WHAT A WEEK
I don't think I've ever experienced a school week that was such an emotional roller coaster.
On Monday, we had a blast at our Chocolate Chip Cookie Chemistry Symposium. It was so neat to see - and taste - just how much of a difference changing one variable from the recipe could make. I loved hearing students share their cookie ideas and cookie baking experiences with each other. Their posters were awesome, and in reading through their analyses on their posters and post-labs, I can tell they really got the point of the assignment. It was so fun to see how seriously they took our formal taste testing. They would stand and chew with thoughtful looks on their faces, and then they would announce their rating using the words from the Sam's Club taste testing rubric: "I only dislike it slightly."
I don't think I've ever experienced a school week that was such an emotional roller coaster.
On Monday, we had a blast at our Chocolate Chip Cookie Chemistry Symposium. It was so neat to see - and taste - just how much of a difference changing one variable from the recipe could make. I loved hearing students share their cookie ideas and cookie baking experiences with each other. Their posters were awesome, and in reading through their analyses on their posters and post-labs, I can tell they really got the point of the assignment. It was so fun to see how seriously they took our formal taste testing. They would stand and chew with thoughtful looks on their faces, and then they would announce their rating using the words from the Sam's Club taste testing rubric: "I only dislike it slightly."
Above: A few of the many Instagram-worthy photos posted to our Schoology group. These (clockwise from left) were taken by Evan Martin, Joanna Mantsevich, Alex Santiago-Montalvo, and Derek Murphy.
Wednesday was a day unlike any other. I think Dr. Galen summed it up best when he said he could not imagine two more extreme opposite experiences happening in the same building on the same day. The freshmen were engaged in noisy and interactive STEM activities at the gym end of the building, while the rest of Ephrata High School was more or less silent as we began grieving the loss of Zach Shellhammer.
All things considered, the STEM Summit was a wonderful experience for the students and for me. We had over 30 volunteers from the community, many of whom were Ephrata High School Alumni, sharing their expertise in the fields of Chemistry, Coding and Computer Science, Engineering, Electricity, Foundry, Mathematics, Physics, and more. I took lots of great pictures, which I shared with the students on Schoology in our STEM Summit folder. I loved that each station - in addition to tying in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - required the students to communicate, read and follow directions, and work together as a team. By talking with them this week, looking through the students' STEM Summit post-surveys, and reading their STEM Summit reflections, I can tell they had an enjoyable and memorable day.
Wednesday was a day unlike any other. I think Dr. Galen summed it up best when he said he could not imagine two more extreme opposite experiences happening in the same building on the same day. The freshmen were engaged in noisy and interactive STEM activities at the gym end of the building, while the rest of Ephrata High School was more or less silent as we began grieving the loss of Zach Shellhammer.
All things considered, the STEM Summit was a wonderful experience for the students and for me. We had over 30 volunteers from the community, many of whom were Ephrata High School Alumni, sharing their expertise in the fields of Chemistry, Coding and Computer Science, Engineering, Electricity, Foundry, Mathematics, Physics, and more. I took lots of great pictures, which I shared with the students on Schoology in our STEM Summit folder. I loved that each station - in addition to tying in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - required the students to communicate, read and follow directions, and work together as a team. By talking with them this week, looking through the students' STEM Summit post-surveys, and reading their STEM Summit reflections, I can tell they had an enjoyable and memorable day.
Above: The Relay event (left) required teams of students to put together a Lego mixer, dress up in a hazmat suit, build and fly a paper airplane, fire a trash can air cannon, and walk across five dozen eggs without breaking any. The day ended with a bang (right) when liquid nitrogen and hot water were used to form a giant cloud that swept its way back the auditorium aisles.
Thursday was a rough day for us, especially during our morning classes (which is when I have your kids). For me, the emotions were especially raw because I had tried to push everything aside Wednesday and just be "game on" for the STEM Summit. The hallways were so quiet, and the students looked so sad. I had never had Zach in class, but I knew him as one of my husband's runners, and my heart was just breaking for his parents and siblings, classmates, teammates, teachers, coaches, and all of us in the EHS family.
On Thursday I started class by (tearfully) letting your children know how much I love them. Until I have children of my own, they are - and always will be - my kids. I shared that I had never been anything like this as a teacher or student. The closest experience I have was that my percussion coach, who was like a brother to all of us, was killed in a car accident when I was in high school. That experience brought all of us - including my own brother and me - closer together than I could ever have imagined. To this day, we are still like family.
Your children are wonderful because they always support and encourage each other and me. In the very difficult days, weeks, and months that lie ahead, we all have an opportunity to help each other, encourage each other, and support each other by laughing together, crying together, and just being there for each other.
Friday was a better day than Thursday, which was a better day than Wednesday. I hope you and your children know that I am here for them, and so are their teachers and counselors and coaches and fellow classmates. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you or your child needs anything.
UP NEXT
In the coming week, we will wrap up our study of Chemical Reactions with a look at Equilibrium on Monday and Tuesday. That will leave Wednesday and Thursday for a unit review, followed by our Unit 6 Exam on Friday, April 15.
Students who need to take or retake the Section 7.1 and 7.2 Quiz may do so during class on Wednesday or Thursday or by staying after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Any "NS" assignments for the marking period thus far are due by Friday, when Unit 6 ends with the unit exam.
Have a good weekend!
Thursday was a rough day for us, especially during our morning classes (which is when I have your kids). For me, the emotions were especially raw because I had tried to push everything aside Wednesday and just be "game on" for the STEM Summit. The hallways were so quiet, and the students looked so sad. I had never had Zach in class, but I knew him as one of my husband's runners, and my heart was just breaking for his parents and siblings, classmates, teammates, teachers, coaches, and all of us in the EHS family.
On Thursday I started class by (tearfully) letting your children know how much I love them. Until I have children of my own, they are - and always will be - my kids. I shared that I had never been anything like this as a teacher or student. The closest experience I have was that my percussion coach, who was like a brother to all of us, was killed in a car accident when I was in high school. That experience brought all of us - including my own brother and me - closer together than I could ever have imagined. To this day, we are still like family.
Your children are wonderful because they always support and encourage each other and me. In the very difficult days, weeks, and months that lie ahead, we all have an opportunity to help each other, encourage each other, and support each other by laughing together, crying together, and just being there for each other.
Friday was a better day than Thursday, which was a better day than Wednesday. I hope you and your children know that I am here for them, and so are their teachers and counselors and coaches and fellow classmates. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you or your child needs anything.
UP NEXT
In the coming week, we will wrap up our study of Chemical Reactions with a look at Equilibrium on Monday and Tuesday. That will leave Wednesday and Thursday for a unit review, followed by our Unit 6 Exam on Friday, April 15.
Students who need to take or retake the Section 7.1 and 7.2 Quiz may do so during class on Wednesday or Thursday or by staying after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Any "NS" assignments for the marking period thus far are due by Friday, when Unit 6 ends with the unit exam.
Have a good weekend!