Artificial Intelligence

World-famous physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking once said, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race”. While it hasn't reached such a dramatic point, the impact of AI in 2025 is not unnoticeable.

AI responds to users' prompting by pulling information from an online database, “Franksteining ” together facts and details from every corner of the internet, in an attempt to write something vaguely human. Through this process, it strips away credit from the source material and raises serious concerns about how to validate the originality of a product. This matters most in educational spaces, from the perspective of both the teacher and the student. 

AI makes it difficult for teachers to do their jobs, and make sure their students are growing and learning basic skills like how to write professionally. It provides students with training wheels, because they don't have to edit things or come up with ideas by themselves. These training wheels are the same thing that will inhibit their growth. When you start relying on something or someone else to write everything for you, to give you all your ideas, and to edit literary work, you slowly lose the ability to do so yourself. These are all basic skills that are required in any professional space, and not honing these skills during such a key time is detrimental to a student's future in college and their profession.

From the view of our local community in Estero, AI has made quite an impression. As Mr. Cooper said, “I knew someone that used AI in college, he wound up getting caught and almost got kicked out of college. It can be a learning tool, but can be dangerous for the wrong purposes.” Using AI has real consequences, and can mess up something you've worked for for years, and threaten your entire college career. Don't let AI take away what you've spent so many years in school working towards. There is pride in creating your own ideas, there is pride in putting work into your assignments, and getting a grade that reflects your effort. Being academic, being intellectual is a trait that humans have uniquely to themselves, and is something that AI could never replicate.

Trip to the Baker Museum

Mrs. Reddish’s AICE Digital Media and Design students visited the Baker Museum in Naples during the first week of November. hey viewed art work in multiple mediums by various artists. Wildcats viewed many different exhibitions like Entangled in the Mangroves and Florida Contemporary. This field trip gave the students an opportunity to gather primary research for their AICE projects they are currently working on. 

“I love for my AICE photography students to see different forms of art in real life which is very different from viewing in a book or on-line.  We were able to view photographs from various Florida artists which can be very inspirational to my students.” - Mrs. Reddish 

“As a student, getting to see many unique art works and learn about different artists in real life made the learning experience in class so much fun. I got the opportunity to go on this field trip twice and seeing different exhibitions that I never got to see the previous year was very interesting.” - Natalie Stahl (Junior in A Level AICE Digital Media and Design)

My Personal Exchange Experience

I have been in the United States for three months now and it is my first time ever being in this country, and experiencing an American high school. I am here for one year and my exchange program focuses on cultural experience, getting to know lots of new people, and discovering new cultures. 

School in the U.S. is very different from what I am used to but I really like it here. I like having very different classes and the different clubs here. My favorite parts about high school are probably the football games and the school spirit people have here.  

I also found it to be very easy to make new friends and people have been very open and interested in getting to know more about my German culture too. People have been very friendly. 

Outside of school I am living with a host family but my exchange program requires me to change host families in order to get to know more about different parts of the culture and different traditions.

I have traveled with my host family and experienced a lot of new things. I went to Vermont, I did an airboat ride in the Everglades, and went to Orlando. Also, I have a lot of things still coming, for example a Sabrina Carpenter concert in Nashville, and a Buccaneers game in Tampa.

Exchange at Estero

Estero High School has become a popular destination for exchange students. Students from Europe, Asia and Africa come to the United States to spend a school year at an American high school. An exchange year is a great opportunity to learn more about a new culture, learn a new language, and make lots of new friends while creating memories that will last a lifetime. 

American students at Estero may not know it, but they also have the opportunity to go on an exchange trip as well!. Students are able to pick a trip based on how long they would like to participate in an exchange program, their budget for the year and their dream country. 

One of those organizations is Rotary, which also sponsors the Estero high school interact club. 

While an exchange year is a great opportunity to learn more about a new culture, it is also a chance to experience learning at an entirely different school. Most programs focus on having a cultural exchange and is a great way to meet people and learn more about everyday life in a different country.

Tanit Ribas is a current exchange student from Spain and is attending Estero High School this year. “My favorite part about being an exchange student is making a lot of new friends and having the opportunity to experience things I could never experience in my home country. I can also make connections that will last a lifetime. I thought it would be harder to make friends but it was very easy for me and people were very friendly to me and made it easy for me to feel accepted and build friendships”

Football season starts back up again!

The Estero Wildcat football team trained all summer to prepare for the new season.

Everybody was excited for the football season to start back up again; whether it's the students cheering them on from the bleachers, a varsity football player playing in  their final year, or a freshman experiencing it all for the first time 

Andrew Perez is a freshman football player, and he shared his feelings about his first season. “I'm excited but also nervous since it's my first football season.”

Sarina Molabeciri, a sophomore at Estero High School, loves attending the football games. 

“The football games are one of the things I really enjoy here at Estero, they are a fun way to hang out with your friends and support the school!” 

Overall the 2025 football season is one that Estero will never forget!