According to department chairperson Jennifer Marlow, the science department has begun to wrap everything up for the end of the school year and plan for next year. Due to this, Marlow said, there are fewer events; however, one student, junior Vikas Maturi, will compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair the week of May 11 in Pittsburgh.

The next department meeting will not be until May 12.

“Our last meeting of the year is generally information about the end of the school year with exams and exam schedule and inventory for our classrooms, just wrapping up. We’ll also do some presentations from our different (professional learning communities) on action plans that they’ve been working on throughout the year,” Marlow said.

The action plans differ, some focusing on differentiated instruction, others on standards-based grading and still others on project-based learning. Also quickly approaching is the Biology I ECA which will be on May 19 and 20, with make-up days on the 21 and 22. According to Marlow, students will take the exams during their class periods.

Freshman Ian Samir said he has not yet done much to prepare for the test but expects it to be challenging.

He said, “(My teacher) told me not to take it lightly because a lot of people don’t study for it if they’re in honors.”

The science department has also been making plans for the new course next year, Principles of Biomedical Science. This course will be taught by Sarah Gillim, botany, chemistry and human anatomy and physiology teacher, biology teacher Abigail Soltis and one more teacher that is yet to be determined.

“That’s it,” Marlow said. “Just figuring out schedules for next year, and we’re starting the Project Lead the Way biomedical science class next year, so that’s exciting and we’ll be sending some teachers to training for that this summer.”