| Walder Science Lab |
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The Yeshiva of South Shore, the premier Torah institution on Long Island has embarked on a goal of excellence and innovation in learning. To that end, the Board of Directors and Administration are committed to ensuring that each student is taught the skills and presented with the opportunities to maximize his potential. Over the past two years, major investments and advancements have been made to realize the goals of the Yeshiva’s secular education department. We are literally breathing new life into the Yeshiva as part of this ongoing commitment to quality education by building a state-of-the-art Science Laboratory to replace the circa 1972 lab that had outlived the pace of technology. The new laboratory will serve to synthesize our students’ knowledge of Torah with an appreciation of Hashem’s wonders of the universe. We envision that this laboratory will be the stepping stone for our boys into the world of science. The new facility will add to their enthusiasm – engage the excitement, interest and inquisitive nature that are possessed by every child – given an environment conducive to that end. We feel that hands-on experiences at the Yeshiva may spark a lifelong passion for science in many of our students a newfound appreciation for the wonders of creation, and also help close the ever-widening gap in the area of science education in the United States.
Physical Plant The New Science Lab will be completely constructed to fully integrate the students’ classroom instruction and laboratory experimentation. The lab will be equipped with flush overlay oak casework, 1” thick blue, phenolic resin countertops (black edge), and drawers with full-extension slides. Each of the six lab station/tables will serve four students at a time and are complete with hot and cold mixing faucets and electrical outlets. The teacher’s station is outfitted with a gas jet, sink and a well-planned shut-off for the student’s stations water supply lines. The sinks will all be black epoxy resin. Along one wall will be a 96” white board with two 48” tack boards. One long wall of storage cabinets are planned with a counter and lower cabinet storage as well as two sinks and gas jets. A ductless fume hood will be installed at one end of this counter. As you can see, it is truly state-of-the-art. The centerpiece of the new laboratory is the addition of a SmartBoard®. This is truly the crossroad of education and technology, bringing us to the cutting edge of enlightening our students. As you may be aware, the SmartBoard enables an educator to utilize the computer on a grand scale in larger-than-life images on a whiteboard that becomes a computer screen. The instructor, as well as the student is able to use his/her hand as a mouse. The ability to show images, create PowerPoint presentations, freeze images from a video for later use, all serve to bring technology and information to the forefront of our science lab. For example, instead of describing the three states of matter, they can be illustrated both physically in the lab and virtually/conceptually on the SmartBoard, thus enabling us as educators to present information in the format that our media savvy students use everyday outside the Yeshiva.
Staffing the Walder Laboratory In the 6th thru 8th grades there will be a specific Science Teacher who will maximize the new lab to advance their knowledge of the curriculum studied in class. It will significantly prepare them for the local contests they enter:
In the 5th grade we will begin to introduce the students to the Scientific Method. They will begin learning proper research techniques. This will prepare them for their ability to eventually join in the Intel Science Competition – of which Yeshiva of South Shore has had medal recipients and Intel® finalists who have graduated from our school. We look to incorporate the following programs as we go forward with our new Science Initiative:
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