BreakThrough Junior Challenge Scholarship
https://breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org/
WELCOME TO THIS YEAR’S
BREAKTHROUGH JUNIOR CHALLENGE
You get it. You’ve grasped an important scientific theory, concept or principle.
Now can you share your insight?
An inventive video can get across complex material that would take pages of text to communicate.
To take part in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge (the “Challenge”), create a short video (3:00 minutes max) to explain a big idea in one of these fields:
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Life Sciences
- COVID-19
Explain a big scientific idea in Physics, Life Sciences or Mathematics with a short video.
You will have until June 25, 2020 at 11:59 PM PDT to submit your video (3:00 minutes max).
You can take part in this year’s Challenge as long as you’re:
- 13 or older by 12:01 AM PDT on April 1, 2020
- Not older than 18 (not yet 19) as of 11:59 PM PDT on October 1, 2020
Your film can take any form you like: animation, talking head, documentary, dramatic reconstruction, whatever. It’s worth keeping in mind that video is a dynamic visual medium – using diagrams, simulations, physical demonstrations etc. is a lot more effective than standing in front of a blackboard talking.
The videos will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Engagement
- Illumination
- Creativity
- Difficulty
For more info, application process, and previous year’s finalists: https://breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org/
Read MoreCongratulations To Our New ASB Officers
From left to right: Elliot Lopez, Ellen Kozlov, Gillian Nail, Jaden Penhaskashi, Scott Oberholtzer
Congratulations to our new 2019-2020 ASB officers!
Jaden Penhaskashi – President
Elliot Lopez – Vice President
Scott Oberholtzer – Secretary
Ellen Kozlov – Treasurer
Historian – Gillian Nail
Class Representatives:
6th Grade: Kieron Lyons and Harrison Reisner
7th Grade: Suren Grigorian and Daniel Svediani
8th Grade: Joseph Kim and Lily Louis
9th Grade: Lucas Wein and Alexander Ashrafi
10th Grade: Melissa Mouchamel and Vincent Lee
Statement from Jaden Penhaskashi:
As the new Science Academy President, many students reasonably expect a lot from me, due to the high bar our previous President, Lorelei Santa Maria, set. Although I would like to make many improvements to our already wonderful school, as the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” My first order of business will be to continue all the amazing events put into place by our previous ASB, with some additions made in order to increase both school spirit and student involvement.
I will also prioritize finding a way to get more student feedback and increase the communication between ASB members and the general student body. Last year, there was an active tutoring program where older students helped many students who needed academic support. This year, however, that program has begun to slowly fade due to conflicting schedules of high school students. I plan on working with the school administration towards a solution. Finally, as a Science Academy high schooler, I know that many people in 9th and 10th grade feel that the school is treating both high school and middle school students as being the same. I would like to discuss with the ASB different ways to give high schoolers more privileges than they have at the moment.
I look forward to working with both ASB members and my fellow students towards improving our school, one step at a time! If you currently have any concerns or ideas on how to improve our school, please email me at jpenhaska0001@mymail.lausd.net. I would love to hear your feedback!
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Halloween Costume Gallery
Last Thursday, our campus was overrun with angels, devils, aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, cheerleaders, witches, and goblins!
Hope everyone had a frighteningly good time! The winners of our Costume Contest will be featured in the Yearbook – be sure to order yours soon. Thank you for everyone who participated!
Click on the photos below to view the full-sized gallery:
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North Hollywood Park and Library
By: John Lee and Payton Suh
In the North Hollywood community near the school, there are many fun places to explore, like the North Hollywood Park. The address of the North Hollywood Park and Recreation Center is 11430 Chandler Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601, which is 1.8 miles from the Science Academy. There are many features in this park that makes it a fun place to visit with your family and friends.
One of the features in the North Hollywood Recreation Center is it has an outdoor fitness section. This area has equipment pieces for push-ups and sit-ups, as well as bikes, ellipticals, twisters, etc. Because of all the equipment they have, you have a lower chance of getting bored. In addition, there is a large track where you can jog and run.
This park is usually not crowded, so you can have plenty of open room to play or exercise. You also can have picnics there and enjoy the sounds of the birds chirping, while eating a sandwich. Right next to the picnic area, you can see dogs roaming around. That’s because right next to it, there’s a dog park. This park has improved a lot since the past. There are also many areas to play soccer and many other sports that involve running, with lots of trees that provide shade even when it’s hot outside.
There is also a library next to the North Hollywood Recreation Center called the North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library. The address of this library is 5211 Tujunga Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601. It is a one-story red brick building. Its sloped roof is made up of red tiles and 2 chimneys on the end. The roof is supported by a row of concrete columns and capitals leaning on a concrete wall. When you enter, there is a small lobby with decorative iron gates with Mexican-styled windows framed with antique green glass. In addition, they even have a fireplace.
The history of this library dates back to the early 1900s when books were borrowed and returned in a corner of the Lankershim post office. When the city’s name “Lankershim” changed to “North Hollywood” in 1927, the name of this Lankershim Branch changed into Sidney Lanier Branch. In 1956, architect John Landon renovated it, so that it almost tripled the library’s size. The branch changed its name to the North Hollywood Amelia M. Earhart Regional Branch in 1980. Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer and author, the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Even though she lived in Los Angeles less than 2 years before her death, this park honors her with her own statue and the library’s name. The statue is in front of the North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library, and down the street from another Earhart memorial at Valhalla Cemetery. The statue’s base is circled by 10 propellers halfway into the ground to honor her plane ́s actual resting place in the West Pacific.
The North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Branch Library was designated an historic monument by Los Angeles in 1986. This historic building closed for repairs after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the library temporarily moved to MCA/Universal. The renovated building re-opened on April 17th, 1995. Within several years, because of the growth of the population in the area, the library had become crowded again. Architects and engineers expanded and restored the building, expanding the library facility to 15,150 square feet.
In conclusion, this park is very unique and interesting and has a great impact on the community of North Hollywood. Perhaps you can visit sometime after school or with your family and friends on the weekend.
Sources:
https://www.laparks.org/reccenter/north-hollywood
https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/things-to-do/north-hollywood-recreation-center
https://abc7.com/society/first-self-cleaning-restrooms-in-la-unveiled-/5487281/
http://laplhistoricsites.org/noho.php
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/21545
This is a picture of the North Hollywood Recreation Center Building. It hosts the indoor basketball court, where people can play basketball in or join the Basketball Clinic (Youth)/League (5 – 15).
Read MoreSixth Grader Advice: Eighth Graders Share Their Secrets to Success
By Chelan Kostello and Oliver Arett
As incoming 6th graders, we interviewed ten eighth-graders and Ms. Welch for their advice to the new sixth graders in the Science Academy because they have already been through the process of succeeding in the Science Academy.
- Do not procrastinate or panic about school work, even when we are under extreme pressure to finish with an upcoming deadline.
- When you are doing essays, you should try to calm yourself and think clearly before you start writing. You should not have your mind cluttered with extraneous thoughts.
- We should always try to get extra credit whenever it is available. This will give you extra points to get rid of a bad grade and stay at an A. Then we can still get an A, even if we miss a few problems.
- We should follow directions very precisely, participate constantly in class/ask any questions you have, and by doing this, you can understand tough concepts. They also said that we should make sure to keep our textbooks in good condition and to not lose them since we have to return them at the end of the year and they’re expensive!
- Another bit of good advice we received is that we should always get your homework done because it’s easier to keep up than it is to catch up. Participate in class, pay attention, ask questions if you don’t understand, and always write your assignments in your agenda so that you do not forget any.
- We also asked Mrs. Welch for her advice. She said that everyone should regularly check Schoology and that their parents also should. She also said to take advantage of Social Communication to do homework, collaborate, and get help on assignments. During this time you can get lots of homework done, giving you more free time at home. She also said to ask teachers for clarification whenever we do not understand something and to take advantage of lunchtime tutoring in different teacher’s classrooms and from other students in the Science Academy. The last piece of advice she gave us is to always be expanding our circle of friends.
- Take good, clear notes, use our agenda to its fullest, and to not talk to your friends during class or you will miss the information being taught and get bad grades on tests.
- One student advised us to not worry too much about the high expectations and warnings issued by Mr. Lauchu and Ms. Huff, that they really want what’s best for us and they can be understanding if things don’t go the way they should.
- Sixth grade is not very hard if you are a good student. They also said that we should do the outlines yourself so we actually learn the material and figure out what the primary aspects of a subject are.
- We should try to make a lot of friends and not be too hard on yourself if you get a bad grade on a test.
If you follow this advice, you’ll be a long way towards having a successful first year at the Science Academy STEM Magnet!
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