January 2013 / Issue: 22

2nd Harmony Public Schools

 Annual Public Servant Appreciation Breakfast

 

In an effort to create strong and consistent ties with the Houston communities that surround our campuses as well as its elected and appointed leaders, Harmony Public Schools held the Annual Public Servant Appreciation Breakfast. On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 more than 130 elected/appointed officials, law enforcement officers, educators, business and community leaders as well as parents and students joined University of Houston Vice President Dr. Marshall Schott for an exciting event. 
 
KRIV-TV Fox 26 Meteorologist Caitilin Espinosa was the Master of Ceremonies and guests were treated to beautiful musical performances and the opportunity to view original art pieces created by students from Harmony Public Schools. After enjoying a hearty breakfast, attendees heard from several Harmony students about the importance of serving the community, while  Honorary Chairman Dr. Schott delivered rousing keynote remarks before presenting awards to those being recognized.
 
Attendees included Texas State Representative Dr. Alma Allen, Felecia Evans-Smith, Sugar Land City Council, Fred Woolridge, Sugar Land City Council, Joe Zimmerman, Sugar Land City Council, Don Smithers, Sugar Land City Council, Chief Joel Fitzgerald, Missouri City Police Department, University of Houston Vice President, University of Houston-Downtown President, Dr. William "Bill" Flores, Ann Hodge, President, Katy Chamber of Commerce among many others.
 
 

  

 

Harmony School of Advancement Student Earns Perfect

Advanced Placement Exam Score

 
  

Harmony School of Advancement student Paul C. recently earned a perfect score on his AP Computer Exam in spring  2012, scoring 80 out of 80. In total, 26,103 students took the AP Computer Science A Exam in 2012. Paul not only received the top score of 5 - ranking among 15.5% of students to fall within this top score category in 2012 - but in so doing, was one of only 18 students in the world to earn every point possible on the Computer Science A Exam, answering every multiple-choice question correctly and earning full points on each of the essays in the free-response section of the exam. Advanced Placement Exams are based on a composite score of 1 to 5, where a 5 is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course.

 

The Advanced Placement Exams are written and scored by college professors from around the world, and are typically designed to cover a full year of intensive, college-level knowledge and skills, so it is very rare for a high school student to earn every point possible on the exam. Looking across all 3.7 million AP Exams that were taken by 2.1 million students in 2012, in subjects ranging from Art History to Calculus to Physics, a total of 88 students earned every point possible on an AP Exam a result characterized by the College Board's AP Program as "an extraordinary academic achievement."

 

The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program provides willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school. In 2012, 3.7 million exams were taken by 2.1 million students at more than 18,000 high schools. Students received scores of 3 or higher on nearly 60% of these exams, potentially qualifying them for college credit or advanced placement (or both) at colleges and universities worldwide.

 

Harmony School of Advancement applauds Paul for his hard work and congratulates him on this outstanding accomplishment. The school also recognizes his AP teacher for the ability to engage students and enable them to excel in a college-level course.

 

  
Harmony's 1st Ever Houston Cluster
Fine Arts Showcase & Talent (F.A.S.T.) Competition
    
  
This academic year, Harmony Public Schools hosted its first Houston-wide Fine Arts Showcase and Talent   (F.A.S.T.) Competition. While Harmony is well-known for its excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education, the school system also encourages its 24,000+ students to explore other extracurricular activities such as athletics and the fine arts, in an effort to produce well-rounded, culturally aware students.
  
   
     
HPS hopes that the Annual F.A.S.T. Competition will serve as a precursor to Harmony's very own Solo and Ensemble Competition. The first portion of the competition was for the performing arts and was held on Saturday, December 1, 2012, while the second portion for visual art will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013. This year, students from Houston Harmony schools auditioned first on a campus level, and then competed against each other in the categories of vocal music, instrumental music and
dance.
 
 
 
  
          

  Harmony Student Travels to Hong Kong as Part of State Math Team

Mathworks at Texas State Announces 2013 PMWC Team

  

In late October, more than 480 middle school students across the state participated in the Mathworks Math Contest  (MMC), including 80 students at Miller Middle School. This annual math contest provides a free opportunity for students to develop their creative problem-solving skills, challenge themselves, and have fun doing math they would not usually experience in classrooms. This 15-question test takes two hours.

 

 From the hundreds of students who took the test, four have been chosen to attend the residential Junior Summer Math Camp (JSMC) in June, and then travel to Hong Kong in July to compete in the international Primary Math World Contest (PMWC). Shreya T., a 7th grader at Harmony School of Excellence (HSE) in Houston, will go on to join the elite group of students and represent her campus, her city, her state and her country at the competition in China.

This will be the 11th time that Mathworks is fielding a team to compete in the PWMC. In 10 years of participation, the Mathworks team has been recognized as the top non-Asian team 7 times, winning the "Po Leung Kuk" Cup. In 2012, the team achieved a perfect score on the team portion of the PMWC.

 

Harmony students regularly participate and do well in many different mathematics competitions across the city, state and nation, including Mathworks. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in math and science competitions in an effort to ensure they can apply the strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education they are receiving at Harmony and also give them opportunities to get firsthand experience of the highly competitive fields of science and math outside of the classroom. The teachers and administration at HSE are proud of Shreya and the strong effort she exerted in preparing herself for the competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mad about Math!
  
If there is one thing Harmony students can't get enough of, it's math! Students at Harmony campuses are supported and encouraged to participate in a myriad of math clubs, teams and competitions. The end of last semester proved to be a busy time for Harmony students, as they enthusiastically competed in and conquered one event after another. Below are just a few highlights from their impressive successes:
  
  
Harmony School of Innovation (HSI) - Houston

Five HSI Mathletes competed in the Texas Charter School Athletic and Academic League (TCSAAL) Math Olympiad on Wednesday, November 14th. There were more than 30 other teams to compete against, and our Mathletes scored 7th place! Way to go Hasham, Syed, Phillip, Nhi, Justin, and Kevin (alternate)! Congratulations for your hard work and for representing HSI!Thank you also to their parents for their support and to the coaches and chaperones - Ms. McLean, Ms. Kissel, and Ms. Schlembach.

 

 

Harmony Science Academy (HSA) - Beaumont

On Saturday, December 1, 2012, the HSA-Beaumont Math Olympiad team, "Blackmagik," took first place in the state competition, held at the capitol building in Austin. Congratulations to the entire team! "Blackmagik," consisted of Momin I. (12th grade), Anca A., Parisa M., Brandon L., and Henna A. (11th grades). Students were accompanied by their coach Rasul Yumukhov and parent chaperone Mrs. Andrei. We are so proud of the work done by Mr. Yumukhov, and Mrs. Andrei, and every student on the team. We were proud and honored when they won at district, but winning state is even more incredible and praiseworthy! These are some outstanding kids, and we like to think they represent a pretty outstanding school.

 

Harmony Science Academy (HSA) - Odessa

On December 1st, 2012, students from HSA-Odessa competed in the MATHCOUNTS competition at Toyota Center in Houston. The following students took home ribbons after intense competition with other students from around Texas: Aysa A. (6th grade) --- 1st , Raul H. (6th Grade)--- 2nd place , Ana T. (8th grade)---2nd place and Nehal K. (8th grade)--6th place. MATHCOUNTS is a national math enrichment program promoting mathematic achievement in middle school students. 

 

Harmony Science Academy (HSA) - Waco

The H.S.A. Waco middle and high school Math Olympiad teams competed in the Central Texas Regional Math Olympiad and the State Math Olympiad. At the regional competition on November 28th, both teams took first place! At the State competition on December 1st, the high school team took 2nd place and the middle school team took 6th place! Congratulations to both teams!

 

Harmony School of Innovation (HSI) - Carrollton

We are pleased to announce that HSI-Carrollton is the reigning state champions in both Math and Science Olympiad in the Texas Charter League competitions that took place at the State Capitol in Austin. On Saturday, December 1st our middle school Math Olympiad team had a repeat performance taking both first and third place. Our high school team competed for the first time and took third. The team, composed of only 9th grade students, that competed against 9th-12th graders from across the state. Then on Saturday, December 8th, our middle school science Olympiad team also took first place in the state competition! Congratulations to all of our competitors and their coaches!

 

Harmony Happenings!

Each month, we spotlight some of the unique activities and events

taking place on our campuses

 

 

 Harmony School of Advancement Partners with Local Organization for Food Drive 

 Impact Houston is a 25 year-old organization providing a myriad of social services to those in need in the Houston area. The economic strain of simultaneously providing food and shelter for the homeless, rehabilitation programs, and education centers caused Impact Houston to run a sizeable deficit. Recently, the Harmony School of Advancement (HS-Adv) National Honor Society (NHS) chapter donated more than 18 cubic feet of food to the shelter one day prior to the annual Thanksgiving feast that the organization hosts. These food donations saved Impact Houston over $600. In the future, the students and faculty of HS-Adv hopes to not only continue giving food donations, but also to expand their commitment to an organization with impressive people doing amazing things. HS-Adv recognizes and thanks the kind-hearted, dedicated members of its NHS chapter.

 

  

Harmony Science Academy - Odessa Students Explore College Life

 

Ninth graders at Harmony Science Academy - Odessa (HSA-Odessa) visited two college campuses on December 7, 2012: Baylor in Waco and University of Texas at Austin. Before choosing the best college to attend, it is important for students to "test the waters."  Making a college visit and touring the campus(es) of interest can be pivotal to the decision of whether or not to apply to the school; when such opportunities occur early in the college planning process, students are strongly encouraged to go "window shopping". See as many different environments as possible - big schools, small schools, research universities, liberal arts colleges, urban campuses, and places way out in the country! Check out the inventory so that when it is time to buy, one's decision is clear and sound. Students who attended these tours came away with a much clearer idea of what college is like and what they can expect.

  

 

 Harmony Science Academy - West Houston Students Spread Holiday Cheer

 Harmony Science Academy-West Houston (HSA-WH) Kindergarten-9th grade students "adopted" 10 children in need this past holiday season as part of the Katy Christian Ministries "Santa's Sleigh" project. The families involved in this program are unable to provide their children with gifts and joys for the holidays, and the students and staff of HSA-WH were ready to help! Donations were collected from all students and staff while clothing, toys, bicycles, warm jackets, shoes, and many other items were purchased from the needs lists of each of these very special children. HSA-WH was able to help four families, six girls and four boys in total. Thanks to our generous HSA-WH Wildcat families, $1,150 dollars was raised for the Santa's Sleigh project!!  

 

 

 

 

 Faces of Harmony: Special Edition - Teacher of the Month, Murat Konac

 

 

Mr. Murat Konac is currently in his second year teaching Science at Harmony School of Science - Austin (HSA-Austin). He was recently named the December Teacher of the Month in recognition for his extra efforts at school and due to the achievement of his students. Through his hard work, his students had the highest achievement on their second benchmark out of all Harmony schools! In addition to his diligent work with his students, he has always been willing to help out whenever needed. The faculty, administration and students of HSA-Austin are fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher on staff. Congratulations to Mr. Konac!

This Month in Science History...
 
This month in science historyEvery month, we feature a list of interesting historical events in science. Below are a few facts about the month of January:

 

January 1

In 1872, the metric system was officially introduced in the German empire. A law passed on August 17, 1868 made the use of metric weights and measures permissible from January 1, 1870, becoming compulsory two years later. (The first country to establish the metric system was France on April 7, 1795. A committee from the French Academy used a decimal system and defined the meter to be one 10-millionth of the distance from the equator to the Earth's poles. For the metric unit of mass, the gram was defined as the mass of one cubic centimeter of pure water at a given temperature.) By act of Congress, the use of the metric system was legalized in the U.S. (July 28, 1866), but was not made obligatory. On May 20, 1875, the Treaty of the Meter was signed by 17 countries, including the United States, at the International Metric Convention.

 

January 2

In 1975, Kenneth C. Brugger discovered the long-unknown winter destination of the monarch butterfly in the mountains of Mexico. From 1937, for 38 years, Canadian zoologist Freud Urquhart patiently investigated to establish the route and destination of the insects. Using tags on the wings of some butterflies, he followed their migration trails to Mexican territory. Brugger, one of Urquhart's helpers, after a long period of traveling in the center of Mexico, found the first butterfly refuge. Within the territory of only 200 square meters, there are around 20 million butterflies. The area was cold and covered with oyamel trees and pine trees, a few kilometers from rural towns.
  
For a complete list of scientific events in January, click here.

   

Video newVideo of the Month

 

 

Awesome video of Harmony Science Academy-San Antonio's recent

 Biology T-shirt contest...with a little help from Justin Bieber!

 

 

Watch it here! 

 

  

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

January 1 - 31, 2013

School Board Recognition Month

January 2013 has been designated as School Board Recognition Month. HPS will use this time to show appreciation for the crucial role our Board of Directors and Advisory Board play in our success.

 

January 10 - March 15, 2013

2013-14 HPS Application Period

Those interested in having their children attend a Harmony Public Schools campus can apply online at the campus(es) of your choosing. A full list of campuses and their corresponding websites can be found at www.harmonytx.org.

 

January 21, 2013

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

No classes held; HPS Central Office closed.

 

3:00 - 7:00 p.m., January 23, 2013
Harmony Public Schools (HPS) Capitol Reception- State Capitol, Austin, Texas
This special reception hosted by the HPS Advisory Board will feature student-led math and science demonstrations, giveaways, general information about HPS, and a light dinner.
  

January 29, 2012

Harmony Public Schools Day for the City of Houston - City Hall

HPS will be recognized by Mayor Annise Parker and City of Houston Council Member Andrew Burks, Jr. for its outstanding contributions to education and specifically, its impressive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program. An official proclamation will be read during the council meeting at City Hall.

Brain Teaser of the Month!

 brain teaser

 

Each month we ask a math or science-related brain teaser question in our newsletter. The first three responders with the correct answer will win a small prize.  

 

 This Month's Question:

What 5-digit number has the following property? If we put numeral 1 in front of the number, we get a number three times smaller, than if we put the numeral 1 behind this number.

 

 

Send your answers to [email protected]

 

 

 

Last Month's Answer: 5823/17469 = 1/3

Last Month's Winners: Dawn Pilcher, Lucy Lee and Mariam Alkinani

 

 

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