As we close out 2014 and welcome a new year I wanted to highlight several science and technology programs and events occurring in the Palisades School District.
Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) Renovations
Yesterday (December 29, 2014) I had the opportunity to tour the UBCTS and see the progress on the renovation project with Jim Hallowell, Palisades School Board Vice-President and UBCTS Joint Operating Committee President and Joe Murphy, UBCTS Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds.
Several programs (including Health and Dental) will be ready to move into their permanent locations in January while others are preparing to move into their swing spaces. It is an exciting time at the UBCTS!For more information about UBCTS please click here.
Palisades Medical Career Pathway Program - Visit to Temple University/St. Luke's Health Network Medical School
On December 12, 2014, Rich Heffernan, Palisades High School Principal, Monica Losinno, Palisades High School Guidance Counselor, and I visited the Temple University/St. Luke's Health Network Medical School (Bethlehem, PA) with our medical career pathway students. The students learned from Dr. Joel Rosenfeld, Chief Academic Officer for St. Luke's University Health Network's Graduate Medical Education Programs about the medical profession, undergraduate degrees, medical school and residency programs. Students also entered the simulation lab with Josh Onia, Simulation and Standardized Patient Coordinator, to observe how current St. Luke's medical students learn to treat patients through the use of both highly specialized simulation equipment and standardized patients. Thank you St. Luke's for hosting our students!
For more information about Temple/St. Luke's Medical School please click here.
Palisades Middle School - Focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)
At our December Administrator meeting, Palisades Middle School students showcased their work in robotics, mathematics and programming! Two 8th grade students demonstrated Expedition Atlantis - The Robot Algebra Project from Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Academy and the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center. Through this program, students demonstrate mastery of mathematical concepts in order to navigate their virtual robot through various challenges.
In order to launch Expedition Atlantis at PALMS this school year, Palisades' teachers, John Venner, Joel Filling, Jim Beck and Chris Willman attended the Robotics Academy at the National Robotics Engineering Center (Pittsburgh, PA) last summer.
For more information about Expedition Atlantis - The Robot Algebra Project please click here.
For more information about the Robotics Academy summer professional development please click here.
Palisades 6th grade students also showed off their engineering skills by activating the robot they built as members of the First Lego League. Through teamwork and creative problem solving, this first-year team participated in a FIRST Lego League competition in the fall and look forward to many more opportunities to design and program!
For more information about FIRST Lego League please click here.
I hope you have a wonderful new year and if you have questions about any of the programs we have in the Palisades School District please don't hesitate to contact me at boconnell@palisadessd.org
Happy New Year!
