Dear ARL Parents & Students,
Teaching Excellence and Student Rigor continue to thrive at the ARL. During the past few weeks, I visited several more of our Academies where students were highly engaged in some awesome learning experiences. This week the Homeland Security Academy students heard from Mr. Thomas McNeal, Deputy Director, Howard County Office of Emergency Management, about the behind-the scene, emergency-operations planning that went into effect during the Ellicott City flooding in August. Students asked numerous critical-level questions regarding the safety, security, sanitation, and long-term effects of the flooding devastation.This class learns about GIS (Geographic Information System), which is capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on the Earth's surface using ArcMap mapping software. Additionally,Ryan Willis, a senior from Centennial High School, who is enrolled in his second year of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Career Academy, taught by Mr. William Pratesi, made a spatiallyaccurate map for the HCPSS Community 5k and Fun Run.
During the last week in October, the Architecture Academy students and teacher, Mr. Terry Walker, skyped with Mr. Daryl McDonald, Lead Builder from the show Tree House Masters. Mr. McDonald evaluated our students’ treehouse designs and provided expert feedback. He truly was interested in our students’ work and interacted wonderfully with the class.
In Mrs. Mary Anderson’s (BSN, RN) Allied Health class, students were engaged in demonstrating responses to mock emergency scenarios that were being fired at them. It was interesting to watch our students responding to emergency situations with the guidance of their teacher and peers.
Dr. Maddy Halback and the ARL Finance Academy invited and hosted our partnering school Patterson High School, a Baltimore City High School, to a day of finance learning, comradery, and exchange. Students from both schools heard several guest lecturers, engaged in table-top activities, and ate pizza—one of the highlights of the day!
Mr. Roy Rosnik’s Project Lead the Way Aerospace Academy students researched engineering functions by designing their own version of a Rubik’s cube. Students then printed their designs on our 3D printer. Staff and students alike had fun trying to solve the rebuilding of the Rubik’s cubes.
Finally, Report Cards will be issued to students on Tuesday, November 15th. Please feel free to schedule conferences with the ARL teachers at: http://www.hcpss.org/connect/
Sincerely,
Karl J. Schindler, Principal
Applications & Research Laboratory
410-313-6998 Phone
410-971-6448 Cell
karl_schindler@hcpss.org
Strategic | Achiever | Learner | Self-Assurance | Arranger