FLY BYTIMES 2025-26
ALL ABOUT CROWS
Crows are probably my favorite animal (besides hedgehogs), and so here are a bunch of little facts about them:
1.Crows are oddly smart for birds.
a.Crows have the intelligence level of the average seven-year old child, which is honestly insane. Crows also have incredible facial recognition skills. This has both pros and cons. Pros: If you get the wonderful idea to feed a crow, it will remember you! If you feed it repeatedly, it will learn to like you and recognize you as a “safe human.” If they like you enough, then they might even bring you gifts! Cons: on the other hand, if you ever wrong a crow, it will tell its friends and family about you, and if they hate you enough they will divebomb you when they see you.
2.Crows are also strangely social
a.Another odd thing about crows is that they are pretty social. Crows often travel in murders, groups of crows, to search for food, hunt, and engage in other crow activities. They also typically live in groups of around 15, and this group will teach their young and defend said young by divebombing predators, such as hawks, until they go away and stop harassing the baby crows.
3.Crows are NOT RAVENS
a.There are MANY distinct differences between crows and ravens, but here are three:
i.Crows are significantly smaller than ravens. The size of a crow compares better to that of a pigeon, while a raven is more like a hawk or falcon in build.
ii.A crow does not fly very beautifully. Crows flap their wings a lot and don’t really glide or take much advantage of air currents. Ravens, on the other hand, fly GRACEFULLY. Ravens fly a lot more quietly and are very swoopy and very with lots of agility.
iii.As said in bullet point number 2, crows are very social creatures. They travel in “murders” (love that name) and are typically very social. Meanwhile, ravens are NOT social whatsoever. They travel alone and will find one other raven to mate with, but otherwise don’t get along well with each other.
Ok thank you for reading my rant about crows. Bye!
TEAMS YOU WON’T SEE IN THE WORLD CUP
Every four years, the world’s most popular sporting event occurs, the FIFA World Cup. In 2022, The FIFA World Cup exceeded 5 billion viewers, whereas the Summer Olympics barely reached 3 billion viewers in 2024. Though this upcoming World Cup has more teams in the roster than normal (48), many teams that were expected to qualify did not indeed make it, and many other teams were banned from the tournament entirely. Some of the teams that did not qualify but were expected to include Nigeria, Italy, Serbia, and Costa Rica. Nigeria is considered one of the best teams in all of Africa, which is why it surprised many to hear that Nigeria did not qualify. Italy is ranked 13th in the world right now, which is why it was very unexpected for them to not qualify, and Costa Rica is currently the most successful Central American team, having qualified in six world cups. Some of the teams that were banned include Russia, Iran, and Congo, and one other team stands a chance of being banned, Haiti. The Ivory Coast, though allowed to compete, faced having no fans from the Ivory Coast due to a travel ban. Russia has been banned due to the war in Ukraine, Iran because of the war in the Middle East, and Congo has been banned due to political interference and safety concerns. Haiti might be banned because of US safety concerns and visa overstay rates. These are all the teams that were expected to qualify but didn’t, and all the teams that were banned and might be banned in the near future
SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS
Movies are a great source of entertainment, and people have been enjoying them since the mid to late 1890’s. If you want to enjoy movies this summer, then here’s a list of some you might want to check out.
Toy Story 5
The Toy Story cast is back for another adventure! Toy Story is a classic PIXAR movie about the secret lives your toys live when you ’ re not looking. Previous movies have followed characters like Woody and Buzz as they face the threats of moving, getting sold, and their owner, Andy, finally outgrowing them. Throughout these challenges, they have always stayed strong and together. After over 30 years, the fifth movie in the series will be released on June 19th. Watch as the toys face the challenge of modern technology and its powerful ability to draw attention away from the toys and toward technology.
Live Action Moana
We all know the Disney animated film Moana. A girl named Moana lives on an island that is slowly dying along with the world and is tasked to find Maui, his magical hook, and save the world. The live-action Moana is based on the original animated movie. The movie stars Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui. Watch a live-action version of an iconic movie in theaters on July 10th.
The Odyssey
Originally a book, The Odyssey follows the journey of King Odysseus’s journey home from the Trojan War. Christopher Nolan is a highly acclaimed British-American filmmaker who has directed many great movies, like Interstellar, Inception, Oppenheimer, and now The Odyssey. The movie will be released in theaters on July 17th.
Spider-Man Brand New Day
Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, lives a secret life as Spider-Man, going around New York City, stopping villains, and facing challenges to save civilians. After the events of Spider-Man No Way Home, everyone forgets that Peter Parker ever existed. This causes many issues, but ultimately allows him to have a fresh start as SpiderMan. Spider-Man Brand New Day is an action packed adventure, set to release on July 31st, and focuses on a more grounded version of Spider-Man as he goes up against villains while defending his city.
COLORING SHEET
GRAND PRIX DE LA BAGUETTE
On February 26, the Confédération nationale de la boulangerie-pâtisserie française (National Confederation of French Bakery and Pastry) hosted the annual competition to determine the best baguette in Paris. The official name of the competition is Grand prix de la baguette de tradition française de la ville de Paris (Grand Prix of the Traditional French Baguette of the City of Paris)
There are very strict qualifications to enter the competition; firstly, the loaves must be between 55-65 cm in length, weigh between 250 - 300 grams, and they must contain 18 grams of salt per kilogram of flour. Entries failing these constraints are immediately disqualified. The competition is limited to qualified professionals, and each baguette is labeled only with a number to make sure they are judged fairly. Baguettes are judged on five qualities, each assigned a value of 04:
1.Appearance (Aspect): The exterior must be well-formed, often with a dark, caramel-colored crust that indicates proper baking.
1.Baking (Cuisson): The quality of the bake, ensuring it is crunchy and well-cooked.
1.Smell (Odeur): A pleasant, warm, and slightly nutty or caramelly aroma.
1.Taste (Goût): The flavor balance, specifically the salt balance and overall deliciousness.
1.Crumb (Mie/Alvéolage): The inside must be soft, chewy, and well-aerated with irregular "honeycomb" air pockets, indicating proper fermentation.
Clearly, the Grand prix de la baguette is an extremely prestigious competition for only the highest level of bakers in Paris, but there is a good reason for this. The maker of the baguette that wins is given, along with a medal and 4,000 euros, the opportunity to be the supplier to the Élysée Palace for one year. The Élysée Palace is the official residence of the president of France, so this is obviously a huge honor.
This year, the winner actually has a bakery in Paris where anyone can try the award-winning baguette. The winner, Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan, was a representative from the Fournil Didot bakery, situated in the 14th arrondissement (arrondissements are just subdivisions of the city) of Paris. Since winning this year, the bakery has become much more popular, and I highly recommend visiting if you are ever in Paris! 7
THIS OR THAT
WHAT IF SMARTPHONES WERE ALLOWED AT SCHOOL?
1.Immediate access to educational resources
2.Improved research capabilities
3.Enhanced safety through direct communication with parents.
4.Improving skills with modern technology
Although there are positives to having access to your phone in school, there are also negatives.
1.Create significant distractions
2.Academic Dishonesty
3.Decrease in face-to-face social interaction
4.Spreading gossip & filming others without consent
As someone who does not yet own a smartphone, I understand why many students believe it would be better to have them at school. At the same time, if my peers had been allowed to have their phones in school, I likely wouldn’t have been able to build the strong connections I have with them now.
WHY LEBRON JAMES IS THE BEST
The NBA has had hundreds of amazing players who have won many championships and MVP awards. But have you ever wondered who the best player among them all is? Lebron James is one of the best basketball players ever for so many reasons: the stats, records, championships and so much more. Lebron is one of the best players because of all of the records he is breaking. For example, he broke the record for the most points scored by any player ever with over 51,000 points. Another record he has broken is having 21 consecutive All-Star selections and being the first 40-year-old to have a triple-double. Also, he has the most playoff points, with over 8,289. Another reason LeBron is the best basketball player ever is that he has 4 championships and has been selected for Team USA 4 times. He is also the only player ever to dominate all 5 positions. LeBron has had one of the best regular-season games, but when it comes to the playoffs, he dominates all the time. In the playoffs, Lebron averaged 26.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and he led the Miami Heat to four NBA Finals appearances, winning two championships (2012, 2013) and earning Finals MVP honors both times. With all the things LeBron has done on the court and how much he has affected the game, he is also affecting lives and helping people in need. The LeBron James Family Foundation, based in Akron, Ohio, focuses on empowering at-risk youth through education, mentorship, and community support. Its flagship "I PROMISE" program serves over 1,400 students and offers guaranteed college scholarships.
ADITYA BHOJAK
WHAT SCHOOL SHOULD STAND FOR
School should stand for Seven Cruel Hours Of Our Lives. School is seven hours long, and school isn’t that fun, and because it's so long, kids can't have that many after-school activities.
Math should stand for Mental Abuse To Humans because math is so hard and confusing. Every time I’m in math class, my head feels like it's going to explode, and there is so much work.
ELA should stand for Extremely Long Assignments because there are so many assignments, we have to read every night, and sometimes we even have to annotate. Even though ELA is my favorite, I think this is what it should stand for.
Homework should stand for Half Of My Evening Wasted On Ridiculous Knowledge. This is what it should stand for because every night I have to do so much homework, and we shouldn't have to do stuff at home. Home should be for sleeping, eating, and not doing a lot of homework that I sometimes forget. Also, after school, people have after-school activities.
This is what school should stand for. It makes a lot of sense, and it's way better than what it actually means.
MY OPINION ON BOBA
y p p y , g popular tea drink in the world. In 2025, it was a $3.95 billion business and is projected to hit $6.87 billion by 2034! It's known for its sweet but bitter tea and chewy tapioca pearls. I know that many people like brown sugar milk tea with tapioca pearls, but I personally prefer mango passion fruit tea with strawberry popping pearls. I love how the passion fruit pairs perfectly with the mango to create a delicious sweet tea, and how the strawberry popping pearls balance the slight bitterness to make a perfect drink.
Many people love boba, but some dislike it. Take my friend, for example. He doesn't like it because he thinks that the bobas are disgusting and that the tea is mid. But my friend Aditya likes it. He likes it because “The tea is bustin, and I love the boba balls.” I personally agree with him. I'm sure that if you ' re reading this article right now, you may agree with me or hate me for this, but if you have never tried boba, you need to. My personal favorite place to get boba is Dr. T house in Santa Monica. The menu isn't that expensive, and they have other things besides boba. Overall, I think boba is a great drink to have whenever you ' re thirsty.
BEST KIDS SHOWS
Shows come in many different versions, like cartoons, anime, or live action Though nobody has watched every single type of show, a type of show everybody has watched are kids shows So here are some of the most popular kids shows in recent years.
about a group of animals that go diving, going on different adventures along the way
Another classic-, it’s about the life in a world where everybody is a different animal and friends
Also an amazing show about this family of dogs that still holds up as a great today
HITCHENS GOERDEL
4. Peppa Pig
3. Bluey
Really just the number one classic and is so iconic and entertaining
1. Spongebob
We have all watched at least one episode of this in our lives, and it's genuinely an amazing show and my personal favorite kids show
HITCHENS GOERDEL
NFL MOCK DRAFT
Write what player you picked on the lines next to the teams. And below you will have some prospects that are rated. You can choose from those who you want to pick, or you can just pick someone not on the list. The teams are listed in order of where they actually pick. The NFL draft starts on April 23rd and ends on April 25.
Raiders: Jets: Cardinals:
Titans: Giants: Browns: Commanders:
Saints: Chiefs: Bengals: Dolphins: Cowboys: Rams (From Falcons): Ravens: Buccaneers: Jets (From Colts)
Lions: Vikings: Panthers: Cowboys: Steelers Chargers: Eagles
Browns (From Jaguars)
Bears: Bills:
49ers: Texans: Chiefs (From Rams): Broncos: Patriots: Seahawks:
NFL MOCK DRAFT
TOP PROSPECTS
1. Linebacker (LB): Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
2. Safety (S): Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
3. Running Back (RB): Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame)
4. Edge Rusher (ED): David Bailey (Texas Tech)
5. Quarterback (QB): Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
6. Linebacker (LB): Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
7. Edge Rusher (ED): Reuben Bain Jr (Miami)
8. Wide Receiver (WR): Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
9. Offensive lineman (OL): Francis Mauigoa (Miami)
10. Cornerback (CB): Mansoor Delane (LSU)
11. Offensive Line (OL) Monroe Freeling (Georgia)
12. Wide Receiver (WR) Makai Lemon (USC)
13. Tight End (TE) Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)
14. Wide Receiver (WR) Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
15. Cornerback (CB) Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
16. Cornerback (CB) Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
17. Edge Rusher (ED) Ahkeem Mesidor (Miami)
18. Offensive Line (OL) Spencer Fano (Utah)
19. Linebacker (LB) C.J Allen (Georgia)
20. Safety (S) Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
21.Offensive Line (OL) Vega Ioane (Penn State)
22. Edge Rusher (ED) Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
23. Wide Receiver (WR) Denzel Boston (Washington)
24. Safety (S) Emmanuel Mcneil-Warren (Toledo)
25. Defensive Line (DL) T.J. Parker (Clemson)
26. Cornerback (CB) Colton Hood (Tennessee)
27.Defensive Line (DL) Caleb Banks (Florida)
28. Defensive Line (DL) Peter Woods (Clemson)
29. Defensive Line (DL) Cashious Howell (Texas A&M)
30. Cornerback (CB) Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
31. Wide Receiver (WR) K.C. Concepcion (Texas A&M)
32. Offensive Line (OL) Kadyn Proctor (Alabama)
Editor’s Note
We’ve almost reached the end of 2026, and I’m excited to finish off my final year in the Fly-By Times with these great writers! - Aya
Only a few weeks left to go before the end of the school year! We have one issue left to go for this semester, and we can’t wait to see you there!
- Lucy Wyman
