STEM NEWS March 2017
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Academy
DIRECTOR'S DIALOGUE
Dear STEM Families,
The NEISD STEM Academy is celebrating 10-years of operations! The program started in the fall of 2007 with grade 6 and grade 9. The program is now comprised of grades 6-12 with over 800 students and an active wait-list for each grade level. We plan on celebrating a decade of operations this May, along with additional festivities in fall 2017. We look forward to celebrating our past as we continue to enhance or program to meet the needs of our students and the ever-changing future!
Parents, we are thankful to those of you that have completed our STEM Parent Survey. If you haven't, please share your perspective at: https://goo.gl/forms/EX49EuI5at96Qz3k1
Your feedback is vitally important to us as we begin making plans for the 17-18 school year. We are always working to improve and enhance our educational program, communication and services for our families.
As we get ready to launch a new week, please be mindful of the following:
March 28 - HS English I End-of-Course Exam, Math-8 and Writing-7 STAAR Assessments
March 29 - Reading-8 STAAR Assessment
March 30 - HS English II End-of-Course Exam
On Friday, March 31 we will release information about our STEM Summer Camps 2017! We are excited to start this new initiative for our students.
Our students continue to do great things and achieve outstanding results, whether it is in the classroom, on the field, through a club/extra-curricular activity or within the community. Follow us on Twitter, @neisd_stem, for the most up to date news and postings about our program and student successes!
In the meantime, I hope you will sit back for a couple of minutes and read over all the great achievements of our students, as well as the great happenings within STEM academy.
For the Kids,
Melissa Alcala, Ed.D.
Director
The Middle School STEM Robotics Teams Made us Proud!
Your STEM Academy hosted two regional FTC events at our middle school site, as well as the NEISD FLL Robotics Competition. Each team received special awards at competition with Team VOLT advancing to regional competition!
A special thanks to all the robotics parents for their volunteer spirit and active support with supervision, facilitating events, getting students to practices, set-up/tear-down, running concessions, marketing, purchasing parts, and so much more.
Finally, the robotics coaches for our middle school program are to be commended for the extra hours and training they put in to promote the success of our students. Thank you Mr. Gilbert, Mrs. Fraser and Mrs. Valdes! This group is already planning for next year.
FLL Team Members soared this year!
Team VOLT advances to regionals!
Team CHARGE aced their presentation!
STEM Greenhouse
Mr. Sanchez, STEM Art Teacher and Design Club Sponsor, has worked with our middle school students to create a greenhouse. Students are now in phase two of the project as they work on the internal design. The STEM Greenhouse was recently highlighted on KSAT 12 News, link: http://www.ksat.com/education/nimitz-middle-schoolers-build-martian-inspired-greenhouse-san-antonio-texas
Organic Chem class makes aspirin
Arianna Sifuentes, senior, signs with Tyler Junior College
1st Place District UIL!
The Nimitz/STEM Academic UIL team won the district championship. Way to go Seahawks!
MS STEM participates in History Fair Competition
Students at the MS STEM Academy completed History Fair projects over the National History Fair topic, "Taking a Stand in History." Finalists were judged on January 31 and winning entries competed in the Regional History Fair on February 25. Students shown above were the winners at the campus competition in their respective categories, including exhibits, websites, documentaries, performances, and historical research papers.
Regional History Fair winners & Mr. Gossett, sponsor
Texas A&M San Antonio hosted the Regional History Fair
Itzel advances to State Competition
CyberPatriots Compete Well
Our student competitors celebrated the conclusion of the CyberPatriot season with a Mayor's Cup Luncheon this past Saturday, March 25, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Congratulations to all our student competitors for learning advanced cyber-security techniques this season as they garnered points protecting a network through various simulations.
STEM Academy hosts Alamo Regional Junior Academy of Science Fair
On January 28-29 the North East ISD STEM Academy hosted the Alamo Regional Junior Academy of Sciences (JAS). JAS is an annual meeting and science competition where students (grades 6-12) from thirty-two surrounding counties present their research projects oral and written. Students deliver a 12-minute oral presentation on their scientific research before two judges within their category.
This year’s competition was hosted by the NEISD STEM Academy at Lee High School. There are 13 categories ranging from Behavioral & Social Sciences to Physics. This year nearly 200 students competed. The following STEM Students placed in their category which will advance them to the Texas Junior Academy of Science to be held in October at Texas A&M.
THIRD PLACE AWARDS
Carla Carmona (11th grade) Medicine & Health
SECOND PLACE AWARDS
Mandela Lee (10th grade) Microbiology
HIGHEST IN CATEGORY AWARDS
Dena Smiley (6th grade) Zoology
Journey Bisset (11th grade) Environmental
Antonio Uyemura (11th grade) Chemistry
ACADEMY II (Health Sciences) GRAND PRIZES
5th GRAND PRIZE Grace Ranft-Garcia (12th grade) Biochemistry
4th GRAND PRIZE Chelsea Schwartz (11th grade) Microbiology
STEM Community Service Event
STEM SOS (Students Offering Service) participated in the 2017 Basura Bash. The students worked together to clean up part of the Salado Creek Greenway. They participated in a citywide effort to clean up our waterways, and hike and bike paths to beautify our city and make San Antonio a cleaner, greener place to live. Students spent four hours picking up trash, recycling plastic, collecting large items like trash bins, metal guardrails, and more. All those around the city helped to collect around 30 tons of trash!
MS Career Day & College Fair
Thank you parent volunteers and community members for an outstanding mix of speakers for our MS STEM College/Career Day on Friday, March 7. The students were anxious to share what they learned as they contemplated future life plans and possibilities!
Grade 6:
Phillip Hernandez - Web Developer
Uma Novell - Attorney
Steven Smith - Computer Networking
David Ransom - Engineer
Grade 7:
Chris Corbett - Expert Developer
Lilliana Valdez - Nurse
Steve Gonzales - Civil Engineer
Frank Jaster - Civil Engineer
Grade 8:
Dr. Pounds - Chiropractor
David Mills, PhD - Applied Mathematics
Jeanette Losole - Mechanical Engineer
Mrs. Hernandez, counselor, organized a college fair for our 8th grade students. Preparations for this activity allowed them to think of some questions, prior to the fair, and do a bit of research as they start learning how to consider various aspects of a higher education institution while creating goals and future plans.
Advisory Board Updates
The NEISD STEM Advisory Board has met three times this school year and the final meeting for the 16-17 school year will take place in May 2017, as we devise goals for the upcoming school year.
The STEM Advisory Board has assisted in the development of the STEM Summer Camp program, Summer Internships, and provided valuable input and evaluation of various aspects of our program. The minutes of our meetings of posted below this section.
Please contact Dr. Alcala, malcal3@neisd.net, if you would like to participate in this committee for the 17-18 school year. The committee is comprised of parents, STEM industry professionals, and representatives from higher-education institutions.
HS Robotics in Mid-Season Competition
In February, the HS STEM Robotics Team traveled to Lubbock, Texas to compete at the Regional First Robotics (FRC) Competition. Our Team 5572 - ROSBOTS came in 5th place out of 46 teams. Cpmpetition teams came from Califorinia, Colorado, New Mexico, Turkey, Mexico, Oklahoma as well as other Texas teams. For the first time in its 3 years of competing, Team ROSBOTS ranked high enough to choose their alliance!
Team ROSBOTS, a 27-member team with students across grades 9-12, will compete at the Alamo Regional FRC event in April, as they strive to advance to the World level competition. Good luck ROSBOTS!
REFERENCE TOOLS
NEISD STEM Academy
HS STEM Office: (210)356-1001
MS STEM Office (210) 356-5501
Email: jshaw1@neisd.net
Website: www.neisd.net/stem
Phone: (210)356-1001
Twitter: @neisd_stem