Flaming Hot Pink With a Side Piece and Holster

Good Sunday Morning!

Let us salute to the most famous irrational number in known history, 3.14159 (π)! The origins of Pi can be traced as far back as Ancient Mesopotamia. There was also a version of PI in Ancient Egypt that used 3.16. Eventually Greek and Roman scholars continue to used and preserve the identify of Pi. After calculus was discovered in the early 19th century, a whole other world of Pi opened up! We won’t dive too much into this, but if you are a math wonk, it is definitely worth learning the history of this wonderful, beautiful, irrational number.

Cheers to your morning brew ☕

Hot Cheetos up in Flames in California schools 

Any middle school teacher or teenager's parent knows the power these snacks have with their colorful hues. Whether it is Hot Cheetos or Takis or Doritos, teens gravitate toward these, and it is common to see kids at lunch licking the colorful dust off their fingertips like it is the best thing in the world. As amazing tasting as these junk foods are, they might not be the best for minds still developing. The human brain burns, on average, 20%-25% of their daily caloric intake. It is even more startling for 5-6-year-olds, as the brain can burn up to 60% of their daily caloric intake!

What are the harmful ingredients in these snacks? It's the dyes. California Assembly BIll-2316 Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition is looking to address these snacks so that they can no longer be sold on school grounds. The dyes include blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6. 

These dyes are part of a recent study that is getting a lot more attention under what are known as ultra-processed foods. These are things that are not natural and are added to everything we eat. Some studies show that these might be doing more harm than known culprits like sugar and excessive salt intake. There is an excellent book by Chris Van Tulleken, Ultra-Processed Food: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food. 

As teachers and adults, we know how much having good, nutritional food can help with our performance, and this bill is only one-half of the issue. We can ban them, but are the other foods we give students any better? There is nothing inherently wrong with a government body wanting what is best for the future generation, and in taking the bad stuff away, they must ensure that they can add all the good stuff young developing brains need. 

What do you think - would this be a net benefit for California students?

Pretty in Pink 

Rachmad Tjachyad, a chemistry teacher at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, went viral last month when he showed up to school in a pink dress and matching pink boots. He wore this on Valentine's Day, and it went viral not too soon after. Parents and even the governor of Texas spoke out against this. Tjachyad was investigated, and the school district cleared him of any wrongdoing. 

There were loud outcries in how he dressed, but his students supported and defended him. One of his students stated: 

Despite the full support of his district, students, and staff, Tjachyad decided to resign because in n his words: 

"It has been very difficult to see the hateful comments on social media about me and about Hebron High School, and that has greatly influenced my decision to remove myself from the narrative…The last thing I want to do is remove the focus from the great things our students and staff are doing, and sadly, that is what all the external voices are trying to do," Rachmand Tjachyad.

From the strong support of everyone around Tjachyad or Mr. T, as he is known around the school campus, they are unfortunately losing, first and foremost, a great person and then a great chemistry teacher. When it comes to finding STEM teachers, we know this is a difficult task for most schools, and it is safe to say wherever Mr. T goes, they will be getting a great addition to their teaching staff. 

More guns in schools 

This was touched on in an earlier newsletter, and we are circling back to Iowa on their push to arm teachers. There was a strong push to get some kind of protection on school grounds after the unfortunate shooting at Perry High School on January 4. House File 2652 was just passed on March 13. It passed 59-35 in the state House. What is in it? 

 The new legislation will:

•  Allocate a $ 3 million grant program for schools to build out their infrastructure

• Up $25,000 for school staff training and stipend. 

• Create a pilot program that will integrate gun detection software into existing cameras at school

• An emergency radio system will have to be in place on all school campuses

• Implement a mobile panic alert system 

This legislation is supported by the majority of Iowans, as seen below. 

There is only one other country that allows teachers to carry guns, and that is Thailand. This was implemented nearly a couple of decades ago as a result of combating Islamic terrorists. Since then, Gun violence has only gone up, and Thailand comes in second when it comes to gun deaths after The Philippines. 

When it comes to protecting our students in the classrooms, is this the best we can do, or are there other ways we can ensure we never see a mass shooting on a school campus? 

Closing Bell

On this day in 1992…

There was a vote in South Africa to end Apartheid. 69% of White, South Africans voted for the reform. The reform eventually went into effect and dismantled apartheid in South Africa for good.