June 2013 Issue - Cape Cod Academy

CURRENT ISSUE ONESeventh GradeBird WatchingCompetitionBy Paulina Zuckerman andFiona DohertyEvery year, as the daysgrow warmer and birdscall brightly from thebranches, you can findgroups of seventh graderswandering about campuswith cameras. Upon firstglance, it might make youwonder what they’redoing and they aren’t inclass, but if you only askthe reason becomes clear.In the spring, Mrs. Albisand Mr. Crowell hold anannual bird watchingcompetition with theirstudents. The grade is splitinto two teams, eachincluding one teacher.While they compete aswell, the teachers’ scoresdon’t count. Everyone triesto photograph as manyspecies of birds as possibleand surpass the opposingteam. Pictures of rare orspecial species bring ateam extra points.This year the seventhgraders have been verysuccessful. Mrs. Albis saysthat this has been one ofthe best years that theyh a v e d o n e t h ecompetition, and manystudents have even foundmore species than she andMr. Crowell.Mrs. Albis and Mr.Crowell hold anannual birdw a t c h i n gcompetition withtheir students. Thegrade is split intotwo teams, eachincluding oneteacher. While theycompete as well,the teachers’ scoresAs spring arrives, theseventh graders alsoobserve natural changes ina plot of land. They go outevery week for fifteenminutes and use theirsenses to discern what haschanged.MKAlbis