!

Fun Facts about Thailand:

1. Thailand is the only country in northeast Asia that was never colonized by European powers.

2. The capital of Thailand is known by locals as Krungthep, which means "City of Angels". The full name is 169 characters long and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

3. Elephants are native to Thailand and are the national animal as well!

Fun Facts about me:

I love reading books, my favorite author is Michio Kaku who publishes books about quantum mechanics.

My favorite subject is Physics.

My favorite pioneers are Marie Curie and Michael Faraday. I have a Nintendo Switch and my favorite game is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. My birthday is on February 2nd.

Pandora

French

Prefect

Country: Algarve, Portugal

Age: 10

Level: Prep 6

Subjects: English, Maths, Science, Topic, Art.

Hobbies: Most of my free time is spent horse riding (I do jumping, dressage and working equitation), but I also compete in gymnastics, make and sell jewellery and in my down time and love reading.

As well as being a CHS Prefect, I9m also Head Pupil for the Prep School. Portugal is known for being the birthplace of the pastel de nata; a custard tart that9s now famous worldwide – I9ve been to the bakery that first made the pastel de nata.

Prefect

Country: I live in Scotland, a windy country of haggis and hills.

Age: 11

Winwin Shinpat Samuel Brown

Leo Brown

Level: 1

Subjects: I take all the L1 subjects, except for L1 Latin, instead I take L4 Latin and L4 Greek. Hobbies: I like doing sports like judo, cycling and swimming and I am interested in languages and the great outdoors.

Did you know that I have 6 chickens? My favourite food is Spaghetti Bolognese.

Prefect

Country: I live in Scotland, the land of hills and mist.

Age: 14

Level: 4

Subjects: My iGCSE subjects are: English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Geography, History, Biology, Economics, French and Latin.

Hobbies: I love reading and I play judo. My brother Sam and I keep chickens. I also love building LEGO or playing strategic games like Warhammer or Bohnanza (you may not have heard of the bean game, but it is absolutely brilliant!).

Scotland is often seen as simply an extension of England, but that is not true! Even though it has a smaller population than London, it has a rich history and beautiful landscapes.

British Sign Language Page

Created by Bo Burnham & Nina Martindale Illustrated by Bo Burnham

Join us each issue to learn some British Sign Language. This issue we learn some ocean themed signs.

OceanNight/Evening

Meet Mrs Lochhead

Illustrated by Edward Tatham

Tea, coffee or ……………….?

Frothy hot chocolate

Where were you born and where do you live now?

I was born in Liverpool and now live in Scotland.

Where is your favourite place and why?

New Zealand: I lived and taught there for three years, staying on a sheep station and riding horses in the most spectacular places!

What was your first job?

I was a waitress in a café when I was 14.

Why did you become a teacher?

I attended only one school from the age of 4-18 and loved it there. My parents were also headteacher/teachers. I retrained to be a teacher after working as a regional HR manager in professional services.

What subject(s) do you teach?

Primary: maths, English, science, topic, art, PSHE.

What is your favourite subject to teach? Reading.

What is your favourite book?

That9s so difficult! I think it would be: 8Kensuke9s Kingdom9 by Michael Morpurgo, because my class wrote back & forth to him about it when he was Children9s Laureate.

Do you have pets and if yes, what are their names?

Yes: Fingal and Lady, who are Highland ponies, Lexi the Labrador dog and Yarrow the bunny rabbit.

What is your pet peeve?

That whilst we are very good at it in school, outside I feel people don9t often address each other by name (except family and friends) .

What is an expression/saying you probably use too often? You9re the best class in the world!

If you could be a bird for a day, what bird would you be?

An osprey: to soar over the Scottish mountains and lochs.

What is your hobby/hidden talent?

I enjoy wild swimming and go yearround, every week, with a friend into the river or loch.

What is one thing that nobody at CHS knows about you?

That I once jumped over a sheep on my horse (but it wasn9t planned!) It9s always about horses I guess…

Prep School Lifecycles

In Prep 5G, we have been learning about living things. We started exploring Aristotle’s work and realised he was fascinated with questioning what he observed, which led to him researching things in their natural environment. He was the first person to classify living organisms. We then focused on the lifecycle of each group individually. In our science lessons, students enjoyed creating a mammal, amphibian and bird lifecycle. The work here shows how creative they were in how they represented the stages of a mammal lifecycle.

Miss Greaves

CHS Pre-Prep Updates

Written by Mrs Brusse

The Pre-Prep launched this term with wonderous excitement and engaging text, answering big questions and exploring the topic of 8Humans and Animals9 in Year 1 and 8Archaeologists9 in Year 2.

Commencing these activities, we reflected upon our emotions; we settled into school through the story of 8The Colour Monster9. We

Gaining online confidence, the students have been building sentences and listening to their friends, taking turns to speak. The students are embracing Phonics speaking like 8Fred Frog9 who helps say sounds purely to read, write and spell with fluency. Through the term we have progressed by repeating skills like creating our own story maps, repeating refrains,

Using numbers, we organised the counting of objects, pictures and using number lines and hundred square grids, we explored patterns. Number facts to 10 have become our greatest achievement. 8Chilli challenges9 enabled students and their parents to choose a developing, secure or beyond level. Some opted for interpreting the signs greater than and less than

CHS Prep Updates

Written by Mrs Roberts

We have been having a busy time in the Prep School this term. We started September with 12 new pupils and have since added another 11. Everyone has settled in very well and quickly got to grips with how to learn on Teams and do their best. The Prep School also welcomed a brand-new teacher: Miss McWilliam. Her calm and willing manner has meant she has slotted right into the team too! Well done to everyone who was new this term: you have been very brave, and you are so welcome in our awesome school.

In October we held our annual Prep Head Pupil elections. Candidates prepared a short speech outlining why they would do a good job and all pupils and staff in the Prep School voted on their preferred pupils. We are delighted with our Head Pupil team this year, consisting of Pandora French as Head Pupil, aided by her deputies: Iara Reeves and Robert Muthukrishna. They have already impressed me with their enthusiasm and creativity. More on that later!

For the first time, we have also appointed some prefects in the Prep School who have already assisted me with ideas for the HTC and are working on an assembly later on this term. Thank you to Alia, Cacilie, Aanya, Shahran, Jamie and Alcyone for your services.

In November, we joined other schools all over the country and internationally for some live streams to celebrate Protecting our Planet Day 2024 (POP24). This consisted of a series of live events organised by STEM Learning. We joined POP into the Ocean live from Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh and learnt all about dark oxygen and the deepest areas of the ocean, as well as the many uses of seagrass.

Following that, we headed to the Eden Project in Cornwall for POP into the Forest. We learnt about the various tropical rainforest trees they have there, how they grow and how they help our planet. What a treat!

The Head Pupils have also decided to raise money for a charity this term and have been busy organising events. They wanted to help homeless people in particular and we settled on ShelterBox – a charity helping people who have been displaced due to conflict, natural disaster or persecution. We will be welcoming a guest speaker from the charity to tell us about their work in more detail and look forward to hearing him speak. Other than individual sales that the pupils will be doing at home, such as chores, bracelet making and cakes to name but a few, we will also be holding a Talent Show in the Prep School at the end of term and asking for donations to the charity as a ticket entry. We are very excited for this!

Of course, we have been learning too! Here are some things we have been doing:

3L have made a cracking start to this academic year! Through skeletons, to diet, to rocks in Science and creating volcanoes and tsunamis in Topic work, they are tackling everything and supporting each other with an already impressive sense of teamwork and fun! Well done, 3L.

Prep 5 classes have been learning to write letters in English, thought about recycling in the UK, across other countries, and learning about food waste. In science, we have been learning about lifecycles and PSHE – friendships. Last week, we also talked about our carbon footprint and how we can come up with solutions for these problems. Here is one of our tasks from this theme.

In Prep 4, they have focused on learning about the oceans, and now, the rainforests. They greatly enjoyed the live talk from the Eden project, as it tied in so nicely to what we are doing. They can tell you all about why it is so important to protect our tropical rainforests, if anyone asks! 4M have even been dancing to their weekend song every Friday. It must be so much fun!

In Prep 6, we are currently writing a story about 'The Strangest Shop in the World' where the students are getting extremely creative in their ideas for their shopkeeper and also what weird items could be sold in the store. We are using the film 'Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium' as inspiration to expand our imaginations. In Maths, we are busy continuing our work on fractions this term, focusing on multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers. In our topic lessons this term, we have started to study China, focusing on the physical and human geography of the country. We are also looking back at the Ancient Dynasties and how ferocious and violent the emperors used to be in their power of the civilisation. We are enjoying studying traditional and modern Chinese art and how the Chinese dragon has been integral in the daily lives of the people across the years.

Interview with Federica Barbieri

I am currently based in Dubai and have been here on and off for 12 years. I'm sixteen years old and in L6 and I'm taking English Language, Business and Spanish for A-level.

When did you start playing tennis?

I started playing tennis when I was around four years old but have been playing professionally for just over five years now.

What made you interested in tennis?

I was put into tennis by my parents when it was clear that I was left-handed (as it is a huge advantage for the sport) and to this day, there is nowhere I would rather be than the tennis court!

Did you have to make any sacrifices to be able to pursue your sport?

Throughout the years I have had to make sacrifices daily to be able to pursue professional tennis, such as: friendships, social trips, showing up every single day, attending school and potentially in-person university. And yet, I don’t regret a thing :)

How much time do you spend training per week or per day?

I train roughly 4-5 hours every day, 6 days a week.

What was your latest event and how did it go?

My last tournament was a local one, and I was the U16 winner! I have many more tournaments planned to finish the year off strong!

Do you pursue other hobbies or sports as well?

In my free time, I enjoy reading, seen as that’s all I seem to have time for :D

For how long have you been at CHS?

I joined CHS in 2021, when I was 13. I am now turning 17 - how time has flown!!

Do you view being part of an online school as an advantage to be able to pursue your sport?

Online school has definitely been an advantage for me to be able to pursue my tennis career, and having such an amazing community in CHS has no doubt helped me through it.

What are your goals for your future?

My future goals consist of going pro on the WTA (women's tennis association) circuit and building up my ranking, as well as continuing my studies online. :)

Sand Dollar Cookies

Written and Illustrated by Bo

Burnham

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours and 23 minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup of butter softened

2 cup of powdered sugar

2 eggs, whole

2 eggs separated

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

2 pinches of salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Toppings

1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture

Sliced almonds

For this <Ocean= themed issue I have selected these wonderful Sand Dollar Cookies. Delicious and look amazing! Give them a try!

Give yourself 2 1/2 hours to make these cookies. The dough needs a few hours to chill before baking.

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add 2 the whole eggs, plus the 2 additional egg yolks; keep the whites for later!

Beat mixture until well combined, mix in the vanilla and salt.

Stir in the flour and baking powder until the dough is soft. Bring the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours.

TIP: If your cookies look light, sprinkle a bit more cinnamon sugar on top.

Preheat the oven to 180° C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick silicone baking mat. Flour your workspace and roll out the cookie dough to 1/4" thickness. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. Any cookie cutter between 2 1/2" and 3" will work.

Brush the tops of the cookies with the saved egg whites and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.

Create a star pattern pressing 5 almond slices into the centre of the circle.

Bake at 180° C for 3 minutes. At the 3 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and press the almonds in a bit further. Use caution as the cookies will be hot. You may want to use a chopstick or something similar for this step. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Meet Mrs Hope

Illustrated by Bo Burnham

Tea, coffee or ……………….?

It’s been tea for me for the past 15 years, but before that I was a fine coffee addict! Now I don’t touch coffee.

Where were you born and where do you live now?

I was born in Shropshire, travelled around the world, living in Israel, Canada and London before recently returning to Wales, which is next to my home county of Shropshire.

Where is your favourite place and why?

My current favourite place is in our walled garden, playing with Loki our dog.

What was your first job?

My first proper job was in a photographic agency in London.

Why did you become a teacher?

What is your favourite subject to teach?

I love teaching people to draw when they are first learning, and to see how they progress.

What is your favourite book?

My favourite book is <Shantaram= by David Gregory Roberts.

Do you have pets and if yes, what are their names?

I became a teacher as I love art and it allows me to share that love for the subject and the skills I’ve learnt with others.

What subject(s) do you teach?

I currently teach art, in the old days I also used to teach Media Studies and Film.

I have a dog called Loki, two cats called Dolly and Burt and we are about to get two donkeys, yet to be named.

<Princelet street, London= 50cmx150cm

My work is represented by Riseart.

What is your pet peeve?

My pet peeve is people not picking up their dog mess!

What is an expression/saying you probably use too often? I probably say <does that make sense= or <ok everyone=

If you could be a bird for a day, what bird would you be?

If I could be a bird for a day, I would be a Red Kite as we have them flying over our house and it would be great to join them, seeing the world from above.

What is your hobby/hidden talent? I love cooking and I would say that9s my talent; if not a teacher or an artist, I may have been a chef!

What is one thing that nobody at CHS knows about you? One thing nobody at CHS knows about me is……….. I never studied art at school! And I cannot drive a car.

Meet Mrs Murray

Illustrated by Bo Burnham

Tea, coffee or ……………….?

I am currently into green tea because I heard that it9s really good for you. I9m not sure if it9s had any health benefits for me but I quite like it now. It took a bit of getting used to.

Where were you born and where do you live now?

I was born in Lincolnshire, which is a very flat and boring area of eastern England – just fields of crops as far as the eye can see. I now live in the Lake District which is a beautiful mountainous area of north-west England. I9ve always lived in the middle of nowhere!

Where is your favourite place and why?

I recently went on holiday to stay with my friend who lives in Phuket, Thailand, and we had the most amazing time! My favourite place in the world, I think, is a place there called Coral Island where we went snorkelling and saw the most incredible colourful fish – amazing!

What was your first job?

Babysitting and strawberry picking while I was at school, then when I was a student, I worked as a checkout operator at a supermarket for £2.01 an hour – which is basically nothing! My first 8proper9 job was as a writer and editor for CGP – they make revision guides –you may have heard of them.

Why did you become a teacher?

To give a practical answer, it was because I wanted to leave my boring job but stay living in the Lake District where there aren9t many job opportunities! I thought that teachers are always needed everywhere. A nicer answer is that I enjoy spending time with kids and really value education. My mum was a teacher too, so I have always seen teaching as incredibly worthwhile and important.

What subject(s) do you teach?

I9m a primary school teacher –which means you have to be an expert in everything – or very good at learning topics very fast!

What is your favourite subject to teach?

Maths! I absolutely love it. It9s so satisfying to break down and explain a mathematical process to a class and see them practising it and applying it in real life situations. I also quite like a bit of History and Art. I9m not a fan of teaching recorders though!

What is your favourite book?

8The Midnight Library9 by Matt Haig – this is the book I should have written if Matt Haig hadn9t got there first! It9s about how your life would turn out if you could go back and make different decisions. I have also just finished reading 8UltraProcessed People9 by Chris van Tulleken which was pretty eyeopening about the rubbish that we eat.

Do you have pets and if yes, what are their names?

Yes – I have a black Labrador (dog) called Juniper. She is three years old and I love her to bits. We adopted her a year ago and it took her a few months to properly settle in, but now she is very happy with us.

.

What is your pet peeve?

I9m going to sound like a very old person saying this... but... modern life. I hate having to get an app for everything, scanning QR codes and jumping between different screens to do tasks that would have been simple in the past. Having to scan my fingerprints three times just to pay for something is crazy! My parents don9t have mobile phones and they can9t buy things online or pay for parking now – it's a worry.

If you could be a bird for a day, what bird would you be?

I9d like to be some sort of huge, colourful parrot with a loud voice –sitting in trees in the sunshine all day, flying about with my parrot friends, shouting,singing and eating fruit. What a lovely life.

What is your hobby/hidden talent?

What is an expression/saying

8That9s interesting9. I always say it – I thought it was quite a friendly and neutral thing to say until someone

It9s not my hobby really, it9s more my children9s hobby, but we are building a model railway at home. I never imagined I9d spend so much time in model shops looking at tiny bus shelters and phone boxes! I secretly enjoy laying the track and building the little houses and designing the scenery. Of course, it9s for the children really so nobody needs to know that I9ve become a closet model railway enthusiast!

What is one thing that nobody at CHS knows about

I once stood in line for the cinema behind Prince William.

Photography Page

Photography by Nina Martindale

Photos taken at Nina’s local beach in Scotland

10 WAYS WE CAN HELP TO SAVE OUR OCEANS

Written by Pandora French

Saving the oceans can sometimes feel like an overwhelming task. The oceans are so big, and we are so small! But if we all pitch in and make small individual contributions, then we can make a big difference.

While there are a variety of lifestyle choices that, when adopted, can help the oceans, here are my top 10 ways you can help save the oceans:

1. TEACH KIDS ABOUT THE OCEANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Unfortunately, research has shown that children have limited knowledge about the oceans. The oceans are critical to life on Earth. Understanding this from an early age can help kids form connections with the seas and understand why it9s so important to protect them.

2. CONSERVE WATER AND REDUCE RUN-OFF

Use less water so excess run-off and wastewater will not flow into the oceans.

Take shorter showers: Reducing showering time by just one minute can save 1.8 gallons (8 litres) per shower.

Use a rain barrel to collect water for your garden: This water can then be used for many things around the home, such as watering plants or even, after purification, as drinking and washing water.

Turn off automatic watering systems in your garden when it rains. If possible, set a timer so that automatic systems only operate during limited hours, and consider switching off systems entirely during wetter seasons.

Limit laundry days to when you have a full load: You can also wash smaller items by hand rather than using a full machine to clean them.

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth: Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save up to 8 gallons (30 litres) of water a day.

3. EAT RESPONSIBLY SOURCED SEAFOOD

Choose seafood that is healthy for you and the oceans from wellmanaged, wild fisheries. Wild seafood is a renewable resource that requires minimal freshwater to produce and emits less carbon dioxide.

4. REDUCE PLASTIC PRODUCTION AND WASTE

Reducing plastic production and waste is one of the most important ways we can stop sea pollution. There are so many ways we can help reduce our plastic consumption, for example. Refuse plastic straws at restaurants and bars: Ask for a paper straw if they have one or drink without a straw. You can also purchase a reusable glass straw and bring it with you. Ask for no plastic cutlery/tableware when ordering takeout: In the UK alone, 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery and 721 million single-use plates are wasted each year. Carry a reusable water bottle. Disposable bottles kill an estimated 1.1 million marine animals each year. We can help reduce this by using reusable bottles.

Recycle at home and at the workplace. Less than 10% of our plastic waste is recycled, with most of it ending up in landfills or the environment.

5. BE RESPONSIBLE AT THE BEACH

As beach crowds increase, so does the amount of trash left behind or blown away.

Remember to leave nothing behind but your footprints. Make sure to collect and properly dispose of your trash. One study found that marine litter in the Mediterranean region increased by a staggering 40% during the tourist season.

You can also organise beach cleanups, which are a great way to get people involved and can also help educate people about the dangers the oceans face, and to clean up after themselves in the future.

6. USE NON-TOXIC HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCTS

The harmful impact of microbeads in health and beauty products has been widely discussed, however many health & beauty products also contain a variety of ingredients and chemicals that are not so well known. Rinse-off toxins are continuously being released into the aquatic environment and personal care products like shampoos, shower gels and face washes are almost ubiquitous in every household, making them a large threat to the ocean environment.

Did you know oxybenzone and octinoxate, two ingredients in many sunscreens, have been shown to be toxic to marine life, resulting in deformed coral larvae, plankton and algae, as well as accumulating in the muscles of fish and crustaceans (which humans then eat).

Be sure to check out the ingredients in your health and beauty products and choose eco-friendly options.

7. REDUCE VEHICLE POLLUTION

Vehicle pollution has a huge impact on the ocean and the marine life within it. One of the biggest reasons for this is to do with how the emissions are absorbed by the ocean, with plants holding onto it. In doing so, the pollution alters the water's chemistry and results in ocean acidification.

If you can, use fuel efficient vehicles. Share car rides, take a bike or walk.

8. USE LESS ENERGY

Choose energy efficient light bulbs and don’t set thermostats too high.

9. CHOOSE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS

Many traditional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that harm our oceans. Luckily, there are plenty of eco-friendly options out there nowadays, made from natural and biodegradable ingredients.

10. BE A RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER

Travelling is a great way to see new places and appreciate the beauty of coastal ecosystems. However, it can also be extremely damaging to the environment. While travelling it is important to remember to be aware of your impact on the environment and make sustainable decisions.

To become a more responsible traveller, you can…

Respect marine animals and their wild spaces: Only interact with marine ecosystems under the guidance of professionals to minimise disruption to plant and animal life.

Take photos at a safe distance away from animals: Not only can wild animals be dangerous, but you can also cause them great distress and harm if you encroach on their habitats and space.

Protecting our oceans and marine species is a job everyone must make their responsibility. Hopefully, these tips have given you some ideas for the steps you can take to help protect our oceans and minimise the impact you have on the beautiful marine environments.

Clean up after yourself when visiting beaches and natural spaces: Littering damages the environment and may introduce invasive species to ecosystems. Before travelling, research the region’s local seafood and fishing practices to help you make sustainable food choices: Ask questions in person and look for sustainable seafood certifications in restaurants. Partake in eco-tourism activities that support local communities: There are projects running all over the world that you can get involved with. Find opportunities to help the local ecosystems where you are travelling that also support the livelihoods of local people.

Taking Care of Freshwater Fish

A Guide for a Healthy Fish Home-Ecosystem

Written by Dean French

Many people think taking care of fish is just chucking them in a glass bowl and feeding them once or twice during the day, but it’s more than just that! Fishkeeping is a time-consuming process which is only for the dedicated! So, find out if you’re up for the challenge!

The first step to fishkeeping is making sure that your tank is suitable for the fish you wish to keep. Some fish require certain amounts of water, for example, a Zebra Danio (small tropical fish) requires only a few gallons, while a Black Moor Goldfish may require up to a 50 gallon tank size with additional gallons for multiple fish. Make sure the tank also has enough room for obstacles and plants.

Gravel or dirt, known as substrate, will be the next addition to a healthy tank. Fish tank substrate allows the growth of aquarium plants, and provides an aesthetically appealing landscape for them to venture round in. Plants should be bought to help with the process of oxygenation of water (fish take in oxygen attached to water molecules through their gills), as well as the removal of certain minerals which can build up through fish waste and overfeeding. It is important to purchase obstacles such as rocks or decorations in order to allow a place for fish to hide or play in - without obstacles, fish will often experience depression and in some cases a fish will even die due to lack of a <safe space=.

Once the tank-scape is decorated, the filter (incorporated in most tanks) should be activated - use cotton pads to syphon out unwanted debris and utilise ceramic rings within the filter in order to promote and house beneficial bacteria - this bacteria breaks down fish waste and harmful chemicals which may appear in your tank overtime. Oxygen pumps are another key addition to your tank and can be used to help the process of oxygenation. Fish tank friendly heaters are also needed to maintain tank temperature - if tank temperature is not maintained, fish will ultimately end up deceased due to most fish species being intolerant of temperature fluctuations.

Lighting is a must for all tanks, both to showcase your fish and to promote a healthy ecosystem, therefore buy a light which can attach to the tank and provide enough illumination to the whole tank-scape. Just like in the wild, tanks should also experience a daynight cycle, so I recommend turning tank lights off at 8pm and back on at 8am - contrary to popular belief, fish do actually sleep!

It is important to treat your water before putting the fish in the tank. Using a brand such as API or Nutrafin, treat tap water with a dechlorinating agent (I use Nutrafin Tap Water Conditioner). You also must ensure that beneficial bacteria such as API Quick Start bacteria is added to the tank to ensure fish waste is broken down. Fishkeeping also requires ensuring a water change occurs at least once every 2 weeks. A water change involves moving your fish to a temporary

Now all that’s left to do is sit back and watch as your fish swim freely in the tank! ENJOY!

bowl, draining the tank water outside, cleaning out the tank (remove that pesky algae), and refilling the tank back with fresh, clean water as well as dosing the water again with proper chemicals. This prevents the build up of toxins caused by fish waste and uneaten fish food.

Finally, and most importantly, you must feed your fish at least two times every day. I usually feed my fish once in the morning and once at night and will occasionally give them a small treat during the day. If a fish is bloated, try feeding slightly less food that day in order to prevent them from contracting obesity or digestive issues.

A Guide to Encountering Seals in the Wild

Seals are lovely and adorable mammals, but they also need their own personal space. As much as seeing a seal in the wild is really cool, you must respect these animals and follow these simple rules to keep you and the seal safe!

1. Stay a good distance away from the seal, at least 30 meters if the seal is on land, and 100 meters if the seal is in water. If you are with a dog, make sure to keep it close to you and even further away from the seal, roughly 50 meters, as dogs are very scary to seals and could escalate the situation further. Many owners are not always aware that dogs can get disease from seals or get bitten. Do not approach the seal for any reason unless specifically advised by an expert to do so, and especially not to take a photo!

Written by Olivia O'Gorman Illustrated by Sofia Malmburg

2. If you believe the seal is healthy, limit how long you are near the seal so you do not disturb it. Any more than 15 minutes is too much time to be near the seal, as it may feel threatened in its natural habitat. If you are in the water, do not attempt to swim with the seal like you see in training shows. These seals are wild animals and can be extremely aggressive, even if you have no ill intentions.

3. If you believe the seal is unwell, look for key signs (at a distance) such as cloudy eyes, coughing, cuts, heavy breathing, sneezing, swollen flippers, thick mucus on their nose or wounds. Also, check if the seal appears malnourished, particularly if the seal is a pup, by looking if you

4. Finally, if you see a stranded or dead seal, call the following numbers for assistance (these are for the UK). In the first instance, call the BDMLR or, if there is one, a seal sanctuary. If you are not in the UK, please look for the appropriate agencies in your country as these charities or agencies can provide seal saving support:

01825765546 – The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) 03001234999 – The RSPCA (England, Scotland and Wales) 01326221361 – The Cornish Seal Sanctuary

Amazing Untranslatable Words

Written by Teia Procopie

1. Dor - Romanian

Its meanings can be rendered by words in other languages, but to describe the word <dor= in English, for example, you will have to use whole sentences to get closer to the hidden treasure that in Romanian lies in this single word. "Dor" means the strong longing to see someone, but it can also be the sweet nostalgia for dear things, times, places or people. It can also be melancholy and that state in which the heart yearns and is consumed by the thirst to have again a thing or a person who can bring it peace.

2.

- Arabic

The Arabic word ﻲﻧﺮﺒﻘﻳ (ya'aburnee) literally means "you bury me". The concept it represents goes far deeper than that. It is a way to declare your hope that your loved one will outlive you, as it would be unbearable to live without them.

3. Merak - Serbian

The Serbian word "merak" expresses the feeling of bliss and sense of oneness with the universe that comes from simple pleasures. It refers to the pursuit of small daily pleasures that all add up to a great sense of happiness and fulfillment.

4. Hygge - Danish

Hygge goes far in illuminating the Danish soul. In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge as is cosying up with a loved one for a movie or sitting around with friends and family, discussing the big and small things in life. Perhaps hygge explains why the Danes are some of the happiest people in the world.

5. Nunchi - Korean

A Korean concept of emotional intelligence-style principles, involving the ability to judge and respond to the feelings, moods and emotions of others. The word itself roughly translates to <eye-measure=, a sort of sizing-up, not only of individuals but also of the overall context and atmosphere of a situation.

6. Fernweh – German

The feeling of homesickness for a place that you’ve never been to. It is often described as a longing for distant places, a yearning for travel.

7. Iktsuarpok - Inuit

It describes the feeling of anticipation when you're expecting someone. It refers to the impatient excitement that makes you constantly check to see if they're coming.

8. Tsundoku – Japanese

Buying a book and leaving it unread, usually surrounded by a pile of other unread books.

9.

Tartle – Scottish

The hesitation before introducing someone when you’ve forgotten their name.

10. Jaysus – Indonesian

An unfunny joke that’s told so badly that you actually laugh.

Why We Should All Be Doing Yoga Club!

Written by Pandora French

We’re all at online school, so we spend many hours sitting at our desks staring at our computers and pouring over books. It can be easy to get stuck working away, but we need to remember to take time out; to stretch and unwind, not only for our physical health but also for our mental health.

Research has found that yoga is a great practice which anyone can do, and which can help in many different ways. It can reduce stress and anxiety which in return has been shown to improve academic performance, and who doesn’t want to get better grades? It can also help to improve memory, attention span and focus as well as promote mindfulness, all of which are qualities that we, as students can benefit from.

As online students, we often spend long hours in sedentary poses and can sometimes tend to grab unhealthy snacks during our breaks. Regular yoga practice can help to counterbalance this and help to manage a healthy weight. Not only that, but it can help improve flexibility, balance and posture. Through controlled breathing, (which is at the core of yoga practice) and controlled movement, yoga teaches people self-control. As a result, it can help us to not react impulsively or make hasty decisions, even in an emotional situation. Yoga allows the body and the mind to relax, which can often lead to better sleep, which in turn means that we can focus better in class, play more actively, and perform better at examinations.

Yoga promotes healing from the inside rather than looking good on the outside. It teaches people how to respect and love their own bodies - an essential message for us all of us!

And we have the fabulous Ms. Hutchinson with us at CHS who offers yoga sessions for both the prep and senior schools. She makes the sessions fun and engaging, and they are a fantastic way to start the day! Why not give one a go if you haven’t already…

Prep school Yoga Club Every Wednesday 8.00 am

Senior school Yoga Club

Every Wednesday 8.30 am

What is Senior Club?

Written by Anya Coren

Senior Youth Club is a club run by Mrs. K. Graham, (Head of Lower School), where people can play games, meet others from different levels within the Senior School, and socialize.

"Senior Youth Club is a fun and relaxing way to make friends and play games with each other. It helped me build friendships and it is the best."

"Meeting new people is very important and can expose you to new ideas, broaden your hobbies and be a whole new way of thinking; yone there is very kind, t can really help boost our confidence.

"I thinkYouthClubi enjoyableopportunity interactwithpeers oftennoteven factIdonotbelieveanyone thereis. Thisallowsformo friendships,which isalways nice."

"Senior Youth Clubisa yfantasticonlinespacewhere oucanconnectwith other students, play gamesandlearnpemoreaboutdifferent rspectives. The clubhasawefriendlytouchandalcomingatmospherewhereeveryone iseagertochatandhaveablast."

We mostly play online games, such as Skribble.io or Smash Karts, but it is mainly a chance to go and relax and meet with people from other years.

What do we do? When?

Wednesday 17:30 UK time.

Why should i join?

Senior Youth Club is an amazing club, with many other friendly people, including the inspiring Mrs. K. Graham. She creates a persistently positive environment, and it is one of the highlights of the week!

"I highly recommend joining, whether you want to have a chat and learn new things or to playing fun games together which I ensure will bring a smile to your face and a nice laugh to share with others."

The D&D Club

Written by Cooper Berman Illustrated by Bo Burnham

Dungeons and Dragons. The game has been around since the 70’s, yet it’s still popular to this day. In fact, this year it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary! Dungeons and Dragons – or D&D for short – has seen its revisions, differing editions, controversies and updates, surviving over fifty years. What makes it so popular?

For those who may not be familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, it is a TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game) that allows you to go on an adventure created or told by a Dungeon Master (or DM). D&D is a very free game; you can make whatever kind of character you want (with the DM’s guidance) and you can be as creative and imaginative as you like throughout the campaign. Unlike most games with set rules and actions, D&D allows you to interact with the players, the non-player characters and the world in a way you can’t imagine happening in a lot of more traditional board or video games.

In our club, which runs on Fridays from 17:30 to 19:00 GMT, we have multiple DMs running their own campaigns, so you will be able to sign up for a campaign that you like the best. D&D is incredibly fun and I encourage you to try it out. Come and join us, all you need is your computer and a positive spirit. Let the adventure begin!

Art Club

Every Tuesday 16:30-17:30

Art Club

Written by Uphaar Kaur-Khangura

Mrs Hope’s Art Club is a whimsical place where creativity has no bounds – the fun and laughter in this club are endless! In this club, the meeting is full of excitement as we all dive into the magical world of animated designs. This truly showcases the unique characters and imaginative stories of the club members, fostered by Mrs. Hope’s enthusiasm. We get to explore our own designs which can be from our aspirations or hobbies, though they may also be quirky; each piece of art tells a fantastic story.

Be part of the Cambridge Collective!

Written by Leo Brown

The CC is a group of CHS students who use their talents to achieve one goal: the publication of a fantastic magazine.

We meet weekly to share ideas, write, edit, illustrate and create. It’s a great place to improve and learn new skills, and you can contribute as much (or as little) as you feel comfortable with.

Five merits can be earned every time you join a meeting and ten merits for every article you write!

So come along to the CC! Students of all age groups are welcome!

Tuesdays 15:15

Alice Sculthorpe

Sophia Davids

Mohammed Yusuf

Arsenii Kuporosov

Oh Ocean

Written and illustrated by Alia Barry

Oh ocean,

Sailors want to borrow your children again, Oh ocean,

How calm your waves are when the wind is obeying, Oh ocean,

How do you feel when humans pluck your children with fins from you, Oh ocean,

How deep are you truly, Oh ocean,

How do you feel when humans walk into your warm embrace without consent, Oh ocean,

How do you feel when humans throw their dirty rubbish into your home for all your children,

Oh ocean, allow me to ask one last thing, Would you let me come with you to travel the world?

Tides of The Heart

Written by Emilie Hohensinner

The waves crash softly on the shore, Taking grains of sand, a gift they adore, Soon replaced by the salty, wind-kissed air, A dance between ocean and earth, always there.

To me, the ocean mirrors love’s embrace, Soft and calm in its early grace, Bringing joy, like songs that sing, Blinding hearts to what the future may bring.

But as you venture farther, deeper still, The waves grow fierce, defying your will. Your feet no longer find the ground, In the vastness, you start to drown.

The deeper you go, the darker it seems, Sharks lurk, and whales glide through your dreams. The waves roar louder, the cold starts to bite, The warmth fades into the eternal night.

The whispers turn into frantic cries, And fear begins to cloud your eyes. The deeper you go, the harder to leave, The oceans grip tightens, it’s harder to breathe.

This is the difference between the sea and the ocean, One offers peace, the other devotion. We love the sea, its gentle embrace, The sun-kissed sands, the soft, warm space.

But we fear the depths where the ocean waits, Its mysteries, its darkened gates. We long to dive in, but hesitate –Afraid of the unknown, unsure of our fate.

Love is like the ocean, not the sea, A whirlwind of possibility, wild and free. We crave it, desire it, chase after its call, But when the waves rise, we fear to fall.

Love can wound, it can break and scar, But in its depths, you will find who you are. For if it’s the right one, the storm can cease, And in its warmth, you’ll find your peace.

So, dive if you dare, into love’s embrace, The ocean of feeling, the unknown space. For in its depths, we learn and we grow, The ocean and love, both recede and flow.

The Ocean’s Wide

Written by Uphaar Kaur-Khangura

The ocean’s wide, the sky is blue,

It stretches far, what a stunning view.

Waves that crash, and seagulls that soar,

A world of wonder on the shore.

The sun sets low, it paints the sea,

A golden glow so wild and free.

Dolphin's leap and fish dart by,

The salty breeze, a gentle sigh

Beneath the waves, the creatures play,

In secret caves they hide away.

From coral reefs to deepest trench,

The oceans speak in every inch

It holds a mystery, vast and deep,

A secret it will aways keep.

So, when you're near, just stop and stare,

The ocean’s magic is everywhere!

Wave Poem

Written by Elisabeth Kirchner

Illustrated by Emily Coleclough

Awave so loudand Feelthe windand great, watchas itgrows Itsplashes againsttheshore,and suddenly itisgone, Nowall ofwaterandno sound, Ilooked mywholelifebut I never sawthegreat wave again

The Echoes of the Abyss

Written by Winwin Shinpat

In the year 2142, the Earth’s oceans lay shrouded in darkness, poisoned by centuries of neglect and exploitation. Floating cities bobbed above the polluted waters, housing the remnants of humanity, while below, a world of despair awaited. Among the few creatures that still roamed these treacherous depths was Mira, a blue whale—the last of her kind.

Mira glided silently through the murky water, her enormous body casting a long shadow against the debris-littered ocean floor. Once vibrant and filled with life, the ocean had become a graveyard of lost species. She remembered the days when schools of fish danced in the depts of the ocean and coral reefs bloomed with colour and prosperity. Now, only silence echoed in the depths, broken occasionally by the pitched hum of the careless cities above.

One day, while searching for remnants of her former world, Mira encountered a pod of dolphins. Their sleek bodies moved gracefully through the filth, their eyes glinting with both determination and fear. The leader, a spirited dolphin named Echo, approached Mira cautiously.

<Are you... are you real?= Echo asked, the disbelief evident in his voice.

<I am Mira,= she replied, her voice deep, beautiful and resonant. <And you are the first creatures I’ve seen in many centuries.=

Echo shared the grim news of the ocean’s fate. <We’re scavengers now, fighting to survive in a dying world. But there’s a plan—a way to fight back.=

Intrigued, Mira listened as Echo explained their mission to gather the remaining sea creatures and create a sanctuary beneath the floating cities. They wanted to reclaim the ocean, to fight for their home, but they needed Mira’s strength.

As Mira joined the pod, they ventured deeper into the polluted waters, gathering allies among the remaining marine life: mutated fishes, weary turtles and even a few blind sea lions. They collected evidence of the devastation wrought by the floating cities—plastic waste, toxic spills, and the haunting remains of oncethriving ecosystems.

With determination, Echo led the group toward the outskirts of a floating city, where a massive screen broadcasted the city’s propaganda. <We’ll expose the truth,= he declared, his voice firm. <We’ll show them what they’ve done.=

The plan was daring. Under the cover of darkness, they approached the city’s perimeter. Mira swam beneath the surface, using her size to create waves that disrupted the security drones patrolling above. The dolphins leaped out of the water, executing their intricate manoeuvres to confuse the guards.

Suddenly, alarms blared. The humans had noticed them.

<Go! I9ll hold them off!= Mira bellowed, turning to face the drones as they rushed towards her. She swam in powerful circles, creating whirlpools to disrupt their sensors and line-sight. The dolphins dove beneath the surface, desperate to reach the screen.

But as Mira fought off the drones, Echo was captured. A net was flung from above and caught on his scarred fins, dragging him away from the protest. Mira felt a pang of fear but knew they had to continue. <For Echo!= she cried, urging the dolphins forward.

Finally, they reached the massive screen. With a surge of collective effort, the dolphins jumped into the air, striking the controls with their decaying bodies. The screen flickered and died, replaced by the images of their gathered evidence4the disrupted underwater world, the dying creatures, and the destruction wrought by human hands.

As the crowd above began to stir, gasps shamelessly came from their mouths, horror was etched on their faces; Mira knew this was their moment. They had to act fast.

With a final surge of strength, Mira rallied the marine creatures. <We must unite!= she called, her heartfelt voice echoing through the water. <We must show them that we are still here, and we will fight for our home!=

Together, they surged toward the city, a wall of marine life determined to reclaim their world. The humans, faced with the overwhelming force of nature, hesitated. For too long, they had ignored the cries of the ocean.

The confrontation escalated and Mira felt the tide turning. The humans began to realize the extent of their actions. As Echo9s cries rang through the chaos, they hesitated, their hearts heavy with guilt.

In a moment of clarity, the 8President9 of the floating city stepped forward, hands raised. <Stop! We will listen!= he shouted, fear mingling with remorse.

In the days that followed, Mira and her allies negotiated with the humans. They demanded the establishment of protected areas in the ocean, a commitment to cleaning the waters, and a pledge to respect the life that remained.

The humans, shaken but willing to change, agreed. Slowly, they began the arduous task of restoring the ocean and soon, marine life became a symbol of resilience and hope. The dolphins were freed, and together they celebrated their victory, a newfound unity blossoming in the once-silent waters.

As Mira led her friends through the rejuvenating depths, she felt the stirrings of life returning. Tiny fish darted around, corals began to heal 3 sprouting colourful rainbows 3 and the ocean echoed with the sounds of joy once more.

Mira9s heart swelled with hope. The ocean was beginning to heal and as she sang a powerful song of unity, the echoes reverberated through the abyss, reminding all who listened that life could thrive again. Together, they were not just survivers; they were guardians of the ocean, united in their fight to protect their home.

Mr Pliny!!!

Written by Pandora French

Does Fortune Really Favour the Brave?

Will I find out by reading this story?

Possibly if you stop asking silly questions and let me get on with it!

Oh, ok. What is the story about?

Pliny the Elder!

Ooh Pliny the Elder. Why is he <the Elder=, how many Plinys are there?

Only two thank you! The Elder and The Younger.

Never heard of them, what did they do?

I9m trying to tell you, but you keep interrupting!!

Oh I apologise. So, who was Pliny...?

Do you mean the Younger or the Elder?

Um, you said it was about Pliny the Elder 3 you can9t change it now!

Well it is about the Elder, but the Younger plays a role in it!

Gosh this is already confusing. You are not explaining it very well!

You are not letting me!

Come on then! Why are you telling me about Pliny the Elder?

Because he came up with the expression <Fortune Favours the Brave!=

When did he do that?

On 24th August 79 CE, when he went to look at what was happening when Vesuvius erupted near Pompei.

You mean he went to Pompei when the volcano exploded to check what was happening, when everyone else was trying to get away?! That was a bit silly!

Well, yes. And everyone tried to tell him that, which is when he proclaimed that <Fortune Favours the Brave!=. Plus, he was also trying to rescue a friend, and he was a renowned naturalist and so had an interest in what was happening around him!

But he must have known how dangerous it was?!

Sort of, although the high winds, huge waves, earthquakes, fires, lava, ash and Sulphur did take him by surprise, he still had time for a meal and bath at his friends9 house! But at least he made everyone put pillows on their heads when they tried to make their escape!

Pillows! To protect themselves from an erupting volcano! Was he mad!

Well, there were a lot of pumice stones falling from the sky, so it wasn9t completely silly.

And I suppose you9re going to tell me the pillows protected everyone which proved his point that <Fortune Favours the Brave!=.

Well, no! With all the dust, and fires, and Sulphur from the explosion, it was pitch black, <darker than any night=, so I don9t think anyone knew for sure if the pillows worked.

But Pliny the Elder must have survived or else we wouldn9t know all about this?

Well, no! Pliny the Elder died. Of asphyxiation from the ash and Sulphur, but not from something falling on his head!

Basically, you are telling me he choked to death with a pillow on his head! And how do we know that was how he died?

Because his nephew, Pliny the Younger, survived to tell us all about it! And that when they found his body, he had no external injuries, so maybe the pillows did work!

That was fortunate wasn9t it!

It was for Pliny the Younger and for us!

How was it fortunate for us?

Because, Pliny the Younger was able to describe very accurately what happens when a volcano explodes! In fact, his description was so good that the first stage of a volcanic eruption is named after him 3 the Plinian eruption!

Well, that makes everything worthwhile! Shouldn9t it be a Plinian the Younger eruption?!

Don9t be ridiculous.

Ridiculous! I haven9t suggested tying a pillow to your head to survive a volcanic eruption! So, what is the conclusion, does <Fortune Favour the Brave=?

Not if you are Pliny the Elder!

Brilliant! And why are you telling me about this. Isn9t this edition of the CC meant to be about oceans?

Yes, it is. But I studied volcano9s in class this term and when I found out about Pliny the Elder, I thought you would enjoy a story about him and his nephew.

His nephew?

Keep up, his nephew was Pliny the Younger!

Oh yes, sorry. But this story is still meant to be about oceans!

Well, Pliny the Elder was also the Commander of the Roman naval fleet, and originally set out to get closer to the volcanic eruption because of what he saw happening at that moment......in the ocean!

Perfect....last word of the story is ocean!

A Siren9s Tale

Written by Lisa Roth

My mother always used to tell me a tale about a siren, about how they would lure people in with their enchanting songs and how they would live amongst the bright blue oceans. My mother and I would often walk along the bright sandy beach, hand in hand as I would look for them amongst the vibrant blue seas. I would never find any, though, and I would always go home with watery eyes, because I wanted, so badly, to see one for myself. I mean, mum always used to say they were beautiful, and they would spend most of their days looking at themselves.

Today, I walk by that same beach, yet it's not what I remember it as… time is a cruel fate. The once familiar beach is no more, the sand is a cold and unloving grey, the sea dark and unwelcoming. I stand in the cold sand with rubbish and trash flying around me and I can't help but wonder how it came to be this bad. Sirens would swim in clear oceans 3 where are they to go without any home? Mother said they would never swim in something like this as it hurts them, it harms their beauty, their songs. I place my towel down and sit down on the sand. I then see Emi (a childhood friend of mine) run to me; it's been so long since I've seen her since I moved to the city.

<Sally?! Is that you girl? It's been a minute!!= I can9t help but smile 3 Emi never believed me and my mother about Sirens, but they are real to me.

<What are you doing back at the coast, don9t you have a job now?= Emi asks sitting down by me. I look at her.

<What, a girl can't have a break? I'm here to see my family, it's been so long…= Emi gives a nod looking at the ocean.

<This doesn9t look like family though=- Her comment can9t help but make me sad, this is home, it held memories.

<It is home! I have good-=- it wasn9t long before she swiftly cut me off with a sigh.

<Do you still believe in those stupid tales your mother told you - that9s amazing!=

She lets out a mocking laugh and I stand up.

<Yeah, I do Emi, those tales are like home to me= Emi looks up at me.

<Whatever girl…I've got to hop, I have work,= with that she leaves, her words leaving an odd taste in my mouth. Sure, she never loved the tales, but I mean… that was a bit rude. Everything in this town has changed over just a few years; the ocean and the people.

I pack up my things. Maybe this is …a big tale, fakejust a story...

I walk down the beach, and I see something. Something odd... A tail!

The tail is black with little, small fins leaving its sides, giving it a spiky look… It has scales, and - oh my…is this…it can't be! Maybe I didn9t get enough sleep - did I eat something funny, drink something? Don9t Sirens live in the ocean? Why9s it on the sand anyway? I slowly and hesitantly walk to it. Yes, I've always wanted to meet one, but they eat people, right? I look at him, he is so …beautiful, just like my mum said: long brown hair, wet from the ocean. He has a huge plastic chunk sticking from his tail. Pollution even hurts the most beautiful. I panic about what I should do, I mean Sirens can't stay out of water but what about the injury?

I shuffle him into where the waves break against the shore so he can get water while I helped him. He seems passed out, so I check his pulse, hoping that Sirens share the same anatomy as us humans, and heard a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. By chance or maybe by miracle, I brought a mini first aid kit with me. I can9t just let him die, I can9t. So, I took out the first aid kit, use some disinfectant and bandages, and pull the plastic out…and disinfected it, looking over to this Siren hoping he will wake. I stay by his side for a while.

He opens his eyes after about 3 hours. I am sitting nearby, staying out of the ocean not wanting to get wet. I look over to him.

<Are you ok?!= I ask, still not convinced I didn9t just eat something strange and am looking at things. He looks over to me and seems to panic.

<Whoa I won't hurt you - I actually helped you with that thing in your tail!= I say in an attempt to calm him down.

<Who are you?= he spoke. His voice, though not singing, sounds like a sweet rhyme that can draw anyone in. I mean this is…what they were known to do, it's how they hunt.

<My name is Sally. I was walking when I saw you here and hurt. You fell to the shore.= He looks around and a sad look appears on his face that can9t help but make me frown.

<This place…- it9s, beyond repair…= his words sound hurt as he looks around.

<Yeah, 10 years ago it was so pretty…= I say back. Internally I am screaming, <Take that Emi take that!= He chuckled a little:

<Yeah, I would come here every day watching people come by.=

I look over to him. <I disinfected your tail. My mother always used to say that Sirens hated the pollution in the ocean.= He looks at me with a smile, <Your mother sounds like a lovely lady and she's right: we don9t.= I nod in a response, giving him a small smile. <She was. I came here to remember the days we used to have together…looking out for Sirens, looking out for anyone really.=

He looks back at me again and I don9t really know what else to say, though he speaks before I can.

<Sally,= he speaks.

<Yeah, what9s up…?= I asked him curiously.

<Have you ever met your father?=

I never got to see my dad; he left before I was born.

<No, mum said he left when I was born, that it wasn9t his fault, but yet, I blame myself. If he left the day I was born it has to have been me.=

Those memories, I always hid them deep down, yet something felt odd about the Siren, something trusting was within him.

However, he looks back at me, with a look of sadness within his eyes. I look back at him, unsure why he looks at me like that.

<Sally-= he says with a soft voice. He sounds upset; hurt:

<I have always loved you. It wasn't your fault...=

Of Jolly Rogers and Atlantis

Captain Sweetcorn clumped onto the deck, his studded boots digging minuscule scratches into the dusty planks.

<Avast scallywags, belay yer bilge and harken!=, his foghorn voice penetrating every ear on the ship. Pirates of all shapes and sizes scuttled onto the deck like rats being smoked out of their nests. Sweetcorn waited for a dramatic pause, then continued. <We9re enterin9 the bay when the sun is at its highest. There9ll be a booty dip or two to make there. I want every man to be firing the cannons, or may Davy Jones take y9all! But that9s not all me hearties.= He paused, then realised two buccaneers were quietly chattering.

<Chew the fat landlubbers!= he bellowed. The crowd was immediately silent. Sweetcorn continued.

<Apparently, this bay is home to a small island. According to myth, the locals, that are now long extinct, were chosen as guardians for the key by the sea king Neptune 8imself.=

<What key?= Sweetcorn couldn9t tell who had spoken. <Why, the key to the hidden city of course, the key that will release the lost continent. The key to Atlantis!=

<And why would we want to release Atlantis?=

<Legend has it that those who release Atlantis will be rewarded handsomely by its inhabitants. Ye see, long, long ago the lost land was sunk by the great Midgardsnake. The serpent was defeated in a titanic duel with Neptune, and as punishment for its revolt, the sea king took its only child and imprisoned it in Loch Ness, up in Scotland, where it remains to this day. Then Neptune sunk the snake, but as it went down it wrapped its tail around the most beautiful of continents, Atlantis, and pulled it to da depths of the sea.=

All was silent, then the stinking cannoneer, Blackchops, spoke.

<Blimey captain, we9re going to Atlantis!= <Aye, if we can find the key. Which I doubt, having you landlubbers and Milly9s Paps as a crew!=

The small crowd began to grumble.

Written by Leo Brown

<Oh, sink me, fine... We9ll go to Atlantis! But first we need the key.=

At this point a long peninsula had appeared encircling a huge section of ocean. The nest-hogger, Jim, exclaimed that they were entering the bay, and the crew began to ready for the raids it would make over the next days. Sabers were sharpened on fragments of stone, pistols were being over-stuffed with gun powder to the brink of explosion, and the cannons were already being polished.

But the ship did not hide behind the rocks as it usually did, but set off for an island, a small island where a treasure beyond measure was hidden.

Early next morning, Sweetcorn awoke with a start. He was a little perturbed that they had still not pillaged a single ship. Jim was screeching something about an island in view and horses riding towards them.

<I didn9t know the locals had horses, but Jim doesn9t need to make such a racket!= He grumbled as he rolled out of bed, then:

<Horses? In the sea?=

Without pulling a shirt over his head he sprinted out onto the deck. Staring into the calm waves, he could detect nothing. About half a mile away he saw a beach, but between the ship and there... nothing! Just as he was beginning to believe Jim was hallucinating, a horse leapt out of the waves. This creature was not the type of steed found on land, but made completely of sea froth, sustained by the sea. Foamy waves filled in its tracks before they disappeared. It was larger than a normal horse, even larger than a bull, and behind it

were both charging the ship. Sweetcorn had just about

<Kelpies! The rumoured sea-horses. Quick, fire in the

The impact was catastrophic. The ship was catapulted

At the same time the stern melted just as the horses touched it, like a finger drawn through warm custard. The boat blasted into the sea sending a spray of water fifty feet into the air. The descent was remarkably smooth.

<They9re playin9 with us!= thought Sweetcorn, just as the remnant of his once proud ship was blasted into empty air again. This time they hit the water hard and all went black.

Sweetcorn awoke lying with his face sand-encrusted on a beach. He looked around. Not one of his crew was missing. So the old tales were true. Kelpies would smash ships to pieces and almost drown the sailors, then take pity and drop them unharmed on the coast. Next to him, the old hook-handed storyteller Pete gave a sigh of relief. One by one, the crew began to awake. Then a thought hit Sweetcorn, just as it seemed to hit everyone else. They were on the island of the key!

The treasure wasn9t hard to find; the island was only about two hundred yards wide and the only logical place where any local, no matter how ancient, would hide the key to Atlantis was under a large stone slab, quite obviously covering something secret. It was no big deal lifting the slab with a crew the size of which Sweetcorn had.

With only a minor effort, the pirates pushed the pancake shaped stone a few inches off the rock and dropped it onto the sand, crushing only Blackchops9 foot. The latter gave a long howl, but then, like everyone else turned his attention to what they had revealed to the sunlight. The rock underneath was hollowed out, and contained an iron box, rusty as it was and looking like it desperately needed a clean. Of course, as is typical with great treasures, the box was locked.

<An axe, you brood of cackle-fruits, quick!= Sweetcorn9s excitement was colossal. All his life he had heard stories of Atlantis, and now he was so close to it becoming reality! He was handed what he had demanded and prepared to break open the chest.

As the axe collided with the gnarled iron, shrapnels of metal exploded into every direction. With the lock broken, Sweetcorn threw open the crushed lid, dipped his scarred hands into the box and lifted the artefact into the sun-flooded air. A book. An old and dusty book, encrusted with sand and sea salt, a small dead barnacle still clinging to its corner.

Sweetcorn9s anger was quite visible as his face swelled to the shape of a huge red tomato.

<Briney deep and feed the fish! This ain9t no treasure!= he said and threw the book in a high loop into the grainy sand, before storming off to the beach. The others remained behind, uncertain of what to do.

Then Pete picked up the book, polished it with the sleeve of his crooked arm and gently flicked to the first page with his rusty hook. The others sat down in an imperfect circle and harkened. Then he began to read to them until late in the night, and the words were so skilfully woven that the very fabric of the world was rewoven for them, and Atlantis was born in their imaginations.

Father Christmas: an unsung climate hero

Written by Xanthe Trim

Presenter: 'Good morning and welcome to Newswatch. Here with us today we have a special caller for the Boxing Day interview: the elusive Father Christmas! Welcome!'

Father Christmas (FC): 'Good morning, or rather good evening here in the North Pole! Thank you for having me here.'

Presenter: 'Given it is now the Christmas season, listeners have just one question - what is going on with the rubbish? Many people after your visit yesterday reported having been given a very strange gift: a large bag of garbage. Could you elaborate?'

FC: 'To tell the truth, I am fed up with climate change. I am exhausted. Living in Lapland, I can see the effects very keenly. Glaciers look watery, and we even get the occasional piece of household garbage floating through. The ice caps are melting and the wildlife dies. I am exhausted with it, and I've decided to be part of the solution. I realised my gifts are contributing to this problem, as many of them have large packaging or are plastic. So for those children who have been naughty, I skipped the whole manufacturing process. Rather than giving them undeserved gifts, I gave them bags of their unrecycled garbage, picked freshly from landfills and glaciers as they float past.'

Presenter: 'That's a very unusual solution - do you propose to do this for a long time?'

FC:' I will do it as long as it takes for the situation to change. When people throw something out, I want them to consider where it will go and what it will do, and giving it back to them is a simple way to do that. Especially since I have the world's most efficient mode of travel: magical reindeer!'

Presenter: 'And what about the children? Won't this make them sad at the happiest time of year?'

FC: 'I have cared for them a long time, and I know they need to be taught to take care of the environment, not just themselves. Like it or not, this is the world we're living in, and I want to make sure it will go into kind hands when they grow up, since I will be around to see it. Teaching them now to take care of nature is important, because it will be their generation who will see if we save the Earth or not.'

Presenter: 'Wise words. I have a listener here who is asking about what they are supposed to do with the rubbish, what would you recommend and want people to do to be more eco-conscious with it?'

FC: 'Recycle it. But in future, focus on the overconsumption aspect. Rather than having to deal with all of it at the end of the year, try to buy less, and when you do, buy sustainably, so things can biodegrade and enrich ecosystems.'

Presenter: 'Well, thank you Father Christmas, it has been a pleasure to meet you.'

FC: 'Thank you! Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!'

Pier Pressure

Created by Samuel Brown

Annabel Valentine

Anya Coren

Jacob Du

Samuel Brown

Sofia Malmberg

Nina Martindale

Filip Malmberg

Jamie Coren

House Competitions

Mr Boylan

Leaderboard status: 13 December 2024

Crossword Puzzle

Created by Cooper Berman

Clues Down: 1 Home to Honolulu

Unfortunately, it spills into the sea  3 A cringe way to refer to someone you love, slang

A title, formal, to be respected, female  6 Dumps waste into the sea

7 A positivist, following the ideals of a philosopher  9 Gordon calls it this

The Alphabet  12 The stars of old horror movie  13 A vocalization, pleasure or cuteness  16 A distinctive giant of the sea, with tubercles on its head  18 You can catch them by the river rocks

19 A 1998 Computer

20 Under the sea  23 On ____ (without a contract)  25 Deep, deep down 26 Folks angling for a job? 31 A dad ____ 32 A Radiology Information System

Frosty

A tater

A whole body scan

A shelled creature or shipfaring vessel

Shreklike

A helpful fungus

A Nepalese Celebration

A fishing boat without the tee

Call to a mate

Far from the ocean

A profession of passion, slang

Keep it closed, it saves  23 A crime, verb

The second largest, of seven

Mindless or thoughtless

A vocalization, displeasure

A plea at sea

Perfume base

You or I, kind of  37 A Greek astronomer and philosopher who studied the circular motions of celestial bodies.  38 A boat  39 A childish interjection, slang

A respectful address, male

CHS L3-6

Art & Design

Elene Lezhava L6

Maia Reynolds

Xenia Plarre

Zoe French L4

Isabella Cuda L3

Matthew Huggett L3

Issue 8 Contributors

Sophia Davids, Sofia Malmberg, Xanthe Trim, Samuel Brown, Anna Savrasova, Anya Coren, Dean French, Aryan Premjithlal Bhaskaran, Christiana McAleer, Bo Burnham, Nawaal Mahmood, Teddy Tatham, Camila Po, Natasha Tatham, Cooper Berman, Elisabeth Kirchner, Olivia O’Gorman, Emily Coleclough, Balthasar Waldburg, Andrada Cioban, Sami Majid-wood, Federica Barbieri, Christian Joseph, Jamie Coren, Winwin Shinpat, Pandora French, Leo Brown, Nina Martindale, Aanya Ramnarine, Alper Kong, Lara Pearl Rozzo, Mrs Brusse, Mrs Roberts, Mrs Hope, Mrs Murray, Teia Procopie, Uphaar Kaur-Khangura, Alice Sculthorpe, Mohammed Yusuf, Arsenii Kurporosov, Alia Barry, Emilie Hohensinner, Lisa Roth, Filip Malmberg, Jacob Du, Annabel Valentine, Mr Boylan, Elene Lezhava, Isabella Cuda, Zoe French, Matthew Huggett, Maia Reynolds, Xenia Plarre

The Cambridge Collective