The study discusses the challenges adolescents face during the transition to secondary school and the need for a comprehensive assessment tool to evaluate their readiness. The Positive School Transition Readiness Survey (PSTRS) was developed to assess a wide range of components that facilitate a positive transition and are important for adolescent well-being. The PSTRS showed acceptable internal consistency reliability for most subscales and demonstrated construct validity. The survey is multidimensional, correlating positively with well-being and negatively with anxiety, indicating its potential usefulness for school professionals, practitioners, researchers, and adolescents. The study also acknowledges limitations and suggests future research for further refinement of the PSTRS.

The article discusses the increasing global temperatures, highlighting that the planet is now 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) warmer than during the pre-industrial era. The past seven years have been the hottest on record, with 2021 tying for the sixth-hottest year despite being a La Niña year, which typically cools global temperatures. The article notes that the Arctic is warming at a rate three to four times faster than the global average, contributing to accelerated ice melt and sea-level rise. In 2021, eleven countries broke or tied their national heat records, with the Pacific Northwest and western Canada experiencing significant heat waves. The United States faced various weather extremes, including a costly winter storm in Texas and record warmth in June. The oceans also reached a record high in heat content, which can lead to sea-level rise and intensify tropical storms, as seen with Hurricane Ida. The article is based on the expertise of meteorologist Scott Duncan.

Scott Duncan reports on the extreme weather events that have struck British Columbia, Canada, within a short span of time. The region experienced one of the most severe heatwaves on record in June 2021, with temperatures reaching a record-breaking 49.6°C. This heatwave led to widespread wildfires. Only a few months later, in November 2021, the same area was hit by an atmospheric river event, causing historic rainfall and catastrophic flooding. The article discusses the role of climate change in increasing the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events, suggesting that the warming climate is making it easier for these events to reach extreme thresholds. The piece also touches on the concept of atmospheric rivers and their impact on weather patterns, including recent events in Europe and California.

Scott Duncan discusses the extreme weather patterns experienced across Europe during the winter, attributing them to the variability of the polar vortex and the jet stream. He explains how a sudden stratospheric warming led to a weak polar vortex and disrupted the jet stream, causing unusual cold and warm weather patterns. Duncan also touches on the record-breaking cold in North America and the potential links between jet stream behavior and climate change, highlighting the debate among scientists. He emphasizes that while natural variability is a significant factor in weather extremes, human-induced climate change could be influencing the jet stream, potentially leading to harsher droughts and heatwaves. However, the exact role of the jet stream in climate change remains unclear, and cold extremes are becoming less frequent.