science

Press release:

East Bethany – The Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest has science programs for kids this season.

For Students Pre-K – 12th Grade

Students explore the natural world and discover the fascinating lives of forest animals and plants with Science Wednesdays at the Interpretive Nature Center. Hikes, outdoor scavenger hunts, and handmade crafts are all part of this adventure.

Students ages 5 to 9 meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m., ages 10 and up meet from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Life Science state learning standards including but not limited to animal adaptations, habitats, interdependence of plants and animals, and human impacts are covered.

Topics include:

• Sept. 23rd and 30th -- Honeybees
• Oct. 7th -- The World of Plants
• Oct. 21st -- Owls
• Nov. 18th -- White-tailed Deer
• Dec. 9th -- Create-a-Critter

Cost per session is $5/student, parents and chaperones free; or $20/student for all 5 sessions. Space is limited to 15 people per session. Preregistration is required, call (585) 344-1122!

For Little Learners Ages 3 to 5

Students ages 3 to 5 years old can enjoy Nature Explorers from 10 – 11 a.m. on Thursdays Oct. 1st – 22nd. Kids explore the world of nature and learn about plants and animals in the outdoors.

Hikes, scavenger hunts, and outdoor games are all part of the fun. Kids will practice using their senses, describing with words, counting, and identifying colors, shapes, letters, and numbers.

Topics include:

• Oct. 1st -- Animals
• Oct. 8th -- Using Our Senses
• Oct. 15th -- Seasonal Changes
• Oct. 22nd -- Plants

Cost per session is $5/student, parents or chaperones free; or $15/student for all four sessions. Space is limited to 15 people per session. Preregistration is required, call (585) 344-1122!

For Homeschool Groups

Middle-schoolers from all over the county came to Batavia Middle School on Tuesday for the "MST Explorer Camp" (see June 19 article for more information). The camp involved students in hands-on learning activities using math, science and technology.

A 13-year-old race car driver and Batavia Middle School student Val Stephens -- pictured center -- helps with a demonstration designed to give the kids a lesson in aerodynamics:

Kevin Raymond, a teacher in the Keshequa School District and a hot-air balloon enthusiast, talks to the kids about the type of energy that powers hot-air balloons. He shows them how they work, using an ultra-light balloon as an example (keep in mind that about 10 of these could fit into one of the larger ones):

(Inside the balloon)

Batavia Middle School technology teacher Frank Panepento shows them how to go about designing CO2 cars. 

The students designed their own cars, put them in a wind tunnel (in order to determine how much speed they could handle), weighed them and, when they finally had all the necessary data, raced them. The students whose cars fared poorly in the race were simply asked to modify their designs and see what effect their modifications had on the cars' efficiency. 

Digital signs are nothing new for area schools -- but Robert Morris Elementary, at 80 Union St. in Batavia, is the first school in the Genesee Valley to have a solar-powered digital sign, which was unveiled last month.

The new 3x8 sign, which shares important information with the school community, is fully powered by the sun's energy, collected and converted into electricity by solar panels on the school's roof.

This environmentally friendly and money-saving technology allows the sign to store energy and stay powered up even at night and in overcast weather. 

The sign is part of Robert Morris' "Going Green" project, which is being coordinated by the all-volunteer parent group FORM (Friends of Robert Morris).

The "green" project, in turn, is part of the school's committment to educating students and keeping them informed about renewable energy and environmentally responsible technology.

As the current school year drew to a close, Principal Diane Bonarigo went to each of the classrooms and explained the new solar sign to students -- including how it would turn the sun's energy into electricity, etc.

"Our students are very excited about learning how solar energy is powering this sign," Bonarigo said in a news release. "(It) will engage (them) for years to come."

FORM co-chair Roseann Quinn said that they would like to focus more intensely on "green" education in September. She mentioned the possibility of having professionals come in and speak to the kids about different renewable energy technologies, as well as basic education in the classrooms.

"Now with the solar sign, the kids have something they can see and touch (to go along with lessons)," Quinn said.

Quinn also said that FORM and Bonarigo would like to put the students in charge of the sign when the next school year starts. Right now, Bonarigo controls what words appear on the sign from her laptop computer; in September, they hope to give the kids more input into the way words appear and change.

At Robert Morris, going green also involves lots of landscape planting on school grounds. Here are some pictures of new trees and bushes that have been put in already: 

FORM chair Lorie Reinhart came up with the idea for this project early in the 2008-2009 school year after looking online and reading about an education grant offered by Lowe's.

"We wanted to do something different," Quinn said. "We wanted to actually try to do something that a lot of schools talk about but never get around to doing."

Reinhart and Quinn wrote the grant proposal along with co-secretary Michelle Turnbull. In response to FORM's request, Lowe's granted the school $5,000 for the solar sign.

The project also received funding from the New York State Power Authority -- which was unprecedented, since NYSPA does not, as a rule, give money to schools. But the NYSPA president was so intrigued by the idea that he contributed $5,000 to the project.

Seven or eight local businesses also donated money to the purchase of the sign. Quinn said that the total cost came to about $18,000.

In addition to being a valuable educational venture, Quinn sees the construction of the sign as a grassroots effort to promote renewable energy, which she calls "the way of the future."

FORM wanted to make this as locally focused an effort as possible. The sign was produced by LeRoy-based Unitech Applications, in collaboration with XPress Signs and Agile Displays.

If you would like more information on the solar-powered digital sign or the "Going Green" project, see the FORM webpage for contact information.

The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance (BEA) is holding the first of what they hope will be an annual summer camp this year. It's called the "MST Explorer Camp," and will engage middle-schoolers in hands-on activities related to careers in math, science and technology.

This is a first for BEA, which hosts a "MASH (Medical Academy of Science and Health) Camp" and a "Culinary Camp" every summer (see last month's announcement for more details on these and for pictures).

BEA Coordinator Melinda Chamberlin started planning the MST camp in the spring, along with Debbie Dunlevy, who works with GCC's Tech Prep Program, and Bob Hollwedel, a technology instructor at Alexander Middle School.

Clay Maderer, a technology teacher at Batavia Middle School and a member of the MST camp's development team, said that the idea arose, in part, from the success and popularity of GCC'S Tech Wars.

"We wanted to see that type of activity carry over into the summer," Maderer said.

Current job market trends, both in the Western New York area and in the nation as a whole, were also a factor.

"We hope this brings home to students the relevance of these subjects in the real world," Chamberlin said. "We also hope it shows them that math, science and technology can be cool and interesting."

All of BEA's camps are geared toward middle-schoolers. According to Chamberlin, those students are at a stage of development at which they can start to become passionate about certain subjects and find out what they like.

"They're at an age where you can really start to influence their career interests," she said. "That doesn't mean forcing them into anything, it just means that we can, and should, help them to become more well-informed about career choices (before they spend a lot of money on college)."

Although the MST has not been done before, the MASH and Culinary camps have both gotten great responses from students.

"They love it," Chamberlin said. "Some of them will even go from one camp to another."

The MST camp will include presentations given by professionals in a variety of different fields, exposing the kids to specific math, science and technology-related careers. For instance, representatives from Time Warner Cable will do a session on how the company delivers information to the world.

Additionally, a middle-school-age race car driver (along with others) will be there to help teach them about aerodynamics.

But these "instructors" are not just going to be feeding kids information, like in a stereotypical classroom setting. All of the planned activities are hands-on, so the students will be able to learn by direct, personal engagement.

Charles "Chip" Malone of Cornell Cooperative Extension will be in charge of an energy exhibit where the kids will try to activate various appliances -- including cell phones, lights and kitchen appliances -- by peddling stationary bicycles (thus generating an air current)...

"...which is really cool," Malone said. "They'll have a lot of fun with that."

The idea, according to Hollwedel, is to help them gain an "appreciation of how much energy the things they own use."

The kids will also work at designing their own bridges, modifying/adapting CO2 cars to run more efficiently and racing them to find out whose is the best.

MST is a one-day camp. There will be two sessions -- one on July 20 for boys, and another on July 21 for girls. Both sessions will be at Batavia Middle School, at 96 Ross St. in Batavia, and last from 7:45 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The decision to devote one day to each gender group was based on the observations of middle-school teachers and made for the benefit of the kids.

"Girls tend to be resistant in technology class," Hollwedel said, "because boys are stereotypically more inclined toward technology, tools, etc. So with guys around, the girls can become intimidated and afraid to try things on their own."

"If the camp were co-ed, the girls would be more likely to just go along with what the guys say," said Samantha Lippman, a science teacher at Alexander Middle School and a member of the MST development team. "This way they can work independently, pitch in and come up with their own ideas. And with all the hands-on activities, they'll be able to see that they can do it."

"What we want to do for both boys and girls," Chamberlin said, "is give them an opportunity to excel and to work without having to worry about intimidation or pressure."

The MST Camp is open to all students in Genesee County who will be entering grades 7, 8 and 9 in the fall. There is room for 11 more students, and registrations will be accepted until July 2.

There is a $25 admission fee to cover operating expenses and lunch for the students.

For details, call Chamberlin at 343-7440, ext. 25, or e-mail mchamberlin@mail.geneseeny.com.

Genesee Community College 2007 graduate Sarina Dorazio didn't waste time after she was awarded funds through the National Science Foundation's Technology Opportunity Pathway scholarship. Fresh off graduation, Sarina took off for the west for an intensive 10-week internship at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington.

From there, it was off to the University of Buffalo, where she picked up her BA in Chemistry. She has already been accepted to the PhD program there.

"When I applied for the internship, I was still not sure exactly what path I wanted to take for a career," Sarina said. "After working at [the national laboratory] for the summer I decided that I definitely wanted to continue in a science-related field."

Scholarship funds are still available for full-time students at GCC.

From the press release:

TOP Scholarship resources are still available for full-time students enrolled this fall in the following programs: math / science; engineering, computer support and operations, computer information systems, computer systems and networking, and computerized drafting.

Visit the scholarship Web site or call Ken Mead at (585) 343-0055 for more information.

From the Daily News (Monday):

• Richmond Memorial Library has about finished mounting eleven banners on schools, shops and organizations around Batavia. The 9-by-12-foot posters depict blown-up illustrations intended to promote preschool literacy as part of the library's Giving Reading Opportunities program. Check out the article on page A-3 for a full list of sites.
• Seventy-three years after the Cornell Women's Club of Batavia held its first meeting, it held its last this past weekend. Part social club, part unofficial recruiters for Cornell University, the Women's Club was established on December 15, 1934. Member MaryAnne Sovocool told reporter Joanne Beck: "We may not be meeting together, but we'll never end. We'll be in the meeting room in heaven."
• Beck also attended the Notre Dame High School graduation ceremony Saturday. Her coverage can be found on the front page.
• Byron-Bergen student Trent Jeffords got a perfect score and first place at the third annual Dancing Under the Stars at Stuart Steiner Theatre Saturday. His partner was Millie Tomidy, executive director of the Genesee County Mental Health Association. (If anyone got a video recording of the dance, please let us know, and we will post it here on the site for all to see.)
• A story on page A-7 about Genesee Community College's summer forensic science camps was featured on The Batavian a few weeks ago. Follow the link for more information.
• Notre Dame's Fighting Irish baseball pulled a come-from-behind victory over Northstar Christian Academy Saturday to advance to the Class D regionals. They will play "Section 6 champion Pine Valley in the Far West Regionals tonight in Jamestown," writes reporter Brian Hillabush.

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

I've been something of a nerd for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I was literally fascinated by rocks — minerals and crystals and gems, to be more specific, but you get the idea. Learning is one of the greatest gifts of our human race. A monkey may be able to learn sign language, but he can't discuss the Pythagorean Theorem. Your dog may roll over, but he can't sculpt a dog rolling over.

For all of you out there who share such passions for puzzling out mysteries and uncovering the hidden truths in things, you may be excited to know that Genesee Community College is hosting some summer workshops about forensic science, for teachers and for students.

The adult version:

Designed for middle and high school teachers, science coordinators, and principals, the workshop provides ideas for the development of course work that engages students and uses forensic science to foster problem solving, critical thinking, and laboratory skills in all science areas.

The hands-on workshop may include introduction to such topics as accident investigation, fingerprints and impressions, DNA techniques, forensic anthropology, and crime scene protocol.

For further information or to register for the workshop, contact Zane Bloom at (814) 720-0171 or by email at  zane_bloom (at) vwreducation (dot) com.

A children's version will be part of the Infotonics Technology Center Summer Science Camp from July 7-11. GCC will host two workshops related to the camp:

Crime Scene Investigators: The Case of the Calculating Copycat will run from July 7-11. Recommended for students entering grades 6-9, the course allows young forensic scientists to help solve the case of a missing teacher by developing vital evidence in a lab and presenting it to a jury of peers.

And,

Mission to Mars, will be held at Genesee July 14-18. In this session, recommended for students entering grades 5-8, participants must plan a spacecraft launch to the red planet, design a mission patch, and create and launch their own rockets.

A fee of $275 covers instruction, program materials, lunch, refreshments, and activities. A multiple camp discount, which applies to two or more campers per family or two camps per child, is available for a $25 per camp deduction.

Call (585) 389-5125 for more information, or send an e-mail to scicamp (at) naz (dot) edu.