Green Lane Gazette
December 2023
STOMP Out Bullying HelpChat Line
STOMP Out Bullying HelpChat Line
This HelpChat Line is a free and confidential online chat that helps youths ages 13-24 with issues around bullying and cyberbullying; as well as providing support to youths who may be at risk of suicide.
Click here to learn more about the HelpChat line:
This month, the Counseling Department has been focused on college. With a couple of major application deadlines of Nov. 1 and Nov. 15 occurring, the counselors were busy sending transcripts and letters of recommendation. In addition, 2 field trips helped our students make decisions about their futures. One was a trip to an HBCU College Fair, held in Willingboro, NJ. Over half the students who attended were granted on-site admissions! The second trip was to Bucks County Community College for their "Future Ready Conference," during which students explored careers by networking with Bucks Professors and Professionals from the community. Lastly, the Counseling Department partnered with Administration to present Financial Aid Night for students and parents. Questions about the financial aid process, the changes to this year's FAFSA and grants/loans/scholarships were answered.
Principles of Engineering class:
Students calculated the beam deflection of an eight ft. (96”) 2 in. X 4 in. Douglas Fir beam/plank vs. an ABS Plastic beam/plank of the same size and surface area. Students came to understand that the chemical composition of the material (Modulus of Elasticity is an indicator of the material's stiffness properties. The Moment of Inertia - Ixx = bh^3/12 is the other determining factor, which relates to the vertical (beam) orientation vs the horizontal (plank) orientation
Civil Engineering and Architecture students:
Researched, designed, and constructed various residential roof features. They also estimated the material costs of their previously completed shed design including the concrete pad.
Computer Science Principles students:
Created a "Catch-A-Turtle" game using Python Coding Language.
Fundamentals Of Engineering (FOE) Students:
Participated in the sour/sweet Cranberry challenge youtu.be/zgDryq3sAao
and were able to see the tie-in relationship between Cranberry Bogs and Civil Engineering (see pictures below). The Fundamentals of Engineering class also built virtual objects for a Mad Hatter Tea Party. You can use the QR codes with your phones to view their designs in Augmented Reality. (see images below).
Students in Mr. Mergard's Business class:
Students in Mr. Mergard's class took a mock International Business Trip in their class to learn about the importance of understanding another country's business culture.
Ms.Hassey’s Business Management class
The students are currently immersed in engaging and practical lessons. The Business Management class is working on an International Business Project, researching a chosen country's business climate and practices. This hands-on project not only enhances their understanding of global business dynamics but also sharpens their research and analytical skills. Meanwhile, the Intro to Business class delves into the intricacies of the business cycle and the economic indicators that delineate its phases. They are gaining valuable insights into the fluctuations of the economy and the factors that influence them. Additionally, students are exploring the realms of banking and investments, unraveling the complexities of financial systems, and honing their financial literacy. These lessons foster a comprehensive understanding of business principles and prepare students for informed decision-making in the dynamic world of commerce.
English 9: Students just finished a unit focused on conflict and characterization, and will be moving into examining point of view and irony by reading “The Casque of Amontillado.” There will also be a continued focus on utilizing the R.A.C.E.S. strategy for writing constructed responses. Students will continue making progress on their personalized Reading Exact Path.
English 10: Students are taking a deep dive into characterization, with a strong focus on motivation and direct/indirect characterization. Students will also be examining numerous reading and writing strategies in preparation for the Keystone Exams. Students will continue making progress on their personalized Reading Exact Path.
English 11: Students have begun a focus on literature written in the literary era of romanticism. This includes an examination of the subgenre of “dark romanticism” and the literary concept of an archetype. Some of the literary works that will be read and analyzed are “The Devil and Tom Walker” “The Pit and the Pendulum.”
English 12: Students are currently moving into reading literature of the Middle Ages, which includes Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Along with the text, students will inspect the role of characterization within various individual tales from the work and the concept of a frame narrative.
Driver Education
Driver Education students have recently completed the "Ready to Buy a Car" project. They explored topics such as credit scores, insurance deductibles, torts (highlighting the expenses for new drivers), interest rates, the comparison between leasing and buying, car ratings, Carfax reports, and more! It proved to be an eye-opening experience for some participants.
Adapted PE
Mr. Sicilia and the Adaptive PE class have been focusing on developing volleyball and basketball skills. The class, along with their helpers, thoroughly enjoys playing volleyball. Every Monday, Mr. Bachman generously donates his time to assist the students in swimming, and they are having a great time!
Physical Education
We hope both players and participants enjoyed last week's dodgeball tournament! Certainly, the faculty did! In Physical Education, students have been actively engaging in volleyball, basketball, soccer, and weight training. With the cooler weather setting in, we will soon be introducing badminton and ping pong.
Health and Wellness
In Health and Wellness, students have commenced a comprehensive sex education unit, emphasizing the anatomy and physiology of the male and female reproductive systems. The upcoming focus will be on pregnancy and childbirth!
In math, the Algebra 1 courses are working hard to meet the various academic standards that will be assessed on the statewide Keystone exams in May. Many other students and teachers, though, have their eyes turned toward the winter session of the Keystone exams, which will take place the second week of January in the new year. While our current Algebra 1 and Algebra 1B students have a few months left to prepare, students who completed Algebra 1 in a previous school year may be eligible for this testing session. Any student who missed a prior Keystone exam, or who wasn’t quite successful on their first attempt, has another opportunity to pass the test this January. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. If you are unsure if you qualify for the winter Keystone session, your guidance counselor should be able to clarify that for you.
Elsewhere in math, the learning continues. Geometry students are learning all about the properties of parallel lines and how they connect to triangles, quadrilaterals, and other polygons. In Algebra 2, students have just finished a unit on linear programming, and will begin solving systems of three variables next week. Students in Pre-Calculus just began a unit on rational functions, where they are studying holes in graphs and vertical asymptotes. Our AP Calculus students are studying optimization, where they are looking for the smallest or largest value a function can take. This topic finds practical application in maximizing profits while minimizing cost and materials.
Resource tip: Are your students having difficulty with a particular topic in their math class? Visit Khan Academy, where nearly every math topic from K-12 is broken down into a series of helpful and neatly-designed lessons: https://www.khanacademy.org/
In chemistry, students have been studying the electronic structure of atoms. They conducted experiments on flame tests and gas emission tubes. They used spectroscopes to create line emission spectra for various elements and they then used the spectra to identify unknown gases.
In biology, students learned about cells and macromolecules. They stained cheek cells and observed them under a microscope. In Honors Biology 2, students have been classifying and evaluating species. They are using taxonomy to create evolution trees to show relationships between 30 species using DNA evidence.
In anatomy, students learned about the skeletal system. They studied bone disorders and examined samples to identify the bone marrow, connective tissue and muscles. Students conducted an investigation where they measured their tibias and were asked to develop a formula to calculate their height based on that measurement. They concluded the activity by calculating their percent errors. They also did a murder lab where they studied the remains of a poisoned victim’s stomach to determine the contents of their last meal.
In sports medicine, students are learning about adaptations due to training. They researched their favorite athletes to determine the muscular and cardiovascular adaptations and how these systems change in response to training activities.
In Earth and space science, students were studying the evolution of stars and creating Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams. (picture attached)
Students in Ms. Wright’s AP World History class created posters reflecting “Autopsy of an Empire.” Students presented these projects along with obituaries for an empire from the 1450-1750 era in order to explore continuities in imperial decline. (pics attached)
9th Grade Western Civilizations students have been examining the historical impact of absolute monarchies in 16th and 17th century Europe as well as the origins of constitutional monarchies in England and beyond.
11th grade students in Mr. Forward’s Civics classes have concluded a thorough examination of all 27 Amendments to the US Constitution.
December is national learn a foreign language month. Why not sit down with your child and learn some new words in the language they are learning? If applicable, share your background knowledge to help them on their journey of becoming proficient. Try out Duolingo - a free, interactive language learning app. Classroom corner - Many of our students enjoyed some screen free learning time prior to the Thanksgiving break. Italiano Signorina Lezzi’s classes played heads up for speaking practice and learning new vocabulary. They had to ask each other questions in Italian to guess what the word was on their forehead. English as a Second Language Mrs. Barnes’ classes are participating in a "Book Tasting." This monthly activity encourages students to review choice reading material while trying to increase their reading level. Practice Makes Progress! Español Señorita Bracey and Señorita Broggi had their students create decorations for día de acción de gracias (Thanksgiving) targeting specific vocabulary in Spanish 1.
The SWPBIS Team is excited to have a fun raffle for the month of December. We will be raffling off Apple AirPods. Throughout the month, students can put in as many Tiger Bucks as they would like in our raffle. Winners will be chosen on December 21st. We hope this helps build some fun spirit for the holiday season!
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