Principals’ Welcome

by Dr. Quintin Boyce & Dr. Deedee Falls

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the 2012-2013 academic year at Bioscience High School!  As always, we are committed to providing quality learning opportunities for all of our students.  As a community, we will continue to encourage student learning and provide experiences that will help students maximize their potential.   This year, we have spent time developing a new mission and vision statement, which captures the direction in which our learning community continues to move…

Bioscience High School provides a rigorous, collaborative and relevant academic program emphasizing an innovative, problem-based curriculum that develops literacy in the sciences, mathematics, and the arts, thus cultivating critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and compassionate citizens, who are able to thrive in our increasingly complex and technological communities.

In addition to recrafting our new mission and vision statement, the summer break provided us with time we needed for faculty and staff to continue to develop grade level experiences that will translate into authentic and collaborative opportunities for all of our students to engage in this year.

In addition, for the 2012-2013 academic year, we welcome four new faculty members at Bioscience: Ms. Neda Javidan, who will be teaching Biology/Chemistry and Forensic Science; Ms. Nadia Smith who will be teaching Biology/Chemistry, Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Inventing the Future; Mr. Jared Washburn, who will be teaching sophomore, junior, and senior level math courses, and Mr. Ryan Heisel, who will be teaching freshman and sophomore humanities and our Publications course.

Another exciting change at Bioscience, starting this year, is a restructuring in the school administration.  It has become apparent that a high performing small school, wanting to move from good to great, could benefit from having more than one person with administrative authority. Each year our student, parent, and staff population has increased, which has demonstrated the need for an additional administrator on campus to continue to provide an exceptional quality of customer service.  Dr. Boyce, a Bioscience science teacher and administrative intern for the last several years, will move into an interim co-principal role with Dr. Falls.  This opportunity will allow us to engage in more community outreach, something critical for the continued success of the school, while maintaining a culture of collaboration and learning at the school.

As the year progresses we will continue to provide you with up to date information in a number of formats and through a number of venues.  Check our websites frequently, http://biosciencehs.org/ and  http://news4bioscience.wordpress.com/, and talk every day to your student.  We are counting on you to become an integral member of the Bioscience community.  Our learning partnership is successful only with the support of every staff member, the involvement of every parent, and the commitment of every student.

Sincerely,

Bioscience Administrative Team – Dr. Falls and Dr. Boyce

5th Annual Evening of the Arts

Our community is invited to attend and celebrate Bioscience High School’s 5th Annual Evening of the Arts. The celebration takes place this Friday, April 13th, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. The evening will showcase artwork from our creative students, along with spoken word and performance art. Support our Galapagos-going students by purchasing food from the gourmet food trucks that will be supporting our event: Luncha Libre, Torched Goodness, and Hey Joe! The school is located at 512 E Pierce Street.

Annual PUHSD Art Show Features BHS Students

The annual Phoenix Union district art show is at Garfield Galleria this year! The opening is tomorrow, First Friday, from 5-9 pm. The closing ceremony takes place April 26, from 5-7 pm. Three of our art students have their work showcased. Please congratulate Regina Coulter, Natalie Palomino, and Juan Rodriguez when you see them! Garfield Galleria is located at 316 West McDowell.

Third Fridays: Parents’ Night Out

The Cinnamon Challenge: A Letter to Students, Parents & Staff

by Daniel Hernandez, Senior Bioscience Student

Dear Students and Staff of Phoenix Union High School District,

In this day and age, the trends our youth actively engage in can be spotted seemingly everywhere. Many of these activities originally surface virally, and then manifest themselves into the “real world” through word of mouth. At first glance, a multitude of these activities are seen as harmless, but if one were to actually look into the negative consequences, things suddenly turn sour. A viral phenomenon that’s recently captivated some of our youth is the Cinnamon Challenge. It’s an activity in which the goal is to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon without coughing it up or drinking water during the process. It sounds relatively simple, and a select amount of videos on the Internet turn amusing based on the initial reactions people have; what isn’t covered, however, is what exactly happens other than a person coughing up cinnamon dust.

As a society which has incorporated mainstream media into the frontline of our daily interactions, the general attitude we’ve been conditioned towards cinnamon provides comforting thoughts of dessert. However, from personal experience and from asking others what the feeling is like to choke on cinnamon, it isn’t pleasant to hear. When the cinnamon is inhaled and taken, it dries out much of the saliva in your mouth, therefore making it very hard to swallow. Take into account the spice of the cinnamon, and you can imagine the burning sensation it causes to your throat. But that’s not all; along with the “feeling” of internal pain which the Challenge provides, there are signs of long term effects that may accumulate should anyone continue to take the Challenge in the near future. Should a person not heed the warnings arising, he or she may end up with blisters in their throat and cinnamon in their lungs, which causes respiratory distress (those with asthma are even worse off for reasons self-explanatory). Lastly, an organic compound called Cinnamaldehyde within the spice is used as a pesticide, which we all know is capable of killing little things. Now that you have been exposed to these few facts, I hope it sounds as unappealing as it truly is.

This is not a joke, nor is any other Internet follies that have risen throughout the years. Parents, there are many other follies out there to be careful of especially in regards to the safety of your child. As for students, it is crucial to avoid being pressured into doing things you aren’t entirely sure about. You’ve all heard that warning before from your parents and faculty members, but now you’re hearing it from a student such as yourselves. Be informed, make wiser choices, and please listen to the advice of those who have experienced these popular yet foolish activities firsthand; you can learn a great deal from them.

How to Feed Your Dragon – Cookbooks to Arrive Tuesday!

Mata Ortiz Potters to Visit BHS

The Mata Ortiz potters will be at Bioscience on Tuesday, December 13 from 8-3:30 in the Library! They will have pieces for sale and prices range from $10-200.

from ortizpots.com

“Mata Ortiz, near the ancient ruins of Casas Grandes, Mexico, is a small town famous for it’s beautiful pottery. The potters of Mata Ortiz are inspired by the art of the ancient Paquime indians who lived near Mata Ortiz years ago.
While Mata Ortiz itself is a village barely three streets wide, it is home of Juan Quezada, the self-taught originator of Mata Ortiz pottery, and his young followers. This piece of extraordinary pottery an example of the many diverging art forms that make up the contemporary art movement of Mata Ortiz. While it is rooted in a thousand year tradition, the potters of Mata Ortiz are still free and spontaneous – a result of a blending cultural expression, economic need and artistic desire.”

Cookbook Highlighted in Downtown Devil

We’re still taking submissions TODAY! Click here.

Read Jessica Zook’s article in Downtown Devil.

2011 Academic Decathlon Scrimmage

by Mr. Andrew White, Academic Decathlon Coach and Spanish Instructor

What do the Dutch East India Company, the Congo, and salty pretzels have in common?  They were all topics on everyone’s tongue at the PUHSD Academic Decathlon Scrimmage held at Maryvale High School on Friday – Saturday, November 18th-19th.  Students from Bioscience in addition to eleven other schools from our district, University High School (Tolleson), Washington High School (Glendale) and Summit High School competed in ten events – Essay, Prepared and Impromptu Speeches, Interview, Language & Literature, Music, Science, Art, Economics, Mathematics, Super Quiz (written) and Super Quiz Relay.

A wise person once said luck is where preparation meets opportunity.  Since the announcement of the new year’s special topics in March, students have been preparing by gaining knowledge and understanding of imperialism, colonialism, West African art, romanticism in music (by the way, one of the class favorites this year is Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CHqhsMP80E), rehearsing prepared speeches, practicing impromptu speeches, reviewing Heart of Darkness and reviewing mathematics and applying it to principles of physical science.

Their preparation received special recognition as several of them received coveted medals for their outstanding performance.  Specific highlights include the following:

Gerardo Calderón – third place in music (honors division)
Luis Moreno – third place in music (scholastic division)
Taite Higgins – third place in music (varsity division)
Carlos Alvarado – third place in science (honors division)
Alec Kindall – FIRST place in mathematics (honors division), also highest overall in mathematics, third place in interview (honors division)
Ernesto Luna – third place in interview tie (honors division)

Additionally no small feat:

Brandon Beltrán – answering correctly four of the five questions in Super Quiz Relay
Ernesto Luna – answering correctly all five of the questions in Super Quiz Relay

Overall Bioscience placed sixth of the fifteen schools present.  Students participating were Rahat Alam, Carlos Alvarado, Gerardo Calderón, De Shaun Harris, Alex Long, Luis Moreno, Brandon Beltrán, Taite Higgins, Rogelio Vargas, Ariel Hernández, Alec Kindall, Ernesto Luna, Sergio Nicolas, Vasthy Lamadrid, André Zamora, Leah Neswood, and Havell Markus.

Students will continue to diligently prepare for the regional competition in February.

Be sure to congratulate these scholars on their fine performance, and ask about those salty pretzels!

Senior Internships

My name is Duane Webb and I am the new Internship Coordinator for Bioscience High School. I have moved into this position when Mrs. Singh transferred to another school within the district. I am fortunate to have worked at Bioscience in the past. I was coaxed out of retirement to have the chance to work with students I met 4 years ago when they were freshmen. It is really enjoyable to see how they have grown in the year since I was last here. I may have met many of you (parents) when we conducted the required Student  / Parent Computer Orientation at the beginning of each school year.

There are four pillars on which we build student learning here at Bioscience: Authentic Experiences, Multiple Perspectives, Scholarly Endeavors and Personalization. With these in mind we seek to place students in situations that show what they will encounter later in life. To accomplish this, a portion of our students’ senior year is spent interning or volunteering at selected sites that best match the field they believe they would like to pursue after graduation.

Typically our students leave for their internships sometime shortly after 12:00 (many eat lunch here). Once they arrive at their site they begin work on assigned tasks and stay until a mutually agreed upon ending time. Having students arrive after our school day does present some challenges but we are usually able to make it work for all parties. As a school sponsored internship / activity, we need to be especially cognizant of parental concerns. This is why students are usually on the site from 12:30 to 4:30. If students are at a site at different times, we ask for prior notification and approval.

As an example of where we have placed students, let me focus on those students interning in the health field. We currently have students involved with the ASU Biomedical Program, Maricopa Integrated Health Systems, Native Health Services, Wesley Health Center, Banner Good Samaritan, John C. Lincoln Hospital, St. Joseph’s Neurological Research at TGEN, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the University of Arizona Medical Student Mentorship Program. As you can see from this list, we try to develop a variety of experiences for our students.

What I am trying to do is develop connections between our school and institutions or organizations that have ongoing demands with multiple opportunities for student involvement. Naturally, I turn toward many different angles. We require that our students minimally engage in 135 hours of service / internship experience in order to fulfill the program expectations. Not all 135 hours need be spent at one opportunity. Some students in fact move between several experiences during a school year based upon need and interest.

In closing, I want to thank you for sending your children to Bioscience. In the 3 years we have had students involved in this type of internship experience at the high school level, we have found numerous benefits for both student learning and the sites where they serve. Often the students are able to develop meaningful longer term relationships with the site or sponsors. If you have questions about the program or anything else, please use any of the contact information below to get in touch with me. In turn, if you have any connections that might work with our students, let me know. There is always a need to place a student in a new learning environment that moves them toward their future goals.
Cordially,

Duane Webb
Internship Coordinator
Bioscience High School
512 E. Pierce
Phoenix, Az 85004

bhsinternships@gmail.com
602-764-5611 (office)
602-764-5600 (school)
602-237-2412 (cell)

Making Community an Extension of Our Learning

by Abner Calderon, Health & Fitness Instructor

Freshmen students at Bioscience High School (BHS) have had a busy beginning of the year. During their Health/Fitness course, freshman students have explored personal and local issues through hands-on experiences that impact their learning by exposing them to different approaches to nutrition and community.

As a part of their Health/Fitness curriculum perspective, they have visited Growhouse (Roosevelt Row Community Garden) to further develop their Community Action for Nutrition (CAN) semester learning opportunity. The Health/Fitness course has had two sessions at Growhouse thus far, where Braden Kay, Kenny Barrett, and Kathleen Talbot have facilitated workshops on seeding and preparing soil and containers for planting. Growhouse also networked with other community partners who donated soil and seeds for our students. These partnerships, experiences and materials will increase the level of success once our students go on their own, and turn growing vegetables and greens into a more personal and intimate experience.

During the two sessions at Growhouse, students heard from local artist and grower, Kenny Barrett, about the history of this venue, and the role it plays in Downtown Phoenix’s revitalization (see VOS on Facebook and VOS on News4Bioscience) and local food movement. Students were fortunate to see Growhouse gearing up for this year’s growing season as well as VOS, so they experienced firsthand the importance of growing without pesticides in order to grow healthy vegetables and greens. They put their hands in soil with compost, rooted out crabgrass and other weeds as part of these experiences. Braden Kay, ASU’s School of Sustainability PhD Candidate, guided them in the process of seeding and prepping recycled containers that they will be using at home throughout this semester. Students also learned about the importance of green areas in cooling down our environement. Students planted sunflowers and beets around the sidewalks of this vintage house during these visits, practicing skills they will later use to grow their own plants at home.

CAN will guide freshman students though four sessions at Growhouse as they grow vegetables and greens at home, and eventually will serve as evidence of their learning, which ties into BHS’s project based and community approach to learning.

Valley of the Sunflowers

VOS on KAET’s Horizon
Broadcast 9.21:
Kenny Barrett, artist and Project Manager for Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation and Braden Kay of ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability, talk about the benefits of a collaborative effort between the Roosevelt Row CDC and Phoenix Union Bioscience High School to grow sunflowers on a vacant lot in downtown Phoenix.

Promote/Donate
The Valley of the Sunflowers kickstarter video has just gone live, watch the video (and look for Sam and Zie) and donate here: VOS Kickstarter .

Volunteer
Sunflower Saturdays
Volunteer to help plant seeds and tend the fabulously gigantic garden.

Project Vision
by Mr. Braden Kay, PhD student, ASU School of Sustainability

Imagine visiting Bioscience and instead of looking at vacant lots covered in dust and gravel, you saw a field of blooming yellow sunflowers. Imagine if our sophomores used oil from the seeds of those flowers to make biodiesel fuel to power vehicles in downtown Phoenix. This is not a far off future, but a project that our students, faculty, and local residents and businesses will be working on this year.

Bioscience High School is partnering with Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation on Valley of the Sunflowers.

Sponsored by the Intel Corporation and local businesses near the school, the project aims to add an exciting vibrancy to a vacant lot in downtown Phoenix, while sparking important conversations about the future of transportation, energy and land use. The two-acres of flowers will be grown specifically to be used by the sophomore BioChemistry course to make plant-based energy. This project is an example of the local partnership-driven projects that Bioscience aims to be a part of as an important element of helping our students become problem solvers and sustainability practioners in the 21st Century. We are grateful to Intel and Roosevelt Row for supporting our students with this exciting project.

There will be opportunities to get involved with Valley of the Sunflowers and more information will be available as we move forward with the project. It will be an exciting way for students and families to help Bioscience contribute to efforts to make Downtown Phoenix an exciting and innovative place to work, live, learn and play.

Photo Updates:
8.26 & 8.29
Scraping the lots.

9.1
Prepping lots for irrigation.

9.9
Groundbreaking & Press Conference! (even more great pix HERE )

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