Have you peeked in the new science labs yet? I still get a shiver down my back and a big grin every morning as I walk in. Alumni have walked in, stared in fascination and asked, “What happened here?” Magic, thats what. The science teachers sat down with the administrators and a series of field professionals to craft basically a brand new science facility from the inside out. It should come as no surprise that this takes us right back to the cutting edge in science.
The list of upgrades is long and amazing – a brand new ceiling, new LED lights, a brand new curio cabinet in the large window by the door made out of aluminum and polished stainless steel, a new reinforced cart for the 55 gallon fish tank, new fish, some fancy laboratory-grade microscopes, two new digital screens with blue tooth connectivity, some really sweet and ergonomic maple lab chairs that both spin and are on coasters, a video system built into the ceiling, a huge array of high-end water tests, some new measuring equipment… the list goes on and on.
And it doesn’t stop when we head out into the field, as we shall soon see as we embark on our annual Outdoor Education trip. When the 8th graders set forth to visit Northern Door County, Wisconsin, they shall take with them some of the most advanced water testing equipment available on the market today. This is not the standard limited testing equipment found in most school labs – these are the tools that professionals use when they go out into the field. Why take this route? We want to give the kids real life experiences, but also teach them on the quality and level of equipment that some of them might someday use for their own professional careers. Imagine looking out at Lake Michigan at Rowley’s Bay – pristine waters if ever there were any. Each child will be handed a different test to perform; one will look at calcium levels, another dissolved oxygen, another toxicity, and so on. They will do this on top grade equipment that is accurate down to one microgram per liter (ug/L). Another way to say that is one part per billion. Wow, stuff like this wasn’t even available just a few years ago. And it doesn’t stop there – the students will learn what those tests mean, what is considered a safe range for each test, what affects those numbers and what is done when a test reveals unsafe levels. Naturally we are expecting very high water quality samples on our trip, but to be able to quantify that quality and explain these tests to the students has this science teacher on cloud nine.
I just wanted to take a moment to say a BIG THANK YOU to all the Quest families who banded together to support Science at the auction last year. Your generous contributions have put our two laboratories at the forefront of science education at the K-8 level. I can hardly wait to begin teaching in this brand new facility. Kudos and undying gratitude also goes out to the dynamic duo of Nick Iodice and Ernesto. Often a job of this magnitude is farmed out to a third party, but these lads had the renovation well in hand from day one. Next in line were Phil Igyarto and Daniel Rezac, our IT specialists. Whether it was wiring a new video camera into the ceiling or setting up the new LCD TV monitors to speak to each-other, these guys knew what to do. The labs are spiffy, ergonomic as all get-out, and chock full of new opportunities for our students. When you have a moment, drop by to see the new labs. Watch for kids to start making videos soon!