THE PULSE
Pikes Peak Early College, February Edition
From the Principal
Sincerely,
Mr. Knoche
"Preparing Every Student"
Math: Algebra 1 students completed a real world assignment, where they had to pretend they were installing a light fixture into a ceiling and had to do all the practical measurements for it, as well as build a scaled model.
Algebra 2 students created a graph using their birthdate and then had to explain math info about the graph and how the shape of their graph describes their life, mixing art/creativity into math!
Students are beginning to collaborate on their final project-making tutorial videos on concepts they learned this year.
English 1 students just finished writing and delivering their first in-class speeches; students selected their topic and purpose and delivered these speeches to their classmates. They will continue to deliver speeches for each unit throughout the rest of the semester. Students are currently starting a research paper using MLA formatting and we have a Walking Trip to the High Prairie Library to work on research skills scheduled.
English 2 students delivered in-class persuasive speeches where they had to select a persuasive essay and turn the information in it into a 3-5 minute speech to deliver to their classmates. Students had to use the information they learned about delivering effective speeches to evaluate the speeches. They will continue to deliver speeches for each unit throughout the remainder of the semester. Students are currently working on writing research papers using APA formatting and we have a Walking Trip to the High Prairie Library scheduled to work on research skills.
US History students have completed studying WW1 and are finishing up WW2. As they look at political aspects of government to include satire (political cartoons) and policy creation, they should gain an insight into how our government works.
Science: Wow! January was a busy month! Physics students are in full swing with building their Dragon for the Marble roller coaster competition. They are also in the early planning stages of the solar power vehicle design process. Chemistry students have been very busy discovering properties of matter and have been challenged to separate out mixtures based on those properties. Chemistry students have also been testing their understanding of gas laws through both hands on experiments as well as problem solving that requires them to use their understanding of stoichiometry as well as newly learned gas law formulas. January was an exciting month for Biology students, they have written and performed a biotechnology newscast and also tried their hand at gene transformation by taking the gene that codes for green pigmentation and inserting that gene into E.Coli bacteria. All groups were successful and had fabulous results. Biology has also been exploring Darwin’s work on evolution. We are just beginning a month long exploration of natural selection by mating Drosophila (fruit flies). February is promising to be an exciting month too!
Tech/Electives
Madison Hendrix
Balloon Towers
Robotic Arm
Eugene presented his robotic arm at a recent teacher technology conference, EdCamp.
Check out the video of his arm in action! Robotic Arm Video
Student Spotlight
3D Printed Robotic Arm: an interview with its creator, Eugene Hamzezadeh
- By Cheyenne Binnebose
1. Being a student at PPEC (Pikes Peak Early College), has this particular school environment encourage your different projects?
Eugene- Attending this school has made it possible for me to get my work done at home, which allows me to use the school's resources and tools to explore the different fields I'm interested in.
2. Including your most current work piece, can you tell us what else you have created?
Eugene- I've used the raspberry pies (mini computers), to create an actual sized computer, and Arduinos to create an alarm clock, even though that particular project started on my own time. I've also made more minor things like a foosball dispenser, flash drive adapters, and phone cases. I also plan to 3D print a 3D printer in the near future.
3. Your robotic arm has shocked and surprised those who have had the pleasure to see it. Can you explain exactly your motivation for this piece and how it works?
Eugene- Well I know all the components, and how it would work on the computer, and the process of how the hardware will look once I've done it. I just really wanted to challenge myself and see if I could make something useful. Regarding the robotic arm, it has four servos: one vertical movement, horizontal movement, and the gripping servo. All the movement and actions are received through the computer from the java application.
4. Are you happy with what you have built?
Eugene- I am very happy with the turnout of the robotic arm, and am definitely tempted to make a better version.
5. Were you the only student who worked on it?
Eugene- I was the only one, yes.
6. Can you explain the 3D printer, and why it is a passion of yours?
Eugene- When I was really young, I always had little plans and small blueprints of things I could never really make. I was either too young or they were just simply too out of reach. I like to dream big, out of the norm. The 3D printer allows me to take all my ideas and designs to make something physical out of them. With that, I can later build, apply from it, and repeat the learning process.
Staff Highlight
I am so happy to join everyone at PPEC as the English teacher for its inaugural year! I have worked in education for 10 years, following a career in business administration, and some time in the Army. During high school, I completed a vocational program in business, it took me 10 years to complete my Bachelor’s degree program in Education with a minor in Theater, and I am completing my Master’s degree in Special Education. I have always been an advocate for helping students achieve their full potential and pursue their goals. I am married and I have two daughters (one in the Air Force and one in college). In my time away from work, I am usually working on my education, spending time with my family, or exploring creative endeavors.
Email: jlwright@d49.org
Website: www.pikespeakearlycollege.org
Location: 11990 Swingline Road, Falcon, CO 80831
Phone: 719-963-5445
Counselors Corner
PPEC has several goals for students, including discovering who they are, realizing their goals, dreams, and passions and leadership potential. “Passion is about the hunger to learn and grow. It shows up as an appetite for novelty and innovation, for making connections and a meaningful contribution to something you believe in, and taking risks not because it helps the bottom line but because it leads to more learning.” It is our goal to help develop our students hunger to grow. As we head into the middle of the school year, we are taking all PPEC students to High Trails Outdoor Education Center to do just that. In participating in the upcoming High Trails event in April, students will learn to lead and grow as individuals, gain confidence in themselves and begin discovering passions they may not have been aware of. In conjunction with this, students will be guided through their own pathways activities throughout the month of February and continue on their journey of self discovery.
Tech Tip
Cyber security Tips:
Disable the GPS option on mobile apps unless the app is specifically meant to track for personal security reasons.
Be very cautious about the personal information you share such as home address, phone number and e-mail.
Enable privacy settings on all social media accounts.
Do not open email links without checking who the email is from.
Generate unique passwords and never share your password.
Use an adblocker and a reliable antivirus.
Family Engagement Council
Upcoming Events
February 9th - EF Tour Information Night-Destination Europe 2018 at 5:30pm, Creekside
February 13th and 15th - Parent Teacher Conferences
February 15th - High Trails Information Meeting at 5:00pm
February 20th - School Closed for Presidents Day
February 22nd - PPEC 2017-2018 Information Meeting for New Families at 5:30pm
February 22nd - Coffee with the Principal at 7:30am
February 23rd - Professional Development Day for Staff