Blog Feed

Create a Post

Back To School Nights

Posted by Christopher Lehmann on
9th and 12th Grade Back to School Night
Tuesday, September 16th - 6pm
9th Grade: Welcome to SLA - Meet your teachers and advisors.
12th Grade: College and Senior Life Meeting


10th and 11th Grade Back to School Night
Thursday, September 18th - 6pm
Meet with Advisory Families and meet your teachers

We look forward to seeing all SLA families at Back to School Night!

Modified Schedule Day 1 & 2 ~ 9/8 & 9/9

Posted by Marcie Hull on
​First Day of School - Monday, September 8th

  • 8:15-10:10 Advisory

  • 10:15-11:00 A Band

  • 11:05-11:50 X Band

  • 11:50-12:35 Y Band

  • 12:40-1:25 B Band

  • 1:30-2:15 C Band

  • 2:20-3:05 D Band


Second Day of School - Tuesday, September 9th

  • 8:15-9:00 E Band

  • 9:05-9:45 Advisory

  • 9:50-10:50 A Band

  • 10:55-11:55 Y Band

  • 11:55-12:55 X Band

  • 1:00-2:00 B Band

  • 2:05-3:05 C Band

Below is SLA's regular Schedule:
Screenshot 2014-09-06 14.24.15
Screenshot 2014-09-06 14.24.15

Calling Class of 2018 for Summer Institute 2014 - 8/26,27,28

Posted by Marcie Hull on
Class of 2018, 
Please come and join us for 3 mornings of introductions and exploration!

Seeing Ourselves/Seeing the City
An Expedition into 9th Grade

August 26th – August 28th 9:00 am – 12:00 noon - bring a lunch

At the Science Leadership Academy, we understand that the transition into High School can be a difficult one. We are pleased to offer a three-day Summer Institute this August, to ease that transition and allow our students and faculty to begin forging bonds together as a learning community – before the “hard work” of the classroom begins.

Led by faculty and upper-class students, this three-day orientation will have two goals, the first is to begin the process of bringing them into the unique, diverse SLA community. To that end, students will spend part of the time in their Advisory Groups, getting to know the students and teachers that will be a part of their community from their first day at SLA through graduation and beyond.

Second, the week will be built around our philosophy of student-driven, hands-on, project-based learning. We want to introduce our students to SLA’s core values of Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, and Reflection from the start, and get them acclimated to the high expectations we have for their high school careers. Using The Franklin Institute and other Philadelphia sites as their “classroom,” students will begin working to explore a variety of questions and problems relating to their surroundings and their place within it. Our students will practice the art of “seeing in new ways” as it relates to the process of observation, analysis, and interpretation.

During Summer Institute, students will work to ultimately create a collaborative project to present to their classmates, while, at the same time, establishing positive relationships and a sense of themselves as first-year SLA students. It will be an exciting, enriching, and energizing way to gear up for the year.

See you in August!

Mr. Lehmann wins National Award

Posted by Jeremy Spry on
Congratulations to Mr. Lehmann! Mr. Lehmann is one of three winners this year of the prestigious Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education.

Lehmann was awarded the Rising Star award for his work in founding SLA, which opened in 2006, and pushing to open a second SLA campus at Beeber Middle School last year.

Read more at : http://articles.philly.com/2014-08-02/news/52332155_1_sla-philadelphia-school-partnership-science-leadership-academy

Final Spanish Reflection

Posted by August Polite in Spanish 3 - Manuel - Y on
​http://deportes.elpais.com/deportes/2014/06/12/mundial_futbol/1402597500_093215.html

Recientemente, he estado aprendiendo más sobre fútbol. Muchos de mis amigos, de sla y mi vieja escuela, jugar o están interesados en el fútbol. He jugado durante muchos años en el pasado, pero nunca por un equipo de fútbol. He descubierto muchas cosas sobre Pelé, uno de los futbolistas más famosos de la historia. Con la Copa del mundo subiendo, mis amigos han estado hablando de fútbol bastante y he empezado a aprender más. Sabía de Pelé y parte de su historia antes, pero ahora he aprendido mucho. La gente pensó que Pelé no fue oportuno para jugar al fútbol cuando era más joven, pero que estaban muy mal hecho. La Copa del mundo Brasil original fue un gran momento para Pelé Mostrar su promesa. Brasil fue importante por otros motivos. La gente llama a la Cup final mundial "Su versión de Waterloo."

Macromolecule Portfolio - reflection

Posted by August Polite in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on

Mini-Capstone: 


  1. This year was not my finest effort in biochem, I did not apply myself and ended up regretting it in the end. In the final quarter, our group slacked off and sealed our own fate. We were given ample time to recover our grades but never took advantage off it. I came into this year expecting to progress logically from the biochem we took in ninth grade. I was excited at the promise of more fun science and figuring out how to solve problems in a  creative way. Although my year was plagued with some bad assignments and missed deadlines, I was fairly proud of my first quarter project with Mia Weathers Fowler. We completed our macromolecules portfolio and slideshow with all checkpoints completed and making all deadlines. 
    1. At Sla we learn to work in accordance to the core values. Inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection. The macromolecule portfolio, although deviating slightly from the other projects in the class, followed fairly closely to the core values. The values are not only a recommendation or a system designed to get your grades up, in fact they actually influence your experimenting and researching to point of genuine intrigue. By the end of our portfolio I was fully invested in finishing it to the best of my ability. I wanted to finish it correctly. 
      1. Inquiry: We were tasked with the assignment to figure out the purposes of various macromolecules. We had a daunting task ahead of us and needed to go at it with the right mindset. 
      2. Research: We divided the work up as evenly as possible and set off to work. The key here was to chose the topics we each identified with. Something I think severely affected my performance in the later quarters was my lack of engagement. I never took the time to connect with a project; at least enough to put in a satisfying amount of effort. Without proper research, your project will crumble quickly. 
      3. Collaboration: Working with Mia was one of the highlights of the project. She rallied the group to go above and beyond and essentially lead us to make the best project we could. The key to collaboration is not to ever carry anyone’s weight. Once you start vouching for a fellow teammate and taking hits for them, their requirement to contribute lessens and the workload will inevitably become unbalanced. I think that since we were all so invested in project from the get-go collaboration came naturally. 
      4. Presentation: Our presentation worked well in adding to the project while never bogging it down. I think it is difficult to strike a balance between a good design and an informative one. I don’t think our presentation ever became an issue and in the end, I would wager it was one of the strongest points of our entire project. 
      5. Reflection: I think if I could go back, I would just add a general level of polish to the whole experiment and make up for the time I could have spent more efficiently towards the beginning. I should have been ready to go right out of the gate but instead, I ended up not putting in 100% until we already off the ground. Hopefully my performance in the later stages of the project justified it. 
    2. Conclusion: I really wish I had taken advantage of my opportunities this year and really stepped into my own fate. I guess I will learn from this and come into junior year ready to give it my all. 

​ Flooding Down the Road - Science Fair Project: Reflection

Posted by Jordan Meriwether in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on

Inquiry-

I wanted to know the which terrain between sand, dirt, concrete, and clay would be able to absorb the most and the least amount of water.


Research-

I reviewed the roughness of the terrain, and I also found the densities of the materials to have most of the factors taken into account.


Collaboration-

I worked with the many people, my science teacher Mr. Sherif, an intern from Drexel Ms. Kelly Brandt, and my father Dell Meriwether. I also practiced by presenting to other students in SLA, they gave me the feedback I needed to grow and explain my project much better.


Presentation-

They way I presented left an early understanding about how this project can be used to help the environment.


Reflection-

I feel that the modifications necessary for this project are both a need for more realistic situation for this project. I feel that the materials I used a very small amount of the amount of the items that might have worked in the real world, If I could I would try using many more materials and testing different outcomes.


My project :

http://www.slideshare.net/mathewvince7/sfp-35320679


Reflection

Posted by Alex Colón-Vazquez in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
What did/do you want to know? I learned a lot from presenting my SFP and as well from researching. During my presentation I learned that gasoline use to contain lead, which was what I focused on in my SFP. It was very interesting to see that my topic it very popular in society.

How did you gather/organize info? I went on google and changed the settings to make sure that all of my sources were from credible websites. I also used articles, and research papers from different universities. 

How were you a part of a community? During my research I thought it would be a good idea if I could test our community garden for lead. I believe it would benefit SLA because then we could be able to grow a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. 

What was effective about your strategy? I believe the presentation was very effective because I consider myself good at presenting projects and explaining how things work.

What would you do differently? I would definitely make sure that everything is organized and I would also make sure that my confidents is strong, I believe that effected my work because it made me feel like I wasn't doing anything right.

Reflection

Posted by Heaven Mendez in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
Throughout the year, there have been a majority of projects. However, one in particular really stood out to me. In the beginning of the year, I started focusing a lot more on mental health and behavioral sciences. In my opinion, this specific project, is something that I'm really proud of. 

Inquiry: The overall process required some thought. I decided that exploring the roots of depression and panic disorders, both of which I have had plenty of experience with, and create a meaningful analysis. 

Research: This took a little more time then I originally thought. The further I started looking at different articles, or descriptions of the disorders themselves, the more I found out about them, giving me a deeper understanding of just how the mind is affected, and what steps are taken in order to keep those suffering at ease. 

Collaboration: I collaborated closely with my bio-chem teacher, through frequent editing, and reviewing the material. Eventually, the final project itself wouldn't be where it is without his feedback. 

Presentation: This project was shared only with my teacher, considering it was more of an independent study. While writing the paper, I had already gone through a bit of a harder time  emotionally, which made it harder to present to an actual audience. 

Reflection: One thing I would definitely change, is the overall presentation of my findings. The tone of the paper seems as though it was more research based, but it was a combination of both first hand experience, and medical terminology. I still think it could've been a stronger paper, especially if I had a wider audiance. Either way, this shows that even when in a bad mindset, my work can still be strong. 

Mini Capstone

Posted by Angelica Owens in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
​Reflection: My most intriguing project was my science fair project.

Core values:
Inquiry: To test how fast the sodium hydroxide boils with different solutions
Research: I googled boiling points of vinegar and water
Collaboration: I worked with my partner Heaven 
Presentation: What was effective was that we knew what we were talking about 
Reflection: I would change the solutions to mix with and maybe try a soda and then a non sugary drink like selzer water.

G10 Science Mini-Capstone

Posted by Cameron Hinton in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
Project: I like the Evolution project. My group and I studied the chipmunk compared to the squirrel. 

Inquiry-I learned a lot this year. I liked most of the study island work and I really loved the Ecology unit we did 
Research-I used a lot of resources given to us in the beginning of the year, like the site where we could read the textbook online.
Collaboration-I was a part of the community because if there was something I didn't understand, I would go and ask around the class so that I could get a better understanding.
Presentation- I think that my greatest strategy was to look over my presentation and try and remember certain key points on the slides.
Reflection- Some of the things that I would do differently, is that I would try harder to hand in my work on time so that I don't have to worry and stress about the things that I need to turn in.

Reflection

Posted by Saul Salas in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
​Inquiry:
I wanted to know if pharmaceuticals still works.

Research:
I googled away into many sites including health organizations for the public safety and put sites on my SFP doc for reminders and also gathered historical evidence about herbal medicine.

Collaboration:
Joseff helped me the most with peer editing and changing what needed to be changed in the slides and doc which helped me a lot when I was presenting because I knew what to say thanks to Joseff and my other peers, Teige, and Gamal Sherif.

Presentation:
I practiced my slides and knew what to say since I made this my project which helped my know what to say and did it without showing any weak sides of embarrassment.

Reflection:
I am unsure what I would do differently, but one thing I could change is adding the procedure so people would know how I got my results.

I would upload my slideshow for anyone to study what I did to know my strategy on how well I did my work for others to know but I can't, so I made a PDF which is a slpoppy way of showing no cool speicl animation or staged ideas. But it is what it is and I am sorry about that.
(Also start using Keynote, and not google presentation!)
SFP 5-9-14

G10 Science Mini-Capstone

Posted by Lauren Thomas in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
View the project here.

Inquiry: I wanted to know more about the reaction of decomposition.
Research: We researched various websites on different decomposition experiments.
Collaboration: I worked with a team of Myrna, Daniel, and Saul. 
Presentation: We executed an experiment and recorded it, thus presenting me with a SFP idea. We wrote down our data.
Reflection: If I did this again, I would test different catalysts. 

Mini Capstone

Posted by Dylan McKeon in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
​ My most interesting project of the year was the Evolution Portfolio where my group compared Newts, Salamanders, and Geckos. 

Inquiry- In our project we compared Newts, Salamanders, and Geckos to find there similarities and differences in there taxonomy, homologies and biogeography.
Research- We made a graph of the various data of there taxonomy and homologies and compared maps of there locations.
Collaboration- Each member in my group worked on researching one of the animals and putting the info in graphs. Then we worked together to compared the data for each.
Presentation- With the presentation we each took a specific part and explained the place that each creature compared to the others.
Reflection- If I were to do this differently, I would also compare Lizards to the others.

Reflection

Posted by Amelia Stuart in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
Inquiry: I wanted to know which filter would be the most effective on the river water

Research: I got information by researching on the internet and looking at other experiments

Collaboration: I worked with my team to complete the filters

Presentation: What was effective was that we used different materials for each filter and when we put the water through the filter we remained patient

Reflection: I would want to try more combinations to find the most effective

G10 Science Mini-Capstone

Posted by Mia Weathers-Fowler in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
My most intriguing project was my Science Fair Project this year. 
Inquiry: The question we explored was; how do fireworks work, and how do we make them brightest?
Research: We mostly looked on the internet for information on combustion and flame tests. 
Collaboration: I collaborated a lot with Kara because she was my partner. Also our project included a lot of other people because we needed them to help. 
Presentation: Our presentation had minimal words so that we could interact with the people we were presenting with. 
Reflection: We would have made sure our variables were more constant. 

Reflection

Posted by Myrna Yousuf in Bio-Chem 10 - Sherif - B on
Project: I found a lab I did in class using maganese dioxide with hydrogen peroxide to create a chemical reaction.
Inquiry: I wanted to know what causes the chemical reaction and how it works.
Research: I gathered the information by doing research on the internet and looking at other experiments to do my own.
Collaboration: I worked with my team to perform the lab and to make the chemical reaction happen.
Presentation: What was effective was that we used the proper materials and when the reaction happened we stepped away from it and also collected the data at the same time.
Reflection: I would use another reactant other than maganese dioxide.

Senior Schedule

Posted by Marcie Hull on

June 13th

  • 7:45am Graduation Practice - The Franklin Institute

  • 9:30am - Return to SLA for…

    • Yearbook Signing

    • Graduation tickets

    • Cap and Gown

    • Breakfast/Snacks will be served

June 16th

  • 7:45am - 9:30am - Graduation Practice - The Franklin Institute

  • 4:00 pm - Students Report to The Franklin Institute for Graduation

  • 5:00 pm - Doors open for seating of guests/parents/families

  • 5:50 pm - Doors close for seating of guests/parents/families

  • 6:00 pm - Graduation Processional

  • 6:10 pm - Doors will reopen for late arrivals

June 17th

  • Pick up Diplomas outside the office 10am-noon

​Student Schedule for 9th-11th Graders 6/16-19

Posted by Marcie Hull on

6/16 - Monday:

Meet your advisory at SLA or off-site for Advisory Day between 9am and 10am.  Dismiss at 2pm.


6/17 - Tuesday:

Laptop turn-in, locker clean-out, return materials

9th: 8:30am-12pm

10th: 9:30am - 12pm

11th: 8:45am - after 11am (when done with rostering)


6/18 - Wednesday:

Field Day

8:15am - 12:30pm

Wear comfy athletic clothing

We will be inside if it is raining.


6/19 - Thursday:

Report card pick-up

9th grade - 9am-10am

10th grade - 10am- 11am

11th grade - 11am- 12pm


  • YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION will be held tomorrow in Mr. Reddy's room during both lunches. If you ordered a book, stop by to pick it up! If you want to buy a book, bring $60 with you (limited supply of extra books available).


  • LOCKER CLEAN-OUT will be held on Tuesday. Please make sure your locker is empty, free of lock, and CLEAN! You MUST check-out of the locker you were assigned in the fall. Advisors have access to those locker numbers (online and hardcopy available in office mailboxes as of today).


  • FIELD DAY is on Wednesday! Have you coordinated with your stream yet to show your pride on that day? (Orange Nation is already repping their spirit with wearing their shirts early). Good luck to all teams!

Mini Capstone SFP

Posted by Gabrielle Kreidie in Bio-Chem 9 - Sherif - A on
​

Inquiry: We wanted to learn about the stress in fruit flies caused by humans.

Research: My partner and I researched out information on the internet from reliable, scientific sources.

Collaboration: We were part of a community because we shared our information to the rest of our class and teachers.

Presentation: We knew what we were telling everyone and tried to bring comparisons between people and the stress that fruit flies had.

Reflection: I guess I would focus on continuing this project to other animals.


See our project: https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1uHTU02fgQN0mipZ7E1wWN-4E8npnu_fZhyTWWw8FWMQ/edit?usp=sharing

Science Mini-Capstone

Posted by Talya Laver in Bio-Chem 9 - Sherif - A on

Inquiry: How to find spring constants and what effect they had on spring expansion.

Research: We read things online

Collaboration: I worked with a classmate and we got help from Ms. Echols.

Presentation: We made a board and presented at the science fair.

Reflection: We could find the same things but look at spring contraction.




See our project: ​https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1ig_45jjKrNlDYxIJl-KkxVYe4aaELdDiAo4GZMDEdig/edit?usp=sharing

Mini Capstone

Posted by Adlynn Gonzalez in Bio-Chem 9 - Sherif - A on

Mini Capstone: DNA


Inquiry: I wanted to know DNA patterns.

Research: I researched DNA online and DNA structure.

Collaboration: Me and a bunch of my classmates showed off our DNA projects.

Presentation: My presentation was a 4ft model of DNA made of candy. It actually was the reason I got an A on the project.

Reflection: I wish I would have made the model sturdier.