Hey JW, this is Brynn’s Weekly View!
Skydiving Salamanders
Have you ever seen a flying squirrel? Well, now you can think lizard too. Salamanders living in Redwoods, the world’s tallest trees, have adapted to the over 250-foot drop. They started living at the top of Redwoods to avoid predators and are now able to glide back to the tree if they fall or jump off. They are able to turn, make horizontal maneuvers, and flip themselves over if they go upside down. “The level of control is just impressive,” said Christian Brown, the first person to write about their aerial behaviors. Animals are constantly changing to adjust to new terrains, and new inventions are made because of their unique shapes and skills like the bullet train that was designed to shape a Kingfishers beak to be quiet. Maybe one-day Skydiving Salamanders will be the inspiration for a plane!
Check out sciencedaily for more information about their aerodynamic control and maneuvers.
Getting to know: Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee is an 8th-grade science teacher who has taught at JW for three years. He loves spending his free time getting to know students and finding similarities between them. But Mr. Lee's real goal of teaching is to make a difference, even just for one student. When he went to school, teachers taught kids so they got an education but not about what interests them. Mr. Lee strives to inspire students to do what they are captivated by and make a difference. “I want to influence my students, even if I make a difference for one student, it would be worth it.”
If you see Mr. Lee, ask him about the 15 countries he's visited.
Green Team Club
The Green Team may be one of the noblest clubs at JW. They started out by weeding and then planting seeds for vegetables and herbs that they got to choose. Right now, they’re getting in the seeds for cauliflower. And they don’t just plant, they’ve also cleaned up litter from around the school!
“We plan on doing community work,” Veronika told me. It’s her first year in the club, and so far her favorite thing about it is just being outside. Not only does the Green Team take care of the school, but they also donate the grown plants to food kitchens. They look after the school and its community, exceeding their role as the Green Team.
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