FEBRUARY 2019 NEWSLETTER
APPLIED MATH, SCIENCE, AND ENGINEERING (AMSE) INSTITUTE
Preparing the next generation of Christian STEM innovators
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NEW MODEL FOR AMSE INVOLVEMENT
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Starting in 2019-20 school year, e
xciting changes will be made to the high school AMSE distinction model. The new model of involvement and distinction will replace the Major/Minor model. The new three-tiered model includes a track for Members, Honors and Honors Fellows. T
his change will allow AMSE to create more distinct pathways for recognizing the top high achieving students in their respective fields, while broadening the scope of student involvement.
Click here
to read the formal announcement.
Passive Enrollment
Current AMSE students will transition to the new model by a passive enrollment. Current seniors will graduate under the Major/Minor model; however, all current freshman, sophomore and junior students will be automatically transitioned into the new model as an AMSE Honors participant beginning in the 2019-20 school year.
Learn more here
.
AMSE Honors Fellow
The AMSE Honors Fellow distinction is available by application only and designed for an elite group of high performing seniors.
Students who are accepted will be placed in an internship program where they will receive specialized training and mentoring experiences with industry professionals. Interested
juniors must submit an application, cover letter, resume, references and complete an in-person interview. The AMSE Honors Fellow application opens April 1, 2019 and will be due by May 1, 2019 through the
website
.
AMSE Artist Honors
This distinction was created in order to recognize students who have a deep passion for both the STEM and artistic fields and give them the opportunity to participate in both programs without overloading their schedules. This may not be combined with AMSE Honors Fellow. The requirements and application for AMSE Artist Honors can be found
here
.
Program Applications
Program applications
will open Friday, April 12, 2019 and
must be completed each year the student wishes to participate.
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Congratulations are in order for Mrs. Claudia Smith and our incredible math students. In addition to the team accomplishments (listed below), several individual student awards were earned.
Advanced Data Analysis Students
Public Health Data Challenge
“Best in Nation” two years running
Math Team
1
st
Place Math League
(23 CCS schools competing)
5
th
Place Finish NEMO Competition
(57 teams competing)
5
th
Place Finish Ciphering Time Trials
(US, Japan and Canada competing)
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ROBOTICS
Junior High
: Congratulations, WarriorBots! The team competed in the FIRST Lego League Robotics Competition and earned the Robot Mechanical Design award, placed 2nd in the Robot Performance category, and qualified for the next round of competition.
T
he team did a wonderful job representing Valley Christian Junior High at the District Championships.
High School
: Congratulations to VCS AMSE Robotics FTC Team 2891 on winning the Burlingame High School Qualifier and the Connect Award which is given to the team that explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology and has a clear business or strategic plan.
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On December 7
th
, the Astronomy Research Program hosted their fall Community Observing Night. Over 50 students and families came out to peek through the telescope at the Ring Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy and more. Visitors were also able to walk a to-scale replica of the Solar System and chat with Stanford Physics Ph.D., Matt Solt, about his research into Dark Matter. Keep your eye out for the spring Community Observing Night!
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:
VITTAL THIRUMALAI
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From a young age, 11th grade student
Vittal Thirumalai
has been intrigued by creative problem solving. In Kindergarten, he started participating in a variety of math competitions, including the
Math Kangaroo National Competition
. In 2018, he won 1st place in the nation in the Math Kangaroo competition, and because of his consistent performance as a national winner for several years, was selected as one of the 10 high school students to represent the USA team at the fully-paid International Math Kangaroo Summer Camp in 2018.
At the international camp, students from the USA joined with students from countries all over Europe in Zakopane, Poland for a two-week camp that was a perfect blend of math, tourism, and social time. Vittal enjoyed the math lectures and solving interesting olympiad problems. It was a unique experience collaborating with other like-minded students from all around the world. He also enjoyed hiking through the beautiful mountains in Poland and learning about the local culture while exploring Zakopane.
At the camp, all students participated in a continued mathematics competition, and Vittal won 1st place in the International Olympiad competition. Overall, the camp was one of his favorite experiences, and he was very proud to represent USA and Valley Christian High School at the International Math Kangaroo camp.
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MENTOR SPOTLIGHT:
MR. HOWELL IVY
LEAD ARCHITECT, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
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Mr. Howell Ivy
was recently invited by the
Smithsonian Institute
to honor a select group of "Who's Who" in the video game industry. The Smithsonian launched the
Video Game Pioneers Initiative
in 2017, a project to document and preserve the legacy of video game pioneers.
While at the Smithsonian, Mr. Ivy gave an oral history of his experience in the gaming industry. Eventually, this interview, along with the other collected materials from the Video Game Pioneers Initiative, will be part of an exhibit in the National Museum of American History and other technology and game focused museums and archives.
Mr. Ivy has an extensive background in gaming. After he served in the US Air Force as a Missile Instrumentation Specialist and Technical Instructor, he started his career by designing a video game in the bedroom of his apartment. The game was sold to Ramteck, Inc., where he was offered a job to design games exclusively for them. After three years at Ramteck, Mr. Ivy branched out with two partners to found Exidy,
Inc. This company grew from a three-person startup to hundreds of employees generating over 25 million dollars in sales
per year. In 1986, Mr. Ivy sold his interest in Exidy and became the President and Deputy CEO for Sega Enterprises.
When asked about his recent experience at the Smithsonian, he replied: "It was such an honor to be part of the creation and development of the gaming industry and to be recorded for future generations to learn and be inspired by the efforts of many people that made an industry happen."
We are privileged to have him mentor our Valley Christian students.
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:
CASSANDRA & KAYLA
"HEROES OF THE YEAR"
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Robotics Team students
Kassandra Nguyen
and
Kayla Kelsall
were recently awarded “
Heroes of the Year
” for their outreach efforts mentoring Greene Scholar students
at a science fair held at Stanford University
.
The
Greene Scholars Program
is a local organization dedicated to enhancing STEM education and opportunities, providing mentoring to
elementary and junior high African American students, in the
SF Bay Area . Kassandra and Kayla were among nine mentor teams who volunteered for over 30 hours with the students, teaching them the basic principles of Lego MindStorms and building robots. Their goal is to help launch a First Lego League program at the student's school next year.
When asked about the award, they both replied, "It really took us by surprise!" We are very proud of these standout WarriorBorgs' members who are carrying out the VCS mission to lead, serve and impact their community.
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INTRODUCING THIS MONTH'S SPEAKER
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Livia S. Eberlin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
"Using MasSpecPen Technology to
Improve Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment"
Friday | March 1 | 3:15 - 4:15 pm
Please Be On Time - No Late Admittance
We are privileged to host Livia S. Eberlin for the upcoming
Quest for Excellence Speaker Series
. She is an analytical chemist who developed innovative mass spectrometry technologies for more efficient and accurate clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment of cancer. In addition to her work at Stanford University and the University of Texas at Austin, she won the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, was named one of the “30 under 30 in Healthcare” by Forbes, was a L’Oreal Women in Science Fellow, and has been honored with the prestigious Nobel Laureate Signature Award from the American Chemical Society.
We look forward to hearing about her medical research and how she integrates faith and science. All VCS student and families are welcome.
High School AMSE Majors & Minors: Please remember to bring your school-issued student ID Card for scanning
.
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Check out our expanded line of AMSE Institute clothing now available through the
SportsPacks
and on the vcs.net portal.
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MODEL ENTREPRENEUR OPPORTUNITY
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Showcase your communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking skills in Columbia Business School's Model Entrepreneur Competition. Winners earn college scholarships! Registration is open now through February 18, 2019.
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AMSE/BEI Club Officers Meeting
Friday | 2.8.19 | Lunchtime | Room E215
Quest for Excellence Speaker Series - Livia S. Eberlin, Ph.D.
Friday | 3.1.19 | 3:15 – 4:15 pm
Math Team Stanford Tournament
Saturday | 3.2.19 | Stanford University
AMSE Class of 2019 Photo
Seniors - We'd love to capture a group photo before you graduate!
Thursday | 3.7.19 | Lunchtime | Amphitheatre
AMSE Showcase - Save the Date!
For ALL HIGH SCHOOL AMSE Programs
Food - Awards - Program Presentations - Celebration
Monday |
4.8.19
| 5:00 – 7:30 pm |
Large Gym
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:8-10
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