STEM at Pennington

“Teaching computer science is so fulfilling for me— how many students can I introduce to the field who will go on to make this their life’s work? One of my greatest joys is my ongoing relationships with so many students, who continue to see me as a mentor and who want to meet even after they have moved far beyond my own level of skill in programming.

Recently, three alumni met with me in Philadelphia to describe their idea for starting a business; they wanted advice from an entrepreneurial perspective.

This completely delighted me!”

—Len Leib

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Outside of academic coursework, about twenty students each year participate in the American Computer Science League (ACSL) contest, a national competition in which students use mathematics and logic to write solutions to a given problem, processing it the same way a computer would do. Last year, although the team members were spread out across the world, they persevered, competing in yearlong complex coding challenges and tests of advanced computer science knowledge.

This hard work paid off—the Pennington team finished as one of the top three schools internationally, tied for the silver medal with one other school and finishing a mere two points behind the first-place team. Six of our students finished in the top 10 percent of all international competitors, and Jack Wang ’21 was one of only ten students out of six hundred with a perfect score for the year.

STEM at Pennington Students develop critical skills to solve real-world problems.

Pennington’s Girls in STEM club offers students opportunities to apply their science, design, and problem-solving skills towards real-world issues. One of the projects that the Girls in STEM club has been working on for the past two years is the development of a hybrid sanitary napkin for girls living in Dzaleka, a refugee camp in Malawi, Africa with which Pennington has a collaborative relationship. Due to shortages of water and quality menstrual products, girls living in the camp frequently miss school during their periods, which often leads to their dropping out of school altogether. In response to this challenge, Girls in STEM designed, sewed, and tested several versions of a hybrid sanitary napkin during the last school year. They mailed prototypes to the girls in Dzaleka, who offered them feedback on their design over Zoom.

Girls in STEM recently won the $20,000 grand prize in the Lemonade Stand Contest, a competition by Whalebone Magazine and Faherty Brand, for their work on this project.

Other STEM-related Clubs and Activities: Aerospace Club Aviation Club Computer Science Club Innovation Project Club Math Club Odyssey of the Mind (MS)

Robotics Club Science Olympiad Solar Power Club STEM Leaders Club STEM Tutoring Technology Club

NEW COURSES

for 2021–22

Introduction to Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking

This course will expose students to the tools and techniques required to learn the foundations of cybersecurity and other critical skills. Students will be challenged to be resourceful and creative, using hacking as a method for discovering how things work and how system vulnerabilities can be remedied. The class will cover a broad range of topics, including safe internet use, networking basics, web privacy, network security, and hacking ethics and laws. “Ethical hacking” describes the work of securing cyber systems; “hacking” means analyzing systems for strengths, weaknesses, and efficiencies.

Introduction to Python

Python is the world’s most popular programming language, and this course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of all programming languages as well as the unique features and strengths of Python. Students will learn basic Python syntax, data types, conditionals, and control structures.

Software Engineering II

This course, a continuation of Software Engineering I, will explore more advanced concepts of programming in Java.

Students will continue to build their skills while applying the software design cycle on both individual and team projects.

Proper coding techniques will be stressed throughout the course with an emphasis on program structure, documentation, and formatting. This hands-on, project-based course will give students the opportunity to hone their skills while building fun and creative applications of increasing complexity.

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“Teaching computer science is so fulfilling for me— how many students can I introduce to the field who will go on to make this their life’s work? One of my greatest joys is my ongoing relationships with so many students, who continue to see me as a mentor and who want to meet even after they have moved far beyond my own level of skill in programming.

Recently, three alumni met with me in Philadelphia to describe their idea for starting a business; they wanted advice from an entrepreneurial perspective.

This completely delighted me!”

—Len Leib

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Outside of academic coursework, about twenty students each year participate in the American Computer Science League (ACSL) contest, a national competition in which students use mathematics and logic to write solutions to a given problem, processing it the same way a computer would do. Last year, although the team members were spread out across the world, they persevered, competing in yearlong complex coding challenges and tests of advanced computer science knowledge.

This hard work paid off—the Pennington team finished as one of the top three schools internationally, tied for the silver medal with one other school and finishing a mere two points behind the first-place team. Six of our students finished in the top 10 percent of all international competitors, and Jack Wang ’21 was one of only ten students out of six hundred with a perfect score for the year.

STEM at Pennington Students develop critical skills to solve real-world problems.

10

Pennington’s Girls in STEM club offers students opportunities to apply their science, design, and problem-solving skills towards real-world issues. One of the projects that the Girls in STEM club has been working on for the past two years is the development of a hybrid sanitary napkin for girls living in Dzaleka, a refugee camp in Malawi, Africa with which Pennington has a collaborative relationship. Due to shortages of water and quality menstrual products, girls living in the camp frequently miss school during their periods, which often leads to their dropping out of school altogether. In response to this challenge, Girls in STEM designed, sewed, and tested several versions of a hybrid sanitary napkin during the last school year. They mailed prototypes to the girls in Dzaleka, who offered them feedback on their design over Zoom.

Girls in STEM recently won the $20,000 grand prize in the Lemonade Stand Contest, a competition by Whalebone Magazine and Faherty Brand, for their work on this project.

Other STEM-related Clubs and Activities: Aerospace Club Aviation Club Computer Science Club Innovation Project Club Math Club Odyssey of the Mind (MS)

Robotics Club Science Olympiad Solar Power Club STEM Leaders Club STEM Tutoring Technology Club

NEW COURSES

for 2021–22

Introduction to Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking

This course will expose students to the tools and techniques required to learn the foundations of cybersecurity and other critical skills. Students will be challenged to be resourceful and creative, using hacking as a method for discovering how things work and how system vulnerabilities can be remedied. The class will cover a broad range of topics, including safe internet use, networking basics, web privacy, network security, and hacking ethics and laws. “Ethical hacking” describes the work of securing cyber systems; “hacking” means analyzing systems for strengths, weaknesses, and efficiencies.

Introduction to Python

Python is the world’s most popular programming language, and this course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of all programming languages as well as the unique features and strengths of Python. Students will learn basic Python syntax, data types, conditionals, and control structures.

Software Engineering II

This course, a continuation of Software Engineering I, will explore more advanced concepts of programming in Java.

Students will continue to build their skills while applying the software design cycle on both individual and team projects.

Proper coding techniques will be stressed throughout the course with an emphasis on program structure, documentation, and formatting. This hands-on, project-based course will give students the opportunity to hone their skills while building fun and creative applications of increasing complexity.

E

ELECTIVE COURSES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

very Pennington Upper School student takes at least one class in technology during the freshman year. After that initial course, which introduces freshmen to a broad overview of twenty-first-century technology, students can go on to study coding, robotics, computer science, statistics, software engineering, design engineering, and more. (See new course offerings for 2021–22 on page 11.) Pennington’s Applied Science Certificate Program offers interested students tangible ways to solve real-world problems, and about forty students put in extra coursework and log time out of the classroom to earn this certificate, awarded at Commencement each year.

All students working to earn a certificate in Applied Science must complete a course in either Software Engineering or Design Engineering. Software Engineering I students learn the basic programming skills required to design and build software, and they have multiple opportunities to apply the Software Development Life Cycle, which is the application of engineering principles to the process of building software applications. This course teaches students the fundamentals of programming using a tool called Processing, which helps students to gain a practical understanding of Java commands and syntax as well as basic coding concepts and program design. Students learn the principles of programming, such as variables, control structures, data structures, and syntax in a visually engaging way. Once these core programming concepts are understood, students learn the basics of object-oriented programming. Students also develop important skills that include collaborating with fellow developers, breaking a system down into components, and learning how to complete a project on time through iterative development. In the culminating project of the semester, students work to solve a problem of their own choosing.

Some students, after the required freshman technology course, wait until their senior year to delve back in. The AP Computer Science course may be some students’ first exposure to coding, but after taking this yearlong class, more than ten percent of them are motivated to major in computer science or a related field in college. Computer science continues to be one of the fastest-growing fields as far as employment opportunities go, and since almost everything in the world is built on or by using computers, taking computer science and technology classes in high school can give students a wide-angle view of the applications for this work. The need for qualified computer security experts has exploded in recent years with the rise of computer crime and espionage at both the corporate and government levels. But the truth is that all users of technology can benefit from a better understanding of cybersecurity principles and ethical hacking techniques.

Design Engineering teaches students to use the engineering design cycle.

Using CAD and graphics software, hand tools, a 3D printer, a laser cutter, and

Computer Science and Technology Courses Continue to FRESHMAN YEAR: SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH TECHNOLOGY This semester-long course is designed to accomplish two primary goals: to familiarize students with the technologies they will be using at The Pennington School to help ensure their academic success, and to expose them to technologies and topics that they might not otherwise learn about in the hope of kindling a new or unknown interest for further study. The class provides a mix of technical projects and discussion-based work that offers a gateway to students interested in further exploring STEM subjects. Every student exits the class with a solid working knowledge of technology in the twenty-first century. The semester begins with a focus on digital citizenship, which includes a discussion about social media and the consequences of using technology to communicate, thirdparty ad tracking methods, and how to fact-check sources on the internet.

Students are also introduced to a variety of ways that technology can be used to address real-world problems. Interdisciplinary projects challenge students to think critically, communicate effectively, and ultimately design and develop an appropriate solution. Students have the opportunity to learn computer-aided design and print an object that they design in 3-D. They learn some basics of programming and how computers work. The most recent, and perhaps most exciting, addition to the course is the augmented reality (AR) unit. Students complete this introductory course having gained experience in technologies that are currently used in research, the arts, engineering, software development, and project management.

Admission Magazine 2021–22

“I’ve had many students over the years who took one of my classes simply to fulfill a graduation requirement only to discover a new passion for programming—many of whom have gone on to incorporate computer science into their college studies.”

—Ken Coakley

a variety of materials, students will design, build, and test solutions to a given problem. Students then apply the engineering design cycle to improve their design’s performance. Students also learn to identify and work effectively to solve problems on time and on budget, and they develop presentation skills.

AP Computer Science is a college-level course that covers the key concepts of object-oriented programming, with the majority (about 70%) of the class time devoted to labs using Java. Throughout the year, students are asked to design and write several small-to-medium-sized programs as well as two major pieces of software from scratch. Students need to grasp the nuances of thinking algorithmically, then design and write their solutions in code. In addition to the concepts of object-oriented programming, much attention is given to the art of good programming design. Students are challenged not only to write software that works but also to write clean code: software that is efficient and easily understood and maintained. This class challenges students to create, and in just a few short months they go from having little to no programming experience to being able to write complex software.

“The course I teach, Solving Problems with Technology, is constantly evolving. Just three to five years from now, this class will cover entirely different material!”

—Steve Trimble

www.pennington.org

13

E

ELECTIVE COURSES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

very Pennington Upper School student takes at least one class in technology during the freshman year. After that initial course, which introduces freshmen to a broad overview of twenty-first-century technology, students can go on to study coding, robotics, computer science, statistics, software engineering, design engineering, and more. (See new course offerings for 2021–22 on page 11.) Pennington’s Applied Science Certificate Program offers interested students tangible ways to solve real-world problems, and about forty students put in extra coursework and log time out of the classroom to earn this certificate, awarded at Commencement each year.

All students working to earn a certificate in Applied Science must complete a course in either Software Engineering or Design Engineering. Software Engineering I students learn the basic programming skills required to design and build software, and they have multiple opportunities to apply the Software Development Life Cycle, which is the application of engineering principles to the process of building software applications. This course teaches students the fundamentals of programming using a tool called Processing, which helps students to gain a practical understanding of Java commands and syntax as well as basic coding concepts and program design. Students learn the principles of programming, such as variables, control structures, data structures, and syntax in a visually engaging way. Once these core programming concepts are understood, students learn the basics of object-oriented programming. Students also develop important skills that include collaborating with fellow developers, breaking a system down into components, and learning how to complete a project on time through iterative development. In the culminating project of the semester, students work to solve a problem of their own choosing.

Some students, after the required freshman technology course, wait until their senior year to delve back in. The AP Computer Science course may be some students’ first exposure to coding, but after taking this yearlong class, more than ten percent of them are motivated to major in computer science or a related field in college. Computer science continues to be one of the fastest-growing fields as far as employment opportunities go, and since almost everything in the world is built on or by using computers, taking computer science and technology classes in high school can give students a wide-angle view of the applications for this work. The need for qualified computer security experts has exploded in recent years with the rise of computer crime and espionage at both the corporate and government levels. But the truth is that all users of technology can benefit from a better understanding of cybersecurity principles and ethical hacking techniques.

Design Engineering teaches students to use the engineering design cycle.

Using CAD and graphics software, hand tools, a 3D printer, a laser cutter, and

Computer Science and Technology Courses Continue to FRESHMAN YEAR: SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH TECHNOLOGY This semester-long course is designed to accomplish two primary goals: to familiarize students with the technologies they will be using at The Pennington School to help ensure their academic success, and to expose them to technologies and topics that they might not otherwise learn about in the hope of kindling a new or unknown interest for further study. The class provides a mix of technical projects and discussion-based work that offers a gateway to students interested in further exploring STEM subjects. Every student exits the class with a solid working knowledge of technology in the twenty-first century. The semester begins with a focus on digital citizenship, which includes a discussion about social media and the consequences of using technology to communicate, thirdparty ad tracking methods, and how to fact-check sources on the internet.

Students are also introduced to a variety of ways that technology can be used to address real-world problems. Interdisciplinary projects challenge students to think critically, communicate effectively, and ultimately design and develop an appropriate solution. Students have the opportunity to learn computer-aided design and print an object that they design in 3-D. They learn some basics of programming and how computers work. The most recent, and perhaps most exciting, addition to the course is the augmented reality (AR) unit. Students complete this introductory course having gained experience in technologies that are currently used in research, the arts, engineering, software development, and project management.

12

Admission Magazine 2021–22

“I’ve had many students over the years who took one of my classes simply to fulfill a graduation requirement only to discover a new passion for programming—many of whom have gone on to incorporate computer science into their college studies.”

—Ken Coakley

a variety of materials, students will design, build, and test solutions to a given problem. Students then apply the engineering design cycle to improve their design’s performance. Students also learn to identify and work effectively to solve problems on time and on budget, and they develop presentation skills.

AP Computer Science is a college-level course that covers the key concepts of object-oriented programming, with the majority (about 70%) of the class time devoted to labs using Java. Throughout the year, students are asked to design and write several small-to-medium-sized programs as well as two major pieces of software from scratch. Students need to grasp the nuances of thinking algorithmically, then design and write their solutions in code. In addition to the concepts of object-oriented programming, much attention is given to the art of good programming design. Students are challenged not only to write software that works but also to write clean code: software that is efficient and easily understood and maintained. This class challenges students to create, and in just a few short months they go from having little to no programming experience to being able to write complex software.

“The course I teach, Solving Problems with Technology, is constantly evolving. Just three to five years from now, this class will cover entirely different material!”

—Steve Trimble

www.pennington.org