Sunday, April 5, 2015

4-6-15 Gryphon Mission Briefing


GRYPHON MISSION BRIEFING
For Monday, April 6, 2015
“N” Day Classes

School Ops:
·      This Friday marks the 110th anniversary of our very own L&N Station's grand opening. The L&N STEM Academy and the L&N Antiquarians Club invites you and your family to a commemorative celebration on Friday , April 10, from 3:00 until 4:30. This public event will include light refreshments, information and artifacts relating to the building's history, and a special presentation by local author Jack Neely on the history and local impact of the building. We hope you take the time to celebrate this incredible place we are lucky enough to call our campus.

·      Congratulations to our FIRST Robotics Team, the L&N STEMpunks, for winning their first official regional competition award! They received the 2015 Smoky Mountains Regional Imagery Award for outstanding excellence in visual aesthetic integration of machine and overall team branding and presentation. They competed this past weekend against fifty other teams from around the region. Check out the L&N STEMpunks at lnstempunks.org and follow them on Twitter . They're also still selling this year's shirts for $15 -- contact any team member if you'd like one, or are interested in joining the team next year. Get STEMpunked!

·      Students who will be 18 years of age before September 29, 2015 may register to vote this week at the L & N. Registration will be set up one day in the Commons during lunch hour.  We will let you know which day when we know.  Bring your Drivers' License, and know your Social Security Number--that's all it takes!  Take advantage of this easy opportunity to exercise your 26th Amendment rights!

·      Students, the L4 Leadership class is looking for your help in making their community service project a success. They are looking for donations of clothing items that you or your family members no longer need or want.  Could be any size or for any age (child to adult).  Don’t forget shoes, belts, bags (like duffels or suitcases).  Your donations will go towards a street store (an international effort) specifically for the homeless community of Knoxville, every item you can give helps! There will be collections bins set up around the school for you to put your donations in next week. Thank you for your generosity, you are helping out a lot of people!

·      Maker Faire!  Do you have something you have built, designed, or created?
Show it off at the first L&N STEM Academy Maker Faire. It can be a project, piece of art, video, music, or something else you have created. Prizes will be awarded to the top designers. Bring family and friends for interactive booths and learn how to make something. 
o   When? April 14th 6-8 PM
o   Where? L&N STEM Academy Commons
o   Sign-Up Here: http://goo.gl/forms/8QO4lU34FO

·      Students planning to take AP Environmental Science or AP Biology next year or who took APES last year have the opportunity to attend an environmental science field trip on April 15th of this year.  The Living Lands and Waters Institute's educational barge (floating classroom) will be in Knoxville at Volunteer Landing this year ONLY so this is a one-time opportunity.  Students attending should bring a re-usable water bottle and their own lunch.  Water and snacks will be provided.  Participating students must provide their own transportation to and from the field trip including the possibility of a ride home since you need to be at Volunteer Landing by 8:50 AM and there is a small possibility that we may not be back at school before the buses leave, though we are anticipated to be back between 3:30 - 4:00 PM.  Please email Mrs. Mobley (monica.mobley@knoxschools.org) for a permission slip.  Attendance is first come-first served for the 15 slots available.

·      AppRoom 1/Wetlab and STEM projects:  If you are storing your STEM projects in AppRoom 1 which is known as the wet lab in the Depot building please pay attention to where your projects have been moved and return them to that exact location after your class.  If you can't find your project, look in the far corner of D222 near the windows.  Some projects will be moved to a table there.  The WetLab Genius Hour is getting the room ready to be used as a classroom next year and as a result are in the process of early organization.  All projects must be removed from tabletops and floors since we will be re-arranging tables and setting up workstations.  Efforts to avoid storing additional materials in this room are appreciated.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

·      Attention junior and senior girls interested in engineering! Come join UT's College of Engineering for WomEngineers Day on Saturday April 11th at the Knoxville Convention Center for a one-day, professional mini-conference! Admission is free, and it is an excellent opportunity to network and hear from college students and experts in the engineering field! Flyer attached to these announcements.  Visit http://womengineersday.com/ or email jboles@vols.utk.edu for more information.

·      East TN Maryville College's GSA and PFLAG are hosting this year's annual Diversity Prom! It's in the Alumni Gym of Maryville College on April 18th, 2015 from 6-10 PM. The theme for this year is “Alice In Wonderland”, you can buy tickets from Hope Higginbotham. The cost is $25 dollars per person and $40 for a couple.  Email s859555@student.knoxschools.org for more information.

·      Calling all writers: We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 22nd Annual Brian M. Conley Young Writers' Institute. The YWI is planned for Saturday, April 18th, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the UT-Knoxville campus. The YWI is a free, one-day event that offers creative writing workshops for both high school students and their teachers. We hope you will help us make this year's YWI successful by encouraging your students and fellow teachers to attend. Classes offered include PoetryFictionScreenwritingSongwriting;Performance PoetryJournalism; and Blogging. If you are interested, email Ms. Cartwright at tabitha.cartwright@knoxschools.org  with your top 3 choices. The last day to register is April 3rd. 

·      BOSS  Big Orange Symposium:  This is a chance for students interested in science, technology, engineering and math career fields to experience hands-on scientific research skills.  Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 10am - 3pm in the Hodges Library at UTK.  Registration closes Wednesday, April 15.  http://www.lib.utk.edu/outreach/soil/b-o-s-s/registration/ 
Lunch will be provided.  Parents are encouraged to attend as they also have a parent session with speakers from UT Admissions, Housing, Safety, and more. 


Community  & Guidance Ops: 
·      Systemwide Career day – Monday, April 13, 4:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Knoxville Expo Center.  Come to meet 100 local employers and colleges.

·      Representative from Auburn will be here during Genius Hour on April 8 in the Guidance office.  Stop by ahead of time to find out how to come.

·      We will have reps from Brown, MIT, and Yale here on Sunday, April 26 from 2:00 – 4:00.  Come and bring your parents!

·      High school summer abroad programs available with scholarships to offset the costs.  Go to www.ciee.org/high-school-summer-abroad  for info.

Quote of the day from Confucius:

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Practice L&N Habits every day: Collaboration, Critical thinking, Design, Innovation, Inquiry, & Professionalism
L&N STEM Academy – TN’s First Apple School of Distinction, 2-time TN Reward School for Performance (2012 – 2014)






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