"Freshman Parent Night & Gingerbread Build-Off"

Monday	Hour of Code STAAR - English 1 Exam Pumps and Pipes Symposium
Tuesday	Hour of Code STAAR - Algebra 1, Biology, US History Exams Class of 2018 Pizza Sales during A & B Lunches Cohort 1 Exhibition @ 6 pm
Wednesday	Hour of Code STAAR - English 2 Exam PTO Chick-fil-A Lunch Sales InvenTeam Beverage Lunch Sales
Thursday	Hour of Code Robotics Lunch Sales Ninth Grade OEC Field Trip Magnet Tours 1-2:30 pm Senior Engineering Design Night @ 6 pm
Friday	Hour of Code InvenTeam Breakfast Sales Senior Photos & Underclassmen Retakes

December 15th

December 18th - 21st

Final Exam Week

Dec. 22nd - Jan. 5th

Winter Break

January 15th

Martin Luther King Day

Thursday, December 7th our senior class will be showcasing their first semester design work of their year-long Engineering Design and Development capstone engineering course. We are looking for industry professionals to help judge their designs and provide valuable feedback as they move into the building process in January. If you are interested in participating as a judge, please sign up here! Interested judges are asked to arrive by 5:30pm for a brief evaluation meeting. If you have additional questions, please email Ms. Moon at [email protected].

On Wednesday, November 29th, Energy welcomed the 9th grade parents on campus for an informative evening of workshops designed to educate the parents on how, as a team, we can best support our freshmen and help them navigate a path to success. There were several different workshops that parents attended in smaller groups to learn about academics and college, the HUB, Naviance, and other technology tools used at Energy.

Freshman teachers led presentations with their cohort parents on the HUB and other specific technology tools they use in their cohort classes. This session allowed parents to see where important information is posted, how they can stay up-to-date with current projects, and how technology is used to enhance the learning process at Energy IHS. All freshman parents also attended a session on Naviance within their cohort workshop time. Naviance is a comprehensive college and career readiness tool that helps connect academic achievement to post-secondary goals. Family Connection is a customizable planning portal for students and families that helps students assess their strengths, interests, and learning styles, set long-term goals, explore career options, and plan for college. Students should start college planning now! Freshmen are encouraged to start creating their "colleges I am thinking about" list and to start looking for scholarships. There are scholarships that freshmen are eligible to apply to listed on Naviance. They will eventually use the tool for the college application process. Parents can access the Naviance PowerPoint and log-in informational sheet here. Parents who have never logged in to Naviance can email [email protected] to get their registration code. Please include your child's first and last name and your name.

Mrs. MacGregor presented to both cohorts as well. She gave a presentation on high school credits, the transcript, the four -year plan, endorsements, the importance of GPA, and the difference between Pre-AP and Prep. She also covered information about the college process regarding what colleges take into consideration during the admissions process, how GPA typically breaks down in the quarters, and what students should be doing now to make sure they are creating a strong college application for the future. Part of her advice was for students to get involved and apply for summer programs starting now. DiscoverU is a great way to find out about summer programs; students can even earn scholarships for those programs. Sophomores Elizabeth Ramos and Leo Wall covered their experiences with The National Hispanic Institute (NHI) and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) , respectively, both of which are programs offered through DiscoverU . To wrap up the session, seniors Ashley Hart and Jade Autry gave detailed accounts of their participation in paid internships offered through Genesys Works . This program helps seniors develop professional skills through authentic experiences working at major corporations. At the end of the evening, parents left feeling well-informed and excited about their students' future at Energy. You can access the PowerPoint from Mrs. MacGregor's session here.

On Wednesday, Energy hosted their first school-wide Gingerbread Build-Off. Teams of five or less were invited to compete to earn one of the ten spots on the EIHS Build Team for the AIA 2017 Gingerbread-Build-Off on December 9th. Students were tasked with building a gingerbread house using 100% edible materials, so they brought ideas and a bunch of candy to decorate their houses.

Teams began with one sheet of gingerbread and icing and started building away. Over the course of the evening, students worked hard to cut, build, and decorate their unique houses. Once time was up, a panel of judges - Ms. Merino, Ms. Brown, and Mark Sakowitz - walked around and listened to each group about their design and judged the houses' aesthetic appeal. Overall, teams Juan, Bone Apple Teeth, The Gingerbread Bahaddies, and The Nerds all won a spot on the EIHS Build Team. They will now unite and represent Energy at the AIA 2017 Gingerbread Build-Off against other teams from across Houston. If you would like to come to cheer on the EIHS Build Team, join them at City Hall's Hermann Square from 10 am to 4 pm on December 9th. We hope to see you there!

The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone from anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event, but it is usually hosted on December 9th to honor computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper. Students all over the world are able to learn to code as well as progress in different levels of coding. When coding, students learn the language that computers understand to create computer games, applications, web content, etc.

Math is coding! Codes use different inequalities and expressions to solve equations. Minecraft is one of the many games students can code, as well as a miniclip Google sketch. Coding gives students 21st century skills that apply to high-demand, modern jobs. During the International Week of Code, Energy students will participate in a number of coding activities in their PBL Study Skills classes. Be sure to check out the HUB for access to a number of online coding activities, games, and tutorials. If you have questions, please see Ms. Lockhart. By the end of the week all students will be able to earn a "Coding" certificate. We are happy our students are learning the importance of coding and its function!

This week's Student Spotlight is Alex Saggi, an accomplished freshman belonging to the AC/DC cohort. After realizing traditional school wasn't for him, Alex first learned of Energy Institute when he stumbled upon an informational stand belonging to the school at an HISD event. When the time came to choose a high school, he decided on Energy because of his interest in engineering and his want for "something new and fresh."

Recently, he participated in an after-school internship with Lift Up Houston, a political organization, in which he knocked on doors, encouraging people to vote in the local elections. When he's not at school or interning, Alex's favorite extracurricular activities include reading, playing video games, and hanging out with his dog. In the future, Alex strives to pursue higher education at MIT, study to become a chemical or aerospace engineer, and work at NASA.

Words of Wisdom

"Don't let your worst enemy be yourself, and focus on the positives--not the negatives."

PROJECT UPDATE:

The junior cohort Atomic 5 has kicked off their second project through the introduction of their new problem statement: How can we reimagine Texas' agricultural infrastructure to ensure a sustainable future? For this project, the students were split into small groups, and by utilizing resources such as National Geographic articles, TED Talks, and other resources are looking at ways to solve the future problem. Although there is a growing population that is increasing food demand, available and farmable land is decreasing due to climate change. The students are specifically looking at how Texas grows its food, as well as why the state cannot supply itself with sufficient produce to support its population. On November 29 th and 30 th , the groups formatted the information they gathered into research proposals and presented them. After their presentations, they are expected to generate their own viable solutions to the problem statement and create an online magazine of their explanation. Each cohort class will collaborate to build one functioning model. Energy is excited to see their final product!

Volunteer Opportunities!

Chick-fil-A Lunch Sales

Most Wednesdays throughout the year!

Have you considered about what you are going to do for the summer of your junior year? This summer, there are many amazing summer programs to prepare students for college. Below are two very structured, preparatory opportunities. The first FLO (Fantastic Learning Opportunity) is the Unite States Military Academy - West Point's collegiate immersion program. This week long program takes students on a tour of academics, the military, and social life for those considering attending the academy. Over the course of the week, attendees experience academic classes at the institution, endure military training, physical fitness and intramural athletics. The military training consists of weapons familiarization, obstacle courses, and leadership reaction courses. Each student is able to choose a variety of academic classes depending on your preference. As for your social experience, there will be many recreational events where students meet with other attendees as well as cadets. The program in New York holds two sessions: June 2-8 and June 9-15. Applications open in January 2018 and close March 30, 2018. There are requirements for students eligibility: the student must be a junior, have a 3.0 GPA or in the top 20% of their class, and MUST have a score from SAT or ACT. If you would like to apply, click HERE.The program costs $400 excluding travel; if financial aid is needed, you can create an account or login to DiscoverUs to apply for the program and a scholarship. DiscoverUs will give a scholarship from $250-$450 to cover tuition or travel costs.

The second collegiate immersion program is offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Wisconsin. This FLO focuses on academic enrichment centered around STEM activities and courses. This ESP (Engineering Summer Program) is a six week residential experience for students in their junior or senior year of high school. Students will take classes in a rigorous curriculum that includes math, physics, chemistry, engineering, and technical communications. As for activities, the program takes students to industry sites such as Alliant Energy and GE Healthcare. The program additionally holds guest lectures, professional development workshops, and faculty mentoring. Housing and meals are provided for each student along with internet and access to a laundry room. The program begins on June 17, 2018 to June 28, 2018. Applications open late December 2017 and early January 2018 and close April 4, 2018. The program calls for students with a GPA of a 3.0 or higher or in the top 20% of their class. The program is free in tuition excluding the $40 application fee and cost of travel. If financial aid is needed to cover travel cost, create an account or login to DiscoverUs to apply for a scholarship. Click HERE to apply.

Most seniors are still in the process of completing the daunting task of submitting college applications and are anxiously waiting for a welcoming response. However, most students tend to forget other aspects of the application, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and scholarships. If you are a senior and you still have not filled out the FAFSA application, please make it a priority to get it completed before winter break. Also, if by any chance you are in need of assistance, Ms. Schumacher is available on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The FAFSA application is important because it makes you eligible for student-friendly aid, and nearly everyone who applies will be offered aid of some sort.

In addition to FAFSA, students should strongly consider applying for scholarships. Scholarships go a long way in financing your college degree. While applying takes time and effort, consider this: if you spend 3 hours working on an application for a $3,000 scholarship and win it, your investment translates to $1000 an hour. As a result, it is pertinent that students take scholarships and the FAFSA application seriously because they do not want to be worrying about debt after college.

Dr. Juan Andrade Scholarship for Young Hispanic Leaders	DECA Scholarships	Travel Education Scholarship
Deadline: December 31, 2017 Amount: $1,000	Deadline: January 19-18, 2018	Deadline: January 31, 2018 Amount: $1,000

STAY CONNECTED: