LAGUNA CREEK HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
NOVEMBER 2020
Green Energy Technology Academy
PREPARED BY THE GETA LEADERSHIP BOARD
November
accomplishments 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Ergonomics Arch Nexus Ruler Measurements Bolt Measurements Safety Batteries and Solar Teacher Spotlight Partner Spotlight Building Updates Supporters
GETA Leadership Board THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE NEWSLETTER
PRESIDENT IVAN HUANG VICE PRESIDENT DONOVAN CHEN VICE PRESIDENT JOAQUIN CRANMORE-SANCHEZ PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ADRIAN CARRION SECRETARY JAY CHEW MEDIA EDITOR BENICIO PEREZ MEDIA EDITOR JASON NGUYEN MEDIA EDITOR ELAINE JAMORA SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE JOAQUIN CRANMORE-SANCHEZ SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE DAWIT TADDESE
JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE ETHAN TRAN JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE BRANDON GEORGE SOPHOMORE REPRESENTATIVE MAHIMA SRINIVAS SOPHOMORE REPRESENTATIVE KATIE LIANG FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE TREVOR MATSUMOTO FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE Evelyn Brown
ErgOnomics Ergonomics is the study of improving people’s efficiency in a work environment, and in order to learn about ergonomics, our teachers gave us a Google Sheet which included a detailed checklist, information, and knowledge questions pertaining to ergonomics. For the checklist, we had to answer yes or no questions about key aspects included or missing in our workspace. Additionally, we had to take notes and answer several questions about workstation ergonomics, using links to a video and website.
Being in quarantine for almost over half of a year, a lot of things have changed. As a class, we have learned a lot about proper ergonomic techniques and practices in our workspace. For instance, we were taught proper hand positioning, office chair placement and adjustment, keyboard and mouse setups, computer placement, scheduling breaks for ourselves, and much more. Overall, the project helped us become more efficient and lower down work time. For example, we noticed that if we take scheduled breaks they will help us concentrate and refocus our attention on assignments. We also had to create a poster on occupational therapists, which gave us insight into different careers and the experience and skills required for them.
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A R C H N E X U S
Arch Nexus is a company that provides various services such as interior design, architecture, energy operation, and more.
We got a virtual tour of the Arch Nexus Sacramento facility. We learned about the many sustainable practices that took place in this sustainable building, such as the living wall (a sustainable wall made out of plants), solar tubes (which brought in sunlight instead of using energy to produce light), composting toilets (which used vacuums), and a greywater system (which recycled the building’s water).
Living Building Challenge
Composters Living Wall
Soon after, we got to research and make a career poster based on an occupation that we observed at the facility.
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Ruler Measurements Measuring is an important life skill. Almost every career involves it whether it's using a measuring tape or eyeballing a distance. GETA had the opportunity to review measuring rulers, and we were able to become efficient with the tool. We familiarized ourselves with the difference between the different ticks on a ruler, such as the ¼”, ½”, and ⅛ “ mark. Additionally, we learned how to properly write a measurement using the inch and feet symbols along with a hyphen (inch hyphen fraction quotation).
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Bolt Measurements We also learned how to measure the different factors that make up the size of a bolt, specifically the pitch, diameter, and length. We studied that the pitch is the number of threads per inch, the diameter is the distance from one end to the other through the center of the circle, and the length is the distance after the head to the endpoint of the bolt. These measurements are correctly labeled (diameter)-(pitch) x (length). We also defined the words quenched, alloy, and tempered, relating to the bolt’s hardness. In order to practice our knowledge, we had to correctly label the different sizes of five different images of bolts. Afterward, students researched and defined different grades of bolts, determined by its material composition and markings. Finally, students were tasked with learning how to properly create and input equations into our spreadsheets in order to quickly create a list of bolt size numbers and their diameters.
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OSHA, SDS, and NFPA Fire Diamonds We learned about various safety organizations that ensure a healthy working environment. OSHA is one of these organizations that, for example, use safety data sheets (SDS) to classify chemicals, and an NFPA fire diamond that lists chemical and physical properties of a certain substance. In this assignment, we got to research OSHA and NFPA 704 Fire Diamonds. We then used our names to alphabetically choose a chemical in the Fisher Scientific Catalog, which was used to make our own safety diamond. We learned how the fire diamond was classified into four sections; health, flammability, instability, and special.
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Batteries and solar panels/inverters Freshmen
students
learning familiarizing
about
began and
themselves
with solar cells, modules, and arrays, as well as deep cycle batteries and battery systems.
They
learned
functions
and
significance inverter controller
the
of
and in
the an
charge a
solar
array system.
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Teacher Spotlight Mrs. Friedrich is a chemistry teacher and the co-founder of the Green Energy Technology Academy along with Mr. Johnson. She first began college thinking of becoming a doctor. She began her college experience at the University of Kansas, then completed her education at Sacramento State University. During that time she became fond of learning chemistry and ultimately decided to pursue it as her major, and eventually earn the credentials to teach it. A major reason why Mrs. Friedrich and Mr. Johnson felt the need for GETA is because they felt as if they were missing out on guiding kids that needed job skills and necessary information in the career world. They saw how many individuals in the trades, for the most part, were financially stable and had stable careers. GETA acted as an opportunity that introduced different career paths other than going through college. One of Ms. Friedrich’s favorite parts about GETA is the students she has the opportunity to work with every year. She enjoys seeing them learn and participate in different events, such as the Solar Regatta. She also loves the core concept of pursuing different renewable energy sources. While distance learning may be an area in which most other teachers struggle, it is an area in which Ms. Friedrich shines. “I was uniquely a nerd going into this,” she says, having the fun opportunity to learn many new techs and virtual teaching skills. The flexibility of her schedule for online teaching has allowed her to focus on the bright sides of distance learning. In fact, she even says it has allowed for more “balance” in her life. However, despite this, she is still saddened by the disconnection distance learning brings, and the inability to see her students in person every day. Overall, online teaching has not only been a learning experience for the kids but for her and the other teachers as well, teaching many new skills to students and teachers alike.
Mrs. Friedrich is super excited about the upcoming GETA building. She looks forward to the new environment, as the current GETA room “has not been an ideal space”. She takes pride in the fact that Laguna Creek was the first school to have a program regarding the green energy grant announced by the state.
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Partner Spotlight
Suzette Bienvenue is a part of SMUD’s community outreach and education department. Her role is to help educate our school teachers about more diverse and improved sciences to present in the classroom. She is also responsible for helping organize and teach fun STEM related events and activities for schools and classrooms. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD, is a non-profit community-owned electric utility organization, founded in 1923. They are well known for their innovative energy efficiency programs, and their renewable power technologies. In fact SMUD plans to go ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030. So far they have many different renewable energy facilities, which use green energy sources such as: Windpower, Solar, and (The biggest of the three) Hydro-electric. For them, while COVID-19 may not have severely impacted their physical operation of generating and delivering power to the Sacramento area; their education and community outreach capabilities have been greatly affected. This is because many of their annually planned educational opportunities and events which students and schools in the past have been able to attend, were shut down due to health regulations. Ultimately restricting their vast event plans into only several small virtual meeting sessions.
As described previously, SMUD takes an active role in educating their community not just about their energy’s generation, but also about green and renewable forms of energy, and their future possibilities. They promote such technologies through hosted events such as: the Solar Car Races, the Solar Regatta, The Electricity Fair, and the Youth Energy Summit to name a few. They also allow schools, and technology academies such as GETA to tour some of their facilities on field trips, such as the Folsom Powerhouse. Unfortunately due to the COVID19 outbreak, many of these opportunities are now unavailable to classrooms, as they were very hands-on and in-person events. Despite this however, SMUD personnel, such as Ms. Bienvenue, are still able to partially reach out to teachers and classrooms to help educate them about energy technologies through virtual learning sessions. The Youth Energy Summit, or YES, is a 3-day climate and sustainability summit for high-school juniors and seniors in Sacramento county. This Year’s YES will have the theme of green energy sustainable transportation, additionally it will be the one of the ONLY SMUD hosted school events this year. Students who participate will attend three days of learning, sharing, and gathering ideas; they will compare different strategies, and learn about alternate and sustainable transportation concepts from experts. The event will take place between January 21st to January 23rd; students MUST sign up by Monday, January 4th, 2021 in order to attend. 08
Building Updates
If you didn’t know already, there is currently a new GETA Facility being built, and it is predicted to be finished by June 2021! It is approximately 2.34x bigger than our current classroom. As of now, cement is being finished, and posts are put up for fences. The walls of the building should be up in about 3 weeks.
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Supporters
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