Physics Teacher Attends Workshop, Students Benefit

Students in Pat White’s Physics classes at Manchester Township High School are benefitting from knowledge she gained at two National Science Foundation workshops that focused on simulation and programming tools for physics education.  White recently helped her students use free online software she learned about in the workshops to design a program that simulated bouncing a ball off walls, surrounding it by a box and even adding the effects of gravity.

White said that recent physics education research indicates that the traditional lecture-style, passive learning model is not the best way for students to learn and understand physics.  She said that students entering advanced college physics programs were found to be lacking in computer skills needed for programming the computer simulations used in real-world physics research.

“I’m really excited to be able to offer this to my students,” she remarked.  “It’s really great that the NSF has this software available for free, and that the students are able to access it from home as well as in school.”

White said that her students are also performing other physics simulations with digital camera equipment she received through a grant from the Manchester Township Education Foundation. With this equipment, she explained, students can photograph an actual object and put it into the program.

NJN Public Television

Be sure to tune into NJN Public Television on either Sept. 6 or 11 to view a Civil Rights Museum. After researching famous African Americans, students wrote speeches and dressed up as characters in the museum.

Congratulations to everyone involved with the 21 Plus Prom! 

 A four course dinner is prepared by volunteers from the school’s kitchen.  Students from our Middle Schools Impact Club and Whiting Elementary School’s Jr. Impact Club served as the wait staff, while the high school students served as hosts and hostesses for the evening.

The entertainment has been provided by various,  popular East Coast club bands.  The members of the band have made this an annual event as they look forward to mixing it up with our special guests.

Usually 250 dinners are served to approximately 175 guests and the balance to our volunteers and chaperones.  The room is decorated to the max.  Favors and door prizes are always a big hit.  Our guests dance, sing and twist the night away.  It is an event that they begin to look forward to as soon as it ends each year.