Interviewing Amy, Evelyn and Myla, 13/14s
How did you decide to come work at Bank Street?
I was on a break from teaching at my old school and when I visited Bank Street, I saw a system of learning that aligned with what I believed in. It was an amazing opposition to come here, I knew it would be great because I went to graduate school here. I love how the school aims to incorporate project based learning and always makes sure to take care of students' learning needs. How is Bank Street different from where you used to work? At Bank Street, I’m really able to develop a relationship with students because I work with fewer students at a time. There’s a lot of freedom to develop curriculum here, and flow with student interest. There’s accessibility to various tools, especially in the STEAM lab and there’s an ability to develop cross-curricular strands of thought. Where did you grow up? New York How did the setting in which you grew up shape who you are today? Growing up in New York shaped me a lot. In New York, kids see and have access to a lot of things like museums and different communities. It’s not sheltered like smaller towns. New York is one of the best places to grow up because it’s not limiting and allows you to learn that being part of the larger world is something to be valued. What motivated you to work in STEAM? STEAM is interesting because of how it integrates so many different topics. Subject matter doesn’t exist. It gives many opportunities to collaborate with others which I love to see. It also allows me to be a constant learner and I get to play and work with cool new things. What’s your favorite food? I don’t have a favorite food, I like to try everything, like new foods What are your thoughts on Bank Street so far? I am amazed everyday of how Bank Street kids function and are able to have such a positive mind. The kids here are remarkable, talented, and deep. You can tell how much people genuinely care for one another. The faculty are always smiling and I love to see that. Everyone is kind and that is amazing to see. What are your hobbies? My hobbies are always changing, but I love creative things like making jewelry, crocheting and embroidering. I also love to travel. My most recent trip was to the Galapagos. I’m also interested in professional development, and I enjoy being a student sometimes. Do you support any sports teams? If I were to support any sports teams it would be the Rangers for familial reasons. I love ice hockey as a sport and I love to watch the games. |
An Eclipse: What is it? When did it happen? How Rare is it? Nate, 13/14sOn Monday, April 8, 2023, there was a total solar eclipse over pieces of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. But what actually happened? What did this mean? Where and when was this one? And when will the next solar eclipse be?
To start to answer what a solar eclipse is, we have to look at the moon and the sun. In a solar eclipse, the moon appears to cover the sun, despite the fact that it is smaller. This phenomenon occurs because the moon is significantly closer to us than the sun. The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but conveniently about 400 times closer. When the paths of the moon and the sun line up, they create an eclipse. There are many types of eclipses. Partial solar eclipses, which happen more often, are when the moon appears to cover a part of the sun. There are annular eclipses, which happen every one to two years, where the moon is farthest away from the earth and doesn’t quite cover the sun. And then there are total solar eclipses, when the moon appears to fully cover the sun. There is no sunlight except for the light from the outer atmosphere, for the few moments (6 minutes at the very most) of totality. These eclipses are very rare. The moon and sun have to line up perfectly. The last total solar eclipse to go over the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) was 2017. The next total solar eclipse that will go directly over New York City will be in 2079. The last one was in 1478.
This eclipse, on April 8, 2024, was a total eclipse that went over a large chunk of the United States. Totality went over many cities, but here are a few: Dallas, Austin, Little Rock, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester, and Montreal. Here in NYC, we did not see totality, but a partial solar eclipse. It started at about 2 P.M., reached a peak sometime between 3:15 and 3:30 P.M., and then ended around 4:30 P.M. At the peak, the sun was 90% covered. The next total eclipse over the United States will be on March 30, 2033, just barely scraping Alaska. The next one over the contiguous 48 states will be in 2044 in Montana and pieces of North Dakota. As shown by this timeline, seeing a total eclipse is really rare and a cool thing to do. Some people are willing and going to travel very far to see a total eclipse. There are even full tour companies dedicated to going on trips to places specifically for eclipses. And even for partial eclipses, many people go out to see it. But if you didn’t see it, or missed the first photo, here are a few more cool photos. |