Applications and Fall Events

The Ingenuity middle and high school applications are now up on our website.
Please feel free to print one and start filling it out!

The deadlines are as follows:

High School application deadline: Friday, December 11, 2009
Middle School application deadline: Thursday, December 17, 2009

We have a lot of events coming up in November and hope you'll be able to make it out to some of them.

HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS:
Poly Open House: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from 6pm-8pm

Ingenuity at Poly Parent Information Session: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 5:00pm.

Poly-Ingenuity Experience Day (PIE): Thursday, November 19 (PLEASE NOTE: A consent form is required for this student-focused event. Contact our office for more information).

City-Wide High School Fair: Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 8am-noon


MIDDLE SCHOOL EVENTS:
Roland Park Parent Information Session: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 5pm

Hamilton Parent Information Session: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 5pm

Mt. Royal Parent Information Session: Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 5pm


Ingenuity will also be participating in the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance School Fair on Saturday, November 7 at Hampstead Hill (9:00am). Visit their site for more details.

Hope to see you around!

Announcements and Upcoming Events

The Ingenuity team stayed busy at the office all summer, but now school is back in session and we are preparing for the next recruitment season.

Before I share some of our new developments, I'd like to congratulate Ingenuity 7th grader, Gus Meisner (Roland Park). His photography will be will be included in the exhibition Camera/Chimera, opening September 12th at Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ. :-)

http://www.aferro.org/websitebaker/wb/pages/exhibitions/upcoming.php

Congrats, Gus!


Over the summer, Ingenuity formed its first ever Ingenuity Student Advisory Committee.
purpose of this Committee will be to cultivate student leadership and involvement, and also to have a steady supply of student feedback and perspective.

Some other ideas for student involvement on this Committee include:

1.Giving input about Ingenuity policies
2.Giving the student body a “voice”
3.Planning special (social) events or projects
4.Developing service learning opportunities
5.Supporting students throughout Ingenuity
6.Building esprit de corps throughout the entire program

We met with this Commitee over the summer and they helped us plan a "Back to School" gathering for all of our students here at Poly. Throughout the school year, the Commitee will be focused on outreach with Ingenuity Middle Schoolers, planning social events and a service learning project, and helping out with recruitment.


FALL EVENTS

We already have some events scheduled for the Fall!

Poly Open House I: Sunday, October 25 (1:00 pm-3:00 pm) at Poly

Poly Open House II: Wednesday, November 4 (6:00 pm-8:00 pm)at Poly

Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance School Fair: Saturday, November 7 (9:00 am-Noon) at Hampstead Hill

The City-Wide High School Fair: Saturday, November 21 at Poly

Saturday Science

Hackerman Academy of Mathematics and Science has just released their Saturday Morning Science Series schedule for the rest of 2009. The series is free and open to the public. Students of all ages and their families are invited. It is recommended that you come early for donuts, juice, and coffee.

Information for next program, "Rovers on Mars", is included below. And below that I've pasted the entire schedule.


Saturday Morning Science Series

Saturday, September 12, 2009
10:00 – 11:30 am (first program)
12:00 – 1:30 pm (second program)
Smith Hall, Room 326
Towson University

“Rovers on Mars”
Dr. Don Thomas
Towson University

Since July 1997 NASA has successfully landed three rovers on Mars, two of which are still exploring the red planet. Come learn about some of the exciting discoveries made with the rovers including evidence of previous water on Mars, ice under the surface, and the discovery of meteorites on Mars! Through the eyes of the rovers we will visit Mars and give you a front row seat for what it is like down on the surface and watch “dust devils” crossing the Martian landscape. The next generation rover called the Mars Science Laboratory will be discussed and an opportunity will be provided for you to send your name to Mars aboard this next rover which will launch in 2011.


Saturday Morning Science

Fall 2009 Schedule


September 12 “Rovers on Mars”
Dr. Don Thomas
Towson University

Program will explore the latest images from the NASA rovers on the surface of Mars and offer students the opportunity to send their name to Mars aboard the next rover to be launched.

September 26 “The Starry Messenger: A Visit by Galileo”
Mike Francis
Actor

Four hundred years ago Galileo first observed the mountains and craters on the moon and discovered the four major moons of Jupiter using his newly devised telescope. This living history presentation will feature
Galileo himself describing many of his scientific
discoveries.


October 10 “The Science Behind Winning Games:
Luck or Logic?”
Craig Holcomb
National Security Agency

Do you like to win when playing games? This presentation will introduce some of the basic concept of game theory and will involve the audience with various games and discuss strategies for winning.


October 24 “Wildlife on the Edge”
Valerie Garcia
Naturalist, Wildlife Adventures

What types of challenges do different animals have in
their quest for survival? A range of live animals will be brought in to discuss habitats and the impacts humans have on wildlife in Maryland.




November 7 “The Magic of Chemistry”
Dr. Al Pribula and Liina Ladon
Towson University

Come join us for a chemistry magic show as two of Towson University’s finest “magicians” present demonstrations which will show chemistry’s playful side, including sudden color changes, “clock” reactions, preparation of “hard water” (which then turns into “fire water”), a chemical “traffic light,” a volcano, chemiluminescence (without lightning bugs!), and spontaneous fires.


November 21 “The Science of Chocolate”
Dr. Jim Saunders
Towson University

Learn about the trials and tribulations of how chocolate is made, growing from the trees of the world’s tropical rainforests to the delicious treats that are part of our culture. The impact of chocolate on social and political cultures of producing countries as well as biological and physical problems faced in growing, processing, and manufacturing chocolate will be discussed. One of the most delicious science talks you will ever attend!


December 5 “What Happened to Pluto?
Why Isn’t it a Planet Anymore?”
Max Mutchler
Space Telescope Science Institute

From its discovery in 1930 until 2006, Pluto was considered the Solar System's ninth planet. On August 24, 2006 scientists came up with a new definition of what a planet is and officially “demoted” Pluto to a “dwarf planet”. Find out why they decided to do this and learn more about these dwarf planet objects in our Solar System.

Mozilla Service Week: Volunteer Opportunity with Ingenuity!

Before I post my "Sorry, I went off-the-grid for the summer" post, I wanted to say a word about Mozilla Service Week.


Mozilla is urging tech-savvy folks to share their skills with local organizations in need. Their week of service will run from September 14-21.

Upon reading this, my first thought was "Wow! What an awesome idea!" My second thought was "Wow! Maybe we can get some help creating a new database!"

You see, Ingenuity grows a bit every year. With the addition of a third middle school last year, and the possibility of more growth, the database we've been using isn't feeling like the best fit anymore. We are always on the lookout for a new database that will be more appropriate for our current needts. Unfortunately, many of the databases out there are extremely costly and not an option.

Mozilla Service week seems like the perfect opportunity to solicit help from the Baltimore tech population. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in Mozilla Service Week and helping Ingenuity, please check out our volunteer opportunity post.

If you are not a Database Designer and this project isn't a good fit for you, please look at some of the other oppportunities posted online. You may find another awesome organization in your area that could really use a hand!

Anyone interested in helping us out with our database project can contact me at SLEE@INGENUITYPROJECT.ORG.

If you end up participating in the service week, please feel free to write in and share your experience!

Youth for Astronomy and Engineering presents "Family Night at the Institute"

This just came across my desk and I thought I'd share it with you all.

Space Telescope Science Institute will be hosting four different "Family Night at the Institute" workshops this summer. Light refreshments will be served, followed by an opportunity to learn more about real life astronomy or engineering by one of our very own astronomical and engineering professionals. Everyone will also have a chance to take part in night observation through the Offit Telescope.

"Family Night at the Institute" workshop is FREE; however, registrations is required to guarantee your seat. To register for any of the "Family Night at the Institute" workshops, you can visit http://www.stsci.edu/institute/conference/youthae.

FAMILLY NIGHT AT TE INSTITUTE

When: Thursday, June 25, 2009 - Guest Speaker, Dr. Matt Mountain
Thursday, July 16, 2009 - Guest Speaker, Dr. Peter McCullough
Thursday, August 6, 2009 - Guest Speaker, Dr. Mario Livio
Thursday, August 13, 2009 - Guest Speak, Dr. Alberto Conti

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: Space Telescope Science Institute
3100 San Martin Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218

Ingenuity through the Eyes of a 6th Grader

I recently had the pleasure of planning and attending the Ingenuity Welcome Parties (aka: Meet & Greets) for the accepted rising 6th graders and Hamilton, Roland Park, and Mt. Royal. During these parties I get to talk with the kids for a moment and then I get them up and mingling with an ice-breaker. This year, we brought some of our current students, an Ingenuity at Poly 10th grader, and a few teachers into the mix. I have to say, I had a lot of fun this time around! The students were energetic and friendly. We learned a lot about each other and I'm excited to have them join our ranks!

As it turned out, the teachers at Hamilton came up with the wonderful idea of having our current 6th graders there write letters to the accepted studens. They put them in little envelopes and every student (who plans to attend Ingenuity at Hamilton next year) received one!

Now that the dust is starting to settle in the land of Admissions, I've had a chance to read some of the extra letters. Like snowflakes (and our students), no two letters are alike. I thought it would be fun to share a few of them with you here. They are proof that wisdom can come from the young, and every human being can teach you something important about life. Enjoy!


Dear Ingenuity Student,

You are one of the many students that have been chosen for the Ingenuity Project. You got here with your hard work and dedication. This program requires creativity and many more things. It may take you a while to adjust to being in middle school. The seventh and eight graders might tease you because you are younger than them. The program is fun, but it takes a lot of work. Don't slack off even for just a little. Don't be afrais to ask questions. It's ok to be scared. I hope you enjoy the program.

Sincerely,

Hamilton Ingenuity Student


Dear Ingenuity student,

Hello! Congrats for getting into Ingenuity program. This should be a great honor to get into this program. It is a great program, but can get challenging at times. So don't give up once you don't get it. Each teacher has a coach class or try to ask some of your classmates. In science class the teacher is very nice and kind and also very loving. You will or might love Ingenuity. Even though sometimes you might feel like dropping out. Then also in Ingenuity you might want to keep your grades up. So welcome to Ingenuity and do good. Have fun with all the experiences you will have. Some advice: in Math, don't give up, always try again and again and again. With the teacher, Mr. McClain, he tries to make you laugh and joke around. And the science teacher is so nice. She is great and tries her best all the time. So give her some time before you say you don't like her. So just try your best and don't give up. Have fun :-)

Sincerely,
Hamilton Ingenuity Student

PS: This school rocks - you'll love it.


Dear Ingenuity Student,
This 6th grade school year is going to be very different for you. The teachers are strict (extremely) on you. Science class for Ingenuity is not also going to be fun (really), because it's hard at times. My report card grades went down with a huge decrease, but throughout each quarter, may I say, LOL, my grades did increase and get better. Mathe class has its fun times, and its very boring times. Ok, I'll tell you the truth, some of my teachers did get on my nevers because the may also say, or always say, "We expect a lot out of you." So get used to it, and try to be on your best behavior. I mean, it's not a bad thing that they have high expectations for you, but sometimes it can get on your nerves, trust me. Mr. Murphy will be your pricipal and he's gonna want you to be his biggest and best class. You'll love it in the long run! Good Tidings and Good Luck!!!

Sincerely,
A Hamilton Ingenuity Student


***OK, one more. I can't resist!***


Dear Ingenuity Student,

Welcome to Hamilton Elementary/Middle School. I am going to give you some tips on staying in Ingenuity:
- There will be more work than usual. Just study hard and act as nice as you can to the teachers.
- The science teacher's name is Ms. Kavanaugh. She's fun to work with and really cares about her students. The math teacher's name is Mr. McClain. He's funny and really gives good tips.
- Your resources will be Gym, Technology, Vocals and Art. In my opinion Art is the best because now we are working on a clay frog!

I hope you like Hamilton and my tips. I really hope to see you here!

Sincerely,

Hamilton Ingenuity Student

Ingenuity Bilogy teacher Nick Greer: Baltimore Teacher of the Year

I'm seconds away from dashing out the door for a Middle School Welcome Party, but I wanted to offer our congratulations to a member of our team: Nick Greer, who is an Ingenuity Bilogy and Science and Computers teacher, was recently named Baltimore Teacher of the Year.

Having worked with Nick for almost three years, and sat in on many of his classes (while shepherding prospective 8th graders around Poly), I can tell you that he is a simply outstanding teacher. His enthusiasm and respect for the work he does is utterly apparent (and rubs off on the students).

Aside from all of this, his classes are informative and FUN. How else would this Admissions Coordinator (with a Liberal Arts background) know all about the Krebs Cycle?

Congratualtions again to Nick - he's earned the recognition and we are proud to have him on the Ingenuity team.