To all present and past ILITE Robotics Team members and their families.

We will be celebrating our years of success this Saturday, 19-May-2012 @4pm.  Qdoba will be served.
Address and RSVP here:  mysignup.com/liiteparty

Drake Students Block 6 and 7 / Engineering: 

Your permission slip for 30-March-2012 is in the FTC SY2011-2012 Folder Below. Please return the slip by Tuesday 27-March-2012.

The bus will depart from Door 19 at 6am and return at 7pm. All students will need to be dropped off and picked up on time. Students will be allowed to purchase their own lunch from a food court (and drinks/snacks during the day). No outside food/drink is allowed.

Dress: purple shirt.
Please do not bring valuables :) 

This is the BEST ARTICLE / BOOK / BLOG that you can read in today's world. 
EVERY Parent, EVERY Student, EVERY Teacher, EVERY tax payer should read this document. 

At least someone can get it 'right'

http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/docs/StopStealingDreamsSCREEN.pdf  

Want to be a: Video Game Developer

See about the career: Saturday, March 3rd.

Please see the brochure under FOLDER: STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Students sharing with Students:
Another "You Tube" submitted by a classmate sharing ~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXnAP6YUwZU&feature=youtu.be  

Thursday, February 9th  7:00pm - 7:45pm
Battlefield Auditorium

Learn how to receive high school and college credit with Dual Enrollment courses. Topics to be discussed will include: course descriptions, how to register, fees and required placement tests. 

ALL SENIORS pursuing STEM, you have an assignment grade to write: 

The Aerojet scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who plans to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The student should be pursuing a degree at a two or four year college or university. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. The student should emphasize involvement in school extra-curricular and community service activities. The student should have an economic need and outstanding academic ability/performance. The student will need a recommendation from his/her counselor and/or teacher. A 500 word essay is required describing the student's educational objectives and career goals.

Please be to school at 9:55am and be prepared for a 10am departure.  
(with a little extra sleep, you should be ready to win :) )! 
 

Please note that PWCS has canceled all busses until 10am.

I do not know the impact of this decision as it relates to our competition at this time. I will contact the event manager and see if we can arrive and compete late or if we are disqualified.  Please check again. 

Good Morning,
I know how we care about our kids and ourselves being out in inclement weather, and yes, the weather report is planning on precipitation Friday night and Saturday morning.  Please note that I will use the announcement page on fusion to update the status of our FTC 21-Jan-2012 NVCC Robotics Competition.

If the event is canceled or if PWCS cancels transportation, I will notify you via this page. Please check here.
Respectfully,
Professor Drake

FTC Students Competition Information: 
Date: 21-Jan-2012, Saturday
Location: NVCC Annadale / Gym - Ernst Community Center and the Gymnasium
PERMISSION SLIPS were loaded to Fusion (FTC Files) on 9-Dec-2011. They are DUE WEDNESDAY 18-Jan-2012.
Please plan to leave Battlefield at 6am. Breakfast food will be in the classroom to select and take on the bus.

Tentative schedule:

Details:
When:  January 13th, Friday
Time:   6pm - 9pm
Where:  Ruritan Members, Ray & Vera Wilson's Barn
              16123 John Marshall Hwy.
              Broad Run, VA  20137

The Wilson's property is approx. 5 minutes from the Sheetz Store at the intersection of Rtes. 15 & 55 in Haymarket.  You will drive down Rte. 55 away from Haymarket (towards The Plains), their driveway is on the left.  Look for balloons.  Go to the end of their driveway and you will be at the barns.


Bring an appetite!  The Ruritans are cooking, all food and drink will be provided.  

We look forward to seeing all our Pumpkin Pandemonium volunteers and enjoying a fun evening together!  Teachers & Coaches:   Your RSVP per club will be appreciated, so we can have adequate food & drink.

IF YOU VOLUNTEERED and WOULD LIKE to attend, place your name on the board in Drake's Room or Email me.

Tuesday, December 20th 6pm - 9pm
Chuckie Cheese, Manassas

Chinese Gift Exchange ($15 gift)
$7 (2 pieces pizza, drink and 15 tokens) 

SIGNUP:  mysignup.com/ILITEHoliday

In the FTC 2011-2012 Folder below, you will find the permission slip for the FTC December 17, 2011 competition. Please complete the document this week and bring to class.

In this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dGNUSEtaNDFRS1lXVUJvV0RWRXFaX0E6MQ"

you may order lunch (hamburger, hot dog or vege burger).  Students may NOT leave the school to get lunch, this is what is available there. Each lunch is $7.

Please note that the BUS WILL LEAVE @ 5:30am.


St. Christopher's Lower School on 699 Pepper Ave Richmond, VA.  
 
Event Schedule
7:00 AM Doors Open for Teams
7:15 – 8:00 AM Team Registration
7:30 – 10:00 AM Robot Inspections
8:00 – 10:00 AM Judging Sessions
10:30 – 11:00 AM Opening Ceremony
11:00 – 12:00 PM Qualification Rounds
12:00 – 12:30 PM Lunch
12:30 – 3:00 PM Qualification Rounds
3:10 – 3:30 PM Alliance Selections
3:45 – 5:15 PM Elimination Rounds
5:30 – 6:00 PM Closing Ceremony
6:30 PM Pits Close
*All times are approximate and subject to change

It is that time of year again!!!

For all ILITE , IT Program students, coaches, mentors and families PAST and PRESENT !!!

December 20th at 6pm @ Chuckie Cheese (Manassas) - $7. per person
Gift Exchange ($15 gift - no gift cards)

SIGNUP: mysignup.com/iliteholiday

How do we know? Every three years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or O.E.C.D., conducts exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which tests 15-year-olds in the world's leading industrialized nations on their reading comprehension and ability to use what they've learned in math and science to solve real problems - the most important skills for succeeding in college and life. America's 15-year-olds have not been distinguishing themselves in the PISA exams compared with students inSingapore, Finland and Shanghai.

To better understand why some students thrive taking the PISA tests and others do not, Andreas Schleicher, who oversees the exams for theO.E.C.D., was encouraged by the O.E.C.D. countries to look beyond theclassrooms. So starting with four countries in 2006, and then adding 14 more in 2009, the PISA team went to the parents of 5,000 students and interviewed them "about how they raised their kids and then compared that with the test results" for each of those years, Schleicher explained to me. Two weeks ago, the PISA team published the three main findings <http://www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/1/49012097.pdf > of its  study:

FULL ARTICLE: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html?_r=1&ref=columnists

The study, called “Back to School: How parent involvement affects student achievement,” found something “somewhat surprising,” wrote Barth: “Parent involvement can take many forms, but only a few of them relate to higher student performance. Of those that work, parental actions that support children’s learning at home are most likely to have an impact on academic achievement at school.

“Monitoring homework; making sure children get to school; rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of going to college. These parent actions are linked to better attendance, grades, test scores, and preparation for college,” Barth wrote. “The study found that getting parents involved with their children’s learning at home is a more powerful driver of achievement than parents attending P.T.A. and school board meetings, volunteering in classrooms, participating in fund-raising, and showing up at back-to-school nights.”

Why do extra-curricula activities matter?

Should I support my students academic extra-curricula activities?

See what research has found: 
http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=16632

An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier could provide vital clues about the formation of the Earth when it flashes past us next week.

The huge space rock will miss our planet by just 200,000 miles on Tuesday, November 8, giving scientists a front-row seat for such a rare event.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2055619/How-near-miss-asteroid-shed-light-formation-Earth.html#ixzz1cVZi0G1k

IT Night is TONIGHT, Tuesday, November 1 @ 7pm in the Auditorium then in Room 1164.

This is the night when middle school students come to learn about the IT Program. This is the night when our high school students talk with the middle school students.  HIGH SCHOOL students you are ALL encouraged to come talk with our MIDDLE school kids.

Room 1164 at 6:50pm !! 
You can work on school work or robotics while we are in the auditorium or come there as well ! 

Good Read: 

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-10/tightly-knit-network-companies-runs-world-economy-say-swiss-researchers

We will start working at 7:30am.
Some breakfast will be provided.  We are looking for parents to supply breakfast for 29-Oct-2011.

Programming will start around 8am and will run LONG :) 

Excellent article.  If you student did not share this with you ~ consider talking with them about it.

Long read, but worth your time: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/dobbs-text

Calling all girls in the IT Technical Program: 

What is the award?

The

What is the application process?

Please duplicate and distribute the poster and flyer and direct girls to www.ncwit.org/award. Detailed instructions and eligibility information are found online.

Please see the AWARDS folder below for further information. NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
recognizes girls at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. Winners are recognized at an award event here in the community. All applicants will also be considered for the National award.

The Permission Slip for the Robot Rumble is in the folders "Robotics Forms".

If you are interested in attending, please complete the form and give to Professor Drake either in school or Saturday am as you load the bus. 

Please bring breakfast food / money concessions. Lunch will be provided.

We will depart from Door #19 at 6:05am and start our return around 5pm.  The event is at the Museum of Science in Richmond.  We have plenty of seats on the bus; folks are welcome to come.

Volunteer Work @ Pumpkin Pandemonium: 

Parking:  Sign in at the Pumpkin Patch when you arrive.  You will get a certificate for volunteer hours.  This is also community service on your resume.

The event is at Camp Snyder on Antioch Road. Shifts are from 9am - 1pm and 1pm - 5pm.   If you signup to volunteer, be sure to see Professor Drake for your FREE ENTRANCE PASS (parking is otherwise $40.)

http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=pumpkin_pandemonium

NASA Accepting Applications For Aeronautics Scholarships
Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:00:00 -0500

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is accepting scholarship applications from graduate and undergraduate students for the 2012 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 15, 2012.

Guess Who? 
Great short article - enjoy: 

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/hiner/ibm-the-greatest-innovator-you-never-hear-about/9269?tag=nl.e099

Are you prepared for STEM jobs. Their future looks bright.
Are you enrolled in the courses that will lead to your future ???

Full Article: http://www.esa.doc.gov/sites/default/files/reports/documents/stemfinalyjuly14_1.pdf

Highlights:

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers drive our nation’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. However, U.S. businesses frequently voice concerns over the supply and availability of STEM workers. Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-STEM jobs. STEM workers are also less likely to experience joblessness than their non-STEM counterparts. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics workers play a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy, and are a critical component to helping the U.S. win the future.

• In 2010, there were 7.6 million STEM workers in the United States, representing about 1 in 18 workers.

• STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17.0 percent from 2008 to 2018, compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations.

• STEM workers command higher wages, earning 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts.

• More than two-thirds of STEM workers have at least a college degree, compared to less than one-third of non-STEM workers.

 • STEM degree holders enjoy higher earnings, regardless of whether they work in STEM or non-STEM occupations.

Remember to update your "Observed Jobs" list

For complete details and application process, please see the FOLDER "Opportunities
for Students" in the FILES section below.

The Society of Women Engineers at the University of Virginia would like to extend an invitation to female junior and senior high school students to spend a weekend exploring majors and careers in engineering. With informative speakers and hands-on activities, we hope to heighten interest in technology-related fields.

The 2011 Imagine Cup competition hosted by Microsoft is now open.

Please see if you are interested in competing: www.imaginecup.us

Students, this is a MUST read, and write a paragraph on your thoughts.

http://www.washington.edu/externalaffairs/fedrelations/gathering-storm-report-revisited/

Parents, enroll your student in as many STEM courses as you can :) 

Parents and Students: 

Please check this out: 
http://preyproject.com/

Many of you students are eligible for the Viriginia Early College Scholars Program. Details of the program can be found on the Department of Education website for Virginia:  http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/early_college_scholars/index.shtml

Virtual Virginia which includes the Virginia Virtual Advanced Placement School provides a variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, enabling students to earn college credit, regardless of their high school's ability to offer college-level courses. The Virginia Department of Education reimburses school divisions for tuition and test fees for students who sign an Early College Scholars Agreement. That is a savings of $350 - $400 per course.
http://www.virtualvirginia.org/

The Commonwealth College Course Collaborative supports the Early College Scholars program by providing a set of academic courses that fully transfer as core requirements and degree credits at Virginia colleges and universities. More information on the Commonwealth College Course Collaborative, and the participating institutions, is available through Virginia Mentor, a service of Virginia's private and public colleges and universities. Virginia Mentor website also includes an Early College Scholars Transfer Tool that shows students how to maximize the amount of college credit they earn in high school.
http://www.virginiamentor.org/planning/cccc.asp

If you are interested, in the folders below get the form on Viriginia Early College Scholars Program, have parental signature and submit the form to your guidance counselor.

GO FOR IT :)  !!

Please see in FOLDERS below the same topic to get information about this great opportunity.

Challenging Students Globally to Think, Create, and Innovate.

The ThinkQuest International Competition challenges students to solve a real-world problem by applying their critical thinking, communication, and technology skills. Participants may enroll in the following competition events:

• ThinkQuest Projects
• Digital Media
• Application Development

For more information, visit:  http://www.thinkquest.org/competition/

If you are interested in competing, please create a team of students, and speak to me in class.

By NASSER KARIMI (AP) – 23 hours ago

TEHRAN, Iran — A complex computer worm capable of seizing control of industrial plants has affected the personal computers of staff working at Iran's first nuclear power station weeks before the facility is to go online, the official news agency reported Sunday.

The project manager at the Bushehr nuclear plant, Mahmoud Jafari, said a team is trying to remove the malware from several affected computers, though it "has not caused any damage to major systems of the plant," the IRNA news agency reported.

It was the first sign that the malicious computer code, dubbed Stuxnet, which has spread to many industries in Iran, has also affected equipment linked to the country's nuclear program, which is at the core of the dispute between Tehran and Western powers like the United States.

Experts in Germany discovered the worm in July, and it has since shown up in a number of attacks — primarily in Iran, Indonesia, India and the U.S.

The malware is capable of taking over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants.

In a sign of the high-level concern in Iran, experts from the country's nuclear agency met last week to discuss ways of fighting the worm.

The infection of several computers belonging to workers at Bushehr will not affect plans to bring the plant online in October, Jafari was quoted as saying.

The Russian-built plant will be internationally supervised, but world powers are concerned that Iran wants to use other aspects of its civil nuclear power program as a cover for making weapons. Of highest concern to world powers is Iran's main uranium enrichment facility in the city of Natanz.

Iran, which denies having any nuclear weapons ambitions, says it only wants to enrich uranium to the lower levels needed for producing fuel for power plants. At higher levels of processing, the material can also be used in nuclear warheads.

The destructive Stuxnet worm has surprised experts because it is the first one specifically created to take over industrial control systems, rather than just steal or manipulate data.

The United States is also tracking the worm, and the Department of Homeland Security is building specialized teams that can respond quickly to cyber emergencies at industrial facilities across the country.

On Saturday, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported that the malware had spread throughout Iran, but did not name specific sites affected.

Welcome back for another wonderful year.    You are or you will become a college student this school year.  As a college student, earning both high school and college credit you MUST start the year as soon as possible!!! To make this happen, the first step is to complete your Dual Enrollment Forms and to 'pay' for college.  It is important that I have the forms and the payment the FIRST week of school so we can get you enrolled and therefore you can complete the course on time.

Under the FILES section "NVCC Dual Enrollment SY2010-2011" select the document/s for your class and also the "EVERYONE" document. Return the documents signed and your payment to Professor Drake ASAP.

Thank you.

The Late Great Legendary Coach John Wooden stated the following, "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. described Character in this way, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

How do you act when you are with your friends vs. with teachers, acquaintances, parents?  Do you act the same, close to the same, or are you a completely different person.  Would your parents/teachers/religious leader be happy or unhappy to see the other side of you? 

Do you talk about your friends when you are with other friends?  Would they like what you say about them?  Do you brown nose your teachers/coaches and then say nasty things about them behind their backs?

These are all questions to consider that help defiine your Character.  What are your thoughts and how do you want to be thought of?

Students and Parents,

The linked article has very valid points. Almost every student that has a laptop at school is guity of using it as entertainment. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030804915.html?hpid=topnews

Be sure if you bring yoru laptop to school, you use it ONLY for class work :) 

Course Equivalants

English 12 - NVCC ENG 111/112  (one semester each) 
Government - NVCC PLS 211/212 (one semester each) 

Those of you that are doing this, please return your forms to my class, and I will give to principal for approval.

Professor Drake
DrakeGD@pwcs.edu
571-261-4726 (please do NOT distrub class)
Room 1164

Computer Warfare Games

FIRST
CIW
Oracle

Instructions for students to create an Autodesk Student Username and download Autodesk software

instructions for getting an autodesk password and downloading software.

ASK Piccione or Conner for password