Category Archives: CTE

Ms. Ball makes engineering class fun and exciting

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By Kayla Holeman

Ms. Ball and Mr. Yates won the Excellence Award at the Twenty-Second Annual Technology Education Excellence in Education Awards Program in February. (Photo: Ms. Ball/Mr. Yates)

We wanted to know more about engineering at Patterson High School and why should students take engineering classes so we interviewed the engineering teacher, Ms. Ball.

To me, engineering seems cool and fun. You learn a lot. I’m not even taking the class yet, but I will take it because I really like how it is. It seems interesting.

Engineering teacher Ms. Sharon Ball got inspired by luck because her recruiter from high school inspired her to get into engineering. She worked as an engineer on massive cruise ships and she loved it so she kept doing what she loves to do. Ms. Ball started working in the field of engineering 24 years ago.

In February, Ms. Ball and Mr. Yates received the Excellence Award at the Twenty-Second Annual Technology Education Excellence in Education Awards Program. Ms. Ball and her students have also won other prestigious awards over the last few years.

The engineering pathway has gone on a number of field trips, including visits to an engineering company, colleges, and a drum company. Ms. Ball loves to inspire students and to blow stuff up.

Ms. Ball’s advice is, “If you fall down to get back up.” I like this quote because you should never be scared to not get it right the first time. If you get it wrong, just keep trying; never give up. This is why I would like for engineering to be my pathway, because it’s just great in my opinion.

Ms. Ball seems like a nice, wonderful teacher and I can’t wait to have her and blow stuff up. If you have any questions about the engineering pathway at Patterson, then just go to Ms. Ball in 107, and she would be happy to answer anything you need about engineering. If you are into engineering, you should take this class because it seems pretty cool, going on trips and just learning new things. I would love to take this class next year. I can’t wait. It’s just going to be wonderful and if you are not sure what class to take but you want something like this, try it out because you are only going to know if you try.

Dante Wilds contributed to this article.

Students tour battleships on Fleet Week

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By John Dingzon

AFJROTC cadets and students from the homeland security pathway took a field trip for fleet week to the Inner Harbor on Monday, October 1,  where they learned more about fighter jets, other aircraft, ground vehicles and ships.

They also learned about military life as well as how to join the military and the application that they need to fill out if they are interested in joining the military later in their future career.

The military personnel talked about their experience in the military, including any battle experience and whether it was reserve or the front lines, as well as the eligibility to enter the military.

Ms. Brett and Ms. Knowles were the chaperones that led the field trip. The students and cadets had the opportunity to see not just American Navy ships but also international ships from other countries, including England, Australia, France and Germany.

The HMS Monmouth was present from England and as well the U.S.S. Milwaukee from the American Navy.

Most of the military personnel were on shore leave but others were in transition to different ships to report for duty and get ready to ship out.

Overall, students learned a lot on this field trip and enjoyed getting to see the ships.

Amazon donates money to Patterson engineering department

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By Moses Jeuronlon

The Patterson High School engineering department received a sum of $15,000 in support from Amazon on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018.

The students of the engineering pathway, Amazon staff, and a representative from the mayor’s office all gathered in Ms. Ball’s classroom to meet each other.

A representative from Amazon give a brief presentation on some of the things they do each and every day. He also talked about some of the opportunities and benefits Amazon has given him as well as some of the fun times he had working for them.

According to John Digzon, a member of the robotics club who participated in the Amazon event, “I am really relieved because with Amazon support we can buy more resources we need for projects”.

After the presentation, the group left Ms. Ball’s room and went to the robotics room where students presented the robots they have been working on. They also demonstrated some of the things their robots can do at the Vex robotics competition practice stage.

Texting and driving kills

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By Dasia Whitfield

Texting and driving is becoming a bigger problem everyday. Texting and driving is a
problem because people are dying every day because of this issue. Phones are becoming a big distraction.

Mr. Casey, an EMT teacher at Patterson, knows about texting and driving because he has to deal with accidents. “It’s a huge problem. People that text and drive should get the
same treatment as people that drink and drive”, says Mr.Casey.

When you are driving, you should never pick up the phone, because no matter what it is, it can wait. Distracted driving causes 15% of injury crashes. Nearly 400,000 people were injured in distracted driving incidents in 2015. These statics come from Teen Safe, a website that helps parents keep their kids safe.

All generations are affected by texting and driving. “No age group specifically, but everybody is affected. Everybody wants to be kept up to date. People do not have patience”,  explains Mr.Casey.

This issue can be fixed if everybody stops picking up the phone when they get a message or to change the music. Everybody has to be considerate and think about others
before picking up the phone and also thinking about themselves and how many lives can be taken away by texting and driving.

Where is Patterson’s New School Building?

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The current building, constructed in 1959, will be demolished after the new building is finished. (Photo: http://baltimore21stcenturyschools.org)

The current building, constructed in 1960, will be demolished after the new building is finished. (Photo: http://baltimore21stcenturyschools.org)

By Alvaro Flores & Amadou Bah,

In 2013, funding was approved to replace the whole Patterson High School building with a brand new one, but little progress has been made since that time. Patterson High School has a poor facility condition which means that the school is pretty run-down and is now getting worn out. The Patterson Press decided to investigate the reason for this delay and discover what the plan is for the new building.

Back in 2013 a bill was passed and the General Assembly agreed on a financing plan to allow Baltimore to spend roughly $1 billion dollars on school construction to repair or replace broken-down buildings over the next seven years. The plan is known as the 21st Century Buildings fund. The plan requires Baltimore, the city school system, and the state to put up $20 million a year each to help pay back this loan over the next 30 years. Patterson High School is among the schools scheduled to benefit from this money.

The Patterson High School building is currently 303,582 square feet. The original building was built in 1960 at 230,000 square feet. Additions were built in 1968 with 49,634 square feet and in 1977 with 23,948 square feet. In 1977, a 9,211 square feet renovation was completed. Science lab renovations of 10,800 square feet were completed in 1995 and locker room renovations of 9,225 square feet were completed in 2001. This means that in previous years, instead of building a new school building, they were adding more space to the school.

Not only are we going to get a new building in the near future, we are also going to be pairing up with a Special Education school called Claremont Middle/High School. Also, there are some really special features planned for the new school, such as three additional basketball courts, two additional tennis courts, bleachers for visiting teams, a press box and scoreboards for baseball and softball fields.

According to Jessica Clark, “In 2013 the Government Association approved for the construction of the new Patterson building to occur and will be complete in 2019.” This proves that the new Patterson building is guaranteed, but no updates have been made since that time. The Class of 2017 seniors were all wondering why they won’t see the new building before they leave. It’s coming, Seniors! You’ll just have to come back as alumni.

Patterson High School’s program contains several education programs which will impact the design of the building and the space requirements. These programs are: AOP program, Life Skills, Academy of Engineering / Project Lead the Way / Design Technology, Advertising and Graphic Design, Allied Health, Emergency Medical Technician / Homeland Security, Business Administration / Finance and Accounting, Cosmetic Services, Child Care, and ROTC.

The new building has been delayed for a number of reasons, including disagreements about how to spend the money that has been allocated for the new school (for example: we currently have a pool but a new pool will cost millions of dollars that could otherwise be spent on technology or other things). With that being said, the plan is finally moving forward. Construction on the new building will start this year. It is expected to be finished in the school year 2020-2021. This will be the 3rd Patterson High School building. This new school building will be the future.

 

Enrollment projection:

Source: http://baltimore21stcenturyschools.org/schools/104

Blue Angels visit Patterson High School

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Blue Angels instructors speak to Patterson students (Photo: AFJROTC)

Blue Angels instructors speak to Patterson students (Photo: AFJROTC)

By Mikal McCoy,

Since 1946, the beginning of the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy has flown their aircraft, performing for the public’s view.  Admiral Chester Nimitz organized a flight team in the past that were responsible for performing in their aircrafts for the public. The flight team’s first air show was on June 15, 1946 in Jacksonville, Florida. Back then, in 1946, planes weren’t as fast and accurate as they are now in the 21st century. Due to military progress and advancements in technology, over years planes have improved.

The presentation at Patterson was given in the auditorium by representatives and pilots of the Blue Angels. The audience was composed of Patterson’s AFJROTC cadets and other students who were invited to attend. Representatives and pilots spoke to students about what the Blue Angels are, what they do, and how it felt to fly in one of their high speed aircrafts.

According to an article on aol.com, “The F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets are capable of reaching speeds of just under Mach 2, almost twice the speed of sound — or about 1,400 mph”. Patterson students were pretty amazed at the stories they were being told. After the presentation, to show appreciation for the Blue Angels visit, Sgt. Smith, AFJROTC instructor, with help of students, gave Patterson T-shirts to the Blue Angels representatives. In return, the pilots gave a poster to Patterson. When the presentation was over, students returned back to class while the Blue Angels returned to work.

In downtown Baltimore, the Blue Angels flew over Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, participating in Maryland’s Fleet Week 2016. Fleet Week is an event that is celebrated to promote the United States Navy. On October 15th and 16th, the Blue Angels performed using their aircrafts for the public to see what their aircrafts are capable of doing.

Learning to fly fast planes can be difficult, but the challenge is its own reward.

The Blue Angels flew overhead during the game. (Photo: Lionell Green, Patterson Press)

The Blue Angels flew overhead during Patterson’s Homecoming game. (Photo: Lionell Green, Patterson Press)

CNA students promote breast cancer awareness

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Cancer Awareness Booth (Photo: Mikal McCoy, Patterson Press)

CNA students sponsored a breast cancer awareness booth (Photo: Mikal McCoy, Patterson Press)

 By Mikal McCoy,

Students from Patterson High School’s Certified Nursing Assistants CTE pathway promoted breast cancer awareness in October by holding a fundraiser and educating their fellow students.

Breast cancer is a nationwide problem. A large group of people, mostly women, some men, are affected by breast cancer. Every year over 200,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and people across the country, including here at Patterson, are raising awareness about breast cancer, an abnormal growth of cells in the breast area.

Students who are a part of the CNA pathway walked around the school selling items, near the cafeteria, such as hats, pencils, pens and bracelets, which cost five dollars. The proceeds of these sales went to fund breast cancer research. Students also educated the Patterson community about breast cancer awareness.

“I think everyone should take part in the awareness movement; it could prevent people from getting breast cancer”, said Marina Siebor, a student at Patterson. Students have been supporting the CNA students’ efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer by listening to them speak and purchasing and wearing items that represent breast cancer awareness.

Breast cancer is a serious issue that affects us all. Taking small steps can help prevent breast cancer. Developing and maintaining a healthy diet can help prevent breast cancer and other harmful illnesses. Water, fruit, vegetables and other nutritious foods are all ingredients that support the body by building up its defense system. Another way to help prevent breast cancer is to get regular check-ups by a doctor who specializes in that particular area. “Early detection is the best prevention”, said Ms. Wongus, a teacher at Patterson.

Showing support, maintaining a healthy diet, and having regular check-ups are small steps to defeating breast cancer.

E.M.T. seniors visit Fire Academy

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EMT students get hands-on experience (Photo: Patterson Press)

When they are not visiting the fire academy, EMT students practice their skills in the classroom (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Christian Pietrowski and Morgan Mccaffity,

Every Wednesday and Thursday, the seniors in the E.M.T. (Emergency Medical Technician) pathways at Patterson, Vivian Thomas,  Douglass and Dunbar go to the Fire Academy on Pulaski Highway to learn E.M.T and fire training. This program prepares students for a career as an E.M.T. or firefighter after high school.

Baltimore City has been wanting to do this program for years but the funding just wasn’t there. This is the first year the City has done this. Once, when students went to the Academy, they did hands-on learning, which was learning how to do suctioning.

The day before winter break, the E.M.T. students worked with kids from Armistead Elementary School as well as another school to show the younger students what goes on. The event helped to build community-based relationships. Lionell Green, a student in the program, said, “It helps me prepare for when I graduate to become a EMT and helps me get a good paying job.”

The City hopes this program goes on for years to come.

Zeta team upset after STEM loss

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The winning team at the STEM competition

The winning team at the 2016 STEM competition (Photo: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

By Alvaro Flores-Villegas,

Students competed in the 2016 STEM competition on November 11th. The STEM competition is an annual event at Patterson that involves challenges based mainly on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Students from all cohorts were getting in their teams as they prepared for that day. One team called the Zeta team, which consisted of Amadou Bah, Edward Torres, Yamen Khalil, and Nan Wang declared that they were going to win 1st place in the whole competition. “I already had a spot to put the trophy in my room and dreamed to have my first STEM trophy before I graduate”, said Amadou Bah.

Yet at the end of the competition, the Zeta team did not win first, second or even third place. Rather than accepting the loss, Bah has accused Mr. Yates of rigging the competition. Mr. Yates is the main teacher in charge of organizing the STEM competition. Bah finds it difficult to believe that a younger, less experienced team could beat his team of seniors. He also points to the fact that the winning students were all students from Mr. Yates’ engineering class. Bah alleges that Mr. Yates showed favoritism by letting his own students win the competition. Edwin Torres, another member of the Zeta team, agrees with Bah. “When the winning teams were being rewarded, everyone was caught by surprise on who took first place”, Torres told the Patterson Press.

In response, Mr. Yates said, “the judges were volunteers from various Engineering or other STEM Businesses and Universities. I had no influence on their scoring; they simply followed the event instructions and rubric which all students had access to”. Mr. Yates pointed out that the STEM competition has a long history of upsets, including one year when a team of ninth graders beat all the upper grades.

“The STEM Competition is not about rote knowledge, but about creativity and applying STEM knowledge and skills in a new setting. So even inexperienced teams can bring their creativity and problem-solving skills to bear”, Mr. Yates explained. Unable to resist a little trash-talking, Mr. Yates added, “My students are the best; that is why they won! Unlike the [Presidential] election that same week, the STEM Competition was not rigged!”

In conclusion, I was really shocked myself when I competed in the competition and found out we were not the winners, but at the end of the day we had a good laugh and just accepted it. It was a close game after all!

The industry partners who served as judges during the STEM competition Photo: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

The industry partners who served as judges during the STEM competition Photo: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

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(Photos: Christian Pietrowski, Patterson Press)

Interview with Ms. Ball about VEX Robotics Competition

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A student works on his robot. (Photo: Patterson Press)

A student works on his robot. (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Brian Clark Jr.,

Below is an interview with Ms. Ball about the VEX Robotics Competition.

Patterson Press: Why do you do this competition for the students? 

Ms. Ball: The reason I do this competition for the students is to teach them problem solving, communication and programming skills. In addition to learning about engineering, students are able to interact with each other in a positive manner while applying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts.

Patterson Press: Who can participate?

Ms. Ball: Anyone can participate. We welcome students, parents, and staff.

Patterson Press: What made you want to start a Robotics Club in Patterson High School?

Ms. Ball: The reason I wanted to start a Robotics Club at Patterson High School is because at my old school, we had a VEX team and a FIRST Robotics team. So, when I came to Patterson, we were able to implement a VEX team with the resources we had. The students were able to engage the robotics concepts right away so the program grew.

Patterson Press: What do the students do with the skills they learn from the Robotics Club?

Ms. Ball: They use the skills to improve robot designs and to increase their gaming skills and/or to learn about engineering.

Patterson Press: Do any of the students go on to college to study robotics or engineering?

Ms. Ball: Yes. Several of the students in the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Engineering Program use robotics to get scholarships to pay for college. Last year, two PLTW students in the robotics club got over $170,000 in scholarship money. They both are studying engineering and computer science in college.

Patterson Press: How many students are on the robotics team?

Ms. Ball: Right now there are 15 students who come on a regular basis. A lot more are interested, but we don’t have the resources to support more students. Though students work in teams of two and three, at some point they should be able to build their own robots, not to just learn about the concepts. We are writing grants to fund our club, but until we get more resources we have to turn some students away.

Patterson Press: How many faculty members help with robotics?

Ms. Ball: Everybody at Patterson supports our robotics team, but currently only two teachers (Ms. Ball and Mr. Funk) runs the program. We would like to have more teachers attend the club meetings to help the students.

 

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