Advanced Placement Biology

Written By: Elizabeth Rockey

While the smell of crayfish, shark, sheep, rat, or pig hasn’t penetrated the high school building yet, Advanced Placement Biology has been hard at work learning about life. St. John prides itself on offering advanced academic courses and this course is just one of many. Jennifer Fontaine, a Saint student through middle school, and now high school science teacher, has the privilege of instructing AP Biology along with her other courses. It is a college level course that follows the advanced placement guidelines written by the College Board. The class works towards full preparation for the National AP Exam in spring.

The class investigates molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations. Biology is broken down into eight major themes: Science as a Process, Evolution, Energy Transfer, Continuity and Change, Relationship of Structure to Function, Regulation, Interdependence in Nature, and Science, Technology, and Society. AP Biology moves at a fast pace and has already uncovered Units One and Two. Unit Three includes Laboratory Two, Four, and Five. These Biologists in training have been doing these experiments for weeks. Lab Two was on Enzymes Catalysis. Students explored the enzymatic activity of catalase through titration to measure the amount of substrate that remained over time. Lab Four was about Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis. Students extracted chloroplasts from fresh spinach leaves and placed them under experimental conditions to measure the rate of photosynthesis. The Dye DPIP was used to isolate the chloroplast to better evaluate the light-transmittance of light through each sample. Lab Five was on Cell Respiration. The class built Respirometers to visually observe and measure the respiration rates of germinating and non-germinating peas in different experimental conditions.

Does this sound a little too scientific for you? Well, in summary, Mrs. Fontaine’s AP Biology class loves learning all they can about biology in a short amount of time. Fontaine’s goals again are in correlation with having fun with science. Her students in this class are stepping closer to becoming future scientists of the world.  An exciting new addition to our high science program next year will be Forensic Science, also taught by Mrs. Fontaine.

Check out our Advanced Placement Biology pictures here!

http://photobucket.com/saintsscience

Lights, Camera, Action!

Written By: Elizabeth Rockey

Lights, Camera, Action! Actors and actresses have traced the stage for years at St. John Lutheran. Drama was performing when Producer and Sponsor Susan Ergle was in grade school. St. John took an intermission and started again in 2006 with the premiere of Anne of Green Gables. Mrs. Ergle didn’t start this program up again alone. Kim Sandstrom-Hawksey, a theatre extraordinaire, stepped up to the plate to pull up the curtains on drama. Since the first production, Saints on Stage has performed The Beverly Hillbillies, Cheaper By the Dozen, Annie Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., and most recently Meet Me in St. Louis. While Saints on Stage has always been open to any and all Middle and High School students, this 2011-2012 year was the “Start of Something New.”

Saints on Stage invited Elementary students starting in third grade to join the cast and crew. Saints on Stage introduced a nine class training session suitable for students with little or no theatre experience. As the bible verse says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

“Here at Saints on Stage we not only train great actors; we train great audiences too.” says Kim Sandstrom-Hawksey. These theatre workshops ended with a Dinner Theatre Showcase on January 25th, when audiences gave a standing ovation for their wonderful performance. The finale officially announced this spring’s musical, which is holding open auditions for middle and high school students. The show is sure to be a hit for all ages.  There have even been a few hints throughout this article as to which musical it is. Can you guess? We aren't "Sticking to the Status Quo" this year. Saints on Stage is proud to be producing "High School Musical!" "Bigger, better, louder, stronger, better!" as Mrs. Sandstrom-Hawksey always says. That is something Saints on Stage strives for each year, to top the best of the last year and make it better for the next.

Saints on Stage had an amazing time presenting their scenes for the Dinner Theatre Showcase and look forward to upcoming events and future performances. For elementary students, there will be a special Saints on Stage Summer Camp. More information is soon to come. For middle and high Schoolers, auditions for the Spring Showcase are February 1st and 2nd. They can't wait to start rehearsing for this spring’s musical and we're sure you can't wait to see it. Be on the lookout for order forms for "High School Musical" tickets to see the one and only Saints on Stage drama team and for participating in our Saints on Stage Summer Camp.

For pictures of our Saints on Stage, click here: http://www.photobucket.com/sosshowcase

Saints Giving Back this Christmas

Written By: Elizabeth Rockey

Brooke Land, sophomore, showing the love of Christ to the little ones at Love INC

Anchor Club and Mrs. Fontaine sponsored a Toy Drive for Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) in the true spirit of Christmas and giving back. Love In the Name of Christ of the Heart of Florida is an organization made up of area churches, agencies, ministries, and community organizations working together, across denominational lines to identify, verify, and meet the needs of the tri-county area. Students flooded Mrs. Fontaine's classroom with toys. Some of our Saints had the opportunity to meet the children and help those in need with the annual gift giving. We are so proud our Saints for shining the light of Christ to those in need.

For more pictures smiling faces because of our Saints generousity, click here.

http://www.photobucket.com/givingback

For more information about Love INC, click here.

http://loveincheartofflorida.org/