|
|
|
School Highlights
Girls Science Club Learns
Art of Glass Blowing
Hillcrest Elementary School
By: Ann McCall
Public Information Coordinator
Franklin Township Board of
Education
732-873-2400 Ex.290
Hillcrest Science Specialist, Dr. Clifton Draper, formed a Girls Science Club to encourage girls to pursue science and show them just how much fun it can be. “Women are and have been severely under represented in science,” states Dr. Draper. “I wanted to create a club the purpose of which was to show the girls just how much FUN science is. I want them to universally say science is their favorite subject when they leave Hillcrest.” Dr. Draper formed the club last year with 5th grade girls. He wanted to make sure he had the girls for at least 2 years before they went on to the middle school. The girls must maintain a B+ or better in his science class, and an overall B or higher in all subjects. They meet during lunch so the girls do not miss out on their other subjects, and spend about half an hour doing something related to Science.
Dr. Draper plans 2 to 3 field trips during the school year. This year the first was to Hot Glass in Hillsborough. Hot Glass is owned and operated by Robert Kuster, who has been studying the art of Glass Blowing for the past 14 years. His workshop is the perfect setting for teaching the basics of glass blowing, and Robert was happy to show the girls his technique. Robert was an engineer who decided on a career change 14 years ago. A class at Bucks County College drew him to glass blowing and he has been perfecting his craft ever since. In addition to his own gift shop connected to the workshop, Robert has a client list of over 600 art galleries and museum gift shops that buy his art on a regular basis.
Another special event the club will be involved in this year is a guest speaker on the 4th of December. Ms. Adrienne Mayor, author of “Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs”, lives in Princeton and was happy to come to Hillcrest School to talk to the girls about being an author of books so closely related to science subjects. The 6th grade classes are studying Greek and Roman cultures in their social studies class so this lecture will tie into their regular curriculum. In addition to this, the girls hope to take a field trip to Bunker Hill Environmental Center and are working on a trip to Princeton University in the spring.
“This is a great school system and I particularly enjoy the freedom
here at Hillcrest where my principal and vice-principal are so supportive of
out of the box science,” said Dr. Draper.
“This allows the students to capture the fun and joy of science first,
and allows the learning to come more naturally as an afterthought.” Carole Levy, Director of Science in Franklin
Township Schools, states, “I am happy to see girls in science since it wasn’t
particularly encouraged years ago. It
was always my goal to see more girls interested in science and in fact it was
the basis of one of my masters’ thesis.”
She also states that the kind of caring the Franklin Township Teachers
and Administrators have for its students will help girls realize that science
is for everyone.
If you would like more
information regarding the science programs at Franklin Township Public Schools,
please contact Carole Levy, Director of Science and Right to Know at
732-872-2400 or Ann McCall, Public Information Coordinator, Franklin Township
Board of Education at 732-873-2400 Ex.290. For more information regarding Hot
Glass in Belle Mead, please visit the studio at 884 Route 206 in Hillsborough
or call Robert Kuster at 908-281-5516.