‭Chemistry‬

‭The Chemistry of Ginger and Gingerbread‬

‭Gingers Flavor, Aroma, and Pungency‬

‭Ginger’s flavor is influenced by a number of compounds. The pungency of fresh ginger comes from gingerol,‬
‭which activates heat receptors on the tongue, while zingiberene also contributes to the flavor.‬

‭Cooking ginger, for example when making gingerbread, breaks down gingerols into the compound zingerone.‬
‭Zingerone is less pungent, and a significant contributor to ginger’s flavor. Another class of compounds formed‬
‭during cooking are the shogaols, which also contribute to the flavor and pungency.‬

‭Potential Health Benefits Of Ginger‬

‭A number of the compounds in ginger are bioactive. Shogaol has a strong anti-coughing effect whilst gingerol has‬
‭anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Studies have also suggested that gingerol inhibits production of new‬
‭blood vessels, which may make it useful in the treatment of tumors. Other studies have found that ginger is more‬
‭effective than a placebo for treating nausea during pregnancy and chemotherapy.‬

‭The Chemistry Of Fireworks‬

‭New Year is a time where one is able to see lots of different-colored fireworks. But, why and how are they actually‬
‭different colors?‬

‭The spectacular colors are the result of metal compounds combining with oxidisers that supply oxygen. This‬
‭produces heat, which kicks electrons in the chemicals into higher energy levels. They rapidly return to their‬
‭normal ‘ground state’, and shed the energy as light.‬

‭Color Producers :‬‭Metal compounds which produce an intense color when burned. Some are listed below :‬
‭-‬ ‭Red :‬‭Strontium Salts ( Strontium Nitrate, Strontium carbonate, Strontium Sulfate )‬
‭-‬ ‭Orange :‬‭Calcium Salts ( Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate )‬
‭-‬ ‭Yellow :‬‭Sodium Salts ( Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Oxalate, Cryolite )‬
‭-‬ ‭Green :‬‭Barium Salts ( Barium Nitrate, Barium Carbonate, Barium Chloride, Barium Chloride )‬
‭-‬ ‭Blue :‬‭Copper Salts ( Copper (I) Chloride, Copper Carbonate, Copper Oxide )‬
‭-‬ ‭Purple :‬‭Combine Copper and Strontium Compounds‬
‭-‬ ‭Silver :‬‭White Hot Magnesium and Aluminum‬
‭-‬ ‭White :‬‭Burning Metal ( Magnesium, Aluminium, Titanium )‬
‭KEVI Food‬

‭Just as customs often vary from region to region, so do their respective festive cuisines. Consider putting an‬
‭international twist on your own celebrations this year with these traditional New Year's dishes from around the‬
‭world!‬

‭Soba Noodles‬‭| Japan‬

‭In Japanese households, families eat buckwheat soba noodles, or toshikoshi soba, at midnight on New Year’s Eve‬
‭to bid farewell to the year gone by and welcome the year to come. The tradition dates back to the 17th century,‬
‭and the long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity‬‭.‬

‭Korean Tteokguk (Rice Cake Soup) | South Korea‬

‭Tteokguk (rice cake soup), is a delicious, filling soup made of disc-shaped rice cakes in a clear broth. Koreans‬
‭always eat it on Seollal (Korean New Year) and is meant to be enjoyed in the community, and is believed to bring‬
‭good luck in the coming year. This is a traditional dish enjoyed by many--if not all--Koreans during the New‬
‭Year's and Lunar New Year holidays.‬

‭Twelve Grapes | Spain‬

‭The people of Spain traditionally watch a broadcast from Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where revelers gather in front‬
‭of the square’s clock tower to ring in the New Year. Those out in the square and those watching at home partake‬
‭in an unusual annual tradition: At the stroke of midnight, they eat one grape for every toll of the clock bell. Some‬
‭even prep their grapes – peeling and seeding them – to make sure they will be as efficient as possible when‬
‭midnight comes. The custom began at the turn of the 20th century and was purportedly thought up by grape‬
‭producers in the southern part of the country with a bumper crop. Since then, the tradition has spread to many‬
‭Spanish-speaking nations.‬

‭Hoppin’ John | (Southern) USA‬

‭A major New Year’s food tradition in the American South, Hoppin’ John is a dish of pork-flavored field peas or‬
‭black-eyed peas (symbolizing coins) and rice, frequently served with collards or other cooked greens (as they’re the‬
‭color of money) and cornbread (the color of gold). The dish is said to bring good luck in the new year.Different‬
‭folklore traces the history and the name of this meal, but the current dish has its roots in African and West Indian‬
‭traditions and was most likely brought over by slaves to North America. A recipe for Hoppin’ John appears as‬
‭early as 1847 in Sarah Rutledge’s “The Carolina Housewife” and has been reinterpreted over the centuries by‬
‭home and professional chefs.‬

‭King Cake | Around The Globe‬

‭The tradition of a New Year’s cake is one that spans countless cultures. The Greeks have the Vasilopita, the‬
‭French the gâteau or galette des rois. Mexicans have the Rosca de Reyes and Bulgarians enjoy the banitsa.‬

‭Most of the cakes are consumed at midnight on New Year’s Eve – though some cultures cut their cake on‬
‭Christmas or the Epiphany, January 6 – and include a hidden gold coin or figure, which symbolizes a prosperous‬
‭year for whoever finds it in their slice.‬
‭KEVI Business‬
‭With the start of a new year comes a lot of resolutions – almost everyone in the world makes a resolution or two‬
‭at the start of a new year. Most of the time these resolutions consist of promises to lose weight, get fitter, quit‬
‭smoking, and be nicer. However, your resolutions don’t just have to be personal ones; you can also set resolutions‬
‭for your business – AKA goals that will help your business to grow more successfully over the next few months.‬
‭With the start of a new year, now is the perfect time to reflect on your business’s past year and decide what you‬
‭want to do differently this year, to ensure that your business is as successful as possible in the brand new year.‬

‭Below are some ideas to help you to do that…‬

‭1. Learn to Delegate‬

‭The chances are that your to-do list extends longer than a page in length, which means that you have too much to‬
‭do.‬
‭If you continue to overwork yourself and put too much pressure on, your business will not succeed.‬
‭You need to learn how to delegate tasks to other team members or to outsource them to freelancers, to give‬
‭yourself a break.‬
‭You can only work so many hours in a day, and so, it is vital to ensure that those hours count, instead of focusing‬
‭on menial tasks.‬

‭2. Practice Managing Your Cash Flow More Effectively‬

‭The cash flow of your business is like the heart’s blood supply, without it there is no hope.‬
‭Did you know that 80% of small businesses that fail, do so because of a lack of effective cash flow management?‬
‭So if you aren’t already being mindful about your business’s cash flow management, now is the time to start.‬

‭3. Learn New Skills‬

‭All of the best business owners make it their business to constantly be learning new skills.‬
‭The fact is that the business industry is changing and developing all the time, which is why learning new skills and‬
‭staying up to date with what is going on in the industry is so crucial.‬

‭6. Strategise Each Week‬

‭Don’t make the mistake of failing to strategise. If you want to ensure that your business has every chance of‬
‭growth over the next 12 months, taking the time to strategise each week is crucial.7. When Things Don’t Work,‬
‭Move On‬
‭If you know that something is not working for your small business, don’t make the mistake of continuing to do‬
‭it.‬
‭Instead, realize that moving on is crucial, if you want your business to be a success, that is.‬
‭If a certain technique, service, or relationship with another business is no longer working for you, move on from‬
‭it and find another path to go down.‬
‭KEVI CPLD‬

‭Should you let your kids stay up until midnight?‬

‭New Year's Eve doesn't look the same after becoming a parent, as you're forced to swap champagne-fueled parties‬
‭for bedtime stories. But as children get older, they might want to participate in the excitement of December 31.‬
‭This begs an important question: Should you let your kids stay up until midnight?‬

‭Babies and Toddlers‬

‭If you have a little kid, it's probably best to stick with their normal bedtime routine. "Babies and toddlers need‬
‭significantly more sleep than adults. They have a much smaller threshold to stay awake throughout the‬
‭day,"When young kids stay up much later than normal, it impacts their sleep quality and emotional regulation.‬

‭Try not to feel too bad about letting your little one doze off early on New Year's—they won't fully understand the‬
‭excitement anyways!‬

‭Elementary-Aged Children‬

‭It's probably OK to let your older child stay up on New Year's Eve, but keep in mind you'll find a wider spectrum‬
‭of sleep needs at this age. While some kids won't have any trouble lasting until midnight, others might not make it‬
‭past 9:30 p.m. And most children will feel extra tired the next day.‬

‭Parents should expect the following consequences of keeping kids up too late on New Year's Eve:‬

‭​‬ ‭- Lack of emotional regulation (this is a nice way of saying they'll be super cranky)‬
‭​‬ ‭- Trouble staying awake‬
‭​‬ ‭- Difficulty focusing‬
‭​‬ ‭- Disturbed nighttime sleep‬
‭KEVI Environment‬

‭This month in the environmental society…‬

‭-‬ ‭KEVI Sixth form students took part in the Climate Change Conference hosted by the Northumberland‬
‭City Council. With the help of Hazel Scurr from the NCC committee, KEVI sixth formers were able to‬
‭organize accordingly and invite schools from all over the county, including our own KEVI Year 11’s.‬
‭Issues tackled and brought to concern included what climate change actually is, the impacts of climate‬
‭change, and what the country as well as the schools within it can do to get to the common goal of net‬
‭zero emissions by 2030. Workshops on actions against climate change and ideas to prevent it were carried‬
‭out, giving every school to speak up and share their ideas on what could possibly be done. The event‬
‭ended with the conclusion of a series of different programs you and your school could partake in and‬
‭ultimately change the course of climate change.‬

‭-‬ ‭KEVI Sixth formers continue to work with Dai Richards on the Morpeth Signage Project. Recently, the‬
‭students were taken on a trip to St Mary’s Graveyard, Morpeth to get a brief idea of the rich history‬
‭behind the town of Morpeth and its people who once lived there. Tour guide Mike Booth showed and‬
‭spoke about the history of the War memorials for WWI and WWII, international polish and belgium‬
‭graves, and the story behind infamous suffragette Emily Davinson.‬

‭KEVI Drama‬

‭-‬ ‭This month in Kevi Drama, the production team continues to work on the casting for the upcoming‬
‭‘The Addams Family’ Musical. The main cast has been chosen and now the casting for the “dancestors”‬
‭has wrapped up, with the choreography starting to be put into place. Soon, the script and vocal books‬
‭will be shared amongst the cast, allowing the production for the musical to officially begin!‬

‭- Year 11 GCSE Drama students had a treat in store - with a visit to the Theatre Royal to see this year's‬
‭pantomime - Pinocchio with Danny Addams and Clive Webb.‬
‭This formed a part of their Live Theatre unit - they also had front seats in the stalls!‬
‭-Year 12 are taking every opportunity available to them - exploring practitioners in Drama - spending time‬
‭observing public in Morpeth and then bringing these characters to life‬
‭-Year 13 are preparing for their practical Text performance - choosing extracts from Five Kinds of Silence‬
‭by Shelagh Stevenson (born in Northumberland) and Colder Than Here by Laura Wade for their final A‬
‭level exam.‬
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