Once a year, our school hosts the Scripps National Spelling Bee. According to the website, the Scripps National Bee has been around since 1925, celebrating 100 years of spelling bees. The first Scripps spelling bee only had nine contestants. In our school, the spelling bee is held for grades 1-8 divided into a lower school competition (grades 1-3) and an upper school competition (grades 4-8) Charlie Baker and Lucy Lin were the winners of the lower school division Winners from the middle and upper school divisions were Wynn, Mia E, Nehemiah, Will, Sochi, Jordan, Evan, and Julia. All of these contestants will be facing off on 1/24/25.
When heading to watch the spelling bee, most of the students in attendance thought Wynn or Mia E were going to win as the 8th grade spellers. Mia B, the winner of last year's spelling bee, was a special guest who gave a small speech at the beginning of the contest After a number of rounds, the winner of the whole thing was Mia E with the correct spelling of the word accommodations. Wynn and Nehemiah were each a close second and third but got out on the words Euphoria and Grudgingly.
When interviewing some of the contestants to see what they do to prepare for the spelling bee, a number of suggestions came our way Nehemiah said he drinks chocolate milk and studied for two hours every day Mia E said she went over the words with her friends Others said they practiced with parents or with online games.
The winner, Mia E, said she has to take an online test to see if she qualifies for regionals which Mia B and Sekario, the winners of the past two years, both survived in order to reach regional finals The online test comes out February 1st If Mia E passes, she will go to Pennsylvania to compete So over the next couple of weeks we will see how far she will make it in the spelling bee world.
NEWS
New Tech in 2025
Generative AI, VR, Quantum Computers, and Autonomous Vehicles
by Ilies Benhadji
1.
Generative AI
Generative AI creates new content like text, images, or music It learns from existing data to recognize patterns and produces original content This technology helps generate realistic or creative works Artists, writers, and creators use it to develop new ideas and projects An example of this is ChatGPT which can help with research and work
2 Virtual Reality (VR)
By 2025, virtual reality (VR) will enhance gaming, education, and social interaction, offering immersive experiences and realistic simulations It will transform how people collaborate and communicate in virtual spaces.
3. Nano-Technology
Nano-technology operates at a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers, producing materials with distinct properties. Key applications include targeted medicine delivery, enhanced diagnostics for early disease detection, and improved energy efficiency in batteries and transistors. It also boosts solar panel efficiency, extends battery life, enables effective water purification, and creates stronger, lighter materials. Overall, nano-technology offers promising solutions to global challenges.
4 Quantum Computing
Quantum computing is a special type of computing that uses tiny particles to process information Instead of using regular bits that are just 0s or 1s, quantum computers use qubits, which can be both 0s and 1s simultaneously They can also link qubits in a way that changes one instantly affects another, which helps solve complicated problems much quicker than regular computers In simple terms, quantum computers are like super-smart machines that can think about many things at once!
5. Autonomous vehicles
In 2025, cars can now drive themselves using GPS, sensors, and cameras to create a 3D map of their surroundings. One main advantage of self-driving cars is that they don't need breaks like humans do. The global autonomous vehicle industry was valued at $1,500.3 billion in 2024. These new vehicles present challenges for taxi drivers, as fewer and fewer people require human drivers to take them places, causing many taxi drivers to lose their jobs. Some people do not trust technology to drive them around on their own.
OPINION
How to Prep for Standardized Tests
What is standardized testing, when do people face them, and what are our thoughts on them?
by Jackson Walsh
Standardized tests are assessments used to figure out how much a student has grown academically each year and to see how they compare to other students their age around the country (or world). Students also take standardized tests when applying for high schools, colleges, graduate programs and beyond. Standardized testing is used around the world and some of the most common tests are the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SAT, and MCAT.
There are many ways people handle and approach standardized testing. When asking local CDS teacher Ms. Bardi about the topic, she said, ”I think they can be unfair to the students and believe that there are other ways to assess student learning and growth.” When asked how she would recommend a student prepare for these tests, she said,” I think it's hard to prepare because it's information that was learned over multiple years and it's hard to study on one thing but test prep classes can help ” When asking local CDS student Ilies Benhadji about his thoughts on standardized testing, he said, “I think it's kind of a pain because of the amount of time involved.” Asked if there are other alternatives for standardized testing, he said, “Yes, I think a test is fine, but the amount of time taken up by it is a bit too far.” How would you recommend a student prepare for these tests? “I don’t believe that there is one way to prepare, but the big thing is to not be nervous.” Learning Specialist Ms.Vallario sent a message to CDS parents with recommendations for students regarding the ERBs She recommends that everyone arrive on time, eat a good breakfast, and take their time on each section When asking 5th grader Bryce Scott how he prepares for standardized testing, particularly the hard questions, he said, “I stay calm by taking a deep breath and I try the process of elimination when I narrow the answer down to two.”
While many are not fans of standardized testing, it appears to be a necessary evil that students all have to face CDS 4th-7th graders have to take the ERBs this February from Feb 3-7. We wish them all the best on these assessments.
by Michael Sebastian
FEATURE
Mathletes
Three Competitions Scheduled!
On Saturday Feb 1, 2025, the CDS Mathletes are journeying to Montville Township High School to compete in the MathCounts Competition From 9-12, the students will take part in testing that includes:
- Sprint Round (No calculators)
- Target Round (Calculators allowed)
- Team Round (Calculators allowed/4 competitors per team)
Following a brief break for lunch, students will head to the Top 10 Countdown Round
The CDS team consists of: Sofia Marcantonio, Mia Bjorkedal, Michael Sebastian, Ben Chu, Douglas Swett, Mia Sebastian, and Wynn Waterstredt. The members competing in the team round will be:Mia Bjorkedal, Michael Sebastian, Ben Chu, and Wynn Waterstredt.
The following awards will be presented: top four individuals receive trophies, top four teams receive trophies, top 10 individuals receive a medal, and the top student on each school team receives a "Best in School" trophy. If CDS advances, they will be eligible for the state championship event that is scheduled for Saturday, March 15th at the Monmouth University Student Center. Advancement to the State Championship will include: the top four individuals, the top two teams (out of more than 20 school teams), and New Jersey will have two Wild Card schools advance to the State Finals They will be the two highest scoring schools in the state who did not qualify in the chapter competition. Notification will be made after all NJ Chapter competitions are complete.
We wish the CDS team good luck and look forward to hearing the results!
CDS SPORTS
Final Shot!
Hawks co-ed team goes down in a close game that came down to the final shot
Fencing is a sport about skill and elegance that involves three different types of weapons: Saber, Epee, and Foil. Since Fencing is new at CDS, the majority of athletes will be competing in Epee and Foil. Only two people will be competing in saber. Those competing in saber are allowed to aim for the waist up with and use slashing movements If both fencers touch each other at the same time, the aggressor earns the point This is referred to as the right away rule Epee uses the full body as a target and is a popular selection for new fencers. Finally, foil is waist up except the head and is another choice for new fencers.
When asking Jackson Walsh, who is doing epee, about the new sport he said, “I like fencing. It's fun and is different from usual sports like baseball, softball, and basketball I chose epee as it involves the whole body and makes it easier to go in for attacks ’’ When talking to Mia E who competes in foil, she said, “Initially, I did not care which weapon I would be using, but I was put in foil and it has a different and smaller target area, which I now like. I chose fencing because I didn't do it before.”
The first-ever fencing team bout ended with wins and losses for CDS Both foil, epee, and saber did well and put up good fights against the well-trained Far Hills kids, who, as Ryan Hughes said, “Are well trained and prepared.” Some reported that Far Hills “galloped and tried to hurt us.” All of CDS is proud of the new team and all the new sports, and many young kids are looking at trying fencing next year.
HOROSCOPES
by Ryan Hughes
Scorpio: You will become a Sigma
Cancer: You'll be very crabby this week.
Leo: You will be confused by this, just relax.
Libra: You will find a random hammer in Ms Gadzi's office.
Virgo: You will take a break from computers.
Gemini: You'll become fluent in brain rot.
Aquarius: You will experience a hair transformation.
