Outside the main curriculum, St. Mary’s students have many other opportunities to experience and enjoy science.
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On February 7, 2013, the entire St. Mary’s community is invited to Family Science Night. “Our theme is Global Environments,” explains Miss Bratcher. “We will explore the Earth through multi-media presentations written and directed by middle school students, and many hands-on experiments and activities taking place in our science labs.” Middle-schoolers can join the Applied Science Club, now in its third year, which meets at lunch. This year, participants will design, research, test and evaluate a science project of their choosing, and enter competitions such as the OC Science and Engineering Fair in Costa Mesa, and Physics Quest organized by the American Physics Society. Younger budding scientists can join the after school Wild About Science programs, for grades K–2 and 3 – 5. These students become “science ambassadors” for Miss Hobbins, helping in the lower school science lab, taking care of the animals, and starting and tending gardens at school. They will also spearhead a soon-to-be-launched, schoolwide composting project to recycle lunch-time waste. They also plan to explore alternative energy sources such as solar and wind energies. The Summer School program offers an exciting Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) program, with students using science to solve crime scenarios. “Our science program is innovative and comprehensive,” concludes Miss Bratcher. “We engage and enthuse our students so they will develop an interest in science that grows beyond St. Mary’s. We also recognize that science is a dynamic subject that links ever-more closely with many other subject areas. Across all our grade levels, we always strive to stay in tune with changing times, in what we teach, as well as how we teach.”
Lower school students traveled through different stations using various tools to model how birds have specialized bills to help them survive in their environments.
SAVE THE DATE Family Science Night Thursday February 7, 2013 St. Mary’s School