Battlefield CASIIT
Applied Science, Interactive and Information Technology
November 2019 Newsletter
CASIIT Information Night
CASIIT is hosting its final CASIIT Information Night on Thursday 9-January-2020 at 7 pm in the Auditorium.
Please join us to hear about the CASIIT program, dual enrollment, meet the teachers and tour the classrooms.
CASIIT Applications for SY2020-2021 are now OPEN
CASIIT is accepting new students to start in the SY2020-2021. Applications close on 1-Feb-2020. The requirements of CASIIT are:
- Enroll in CASIIT Course each year
- Score 2.5 GPA+ in CASIIT Course
- Maintain 2.5+ GPA
- Satisfactory Behavior on EVERY Report Card
- Complete CASIIT Portfolio
CASIIT Portfolios
Starting in December with our Seniors, CASIIT will roll our a SharePoint site to manage CASIIT Student requirements. This site will include:
- Portfolio Management
- CASIIT Volunteer Hours Management
Student Portfolio Requirements:
- Full year class: one project per semester
- Semester class: one project
- Seniors: All portfolio requirements met by last day of Semester 1
-
You must have a C+ or better in a course to include the course in your portfolio.
Only courses that have a portfolio entry will be counted toward an IT or CASIIT medal.
- …..includes professional resume
- …..includes volunteer hours
Format:
- File name: GradYr Last, First CourseN.PDF example: 2020 Drake, Gail DB1.PDF
- PowerPoint works well, some students have used Word.
- Submit only PDF files. {convert prior to submitting}
Pages:
- First page - Include: Your name, year of graduation, course name, year of course and faculty name.
- Then pages for your project
- Final page - what did you learn (do not explain the project, talk about your lessons learned from the project/course)
Resume:
- Name and Personal contact information, for example; Email address (physical address not required)
- CASIIT courses, college courses (dual-enrollment and/or AP)
- Professional certifications
- Volunteer hours / community service / work
- Honors or awards you have received
- Files name: GradYr Last, First – Resume.PDF example: 2020 Drake, Gail Resume.PDF
CASIIT Volunteer Hours
CASIIT Program Information Sessions
Center for Applied Science, Interactive, and Information Technology (CASIIT) will host INFORMATION SESSIONS for NEW students on:
- 9-Jan-2020 @ 7pm in the Auditorium of Battlefield
Come on out and hear details on the current status of our programs. Bring interested students in joining the program.
PARENT MEETINGS for current students will be offered in October, November and December. Meetings will be organized by the current status of the student. Please watch the email in PARENT VUE for these meetings.
CASIIT Holiday Celebration
Eunice Kim
This month’s fantastic student is Eunice Kim, class of 2020. Eunice is a leader in the Battlefield community as a member of many clubs, including STAR Club, Medical Club, Spanish Honor Society, Science Honor Society, and English Honor Society. Throughout the week, Eunice volunteers and additionally, she is a member of the ILITE FRC Robotics Team and one of your CASIIT Student Leaders.
The CASIIT courses she has taken include Advanced Computer Math, Database, Advanced Database, and IT Programming. About her CASIIT experiences, Eunice says, “CASIIT has been an opportunity for me to experience and challenge myself in new ways. I can take a wide variety of classes from this program and expand my knowledge in the fastest growing field in the world today. Taking CASIIT classes has also not just helped me learn about IT but to cooperate with other classmates, improve communication skills, and manage my time. CASIIT has allowed me to grow as a student and build strong characteristics that will help me not just in high school but outside as well.”
ILITE Robotics wins FIRST Place at Rumble in the Roads
AP Computer Science
Sustainablity and Renewable Technology
Our Sustainability and Renewable Technology students are learning about Solar Power and Wind Power.
Renewable energy is energy produced from sources that do not deplete or can be replenished within a human's life time. The most common examples include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower. This is in contrast to non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels.
IT Computer Graphics II
Students are learning how to work with text and imagery in Adobe Illustrator to design a poster that includes exactly five words, with the goal of incorporating Movement, Balance and Unity within their design.
Graphic Design
Using skills learned about color, value, and space, students in Graphic Design are working on designing a word or phrase. They have used Adobe Illustrator to explore different fonts and used the perspective tool to understand two-point perspective grids. Students are then using this framework to paint or color an original piece of their own.
IT Multimedia
Students recently completed their stopmotion clay animations and will begin using Adobe Animate to make an interactive eCard.
Why Coding is Important for the Mind
- Coding is Another Language
Language teaches children how to communicate and teaches logical thinking.
Language also strengthens both verbal and written skills. Coding fosters creativity
Creativity is a process that strengthens the brain.Coding helps to develop Math skills
Visualize abstract concepts,
Apply math to real-world situationsCoding improves writing academic performance
People who learn to code understand how to plan and organize thoughts.
This can lead to better writing skills that can be built upon as coding skills develop over time.Coding helps people become confident problem solvers
Coding is a basic literacy in the digital age, and it is important to understand and be able to work with and understand the technology that surrounds us.
The Information Technology Strand of CASIIT exposes students to CODING/Programming from many aspects:
- WebTech: Web coding with HTML5 and CSS3
- Adv WebTech: Web coding with HTML5, CSS, Dreamweaver and Photoshop
- IT Programming: Python
- Database: SQL programming
- Advanced Database: PL/SQL programming
- CISCO: Programming routers, switches, firewalls
Cybersecurity
If you’ve stayed up to date with the news, at some point you must have heard of companies being hacked and often, large amounts of user data being taken. Our society has an ever-growing need for better cybersecurity. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cybersecurity field is expected to grow 28 percent between 2016 and 2026. Along with this seemingly endless need for cybersecurity specialist, comes a quickly rising salary of approximately $92,000 (median salary). But why all this sudden need for better cybersecurity? Companies are rapidly expanding into the digital world, but at the same time, hackers are always finding new ways to break into a company’s database. With all this growth only one thing is for certain, the cybersecurity field will continue to grow indefinitely.
In the CASIIT program, we are proud to offer a cyber-networking class where students are taught how networks interact with each other and how to secure moving data. Recently students have been tasked to track the movement of packets, small amounts of data, from one server to another. They are discovering how that data eventually ends up at your computer as well as the security concerns of packets bouncing of several different locations.
Dr. Woodie Flowers
Dr. Woodie Flowers inspired people from all around the world. He has taught everyone an impactful to keep improving ourselves, and to help others better themselves. His messages are so impactful, we will share one with you each month.
You may be wondering, what exactly is “gracious professionalism”? Any member of an FRC or FTC team can tell you in an instant - being a “gracious professional” means competing fiercely, but with kindness and respect for your teammates, opponents, mentors, judges, and anyone else you interact with. As Woodie describes in the video, practicing gracious professionalism also leads to satisfaction and fulfillment even if your team loses. Woodie himself practiced gracious professionalism in his every action, and inspired all those who interacted him with an “inextinguishable fire to chase and conquer their dreams”.
Dual Enrollment
Battlefield High School partners with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to offer dual enrollment opportunities for students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously. These courses, indicated by “DE’ in the course title, are taught within the high school
day by Battlefield faculty who are credentialed NOVA adjunct faculty.
VPT Testing in November ** What is a VPT Test and How do I prepare?
VPT is the acronym for Virginia Placement Test. We will offer the VPT exam in November. Most CASIIT students will receive their test pass as an email in StudentVue and ParentVue. Please be on the look out for testing information.
There is a English VPT and a Math VPT. The VPT is designed to place a student in the appropriate math and English LEVEL based on their current abilities. (We believe it is not only a test, but the best indicator for student success at a specific level.)
In order for students to be placed in the correct level of courses, the formula is:
Given the known rigor of a course, you place an equal VPT requirement on that course.
In some cases, scores on other exams (SAT, ACT, etc) are an acceptable replacement for the VPT. In all cases, it is the same as a course pre-requisite. You must meet an entrance point to take a course. (those entrance points are documented in the dual enrollment newsletter)
VCCS Guaranteed Transfer
Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has guaranteed transfer agreements with Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities.
Virginia’s community colleges offer students more than the opportunity to earn a degree or certificate. They provide a gateway to the commonwealth’s four-year colleges and universities.
Through system-wide agreements, students who graduate from one of Virginia's 23 community colleges with an associate's degree and a minimum grade point average may obtain GUARANTEED admission to more than 30 of the commonwealth's colleges and universities.
In addition, individual colleges have even more transfer agreements to choose from, so check with your college guidance office, or check them out on the Virginia Education Wizard (button below).
The Guaranteed Admissions Agreements between Virginia's community colleges and four-year colleges and universities are available in .pdf format at this site: http://www.vccs.edu/students/transfers/
NVCC/NOVA Articulation Agreements
Does my dual-enrolled course transfer?
NVCC/NOVA has a Guaranteed Admission Agreement (GAA) program for students who graduate from NOVA and meet the agreement requirements of the college or university. The program gives you an opportunity to save thousands in tuition costs. Meeting with a transfer counselor on your NOVA campus to help get you through the process is recommended.
When you click on the name of an institution from this page, you will go directly to their transfer information web page. When you click on an Agreement link, you can read the entire Guaranteed Admission Agreement. Links to the institution's transfer guide are included when available.
ADVANCE to George Mason
ADVANCE is an exciting new partnership between Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and George Mason University (Mason) that gives NOVA students targeted, personalized support to complete their bachelor's degrees in a timely manner and save money.
If you are a dual-enrolled student and you are interested in attending George Mason for your Bachelor degree, you need to register for ADVANCE before you earn 30 college credits.
CASIIT Student Portfolio and CASIIT Volunteer Hours
Starting in December with our Seniors, CASIIT will roll our a SharePoint site to manage CASIIT Student requirements. This site will include:
- Portfolio Management
- CASIIT Volunteer Hours Management
Check this "Outreach" corner in each Newsletter for CASIIT Volunteer Hours opportunities
STEAM Expo 2020 Volunteer (CASIIT Volunteer Hours)
STEAM Expo 2020 Host Hands-on (CASIIT Volunteer Hours)
INSPIRE THE MIND
The much-anticipated 2020 PWCS HayMaker STEAM Expo will be held on Saturday, 25-Jan-2020 from 11 AM to 3 PM at Battlefield High School. At the sixth annual Expo, ILITE Robotics is excited to host hands-on, interesting, and enriching activities that promote curiosity and introduce attendees to the many facets of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.
If you are interested in hosting an activity in this exciting event, sign up to host a STEAM inspired booth via the Google Form in the button below.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Grace Henderson at HenderGC21@pwcs.edu or Professor Drake at DrakeGD@pwcs.edu.
ALVEY Elementary School - Family Coding Night (CASIIT Volunteer Hours)
Alvey Elementary School Family Coding Night is Friday, January 17, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (inclement weather make-up date: Friday, January 31st).
Arrive early to help setup, work with families as they learn to code. Coding experience required.
CASIIT Information Night (CASIIT Volunteer Hours)
CASIIT will host an Information Night on 9-Jan-2020 at 7pm in the Auditorium. Students will assist from 6pm - 9pm for setup, tours and answering students questions.
State Computer Science Competition (with PRIZES)
Computer Science in Your Neighborhood
The Virginia Department of Education, Science Museum of Virginia, and CodeVA are hosting a competition for Virginia students! Your task? Design a digital product (e.g., image, video, program, etc) that addresses one or two of the prompts below. Winners will be announced during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-13.
The contest is free and open to all students K-12. Judging divisions will be divided into two grade bands: K-5th grade and 6th-12th grade. Entrants may enter more than once, but may only win once. Prizes will include cool Virginia is for Computer Science Lovers swag, with a special prize for the top winners! Submissions are due by 11/25.
From your CASIIT Student Leadership Team
Come join us in room 2114 on Friday, November 22nd after school, to work together and collaborate for this contest. The competition challenges students to create a digital product based on one or two of the prompts below. This product can be anything from an image to a video to a program, open to all disciplines. Please join us in room 2114 if you're interested and snacks will be provided!
Hope to see you there!
Your fellow CASIIT students
NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
On behalf of the Virginia Affiliate of the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award, we are inviting student applicants for the 2020 Award. Applicants who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary in grades 9 through 12 are welcome to apply. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors 9th-12th grade students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Since 2007, nearly 14,000 students have received an Award for AiC.
Updates will be posted here as they are available: Virginia Affiliate
Master the Mainframe
Yearly, the IBM Z Academic Initiative sponsors a Master the Mainframe global contest where academic students can learn while vying to win prizes. This contest teaches students about how Mainframes work, commands to use them, and some general ideas of what they do; it may interest students to try this on their own for a different experience. This online contest runs until December 31st and students work at their own pace. The contest is open to all students 13 years of age and older, and there is no prior experience required.
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
High School Students Can Learn To Fly!
Do you have dreams of one day becoming a commercial airline pilot and traveling the world?
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) is offering flight academies at no cost for high school students statewide.
Now in its second year, the Pathways Flight Academies immerse students in learning to fly as a first step to becoming a commercial pilot. Five, twelve-day residential academies will be offered during the summer of 2020 for selected students who have shown an interest in and passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) and have career aspirations to become a commercial pilot. Students admitted to this intensive program will undertake ground school and flight training that can potentially culminate in their first solo flight at the end of the academy!
Funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Pathways Flight Academies is a rigorous program in which students immerse themselves in learning about weather, electronic navigation, flight systems and operations, and FAA regulations. The competitive application process is open to students statewide. Qualified applicants must be U.S. citizens, Virginia residents, and 16 years old by the start of the Academy session. They must also be able to pass an FAA flight physical exam upon acceptance into the program. Thirty students will be selected. The application deadline is January 12, 2020.