Sentinel is a notoriously academically rigorous school. Amidst the never-ending variety of APs, there’s one academy which does something a little different: AP Environmental Science academy (aka APES, now known as the Integrated Sciences academy). In honour of the recently passed Earth Day, here’s a memoir of the academy which has taught me so much about the planet we live on.
The APES academy was a combined academy which taught AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science by (the amazing!) Mr Huang and Ms Battram. Alongside in-schedule Bio and Chem classes, we also had weekly, after school trips to PSEC – Pacific Science Enterprise Center, a Department of Fisheries and Oceans facility – for our APES class. There, we would learn from guest speakers, hands-on lessons and experiments. Not only did the APES academy accept students from Sentinel Secondary, we also had classmates from West Vancouver Secondary, Rockridge Secondary, and some would even take the ferry from the Island for our academy.
Unfortunately, the academy will not be running again for the next school year. In celebration of the APES academy, I interviewed Mr Huang and Ms Battram to get their insights on this one-of-a-kind program:
1. What made you decide to start the APES academy?
Ms Battram:
I have always been interested in “real-world, hands-on” science! During my undergrad I had the opportunity to travel to both the Galapagos Islands and South Africa as a student researcher, and I’m quite certain that I learned more during those experiences than throughout my entire degree.
Mr Huang:
So, the Environmental Science Academy was actually started by an ex-teacher at Rockridge by the name of Tom Harding. When he first started, it was tied to AP Environmental Science 12 in terms of credits. In the following year, he left the school district, and so another teacher from WVSS continued the program, but this time it was tied to Life-Science 11 in terms of course credits. It didn't go so well, and so in the following year, Ms. Nelson (Principal of Academies), approached Ms. Battram and myself and asked if we would be willing to be part of the rebranding of the academy and its collaboration with the Pacific Science Enterprise Center. We decided to go for it! Since then, we've also collaborated with the Integrated Science Program from UBC, Molecular Biology Department from SFU and the Future Science Leader program from Science World!
2. Why is APES important?
Ms Battram:
As a citizen of this planet, and in a time of such extreme local and global weather events, it is crucial that students learn about their place in this world. An in-depth understanding of the Earth, from the rise and fall of the crust to the flow of the ocean currents, understanding the interconnectedness of all things is such an important piece of learning (in my opinion!) We are not apart from nature, but a part of it, intertwined and inseparable…after all, we’re all made of stardust!
Mr Huang:
Environmental Science is important because it is so applicable to the environment that we live in. The province that we live in is just so rich in life and the diversity of life. I believe that the science we learn in school, whether it's Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science or Physics, should be tied into what we see going on in the world around us.
3. What do you think were the selling points of this academy?
Ms Battram:
There are so many amazing local opportunities to learn in and around our community, and my dream as a teacher has always been to emulate Ms. Frizzle! While I didn’t drive the school bus myself, I was able to bring science to life (I hope?!) for many of my students. And hey, no matter how many times I visit these places, I always walk away with new knowledge!
A really huge “selling point” is the access to the Pacific Science Enterprise Centre (PSEC) down on Marine Drive. We’ve had so many amazing guest speakers share their current research with us, it’s been exceptional. Having the opportunity to interact with local Canadian scientists was unreal. The most exciting part for me was actually hearing about how they got to where they’re at. Everyone’s academic and professional experiences were different, but they all included a love for science. It was fascinating to learn about the diverse and unique roles that are available today. I really hope that this aspect of the program was helpful for our students.
Mr Huang:
The selling points of this academy were definitely the guest presentation from scientists and the field trips. Ms. Battram worked extremely hard in finding and scheduling all the different scientists. We had scientists present on oysters & ocean acidification, genetically modified fish, soil analysis, whale protection, genome research, nutrition research and sea cucumber, just to list a few. We had field trips to the Britannia Mine Museum, SFU biotechnology lab, SFU human anatomy lab, UBC Integrated Science lab, VanDusen Garden, Science World, Grouse Mountain and we have a Victoria overnight trip coming up! I think these are what makes the academy special, as many of these experiences would not have been possible in a normal AP class.
4. What were the most fun experiences from this academy? What was your favourite field trip/lab? What's your personal highlight?
Ms Battram:
I really enjoyed it when the DFO Whale Protection Unit came to PSEC and told us all about how they enforce the rules of the sea!
Their jobs are so important, and I had no idea that these amazing and passionate professionals even existed! It was also a tonne of fun to visit the SFU biology labs and work with their professors. Their state-of-the art touch-screen cadaver table was mesmerizing! And, it would be a shame not to mention our visit to the Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant…who knew how fascinating it would be to learn about what happens when you flush?!
Mr Huang:
I love how this program brings students from all three schools together. Over the past years, the cohort of students really got to know each other and Ms. Battram and I really got to know the students. I guess when we all have 3 classes together (AP Chemistry, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science), we spend a lot of time together, and with that, there are many great memories, and many funny moments.
My favourite field trip was stand-up paddle boarding. While I was on shore making sure everyone was okay, it was really funny to see some students struggle to get up on the board and students falling into the water. Good thing the instructors were there! There were some students that had never gone paddle boarding, and so I was very happy to have been able to give the students that experience!
5. Imagine that anything is possible: what's one experience/trip that you would want to do with the APES academy?
Ms Battram:
It would be incredible to run this type of program for more years – wouldn’t it be awesome if you could be in a field-trip/guest speaker based learning program from grades 8-12? As Mr. Huang says, if we win the lottery, we shall open our own school and do it!
Mr Huang:
If anything is possible (if I win the lottery), I would've liked to take both cohorts (the Grade 12's and the Grade 11's) on a trip to the Galapagos Islands with all expenses paid for with all meals paid for. Next on the list would be Paradise Falls...but we would also need a whole lot of balloons for it (from the movie "UP").
Special note from Ms B:
I would like people to know that it was an honour to be given the opportunity to run this Academy. Stepping into this leadership role taught me a lot about myself and my goals as a professional. The students I worked with (yourself included, Isabella) were absolutely phenomenal, and will certainly go on to do wonderous things.
Without question, working collaboratively to envision, plan, and run this program with Mr. Huang has been the highlight of my career thus far.
For those who are interested, here is a non-comprehensive (but nonetheless extensive) list of the things we did and field trips we took, from a soon-to-be graduate of the academy:
Grew butterflies, from egg to larvae to adults, in a study about energy through trophic levels
You can hand feed them slices of oranges
Simulated growing the food for the butterflies and calculated the energy passed on from level to level
Saw (real!) human brains at SFU
Saw a dissection virtual cadaver (a virtual body) on a specialized “3D anatomy table”, also at SFU
The body of a person who donated their body to science–learned about organ systems, how they are interconnected, and just how your insides work
Went Paddle boarding!
Used hand-held microscopes to investigate the critters we found on that day–I got to see the “feets”of a starfish up close!
Got to touch a whale skull!
Learned about Oysters and how they’re adapting (or not!) to ocean acidification
Presented to us by Dr. Clara Mackenzie, a research scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Went to Science World!
Watch government employees drug living organisms… aka we saw PSEC scientists anaesthetise and measure chinook salmon
Learned about the Coral Reef of BC--did you know we had one?!
The glass sponge runs along BC’s coastline but is most prominent around Howe Sound.
They filter the equivalent of 6,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water for our ocean, daily.
Dissected owl pellets
Learned about Conservation and Marine Protection Response from DFO professionals
There's a specific flag they fly when rescuing orcas!
Orcas speak in different languages–Southern resident orcas and Northern resident orcas can’t communicate with each other!
Field trip to Britannia Mine Museum–very cool last century mine, learned about the history of mining in BC, panned for gold!
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