Seminole Ridge High students use blood drive to honor Sandy...

Seminole Ridge High students use blood drive to honor Sandy Hook, Challenger tragedies


By Jason Schultz
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

THE ACREAGE — Seminole Ridge High School students on Monday held a blood drive and launched water rockets to honor victims of two tragedies, one recent and one decades old.

Students held their annual blood drive and dedicated it to honor the memory of the 26 people killed during the December school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Newtown, Conn. — though no blood or money is being donated from the event directly to any Sandy Hook-related charity efforts.

For each pint of blood donated by students and staff, the students — who were part of the school’s science and engineering club — launched a water rocket.

The blood drive event on Monday was also held to mark the anniversary of the death of local teacher Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. Her death during the Challenger space shuttle disaster happened exactly 27 years ago on Jan. 28, 1986.

Seminole Ridge High Students Honor Sandy Hook Victims &Space Shuttle Astronauts

Seminole Ridge High Students Honor Sandy Hook Victims

Posted by: Natalia Arenas

- January 29th, 2013

Seminole Ridge High School students in the SECME Engineering Club and the National Honor Society chapter hosted a special blood drive to honor the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary.

 

Seminole Ridge HS Science students in Mr. Landstrom's AP Physics class.

The Hawks have yearly hosted a “GIVE BLOOD—IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE” blood drive that recognizes that giving blood is a small sacrifice with great rewards. Each donation can help to save up to three lives. For every pint given, SECME celebrates by letting the student launch a personalized pressurized water rocket launch.

Working in teams, SECME students constructed water rockets from two-liter soft drink bottles and other materials, which are propelled by the “fuel” of a pint of water and air compressed to 70 psi.

This year, to honor and reflect on the loss of the twenty children and six educators in the community of Newtown, CT who were the victims of the senseless and horrific acts of violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Seminole Ridge High students released 26 water rockets into the sky, dedicated toward each individual killed in the shooting.

January 28^th is also significant as the day of remembrance for Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. McAuliffe was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants from the education profession for entrance into the astronaut ranks. She was planning to conduct experiments and teach two lessons from Space Shuttle Challenger. On January 28, 1986, her spacecraft disintegrated 73 seconds after launch. Blood donations will be dedicated in memory of her and her fellow crewmates.

 

Stephen Peterson and Melissa Garrity hold the mission patch for mission patch and crew portrait for STS-107. STS-107 was the 113th flight of the Space Shuttle program, and the final flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. The seven-member crew died on February 1, 2003 when the Columbia orbiter disintegrated during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.

 

Andrea Olave and Jeff Rizzo help dedicate the water rockets. For every pint donated, SECME celebrates by launching a ‘personalized’ water rocket.

 

Alec Gilbert and Cameron Schneider help prepare the remembrance rockets for launch. Working in teams, SECME students constructed water rockets from two-liter soft drink bottles and other materials, which are propelled by the “fuel” of a pint of water and air compressed to 70 psi.

 

For more information contact Erich Landstrom at (561) 422-2600 or via email at erich.landstrom@palmbeachschools.org.

 

 

###

 

Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org

 

Eyes on the Stars

On January 28, 1986, NASA Challenger mission STS-51-L ended in tragedy when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. On board was physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina.

---

Life of an astronaut - Jerry Carr

fMRI and THINKing sySTEMically

fMRI and THINKing sySTEMically

an essay by Sam Smith, Age 17

A school of sociology called functionalism recognizes crime as a necessary part of society. There are some sociologists, such as Emile Durkheim, who would go so far as to say crime has positive benefits to society as a whole.  While it may be hard to believe that crime is beneficial, the majority of people would agree that every society has crime, and nearly everybody has first or secondhand knowledge of what being the victim of a crime is, like I do.  Two days before Halloween when I was in second grade, someone had broken into my home and helped himself to whatever he wanted.  It brought my mom to tears, and it was the first time I had ever seen her cry. Traumatic hardly begins to describe the experience.  However, crime does not go unpunished.  Innovations in technology, such as the fMRI, can help protect us today and have the potential to completely revolutionize tomorrow. Thinking systemically, we scoff at the impossible.

February 2, 2013 - CELLebrate Science with Scripps Florida

Scripps Florida is once again hosting a “CELLebrate” science day at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens on Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  This yearly family-friendly event has something for all ages.  As always, the event is FREE and open to the public!

Scripps Florida staff will be conducting exciting science demonstrations throughout the day.  There will also be interactive exhibits that will open up the minds of all who visit.  Scripps Florida scientists will be there to discuss their groundbreaking research that is taking place right here in Palm Beach County! 

“As the state of Florida has become a hub for the biotech industry, it is vital that our students and their families understand the impact of biotechnology on maintaining and improving quality of life,” said School District K-12 Science Manager Wendy Spielman.  “The Scripps Florida ‘CELLebrate’ Science day at The Gardens Mall will make the science of biotechnology accessible to our students and the community in a fun, interactive way.  It may also open students’ eyes to a variety of careers paths and fields of study that they may have never considered before.  It will be an outstanding event.”

The School District of Palm Beach County will have its own exhibit as well featuring the winners of the 2012 Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair.  These students from grades 6-12 will be there to present their own scientific research to the public as a prelude to competing at Florida’s State Science and Engineering Fair in Lakeland, FL in March 2013.

Seminole Ridge Students Honor Sandy Hook Shooting Victims with Blood Drive and Remembrance Rockets.

On Monday, January 28, 2013, Seminole Ridge High School students in the SECME engineering club and the National Honor Society chapter will host a special blood drive to honor the victims of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.  

The Hawks have yearly hosted a “GIVE BLOOD—IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE” blood drive that recognizes that giving blood is a small sacrifice with great rewards. Each donation can help to save up to three lives. For every pint given, SECME celebrates by letting the student launch a personalized pressurized water rocket launch. Working in teams, SECME students constructed water rockets from two-liter soft drink bottles and other materials, which are propelled by the “fuel” of a pint of water and air compressed to 70 psi.

This year, to honor and reflect on the loss of the twenty children and six educators in the community of Newtown, Connecticut who were the victims of the senseless and horrific acts of violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday, December 14, 2012, the NHS and SECME students will release 26 water rockets into the sky, dedicated toward each individual killed in the shooting.

January 28^th is also significant as the day of remembrance for Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. McAuliffe was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants from the education profession for entrance into the astronaut ranks. She was planning to conduct experiments and teach two lessons from Space Shuttle Challenger. On January 28, 1986, her spacecraft disintegrated 73 seconds after launch. Blood donations will be dedicated in memory of her and her fellow crewmates.

Donations are accepted at Seminole Ridge on January 28^th from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Seminole Ridge Community High School is located at 4601 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Loxahatchee, FL 33470. For directions, click on http://tinyurl.com/SeminoleRidgeHigh to Mapquest a route.

This Is Why We Will Win the Olympiad This Year, Part II

This Is Why We Will Win The Olympiad This Year, Part I

Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter Winter 2013

In the Winter 2013 issue of the Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk'  newsletter

- White House Rejects Request to Build Death Star; Finds Your Lack of Faith Disturbing!
- Sack Attack by the Seminole Ridge robot in Miami
- Figure This! team of Seven, but How Many Total Students
- SECME Spotlight: Antonyo Woods
- Darwin Eats Cake “#118—Curve of Knowledge and Wonderment”
- Toys: The Inside Story Exhibit at the Science Explorium in Boca
- SECME SUCCESS: Record Shares of Students Finishing School
- Adopt Seminole SECME online: thank you to our sponsors - Publix Super Markets and Publix Super Market Charities

Click here to download the attached PDF copy of our Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter Winter 2013 issue
Hawk Talk Winter 2013

Best Salutorian Speech Ever

Andrés Bernardo 2010 Salutatorian Speech for Seminole Ridge Community High School

I’d like to begin by thanking my teachers, my friends, and my mother, who always reminded me that “Life goes on.”

left: Ralph Regis, right: Andres Bernardo
Photo credit: Robert Wenst, Historian, PBCCTM (Palm Beach County Council of Teachers of Mathematics)

Hey. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Andy Bernardo, your salutatorian; nice to meet you. I’m supposed to come up here and make an epic, awe-inspiring speech; something that will give you the urge to jump up and start high-fiving everyone. But I’m not going to quote from someone like a great world leader, or Dr. Seuss. I’ll quote something else.

The album The Dark Side of the Moon, by Pink Floyd - one of the best-selling rock albums of all time - starts with these lyrics:



Breathe, breathe in the air
Don’t be afraid to care
Leave, but don’t leave me
Look around and choose your own ground

I ask each one of you to take these words to heart. Go through life at your own pace, enjoy your time here on Earth, and appreciate all the simple things - breathe in the air.

Live with care and compassion. Love your fellow man and respect not just your own life, but all forms of it - don’t be afraid to care.

Travel the world, experience everything you wish to experience, but also remember where your home is, and who is there waiting for you - leave, but don’t leave me.

And finally, I ask that you all take your respective destinies in your own hands. Seize control of fate, and don’t let fate control you. Look around, and choose your own ground.

Seniors, after all this - after this ceremony that celebrates 13 unforgiving, torturous years of fun and learning - you’ll have an entire lifetime waiting for you. I won’t lie and say your life will be perfect, but it will be as amazing and wonderful as you yourself create it to be. Just remember, every once in a while, to relax, maybe listen to some good music, and breathe.

Once again, congratulations, Seminole Ridge Class of 2010!

The World is Just Awesome

Happy New Years 2013!