Official BKI Terrapin Lore, Part #1
By Theo Town
Terrapins are a group of small turtles adapted to live in brackish (a mix of fresh and saltwater) or freshwater habitats, such as coastal marshes and estuaries. One well-known species, the diamond-back terrapin, typically measures 4 to 9 inches in length and weighs around 1 to 2 pounds. Despite their tiny size, terrapins are extremely resilient, and most populations migrate north along river systems, partially the Hudson. They make these journeys annually or seasonally, often in search of ideal feeding and nesting sites. Although they thrive in warmer climates, their adaptability allows them to extend their range into northern waters during certain times of the year.
Why The Terrapin?
[Ft. Mr. Grijalva]
At a recent meeting of Terrapin Times, Mr. Grijalva shared the story of how the terrapin became the official mascot of BKI;
“Our first science teacher, Ms. Hadam wanted an animal that’s New York-based, and so the terrapin came up. It’s a tiny turtle that’s strong enough to swim against the current of the Hudson,” Mr. Grijalva said. “It’s small and mighty.” So that’s why BKI chose the Terrapin
Terrapin Lore
[Chapter 1 – City/Date of Birth]
Sept. 5, 2019 On Prospect Park Beach, a baby turtle named Wait, what is his name? For now we’ll call him…. Timmy, so Timmy hatched and instinctively set off towards the water. Clumsily navigating the soft sand and evading obstacles, he felt the salty breeze and sensed lurking dangers. Finally reaching the ocean’s edge, he dove into the cool waves, embracing his new life as a young terrapin ready to explore the underwater world. But just then a scrawny pigeon scooped him up in his beak…
Terrapin Lore
[Chapter 2 – How We Met Our Terrapin]
Sept. 5, 2019 Timmy, still disoriented from his unexpected journey, found himself clutched in the beak of a pigeon, soaring high above the bustling streets of downtown Brooklyn. After what felt like an eternity of flapping wings and shifting scenery, he was unexpectedly dropped onto the pavement below. Fortunately, a passing pedestrian caught him, breaking his fall and cradling him safely as he blinked up at this new world teeming with towering buildings and new sounds. Not knowing what to do with this new creature the pedestrian took Timmy home she put him down on her desk and said
“Hi. I’m Ms Tejedor”
Getting To Know BKI’s First Undefeated Sports Team
By Archer D’Angelo
The BKI soccer team is making history by being the FIRST UNDEFEATED Sports Team in BKI history! I went to soccer practice on Tuesday, October 24th and was able to talk to a few players. I asked their coach, Mr. Laidley, about why this season went so well and he said “The team is a lot more together and we are all contributing as much as we can.” Now if you want to learn more about how our soccer team got to this point, keep reading below!
What Do You Like Best About The Team This Year?
- Brandon, 7th, Right Back/Midfield “I like how everything has come full circle. I think the team is more well-rounded, and we have a bit more passion.”
- Lucas, 6th, Left Back “We play really good together. We have a lot of chemistry.”
- Dayo, 6th Grade, Left Wing/Center Back “I like the passing. We are a good team together so we share the ball. We also have good moves when shooting goals.”
- Mariatu, 7th, Defense “I like the nice community, and Mr. Laidley is the best coach.”
- Judah, 8th, Center Mid “I love this coach. The coach is really good.”
- Beau, 6th, Striker “Coach Laidley is up to a lot and he lets you do a lot. He’s a great coach, and I think everyone should play soccer, especially with your friends.”
- Dash, 8th Right/Left Wing “I also like that we are winning a lot this year.” (Dash said this as Judah picked him up for a piggyback ride.)
Why Did The Team Do So Well This Season?
- Dash, 8th, Right/Left Wing “The other teams are less organized and most of our team has played together for 2 or more years.”
- Brandon, 7th, Right Back/Midfield “Every single one of the players has great qualities, and our goalkeeper, Oliver, is doing really good.”
- Dayo, 6th Grade, Left Wing/Center Back “I think the communication and chemistry between the team is good.”
What Was The Best Moment Of The Season?
- Dayo, 6th Grade, Left Wing/Center Back “When we all played in the rain and the other team didn’t show up. We were scrimmaging with each other, but it was a good moment because we were all having fun and screaming and playing.”
- Beau, 6th, Striker “I think probably scoring my first goal. Also everyone is just fair and fun and nobody is mean to each other, and it’s just a great spot to have fun.”
How Does The League Work?
- Dash, 8th, Right/Left Wing “Every team makes the playoffs with the best playing the worst and then going in from that in a bracket. Also all the other teams are charter schools.”
Who Are The Team Leaders?
- Mr. Laidley, Teacher, Coach “8th graders are leaders, like Eli C. and Russell especially. Russell has led our entire defense. Oliver is a good goalie. CJ has been on the team since 6th grade and has held the team down, but we have a good group of people this year, I think in general everyone leads in some way.”
How Will Illness Affect Wednesday’s Game?
- Dash, 8th, Right/Left Wing “A few of our starters are sick right now, so that will definitely affect the team. We are gonna be missing people, so some people will have to play longer. That would make them more tired and it will make us a weaker team, but I still think we can win.”
How Do You Think The Team Will Do In The Playoffs?
- Dylan, 6th, Striker “Well, I don’t want to jinx it but I think we will do good!”
- Dash, 8th, Right/Left Wing “I think we are gonna do really well cause currently we are the best team and we are playing the worst team on Wednesday.”
- Brandon, 7th, Right Back/Midfield “I wanna have high hopes, because this is the first time we have ever gone undefeated.”
- Beau, 6th, Striker “Well, we’ve already beat every team we played, so I THINK, I hope, we can win. I’m pretty sure we will do well in the playoffs.”
What Would You Like The Student Body To Do During The Playoffs To Support The Team?
- Lucas, 6th, Left Back “It would be pretty cool if you all went to playoff games!”
Before we finish, I have an exclusive piece of info. Mr. Laidley said, “If we make it to the City Championship, I’d try and make it a school trip,” which is incredibly exciting for anyone who likes trips. I hope that that can happen if we make it to that point.
If you are reading this before the game 0n Wednesday, October 25, the playoffs are yet to begin, and let’s hope that BKI can pull through and win their way to the finals! As Brandon said, “We gotta take this team to the championship, we gotta win it, we gotta take this championship, we gotta dominate!”
Archer D’Angelo
7th Grader with experience at the Ps32 Journal as Editor. He often writes about BKI News, History, and Games. He focuses on the BKI News & Global News Categories. He also is good at Canva and other Design programs used by the Terrapin Times. He is a Big Fan of History as well as Video and Board Games related to History.
BKI This Year
By: Faith Pierre
Brooklyn Independent middle school is now in its fourth year after sending off their first graduating class of 2022. It has now expanded greatly with more students and staff, introducing new staff in almost every grade. And when introducing more new students and staff, it has brought new perspectives and personalities to the BKI community.
In addition to new things, BKI has also introduced a very exceptional time of the day where students get to express themselves that we call circle. In circle we gather around in a big group circle as we go around and express our opinions on a specific topic or question. This can positively affect students and even staff by making them feel heard and recognized. From the perspective of Cori Ellison who is a seventh grader this year at BKI, she is happy about how organized BKI is and that our community always stays safe.
Even after BKI introduces new students year after year, they ensure a safe environment for everyone no matter what. From the perspective of Mr. Grijalva, BKI has progressed by adding new classes such as history and new electives, having more students to teach to and learn about and how we organize our community meeting block this year. Coming in to this school year, starting on a positive foot, and we are going to try our best at BKI to continue as so.
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THE BKI FALL FESTIVAL
By: Eli.C
Its fall season everyone and BKI is planning a huge festival for BKI kids to enjoy
The fall festival is this Saturday october 29, kids from BKI will be able to do a lot of fun things like basketball, being able to eat donuts chips and a bunch of food and a bunch more fun activities. We would like to thank the party planning club for the help of planning the whole fall festival and decorating the whole building with halloween decorations.
That brings us to our next topic: our theme is gonna be Hallowen and kids will be able to see decorations throughout the whole school and people are gonna be able to wear their costumes.
After the BKI fall festival
BKI students got to play basketball, do and watch karaoke, listen to music and got to eat lots of food including chips, donuts, pizza, drink apple cider and water. Students also got to bury two dead rats. RIP.
We got a whole 10 minutes of showing costumes,
I interviewed Justice and he said the best thing at the fall festival was the donuts.
I interviewed Silas and he said the best part of the fall festival was the apple cider.
I interviewed Judah and he said the best part of the fall festival was basketball
I interviewed Clyde and he said the best part of the festival was the karaoke and the apple cider
And that’s the story of the BKI fall festival
THE TERRAPIN TIMES 