Student Life
Pimple patches: A new craze
Pimple patches are a popular new craze at Rachel Carson, but do they work? Why do people wear them? Pimple patches are small patches people put on their acne to help heal and reduce acne in the area the sticker is placed. They come in many shapes and sizes, Starface, a popular pimple patch brand,…
Mr Treakle: Teacher, librarian, leader and legacy
You can find Mr. Kirk Treakle in the library, whether checking out books, talking to the members of Going Green, or helping a student out with their science homework. After 25 years at Carson, Mr. Treakle is retiring, after being a science teacher, librarian and RCMS environmental club leader. Mr. Treakle has been at Rachel…
‘Genius’ level: input on going for the Algebra II course in 8th grade
Algebra II is a course available at RCMS for mathematically advanced seventh-graders going into eighth grade, but among them, there is a split between the people who see this course as their ideal path, and those who see an unnecessary thorny road. “This isn’t a course I’d recommend for just any student in eighth grade,”…
Students get used to new plastic bag tax
The Fairfax County board of supervisors passed a law to try and aid the fight against climate change with a tax on plastic bags. The tax was put into place on Jan. 1, and stores in Fairfax County and other counties in Virginia were told to charge people for using plastic bags. The tax is…
Virtual learning: a downgrade to students’ testing scores
“I didn’t do sixth grade, I slept through sixth grade,” said Divitha Mathe, an eighth-grader on the Wolves team. Divi said people put in less effort during online school, which caused her and many other students to score lower on the SOLs. The scores of students taking Standardized of Learning (SOL) have decreased by 16…
Three new RCMS Model UN officers chosen for next year
After the audition for next year’s three Model UN officers, Shayaan Dutt, Aaron Zhang, and Eva Sonis were chosen. As the secretary general, under secretary, and chief of staff, they will lead and teach next year’s MUN. Rachel Carson MUN students were auditioned at Rachel Carson Middle School, April 10, for the chance to be…
Students write for a national change in civics education
Have you ever felt the need to make a change in your community, or even society as a whole? Eighth-grade students at RCMS did just that, by embarking on a unique assignment for their civics classes this year to write a letter to a current government official in order to persuade them to nationally incorporate…
Blog: Earth Day in DC
11:59. One more minute until the official start of the Earth Day 2023 End the Era of Fossil Fuels DC mobilization. What a mouthful. I glanced at my notebook with my script for the teach-in, fingered the phone where I will read my script for the rally, and adjusted the tag on my shirt that…
RCMS preparing for music department trip to Kings Dominion
On June 9, the RCMS music department is taking the spring trip to Kings Dominion. Everyone is super excited for the thrill of the park. In past years and trips there have been so many unique experiences. “A student won me a massive hamster I carried around which was really cool except that I had…
Students share favorite online resources
Since we are just days away from the end of the school year, it is very important for students to think about managing their school computer, and online websites that can help students with their education, throughout summer break, and the next school year. One of the beneficial websites is Lexia Powerup. Lexia Powerup is…
Students reflect on the history behind Memorial Day
All Carson students had a day off on May 29, 2023 and not many people know why. Memorial Day is an important holiday which honors all the people that have fallen in the military due to all the wars and fighting. Memorial Day was established on May 5, 1866, as “Decoration day.” After the Civil…
In 25 years, as students have changed, so has the dress code
Over the past 25 years at RCMS, as society has changed, the dress code has changed with it by being less specific and more gender neutral. The dress code states that “students should not wear anything that displays vulgar, discriminatory or obscene language,” which prevents students from feeling unwelcome or unsafe in the school environment….