Category Archives: Featured

Baby Chicks Bring Joy to BBES

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By Nora Weber and Mrs. Sucato

 For 15 days this spring, Bradley Beach Elementary School was home to a flock of 18 chicks brought to the school by Ms. Jessica Mack, a special education teacher whose family owns a small farm in Colts Neck.

As part of an Environmental Club project run by science teacher, Mrs. Sauer, 30 eggs were placed in an incubator in the science room on May 8. The incubator was kept at about 100 degrees for 22 days. The first egg hatched on the early morning of May 28. Many of us saw the chick’s first moments on a live webcam that our I.T. coordinator, Mr. Monterrosa, put on YouTube.

After the chicks dried off, they were placed into a large brooder (tub) with cedar bedding and a heat lamp. They had bowls of fresh water and chicken food fortified with vitamins, Ms. Mack said. After two days, 18 chicks had hatched. There were five different breeds: Rhode Island Red, Bantam, Buff Orpington, Black Ancona, and mixed breeds.  Twelve eggs did not hatch. Mrs. Sauer and the Environmental Club examined the unhatched eggs but did not find signs of developed embryos.

Students were able to visit the chicks with their teachers, hold them, and give them names like Peanut, Butter, Jelly, Gregory, Shayla Ashley, Dill Pickle, Jamal, and Gotherinia. There was a play mat for them to use as they grew bigger and stronger and began to develop feathers.

“I was surprised to see how much the chicks contributed to our well-being and mental health,” Mrs. Sauer said. “They brought us calmness and peace just looking at them.”

On Thursday, June 12, we said goodbye to the chicks. They were so well socialized that they sat and napped on students’ laps. There were some tears at the end of the day when Ms. Mack took them home to her farm.

As of June 19, the chicks were still under the lamp in the brooder at Ms. Mack’s. Her daughters, Kyra and Kallie, were playing with them every day. In about three weeks, as soon as they get all their feathers, they will join Ms. Mack’s 14 bigger chickens in the coop. 

“You can tell they were socialized because they are so calm,” Ms. Mack said. “The girls even brought two into the living room.”

Our students (and staff) will always remember them fondly.

“We loved the chickens. They were so adorable,” said seventh-grader Stella Covert.

“This is one of the best things we have ever done, in my opinion,” said Molly Flynn, also in the seventh grade.

Stay tuned for more updates on the chickens as the weeks go by. We may even have an answer to the question: Is Gregory really a rooster? 

The chicks on May 30.

Middle School Glows at Semi-Formal

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By Nora Weber

Last month, we had our first-ever semi-formal middle school dance at the Bradley Beach Fire Department Banquet Hall. The event was glow-themed, featuring neon lights, balloons, hanging paper stars, and plenty of glowing gadgets for students to wear.

The Student Council – led by Ms Acerra and Mrs. Covert – provided an assortment of delicious food, including chicken fingers, pasta, tacos, and taquitos dorados de pollo, as well as desserts like cupcakes and churros.

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The Fight Song: A Review

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By Delta Sorensen

“The Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, released in 2015, is about people fighting for rights. I heard it at the Democratic National Convention with Hillary Clinton, which I watched on TV in August.  It made me feel empowered. I am singing “The Fight Song” in a band at Lake House, a music school in Asbury Park. I will be singing this song, along with some other songs, with my band, on February 1. Hillary Clinton is not in the band. It’s only for kids.

My favorite lines from the song are “This is my fight song. Take back my life song.”

Delta (right) singing with her cousin, June Hancock, and their Lake House band at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park on February 1. Photo courtesy of Katelyn Saldutti.

And A Global Debate: Which One is Better, Cats Or Dogs?

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By Milo Butler

Cats come in all shapes and sizes. Dogs do too. Both cats and dogs make great pets. 

Fun facts: Have you ever seen a dog as big as a horse (Great Dane) or a dog that looks like a lion (Tibetan Mastiff)? And, by the way, have you ever seen a giant house cat (Maine Coon) or a cat that has no hair (Sphinx)?

But some people like one more than the other. That brings us to our question. Which one is better? Cats or dogs? In a recent survey of 60 Bradley Beach students, eight people responded that they like cats more, 19 people answered that they like both the same, and 36 people liked dogs more.

So it seems like a clear victory for dogs, at least here at Bradley Beach. If there’s anything else you need us to settle, let us know in the comments below.

In Tough Political Times, Love Comes First: Opinion Piece

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By Molly Flynn

“In our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president, or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States.” – Kamala Harris’s Concession Speech, November 6. 2024.

The election this year was controversial, to say the least. However, this doesn’t mean we need to fight at the dinner table over our opposing points of view. Just because one party won and the other lost, doesn’t mean we need to fight people or leave the country. 

Many of us just celebrated Thanksgiving. Christmas is coming up. I personally have family members with a range of political views, ranging from extremely conservative to very liberal, yet, at Thanksgiving, we talked about our interests, my dancing, my cousin’s golfing, and not about our political views. Want to know why? Because we love each other regardless of our political ideologies. That’s what you should care about. Now, I have some tips on what to do if the dinner table gets political. One thing I like to do is to tell a joke. This will hopefully distract people and start a new conversation. For example “Why couldn’t the sailor learn the alphabet? Because he got lost at ‘C’” A real knee-slapper. You could also tell your family about something new or exciting that happened to you. Maybe you just saw Wicked, you could talk about that. Hopefully, this guides the conversation into something less controversial. 

Now, I have heard of a lot of people saying that they’re going to leave the country. However, that is a terrible and immature response to the results. Instead of only focusing on the parties of America, we should focus on keeping America as the great country it is. Political parties are one singular part of America. There is so much more. And even if you oppose the current administration, there’s always another election in 2028. 

I will leave you with this fact: There is a 1 in 400,000,000,000,000 chance that you were even born on this planet. We should be grateful for even being here, and even more grateful that the number one thing we’re worrying about is politics. Stop worrying, and think about what you do have, not what you don’t have.

As you can clearly see, we shouldn’t let our political parties interfere with our day-to-day choices, especially how we view our family members. When you’re at the dinner table with your family, don’t forget that you love them for who they are.

Epic Season for Breakers Girls

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By Nora Weber

This year’s soccer season was one of our best in recent memory, with a final record of 5-3-1. We won five games, lost three, and ended one in a tie. The tie came against H.W. Mountz, a team we hadn’t beaten in years. Going into the match, we knew we had a real chance of coming out on top.

Early on in the game against H.W. Mountz, Kayley Kremen scored our first goal within the first 10 minutes. We erupted in excitement, celebrating with high-fives and cheering. Our confidence soared, and we felt sure we could win. But just before half-time, with only a few minutes left, the opposing team scored, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie.

After the break, and a pep talk from Coach Courtney Hammell, we returned to the field determined to retake the lead. Kayley, once again, made an incredible play, dribbling past several defenders and getting into a perfect position to shoot. She fired, and the ball hit the back of the net! We celebrated, but we knew we still had work to do. We quickly shifted our focus to defense, determined to hold onto our lead.

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Vitale

Unfortunately, with just 10 minutes left in the game, one of the H.W. Mountz players made a strong run down the field, evading our defenders and taking a shot. Our goalie made an initial save, but the ball slipped through her hands, and Mountz ran through her, scoring to tie the game once again. Both teams gave it their all in the final minutes, but neither could find a winning goal. The game went into overtime, but despite our best efforts, the score remained tied. In the end, we left the field feeling annoyed that we didn’t win, but proud of our hard-fought effort.

While our games were exciting and full of highs and lows, I think the best part of the season was the bus rides. We had a blast on the way to every game, with Kamila Stewart keeping the energy high with some great hype music. Even when we lost, we always kept our spirits up. The good times and fun we shared off the field were just as memorable as any win or loss.

This season may not have ended with a perfect record, but it was undoubtedly one of our best in years. We learned, we grew, and we had a lot of fun along the way.

Clubs Team up at Green Fair

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By Nora Weber

The Bradley Beach Green Fair is an annual event held in Riley Park to honor Earth Day, set up by the Bradley Beach tourism director, Amy Hall. This year, there were about 30-35 community groups and businesses at the green fair on April 21, and BBES was one of them.

At our table, we sold pottery vases that we made at Lovelight Handmade planted with marigolds. We also sold vegetable seedlings that we grew from seed in Mr. Sauer’s classroom. Environmental Club members presented information about the new aquaponics system BBES purchased this school year with the help of a grant from the state. The students from the Environmental and Garden Clubs worked in shifts to sell the pottery and plants. Mrs. Sauer, Mr. Cosgrove, and Mrs. Dizefalo also helped us out with our sales. Mrs. Dizefalo stopped by to set up and display the second graders’ recycled art project made with the help of green artist Lisa Bagwell. Even our mascot Bradley the Seagull was there to show his school spirit for Earth Day.

Since the pottery was made for free at Lovelight by the student club members, and they were our biggest hit, we raised $411, a good amount of money for the Garden and Environmental Clubs.

Two years ago, we also sold plants at the green fair supervised by the Environmental and Garden Club teacher, Mrs.Bialek. That year, we prepared by getting seedlings for popular vegetables and plants like tomatoes, beans, mint, and flowers. Kids were going around asking people if they wanted to buy plants, and it was a fun time. We sold almost all the plants we had.

Hopefully, in the future, we can continue this Earth Day tradition.

The “Best of BBES” Writing Contest

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We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 “Best of BBES” Writing Contest!

Last month, teachers nominated the three best writing pieces created by students in their grade levels this school year (members of The Tides were not eligible). Our newspaper staff judged the work on the following criteria: conventions, creativity, organization, craft moves, and details. Please click on the titles below to enjoy the work by our talented writers!

In first grade, Stiles Butler for “Planetarium.” Judge: Max Gast.

In second grade, Kailey Garcia Zuniga for “Uniforms.” Judge: Lillian McClaren.

In third grade, Beau Bartlett with “Ben Currso and the Flying Torch.” Judge: Molly Flynn.

In fourth grade, Yara Mohammed Sorour with “Personal Narrative.” Judge: Nora Weber.

In fifth grade, Saul Jose-Cruz with “One Day in D.C.” Judge: Kaitlynn Cook.

In sixth grade, Jazzelle Dockery with “Boat Ride.” Judge: Layla Katz.

In seventh grade, Dean Llolla with “Why Space Exploration Shouldn’t be a Priority.”  Judge Max Gast.

In eighth grade, Diana Montes-Santiago with “Amor Eterno.” Judge Brynn Hopf.

A New Spin for Bradley Bleach Laundromat 

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by Max Gast and the staff of The Tides

You are a little kid waiting for your parents to do their laundry, but all you can do is sit on a bench off to the side thinking about what you’re going to do when you get home. Watching clothes revolving in the large, stainless steel machines, you notice something new in the corner: a colorful rug, a child-sized table, and a bookcase loaded with brand-new books! 

The Laundromat Library at Bradley Bleach is the first such library in Monmouth County at 615 Park Place Avenue. Installed in October with a $5,000 grant obtained by the Bridge of Books Foundation, the Laundromat Library allows books to be taken home by kids. And you don’t need an I.D. or a library card.

“The idea is to expose children to literacy at an early age,” said Ursula Ayers, a former math teacher who owns the laundromat with her husband, Victor Ayers. “Children take books home to keep. We want children to have books to call their own,” 

The books range from early childhood to middle-grade reading levels, and there are even some for adults. This library was set up with help from the nonprofit Bridge of Books Foundation, which obtained a $5,000 grant from The Burlington Foundation for equipment and an ongoing supply of books. 

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