Newtown High School Blog

As incoming ninth graders examine their schedules for the fall, students in English I, Western Studies and Integrated Physical and Earth Science (IPES) may notice that their course descriptor is CP, not CPA or CPB. For many years, CPA and CPB classes shared the same curriculum, but with some differences in pace and instructional approach used to implement the curriculum. As part of the high school reform movement and in the spirit of continuous improvement, the high school community has been discussing the best way to meet the needs of all students who take college prep courses. These discussions have been influenced by NEASC recommendations to place all college prep students together in one level and the need to comply with Connecticut state law to reduce the isolation of students with special needs. These discussions included possible changes to class structures and increased use of differentiated instructional strategies. Read the rest of this entry »

Students in Mr. Dyer’s Earth Science class investigating energy.

After studying chemistry for the whole year, and to reduce the upcoming final exam anxiety, students of Mr. Swanhall made themselves a treat – home made ice cream!

After mixing the necessary ingredients – milk, heavy cream, sugar, and vanillin – in a small plastic bag, it was time to put chemistry to use. By adding rock salt to the ice in a larger bag and then placing the sealed smaller bag into the bigger bag, the students soon realized as they kneaded the bags how cold the ice got – much colder than the melting point of pure ice (0°C or 32°F). This occurred because the rock salt lowers the melting point of ice causing a lower temperature to be needed to melt the ice. Since the ice needs more heat now to melt, more heat was taken away from the milk/cream/sugar/vanillin mixture causing the mixture to solidify into ice cream. This is the same reason why people put rock salt on sidewalks in winter to melt the accumulating ice/snow.

In the end, the students got their just dessert.

When can students miss a day of school to go to an amusement park and not get into trouble? When they are Physics students at Lake Compounce! On Friday May 28, over 150 students from 8 Physics classes went to Lake Compounce to conduct research on the Physics behind the many rides at the park. Read the rest of this entry »

Attention students enrolled in AP courses next year: Many AP courses require that students complete a summer assignment. Information about AP summer assignments will be available on June 1, 2010 in department offices and on department web pages.

Physics teacher Kim Lowell and Language Arts teacher Lee Keylock joined forces to help some of their students make a connection between physics and poetry. Mrs. Lowell showed the students a series of demonstrations based on the concept of waves, particularly those of light and sound. She showed various wave effects with different blends of colored light and demonstrated frequency resonance by sending sound waves through a tube of burning gas. Once the demonstrations were completed, Mr. Keylock encouraged the students as they attempted to use some of the demonstrations as metaphors around which they wrote poems. In some colleges, physics classes for non-science majors are referred to as “Physics for Poets”. At Newtown High School this week, it was physics for poets indeed!

As part of their post-AP Exam activities, students in Kim Lowell’s AP Physics classes spent some time this week to hold the “Newtown Physics Olympics“. Mrs. Lowell’s AP Physics students, such as Amanda Sweat and Justin Vilamil (pictured) conducted each of her honors classes as they took part in contests such as The Paper Plan Provocation, in which they attempted to build a paper airplane of the least mass that flew the farthest distance. They were given 15 minutes to build the planes, and their score was calculated according to the following formula: total flying distance (cm)/mass (cg). They followed this with a similar contest using paper boats. The honors students got to apply their physics knowledge in a practical endeavor, and the AP students got to see what it is like to teach a high school science class.

Students in ninth grade integrated earth science have been studying different types of energy including both fossil fuels and renewable energy resources. As part of their unit on renewable energy, students had to design and test a wind turbine. Each group had a different variables ( such as number of turbine blades, length of the blades, angle of the blades, shape of the blades) to test. They then attached their turbine design to a motor that acted like a generator and the amount of electricity produced (in milliamps) was measured as a fan created wind for their turbine. The picture features two ninth grade students: Ashley Meisenheimer and Rachel Wiberg.

For the first time, Newtown High School science students competed in the Connecticut Envirothon, where teams of high school students from the state compete to test their knowledge about environmental science and related issues. The Newtown High School team consisted of Sara Benson, Kristin Lynch, Kira Reed, Wending Lu, and Meghan Loose ( Megan Preis helped but didn’t come). They answered questions and identified specimens in the categories of Forestry, Wildlife, Soils, and Aquatics, and they gave an oral presentation on Watershed Management. They came in twelfth out of 29 teams and won Rookie of the Year. You can expect NHS to send another team next year and beyond!

Two of the students, Kristin Lynch and Kira Reed were interviewed by Comcast TV … you can see their interview at the following link: Interview

Chemistry students at Newtown High School were treated to a presentation by the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Visiting Scientist, Maria Oliver-Hoyo. Dr. Oliver-Hoyo is an Associate Professor of Chemical Education at North Carolina State University; her complete bio and research interests can be found at: http://www.ncsu.edu/chemistry/people/moh.html

Each year since 1967, the Visiting Scientist Committee of the local ACS section has brought to Fairfield Country high schools an outstanding chemical educator from the university level who can speak to high school students and teachers. Read the rest of this entry »

Students in the Foundations of Health Science and Technology class (taught by Susan McConnell) took part in the Connecticut Career Choices CT Student Innovation Expo 2010, and were awarded the distinction of “Outstanding Presentation” for their efforts.

Their challenge was to develop a healthcare facility that was a unique and innovative frontrunner in terms of technology, management (medical administrators, advisory boards), and design. In addition, the medical center had to meet the need for a greener, more environmentally-friendly world.

Over the course of the school year, each student in the class had to research a healthcare profession and develop a related e-portfolio. For the Expo, they assumed roles based on their research and presented from that standpoint during the booth exhibition and formal presentation. During their presentations, they used technology such as PowerPoint, digital video and Twitter to market their center.

Students in Dr. Berechid’s Biotechnology class (currently studying Forensic Science) participated in an activity used by real crime scene investigators to recreate the scene of a crime involving blood. Students learned how to calculate the impact angle of the blood stains and then used the Stringing Method to estimate the height above the ground from which the blood originated.

Pictured students include Casey Tenney, Shane Casey, Nick Martin, Jeff Spencer, Kaitlin Woodard, Devon Miles, Megan Baylis, Alexander Markham, Stephanie Badick, Alexandra Avila and Zoe Taksic, Sarah Walton, Shawna O’Sullivan, Aidan Sherman, and Ian Archer.

Students in Mr. Weiss’s Integrated Physical & Earth Science class made Elephant Toothpaste today. All they needed was a graduated cylinder, some 30% hydrogen peroxide (10 times as strong as what is usually found at the pharmacy), a little dish detergent, and some food coloring (for decorative purposes only). Once these substances were put in to the graduated cylinder, the final ingredient was added: a little bit of iodine solution (containing the all-important iodide ion). Hydrogen peroxide normally decomposes into water and oxygen, but the iodide ion acts as a catalyst and speeds up that decomposition. This causes the oxygen to be produced much more quickly, so quickly that it creates a froth of detergent bubbles and carries it out of the graduated cylinder with considerable force. The result is a spectacular fountain of suds-maybe even enough to brush an elephant’s teeth!

There were two exciting recent events for members of the Newtown High School Applied Science Research class, instructed by NHS teacher Tim DeJulio: Read the rest of this entry »

This week Officer Kullgren and Officer Ketchum from the Newtown Police Department came to talk with honors physics students about crash scene reconstruction. They brought in their drag sled and force sensor to show how they find the coefficient of friction at the crash scenes. They also showed some examples of how physics formulas are used to find initial speeds of cars in an accident.

Alien genetics, infectious diseases, the human body, and bacterial mascots! Newtown High School biology students have been bursting with creativity as they demonstrate their understanding of a variety of concepts through posters and projects., Next time you’re at the High School, come visit the science wing hallway and look upon their work-let our students teach you.

Mrs. Torrance’s Honors Physics classes made mobiles while studying torque and equilibrium. The students had to design the mobile around a theme, create the objects to hang from each level, calculate the force (weight) of each piece and the lever arm necessary to make it balance, and also submit a blueprint of the mobile drawn to scale. It worked out well and the creations were very creative!

Students in Mr. Kuroski’s CPA and Honors Anatomy and Physiology Classes recently completed the annual Skeleton Poster Project. Finished posters were on display in the lobby for the past several weeks. Students were assigned the task of creating a unique free-hand drawing of the human skeleton that included all of the major bones in the body. They then had to personalize their skeleton with a theme that made each poster unique among those in the class. Read the rest of this entry »

Kinetic and potential energy, work, force, impulse, momentum, and other concepts taught in physics – how does one keep them straight?! By designing a container that will prevent an egg from breaking when dropped, of course.

And so it was the task of Mr. Swanhall’s CPA Physics class students. Working within certain specifications – the size and mass of the protective container, using a non-altered raw egg in any way, and being able to have a mark placed onto the egg – the students made/modified a container to hold the egg. Read the rest of this entry »

The Governor’s Office has asked through a recommendation from the CT State Department of Education that CT Academy, CSSA, and CSTA extend an opportunity to schools to invite high-achieving, science-oriented seniors to apply for the honor of attending the National Youth Science Camp® (NYSC). Two student delegates will be selected by the Governor’s Office to attend. Two alternates will also be selected at this time, in case one or both of the selected delegates are unable to attend.

The NYSC is hosted by the State of West Virginia. Initiated in 1963 and held in West Virginia’s magnificent Monogahela National Forest, this three-week long summer program honors academic excellence in science and promotes science leadership through its lecture series, hands-on research and education activities, and challenging outdoor adventures. Read the rest of this entry »

Mr. Clayton visited Mr. Harrison’s Earth Science Class. During the lab activity students were using standard U.S. mint coins to make batteries. Students were given 10 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, 10 quarters, paper towels, salt water and a voltmeter. The task was to construct the best battery (most volts produced) and the cheapest battery (volts generated per value of coins). Students used the voltmeter to test each battery. Read the rest of this entry »

For three days this fall, five of our teachers attended state-sponsored training at Western Connecticut State University to become cooperating teachers for education students and mentors to new teachers. Tim DeJulio and Maura Mancini of the Science department, Cathy Hall of the Math department, and Kristin English and Jacqui Kaplan of the English department all attended the training on November 16 and 17, 2009 and December 11, 2009. The training was part of the state’s new beginning teacher education and certification model, TEAM (to replace the BEST program). The teachers learned about the new beginning teacher mentoring program, the new learning modules for beginning teachers, and the requirements and protocols for taking on a student teacher. They participated in activities that helped them remember the pressures of being a new teacher, showed them how to effectively evaluate student teachers, and prepared them for the role of coach and mentor for new teachers. All five teachers found the training informative and exciting, and are pleased at the prospect of giving back to their profession.

Mr. Tallcouch’s CPB Chemistry classes have taken to the challenge of coming up with a fresh and unique way of grouping the elements on the periodic table. Along with the new way to group, the students are devising a brand new shape in which to fit the elements. Read the rest of this entry »

Students in Mr. Kuroski’s CPA and Honors Anatomy and Physiology Classes completed a gross anatomical investigation of pig skin. The objectives of the lab were accomplished by dissecting a pigs foot, removing the skin and making a series of observations and illustrations. This is not as easy as you might think. Read the rest of this entry »

Students in Mrs. McConnell’s AP Biology class have completed their Photosynthesis Books. An integral part of the closure to their unit on photosynthesis, these books allowed the students to demonstrate their imagination and creativity, as well their understanding of the concepts underlying this process so critical to plants and the heterotrophs who depend on them.   Stop by Room A208 to learn how plants turn inorganic compounds into simple sugars, through the lens of Dora the Explorer, The Lord of the Rings, Magic School Bus, and the Beatles.

Students in Ms. Ramsey’s and Mr. Canfield’s Honors Chemistry classes were treated on November 20th to a multimedia presentation by The Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) about global warming and the science behind it. Read the rest of this entry »

Advanced Placement Environmental Science students did a water quality study of the Pootatuck River. They completed a habitat assessment, measured pH, nitrates, phosphates, turbidity, dissolved oxygen levels, stream flow, and collected macroinvertebrates which were used as a biological measure of stream health. Read the rest of this entry »

This year the Applied Science Research (ASR) class has been reintroduced after a two year hiatus. The ASR program is under the direction of Timothy DeJulio, a science teacher at Newtown High School. This course is available to all interested students and provides opportunities to conduct authentic research in biology, chemistry, physics, and medical and/or engineering sciences. Read the rest of this entry »

This year, the Newtown High Science Department is very excited to offer a new course, Foundations of Health Science and Technology (FHST). It is a full-year course open to students who have successfully completed one year of science. It is a hybrid program that employs both classroom activities and technology to explore opportunities in healthcare and science technology careers.

The course is designed as an overview of healthcare occupations and the skills required in the health service industry. It includes academics in healthcare, communications systems, legal responsibilities, ethics, teamwork, employability skills, health maintenance and safety practices and information technology applications. Read the rest of this entry »

The AP Environmental Science students are currently studying sampling in ecosystems. This week, they used point quarter sampling to study the forest behind Newtown High School. They identified trees and calculated relative density, frequency, and coverage to determine the “importance” value of each species of tree. Based on our calculations, the forest behind NHS is primarily white pine and black oak with the white pine having the highest importance value because of its high relative frequency but black oak came in second because of its large coverage.

Scott Kim, a junior at the high school, was recognized Tuesday for Excellence in Math and Science by the Fairfield University School of Engineering. He attended a luncheon at the Fairfield campus with Karen Sherman, Math Department Chairperson, and Christian Canfield, Science Department Chairperson.

All ninth grade science students learn about different types of renewable energy. Students do several labs and activities about renewable energy. One of the labs is an inquiry lab where students design, build, and test a wind turbine design. Properties of the turbine, such as length of the blades or angle of the blades, are altered and tested to see which design produces the most electricity. The students then compare their designs to the other groups.

AP physics students competed in cardboard boat races in the high school pool. There were three categories in which students competed: the fastest time, the most laps, and the best theme. With a time of 55 seconds Judy Carnali, Michelle DeBlasio, Emily Korth, and Keith McGrath smoked the competition in speed. The boat that did the most laps, 9, was made by Bryony Langdon and Meredith Letso. The winning theme was the Titanic II complete with violinist and tuxedos, created by Matt Douglass and Wending Lu. Everyone did a wonderful job creating their boats, the races were a complete success. Read the rest of this entry »

The CP B Physics cardboard boat races took place this past Friday in the NHS pool. Every team had to design and construct a boat made entirely out of brown, untreated corrugated cardboard. Sections could only be held together by two-in wide clear postal tape. Boats were restricted to a length of 7 feet and a width of 4 feet. Walls could be at most two layers thick. The boats needed to accommodate two participants who had to paddle the length of the pool and return; their teacher, Dr. Malary supplied the paddles which were wooden. Although only one boat completed the trip, all of the teams successfully completed the construction of a boat that could go in the water. In that sense, every team achieved some measure of success. Read the rest of this entry »

Students may pick up Advanced Placement Summer Assignment information from Department Chairpersons on Tuesday, May 19th.

In April, twenty-one Newtown high School physics students competed in the American Association of Physics Teachers PhysicsBowl exam. This exam is given each year to the top physics students in the nation. Newtown High School had students competing in both Division One (first year physics students) and Division 2 (second year physics students). Newtown earned first place in the northeast region for Division 2 students. This team was lead by Haotian Zheng, who was not only highest scoring individual in the northeast, but received the highest score of any student in the nation who took the division 2 exam.  Here are the results – see page four: aapt physicsbowl results

Interested in a career in physics or engineering?

Come and listen to presentations from an Electrical Engineer, a Mechanical Engineer, a Patent Lawyer, a Physics Professor studying Nanotechnology, a Professor of Medicine from Yale, and an Expert Witness on issues of Nuclear Power.

There will be presentations in the lecture hall on Friday May 15th every period of the day except 8th.  View the schedule here >>> Fair Schedule

See Mrs. Latowicki in the career center for more details.

Newtown High School Advanced Placement Environmental Science Students collected all the garbage they generated for several days and then analyzed the garbage that was collected by type: paper, plastic, food, metal, cardboard etc… Read the rest of this entry »

On Saturday, March 28th, the Newtown Junior Women’s Club held its annual Discovery Science Workshops at the high school. These workshops were attended by Newtown children and their parents, and each one was conducted by a member of the greater Newtown Community. Four of these workshops were run by members of the Newtown High School Science Department. Read the rest of this entry »

Newtown High School Science teacher Timothy Dejulio supplements the material presented and developed in the classroom with additional audiovisual materials that students can access from his web page or directly from iTunes (search for dejulio). Read the rest of this entry »