District STEM Education Program Newsletter - August 2013 .pdf
Transcript of District STEM Education Program Newsletter - August 2013 .pdf
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DISTRICT STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM
Cherry Creek School District
5416 S. Riviera Way
Centennial, CO 80015
720-554-5605
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR:
Welcome back to the 2013-2014 school year. For students who are new to Cherry Creek Schools, welcome to a very active and exciting school district, where learning is the focus. I certainly hope you all enjoyed your summer vacation and are rejuvenated by the time spent exploring the beauty of your various summer destinations. We are excited to share the many accomplishments and activities of our students and staff members in STEM education over the past few months. Many of our graduating seniors have gone on to pursue STEM careers as a result of their experience in Cherry Creek Schools. We are proud of the many success stories that continue to emanate from various schools. In the spring of 2013, we had one Overland High School student and two Smoky Hill High School students selected to attend the University of Colorado's BA/BS, MD program. These students were three of ten students selected from a highly competitive statewide process. Upon selection, these students undergo a rigorous process of preparing to fill a seat in medical school at one of the nation’s top-ranked institutions, the Anschutz Medical Campus. The process will take at least eight years and requires students to work toward their goal during each summer month. There are several other examples of the success of our students, district-wide. Each of our schools have budding scientists, engineers, technologists, mathematicians and physicians. The skills that are required for students to be successful in these careers are rooted in what, Harvard Professor, Tony Wagner has identified as the "Seven Survival Skills." They are:
Critical thinking and problem solving
Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
Agility and adaptability
Initiative and entrepreneurship
Accessing and analyzing information
Effective oral and written communication
Curiosity and imagination
Our job then as educators is to provide the environment where these skills can be nurtured, grown and refined. To that end, many of the Seven Survival Skills require students to be flexible in problem-solving and to be able to read and write complex texts in a variety of subjects and genres. Research has shown that one of the distinguishing skills of students, who meet or exceed the benchmark score on the ACT, is their ability to read increasingly complex texts. As we transition to the Common Core State Standards, reading complex texts will play an increasing role as the skill which allows access to complex ideas which foster innovation. Our new superintendent, Dr. Bull, has made this focus on literacy a priority for all students and all schools. We are excited about the career possibilities and are committed to providing the very best STEM education experience for our students. We look forward to a great school year!
District STEM Education Program contacts:
Dr. Richard Charles, Director 720-554-5605
Barb Bortz, Administrative Assistant
720-554-5605
Denise Goldin-Dubois, Secondary STEM Coach
720-554-5604
Sherri Dennstedt, Secondary STEM Coach
720-554-5603
August, 2013 “Tomorrow’s workforce educated today” Volume 1 – Issue 2
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Do you have STEM news you
would like to share?
Please email your information to
Barb Bortz, Administrative Assistant
for the District STEM Education
Program @
Cherry Creek School District – STEM Newsletter August, 2013 2
DISTRICT NEWS - SECONDARY STEM COACHES
Sherri Dennstedt : As our first year as a STEM Science Cohort ended last May, we were able to complete three Claims,
Evidence and Reasoning (CER) probes, implement STEM lessons and projects in at least one unit
per semester, and had two days of professional development together. We are becoming experts
in Next Generation Science Standards science practices and reflected on our growth and areas of
need for the Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning work with our students.
During the 2013-2014 school year a second cohort which will include teachers from Laredo, Smoky
Hill, Overland, Cherokee Trail, Falcon Creek, and Sky Vista will be added. This cohort will focus on
becoming experts in NGSS science practices, CER’s, and planning for STEM opportunities.
Both cohorts will have two lab days in which teachers will observe a master teacher using effective instructional
practices and will integrate the NGSS science practices in the lesson. In addition, all teachers will go through a coaching
cycle three times during the school year and unit plan with their PLC team or department to create STEM opportunities.
Denise Goldin-Dubois: The STEM Math Cohort continued to learn more about the impact of
implementing the Common Core State Standards. Coaching cohort teachers focused on creating
and planning for student centered classrooms where students are doing the reading, writing,
talking and problem solving. The Math Cohort 1 had a fabulous lab day in April, and spent the
morning in Jermy Zeman’s classroom at Liberty Middle School and spent the afternoon debriefing
about their work with Learning Targets. We look forward to adding four more schools (Cherry
Creek High School plus one of the feeder middle schools, Smoky Hill High School and Laredo Middle School) for Cohort 2
this year.
Sherri and Denise are also participating in the STEM Certification Professional Development opportunity which is a
partnership between Colorado State University and Cherry Creek Schools offered to teachers in the district to enable
them to become STEM certified (see more information
below).
_______________________________________
STEM Certification in the District
Approximately fifty Science,
Technology, and Math teachers
attended the STEM Capacity Building
and Teacher Professional Development Workshop during
the week of June 10, 2013 as part of the STEM Certification
Program. This workshop was the first of three that each
teacher will need to participate in to become STEM
certified. This program was possible due to a partnership
between Cherry Creek Schools and Colorado State University. The first workshop experience emphasized the
intersection of engineering, mathematics, and biology in a biomedical engineering theme. The five-day intensive
professional development brought high school and middle school, science, math and engineering/technology education
teacher teams together to learn how to implement an inventive approach to a long-term biomedical engineering design
project. Workshop elements included instruction on how to “blueprint” curriculum, use engineering and scientific
notebooks for assessment, as well as, planning, designing, and implementing an aligned common core standards-based
biomedical engineering design project. Teacher teams who completed the workshop are fully prepared with all
necessary lessons and instructional resources to deliver a fully integrated biomedical engineering unit.
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ELEMENTARY COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
On May 18, 2013, approximately 250 students and families showed up for the first Scratch Day hosted by Cherry Creek Schools. It was an amazing day! Students had the opportunity to meet, share, and learn with Colorado Scratch Programmers. Scratch, mostly intended for students ages 8-16, is an object-oriented programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, and art, and share your creations on the web. When sharing their creations with the Scratch online community, students are making a shift from consuming from the internet to being positive contributors to the Internet. As young students create and share Scratch projects, they learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work
collaboratively. Computer programming is quickly becoming a necessary skill for jobs of the future. Thanks to Jon Pierce, Instructional Technology Coordinator for organizing this event. To start Scratch programming at your school, speak to your principal and inquire about opportunities to promote computer programming.
DISTRICT STEM NEWS
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Cherry Creek School District is pleased to announce the approval of the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program which
will be hosted on the Overland High School campus. Students from across the district will be able to participate in this
program which will involve taking courses leading to CNA certification. Interested students should speak to their home
school counselors regarding this opportunity. The photograph of students shown below was taken in the new CNA
Certification Lab at Overland.
The courses required for certification include the following: 9th Grade Exploring Health Sciences (1 semester) AP Biology (1 year) 10th Grade Principles of Health Science (1 year) Microbiology (1 semester) Genetics (1 semester) 11th Grade Advanced Health Science (1 year) Biotechnology (1 year) 12th Grade Nurse Aide Certification Course (1 year) Capstone (1 year) Required Co-Curriculars Anatomy and Physiology (1 year)
DISTRICT STEM NEWS
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Thanks to John Eyolfson, District K-12 Science Coordinator, and Judy Bogart, District Elementary Science Coach, approximately 200 elementary teachers completed Phase III Life Science Implementation training for grades K-5, during the 2012-2013 school year. This training, which is part of FOSS, (Full Option Science System), integrates science with reading, writing and math. The program engages students with hands-on instruction resulting in multi-sensory learning, reflective thinking, and how to work together.
The Life Science unit has students and teachers engaged in working with live animals. Teachers learned the proper care, handling and return of the live species which included chicks and crawfish.
DISTRICT STEM NEWS
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Polton Elementary School:
Polton Elementary School’s 11th Consecutive Science Fair was held at the Institute
of Science and Technology on January 24, 2013. With Kindergarten through Fifth
grade representation, 227 science boards held a variety of questions and
procedures. Forty-three science judges heard about psychology and sociology.
Polton scientists researched how people responded to waves and smiles. Environmental issues
were covered. Going green and cars of the future were investigated. Chemistry bubbled over with
vinegar and baking soda solutions. Earth science projects engaged visitors in a camouflage activity.
Displays also demonstrated daily life science. To Spoil or Not to Spoil successfully supported the
importance of keeping food at a cooler temperature. Without a doubt, these and many other
projects brought together Polton’s community, all excited to see the work of our future scientists.
Thank you to Deb Mcmullen from Polton for providing this information.
Antelope Ridge Elementary School:
The first annual, Antelope Ridge Science Night, “Investigating How to Live Gently on Our Earth”, was held
on May 21, 2013.
Students invited their families to show how they investigate in science. What they shared:
• Tested wind turbines and played the recycled plastic sorting game.
• Dissected seeds and observed crayfish.
• Identified cool animal adaptations and played with science toys.
• Viewed our microscopic world with the computer microscope.
• Made leaf rubbings and read a book at a tree.
• Tested UV intensity and checked out the greenhouse effect model outside.
•PLUS MUCH MORE!
Also at the event, Antelope Ridge’s PTCO sponsored a live animal program. Live
animal guests joined international wildlife photographer and speaker, Perry Conway
while he presented information on understanding the wonders of our animal kingdom.
(www.perryconway.com)
Thank you Laura Arndt, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Science teacher at Antelope Ridge, for
sharing this information.
ELEMENTARY STEM NEWS
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Antelope Ridge Elementary School’s Engineering Challenge
With the guidance of teacher, Laura Arndt, student engineers learned about and designed blades for a wind turbine and
competed to see who could generate the most electrical energy.
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind, also called wind energy, into mechanical energy in a process known as wind power. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind turbine or wind power plant. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or pumping
water, the device is called a windmill or wind pump. Similarly, it may be referred to as a wind charger when used for charging batteries. (Wikipedia)
ELEMENTARY STEM NEWS
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Thunder Ridge Middle School
Mark Weiland, Technology teacher, introduced students to the world of
programming and LEGO robotics during this past 2012-2013 school year. Mr.
Weiland also started an afterschool program where students learned how to build a
basic robot as well as learn how to use a variety of sensors with their robots. They
had to design a device, or end effector, on their robot that would allow them to pick up a sample and return it to base.
For more information on LEGO Robotics, please visit: http://www.legoeducation.us/
MIDDLE SCHOOL STEM NEWS
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The Overland High School HUNCH Team (sponsored by NASA) traveled to Houston over spring
break to conduct experiments in zero gravity.
HUNCH is an extremely innovative partnership
between educational institutions and NASA. The HUNCH program is a school-based innovative
program that promotes student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. While students are
building hardware and experiments, etc. for NASA they are also building their interest as researchers, as well as their
self-esteem. HUNCH is a win-win innovative solution for inspiring the next generation of researchers and providing cost-
effective hardware for NASA. Students from Overland High school flew their second experiment which focused on
crystal growth in microgravity. [For more information: www.nasahunch.com ]
Eaglecrest High School has recently been accepted into the NASA HUNCH program as well, and will also have the
opportunity to participate in the microgravity experiments during the upcoming 2013-2014 school year.
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Applied Math & Computer Science Symposium held at the Institute of
Science and Technology, Overland High School on February 26, 2013.
Brian Huang and Lindsay Craig (SparkFun Electronics), Gayle Lettenmaier (Visa), Andy Wong (USBank), and
Adam Hecht (Google), spoke to elementary, middle, and high school students about the applications of math
in real-world careers. Students had the opportunity to work with a hands-on electronics kit, discuss financial
topics, and investigate Google Earth tools.
Overland holds several lectures and symposiums throughout the year which are aligned to their students’
career concentrations. Professionals from a variety of fields have a chance to share their journey toward their
careers as well as their passion for the subjects.
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS
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A STEM EXPERIENCE! – EARTHQUAKE PROJECT
Eaglecrest High School teachers designed an earthquake project where students built houses using structural
engineering design that can withstand the strongest earthquake. This was an innovative approach involving
teachers in technology, math and science. Students
were able to gather and record data about this
interdisciplinary project.
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS
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Overland High School:
Students from Overland High School attended the HOSA Fall Leadership Conference which was held on Nov. 6,
2012 at the Pepsi Center. HOSA is a national, student-led organization whose mission is to promote career
opportunities in health care for students in secondary and postsecondary institutions. HOSA is the pipeline for
future healthcare professionals and members are proudly working toward alleviating the health care
workforce shortage. There are over 150,000 active members in over 3,700 chapters in 48 states, including
Puerto Rico.
Chapter members from areas around Colorado came to hear speakers talk about leadership qualities and
characteristics. Speakers in smaller workshops also explained the values of HOSA, how it functions, and how
competitions are structured. Workshops included presenters from the University of Colorado – Denver and
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Colorado Chapter.
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Smoky Hill High School students at “Robotics at the Hangar”
(Alex Chavez & Rhett Parsons)
During National Robotics Week, students from Dan Cornell’s Digital-Evolutions, Smoky Hills’ Creative Studio, presented at Robotics at the Hangar hosted by Wings over the Rockies and SHARC (Smoky Hill Area Robotics Club). The conference showcased cutting-edge robotic developments occurring within Colorado from local companies, enthusiasts, inventors and area clubs.
Smoky Hill students demonstrated the cutting-edge technology and software used for prototyping and conceptual design. Each student also provided one-on-one instruction to the conference attendees throughout the day.
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(John Choi )
One of the conference’s feature exhibits, titled “Robot Moves”, was designed by John Choi. This exhibit was a real-time motion capture system allowing attendees to control virtual robots with their body movements.
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(Alex Chavez)
Robotics at the Hangar was an amazing success with thousands of attendees and the students really shined!
Congratulations to Smoky Hill’s Skills USA State Winners!
Twenty Smoky Hill High School students completed at the Skills USA State Championships held in February, 2013. Listed below are the results from the event:
John Choi & Cole Connell - 1st place 3D Animation
John Dexter - 1st place in Technical Math
Anthony Chavez - 1st place in Photography
Arin Simon- 3rd place in Photography
Jimmy Song & Ryan Sigar - 3rd place in Film Production
Allyson Sears - 3rd place in Advertising and Design
Awesome Job for all that competed!
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Ryan Wolfe Aviation Memorial Scholarship
Chris Harmon, Aviation/Aerospace Program student at Grandview High School, received the 2013 “Ryan Wolfe
Aviation Scholarship” award in the amount of $1000.00 for aviation lessons. Chris was presented this award
by Mrs. Nancy Wolfe on behalf of her late son, Ryan, who years ago studied aviation at Grandview High School
and unfortunately passed away (see more information below). Mrs. Wolfe has made this scholarship available
to students seriously interested in an Aviation career. Also pictured; Joe Suchman, Aviation Instructor at
Overland and Grandview High Schools.
Ryan N. Wolfe, April 21, 1987 – July 2, 2010
On July 2, 2010, Ryan died suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep. Ryan had just graduated
from Grandview High School, in May, 2010. He had become a fine young man, with his whole
future to look forward to. Accepted to the University of North Dakota’s School of Aviation,
Ryan had wanted to be a pilot since he was 6 years old. He could not wait to go away to school
and fulfill his dream of flying. When Ryan died it left a hole in the hearts of the family and
friends whose lives were forever changed. His parents, Norman and Nancy, sister Cara, and
brother Mark, cherished the memories that were all too short. This is why his family set up the
Ryan Wolfe Aviation Memorial Scholarship in his remembrance.
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Students from Cherry Creek Schools competed at the American Regions Mathematics League (ARML), competition over Memorial Day weekend, 2013
Thirty Colorado students from the Colorado Math Circle qualified to compete as part of two teams that headed to the ARML competition which took place May 31, 2013 to June 2, 2013 at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. The students enjoyed the experience and competed well at this national competition. The students from Cherry Creek School District that qualified are as follows: Braden Moore Grandview High School Christopher Hoyt Smoky Hill High School Mina Mungekar Smoky Hill High School Julian Cannon Overland High School Jacob Imola Cherry Creek High School Avi Swartz Challenge School Colorado Alternates: Ria Kim Smoky Hill High School Sirey Zhang Cherry Creek High School The Colorado Math Circle offers math enrichment to high school and middle school students interested in
expanding their knowledge of mathematics. Through math talks and problem solving sessions, students learn
about number theory, geometry, graph theory, combinatorics, knot theory, olympiad problems, and many other
topics. In a collaborative group setting, math enthusiasts have an opportunity to meet others who share their love
of mathematics.
The Sophie Math program, hosted by the math circle, offers summer workshops specifically for high school and
middle school girls. Meeting three hours a day, these one-week workshops introduce math topics beyond the
standard classroom curriculum. Through problem sets, group activities, and slide presentations, participants learn
about math history, biographies of famous mathematicians, as well as number theory, combinatorics, and
geometry.
Each year the math circle also sponsors and coaches the thirty-member Colorado ARML Team, which competes
against regional high school teams from around the country in the national ARML Competition at the University of
Nevada at Las Vegas.
Meetings take place on the CU-Boulder campus.
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Congratulations Grandview High School – State VEX Tournament Champions!
Grandview’s VEX robotics teams competed in the Colorado State VEX Championships on Sunday, February 17, 2013. Grandview’s Team 979C, as a
part of a three team alliance, finished as the Tournament Champions! Winning the state competition qualified them to compete with the best 400 teams in the world at the 2013 VEX World Championships held in April, 2013 at Anaheim, California. A great experience was had by all. Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors aimed to build the most innovative robots possible and worked together to obtain the most points possible. In addition to just having a great time and building amazing robots, through their participation in the VEX Robotics Competition and their work within their team, students learn many academic and life skills.
The VEX Robotics World Championship is a gathering of top robotics teams from around the world to celebrate their accomplishments and compete with and against the best of the best. The 2013 VEX Robotics World Championship included top teams from over 230 VEX Robotics Competition tournaments which took place in cities around the world from May 2012 to May 2013.
Thanks to Jay Moore, Technology and Computer Science Coordinator at Grandview. In addition to VEX, Jay is also a sponsor for TSA. Grandview has four VEX teams. Tournament Champions, Team 979C include: Danny Kalenian, Brenden Inzana, Austin Piko, and Zach Colton (not pictured)
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High Schools in the district compete at the Colorado State TSA Competition
Grandview, Cherokee Trail and Overland High School’s TSA teams competed in the Colorado State TSA Competition on February 21st – 23rd, 2013 at the Marriott, Denver Tech Center. Several team members who placed continued on to compete in the national competition which was held in
Orlando, Florida at the end of June.
What is TSA?
The Technology Student Association fosters personal growth, leadership, and opportunities in technology, innovation, design, and engineering. Members apply and integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts through co-curricular activities, competitions and related programs. Students can work individually or as a team in such areas as agriculture and biotechnology, website design, dragster design, flight challenge, film technology, CAD with 3D modeling, desktop publishing, and extemporaneous speaking radio controlled transportation or scientific visualization. TSA provides rules and guidelines to its student members and advisors for 30 middle school level and 34 high school level competitive events. Competitions feature problems in communications, design and engineering, environmental systems, manufacturing/construction, and transportation. In both team and individual events, students are challenged to use and improve their skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas. All competitions are aligned
with STEM standards, the 16 career clusters, and ten core leadership skills (communication, creative thinking, critical thinking, decision making, ethics, evaluation, organization, problem solving, self-esteem, and teamwork). Only TSA members have the opportunity to compete at exciting state conferences and then at the annual National Conference. Expert judging by technology educators and industry representatives inspires the best from participants. Members are rewarded not only with medals or trophies, but also with memories of the camaraderie and the challenge of a TSA Conference.
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Grandview’s Colorado State TSA competition results:
Forty students went to the competition, 14 girls and 26 boys, the largest group to date. Jay
Moore, Technology and Computer Science Coordinator, now Coordinator for Career and Technical
Education, and Michelle Moore, Concurrent Enrollment Specialist in the district, sponsored the
teams for this event. Grandview placed 4th in the state overall.
Architectural Renovation: 3rd place team - Aubri Dunning (12), Tori Feller (11), Megan Hansen (11), Zack Wilkins (12)
Alex Edwards (11)
Chapter Team : 1st place - Kelsey Collins (9), Camilla Hallin (9), Andrew Pfefer (9), Jackie Pierce (9), Kelli Stanton (9),
Delaney Worthington (9)
Computer Aided Design- 2D Architecture: 3rd place - Megan Hansen (11)
Desktop Publishing : 3rd place - Camilla Hallin (9)
Digital Video Productions – 2nd place team - Kelli Stanton (9), Joe Stanton (9), Camilla Hallin (9), Delaney Worthington
(9), Ben Warren (9), Alex Warren (9)
On-Demand Video: 2nd place team - Kelsey Collins (9), Jackie Pierce (9), Andrew Pfefer (9), Joe Stanton (9), Ben Warren
(9), Alex Warren (9)
Technical Sketching and Application: Tim Fromme (9) – 1st place, Tori Feller (11) – 2nd place, Megan Hansen (11) – 3rd
place
Technology Bowl : 1st place team - Braden Moore (9), Aubri Dunning (12), Brenden Inzana (12)
Technology Problem Solving : 2nd place team - Braden Moore (9), Bryce Raymond (11)
Transportation Modeling: 2nd place – Steven Palmer (10)
Video Game Design – 2nd place team - Bassil Babeder (11), Drew Casner (10), Jason Cyrus (10), Pravan Kalaga (10),
Sherwyn Sen (10), Matthew Skogen (10)
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Cherokee Trail’s Colorado State TSA competition results:
Sponsors, Paul Clinton and Ben Nuebel, Technology teachers at Cherokee Trail and their teams
placed 2nd in the state overall. Approximately fifteen students from Cherokee Trail attended the
National TSA Conference.
Architectural Renovation: 1st place – Zach Rubottom, Chris Dosen, Ky
Walacavage, and Spencer Berends (5th consecutive year CT has won this event)
Parliamentary Procedure Individual: 1st place – Chris Dosen
CAD 3D Engineering: 1st place – Tyler Horvath
CAD 2D Architecture: 1st place – Adam Silkwood
CNR Production: 1st place – Tristan Bernard and Jordan Light Debating Technological Issues: 1st place – Denis Kasakov and Spencer Berends SciVis (scientific visualization): 1st place – Spencer Berends, Chris Dosen, and Zach Rubottom Transportation Systems: 2nd place – Anthony Ciaglia Parliamentary Procedure Team: 2nd place – Chris Dosen, Dakota Garcia, Amber Grubbs, David Menzies, Spencer Berends, and Marcus Winston CAD 2D Architecture: 2nd place – Ky Walacavage CNC Production: 2nd place – Kyle Jones and Archik Raje Promotional Graphics: 2nd place – Ellie Hassan Future Technology Teacher: 2nd place – Sarah Larson Tech Bowl (quiz bowl): 2nd place – Chris Dosen, Spencer Berends, and Zach
Rubottom Architectural Renovation: 2nd place – Adam Silkwood and Marcus Winston Fore! (High School Student works with elementary student to design a model mini-golf hole): 3rd place – Dakota Garcia and John Clinton (elementary student) Essay in Technology: 3rd place – Kylie Merrick Rubberband Powered Car: 3rd place – Ashton Matthews Underwater ROV (robotics): 3rd place – Gett Villanueva, Tyler Ivory, and Grant Cunningham Parliamentary Procedure Individual: 3rd place – Spencer Berends CNC Production: 3rd place – Tyler Horvath and Tyler Ivory Engineering Design: 3rd place – Sarah Larson, Jake Merrick, and David Menzies Future Technology Teacher: 3rd place – Austin Welsh Manufacturing Prototype: 3rd place – Kyle Jones, Zach Goldsmith, Alex Opipari, and Archik Raje SciVis: 3rd place – Dakota Garcia and Ky Walacavage Technology Problem Solving: 3rd place – Kylie Merrick and Rachael Larson Transportation Modeling: 3rd place – Austin Welsh
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS
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Overland High School Colorado State TSA competition results:
Sponsor, Debbie Gregg, Technology teacher at Overland, Institute of Science and Technology, and her students won the Giant Jenga Block tournament at the TSA competition on Friday, February 21st. Ten students from Overland attended the conference. These students participated in 3D Engineering Design and Drawing, 2D Architectural Design and Drawing, Rubber Band Cars, Flight Endurance, Promotional Design, T-shirt Design, Structural Design, Technology Bowl, and Project Showcase. A very good time was had by all.
Team members from left to right: Lizarlette Alvarez, Sawyer McLane, Jorge Leon Vazquez, Braden Armstrong, Victor Irechukwu, Ryan Oehrle, Joey Muller, and Peter Taenzer, (Ameen Sassi and Jose Gomez Tenario)
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS
Go Blazers!
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The Colorado Regional FIRST Robotics Competition took place in
the Magness Arena inside the Ritchie Center on the University of
Denver campus on April 4, 2013 through April 6, 2013. High School
students from all over the state, region, and even a team from Mexico,
participated in a high-tech spectator sporting event using specially
engineered robots that are maneuvered by human drivers using computers and joy sticks. This
year’s task was to shoot Frisbees. www.coloradofirst.org/coloradoregional.htm
Overland High School BlazerBots, led by Kate Mcdonnell, Technology and Math teacher at Overland High School,
Institute of Science and Technology, were ranked 9th overall after the preliminary rounds, with a record of 8-3. They then
went on to captain the 6th place alliance in the elimination rounds. They were eliminated in the first round of competition
by the 3rd place alliance, who went on to qualify for
FIRST Championships. The BlazerBots did an excellent
job at the competition, and learned a lot in their design
and building skills.
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS
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Eaglecrest High School’s Team 3200 - Raptacon, makes it to Final Four in Robotics Competition
Raptacon, won 7 straight matches upsetting the #2 seed alliance in the quarter finals, at the Colorado Regionals,
advancing to the final four. A few more pounds of pneumatic pressure and they may have been off to St
Louis! Congratulations to the members of the team for a job well done during three intense days of competition.
Ben Sheffer – pneumatics and drive team Joe Wilson – manufacturing and drive team Brandon Do – manufacturing and drive team Olagappan Chidambaram – programming and coach Phelan Seibert – electronics and programming Kevin Yang – programming leader Akash Gaonkar – programming and scouting Kyle Li – Lead scout and electronics David Leng – electronics and manufacturing Dennis Lim – manufacturing McKenna Genullis – design and spirit Jaden Hansen – manufacturing Andrew Wee – manufacturing Yoon Ji – manufacturing Nathan Wagner – electronics Nathan Do – manufacturing Hyun Ji – scouting Christina Yim – scouting
Lance Wilson, Valli Chidambaram, and Aaron Garfio are also members of the team from Thunder Ridge, Sky Vista and
Falcon Creek Middle Schools.
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Chris Dosen, Cherokee Trial HS, achieves Certified SolidWorks Expert (CSWE) with a Perfect Score!
Chris is a graduating high school senior from Cherokee Trail High
School. While his classmates were thinking about AP exams, SAT’s and
ACT’s (the standardized exams to get into college), Chris had an additional
plan. He set his goal to be the first
high school student in the world to
achieve CSWE, Certified SolidWorks
Expert.
With the help of Ben Nuebel, pre-
engineering and technology education
teacher, at Cherokee Trail High School,
Chris began to rigorously prepare for
this exam reserved for advanced professional engineers and designers.
Cherokee Trail is a CSWA Provider. Chris took and passed both the Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA ) and Certified
SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) exams. On his own, Chris took and passed the three specialty prerequisite exams and
just last month passed CSWE with a perfect score.
But there is more. Chris also joined the Technology Student Association (TSA) and began to learn not only about design
but also about manufacturing. Chris will also represent Colorado in the National TSA Finals.
Chris will be attending the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) in the fall. Congratulations Chris!
Lockheed Martin Internship
Garrison Snyder who just completed his junior year at Overland High School was offered a paid
summer internship at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Littleton, Colorado. To qualify
for this internship, Garrison needed to complete the application process, have a 3.5 grade point
average or higher, be enrolled in STEM classes, and interview for the position. Garrison will have the
opportunity to work on a satellite, participate in professional development sessions, as well as a
mentorship program. He will also enjoy social activities including a leadership camping trip with other
interns from around the country. Garrison was one of three Colorado High School interns selected.
Congratulations Garrison!
Wings over the Rockies Internship:
Kofi Agyemfra from Overland High School was selected for this paid
internship at the Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum where he
will be leading summer camp activities. Students were selected for this
internship based on their interest in either aviation or an aerospace career.
They also needed to share an excitement with children ages 7 – 13 years of
age and have good leadership skills. Congratulations Kofi! (Kofi is pictured
here with Sage Guagliado who participated in an internship at The Wings
over the Rockies last year. Sage was employed this summer as a camp
counselor for the program).
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS
Cherry Creek School District – STEM Newsletter August, 2013 26
Cherry Creek High School – Science Olympiad
Cherry Creek High School had two full teams compete at the Science Olympiad regionals which were held at
Preston Middle School in Fort Collins on March 2, 2013. One of the teams (shown below) qualified for and
competed in the 2013 state competition held at the School of Mines on April 20, 2013. This team won first
place in Material Science and third place in Thermodynamics.
Pictured to the right:
SciOlyState” team with Dr.
Clyde Oakley, science teacher
and Science Olympiad coach.
Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization
dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science
education, increasing student interest in science, creating
a technologically literate workforce and providing
recognition for outstanding achievement by both
students and teachers. These goals are achieved
by participating in Science Olympiad tournaments,
incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom
curriculum and attending professional development
workshops. For more information, please visit
www.soinc.org.
Pictured above: Matt Miao and Nicole Moes, First
Place Winners in Material Science.
HIGH SCHOOL STEM NEWS