• Have weekly asynchronous coding lectures/assignments using an interactive textbook
• Learn to code at their own pace with support from Michigan ECE faculty and students 
  • No scheduled lectures 
• Have our commitment to help you get unstuck when learning to code 
  • Everyone gets stuck somewhere, at some point!
• Receive a certificate of accomplishment to bolster your college applications

AP Chinese students made the very first Mandarin podcast today discussing what they have learned throughout the year by topics. Follow us! https://anchor.fm/meishing-chen

This year’s Clio is composed of student articles concerned with the legacy of the Federalist Papers, the
85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay to explain and promote the U.S.
Constitution in the battle over ratification in the state of New York in the fall and winter of 1787 and 1788.

Please take a few minutes to appreciate the work that has gone into this journal–from the students who labored over their term papers to the SMCA publication team who made this possible to the editors who have made something magical. Feel free to download the booklet from this link and enjoy!

• Sunday, May 15, 5 p.m. CDT: Self Care 101. A conversation on the importance of self-care throughout the college admissions process with Carleton College, Rice University, and UChicago.
• Monday, May 16, 6 p.m. CDT: Understanding Financial Aid. An overview of the financial aid process. Simultaneous sessions (one in English, one in Spanish) will address popular terms/structures and offer tips for navigating the financial aid process.
• Tuesday, May 17, 6 p.m. CDT: College Essays 101. A discussion with UChicago and University of Michigan on how essays can add an important perspective to a student’s application and learn how different kinds of essays are considered in a holistic review process.
• Wednesday, May 18, 6 p.m. CDT: Look Inside the Admissions Committee: a Case Study Exercise. This is your chance to see what an application looks like and how applications are reviewed! Together, you and admissions counselors from UChicago and Northwestern University will review applications, and decide who is admitted, waitlisted, or denied admission. See you in the committee room!
• Thursday, May 19, 6 p.m. CDT: Making the Most of Your Summer. Join Bates College, Colorado College, Emory University, University of Southern California, and UChicago for a discussion on how to make the most of your summer to prepare yourself for the college search and application process.

Students from the Honors Anatomy and Physiology (HAP) class had an amazing experience at the MedtoMarket facility this week. MedtoMarket is an advanced medical training and innovation facility. The company trains physicians, nurses, and first responders on new medical devices in state of the art labs, classrooms and surgical suites.  HAP students applied their knowledge and widened their experiences with exposure to cadaver organs. A huge thank you to Dr. Aaron Ali for sharing his knowledge and expertise while we were onsite.

Construction on the HALO building is moving right along, and last week I had the opportunity to attend a training session on one of the special items that will be included inside the HALO building. The science department is thrilled that the Anatomage Virtual Dissection Table will be one of the newest teaching tools added to our classroom. For the Honors Anatomy and Physiology Class in particular, this is an amazing device that allows for segmented 3D viewing of the human anatomy. Students will be able to utilize the table for learning as they would in a cadaver lab, and the accuracy of the anatomy, the ability to dissect in 3D and the access to CT and MRI scans is exceptional. We are looking forward to the HALO building!

Last Sunday at the Oscars, the film, CODA which stands for Child of Deaf Adult, won 3 awards: best male supporting actor, Troy Kotsur, who is the first Deaf male actor to have won an Oscar.  The only other time a Deaf person won such an award was Marlee Matlin in "Children of a Lesser God" back in 1987.  The other two awards CODA won were best picture and best screenplay.  

So, it seems fitting to wrap up the month of March, which is Deaf Awareness month, by having two of our own CODA  students, Sydney Campbell and Mia Bannon, sign a reading in ASL during Mass on Wednesday, March 30. They signed in American Sign Language with no voice, and students were able to watch along with the words on the screen.  CODAs are a unique group of people who are not deaf but not hearing, have their own identity, and live in both Deaf and hearing worlds.  Kudos to CODA Mia and Sydney for doing a beautiful job!

*AAICE is a non-profit organization composed of leading U.S. education experts and dedicated teachers.  AAICE collaborates with quality K-16 institutions and educational organizations both in China and in the United States to provide teachers and students with a global learning platform that strengthens the connections between Chinese and American cultures, using education systems as the bridge.

• Course Registration FAQ
• Course Road Map

1. Access registration through the Course Request Tab, once you are logged into MySMCA.
2. On the bottom right side of the screen, you can view teacher recommendations for Honors, or AP level classes. Please do not register for advanced classes if you were not recommended for AP or Honors. We do have an appeals process. The appeals form is located in the Academic Planning tile under the Resources Tab or in the College Center. Course appeal submissions close on March 11. After that date, students will not be allowed to appeal to take Honors/AP courses during the fall drop/add period, so please be sure to appeal NOW!
3. Each student is expected to register for 10 classes: 6 academic classes, and a study hall or elective, if desired. Choices 8-10 are alternate electives in the order of preference.
4. Please be mindful as to which semester you are registering for, and register for both semesters. 
5. Students are not guaranteed their selected courses, but we do our very best.
6. Students may register for up to three AP courses per year. Honors courses are unlimited, but students are advised to consider their workload.
7. All materials, including the course catalog, course offerings, and registration instructions are located under Academic Planning from the Resources Tab.

DNA, Part 1: The Helix
Like Watson and Crick, our biology students used the structures of the components of DNA to uncover the way they form the double helix. Quite the puzzler.

DNA, Part2: Chromosomes
Students were given magnetic pieces and asked to arrange them based on observed patterns, but without additional help. They chose to sort the magnets by size and by stripe patterns in a variety of ways, realizing that there were two of each pattern that matched. They sorted and stacked to reveal that they had a human karyotype of 46 homologous chromosomes. They then constructed models of other situations where chromosomal numbers (e.g., Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome) differ.

Genes are expressed as proteins whose structures determine their function. Biology students also recently explored what happens to the functioning of protein enzymes when denatured by changes in temperature and pH.

My Introduction to Engineering (MITE) Summer Engineering Camp at Ut Austin Cockrell School of Engineering application is now open through April 15!

Warren, “Wawa” Snipe, a Black Deaf man signed the songs during Super Bowl 2022 show at half-time.  He also signed the National Anthem in last year’s Super Bowl. This is a huge step forward in recognizing Black Deaf people. These individuals work hard, often persevering against all odds to attain the same opportunities as their Deaf White counterparts, who themselves are not always given the chance to be recognized.

As February is Black History Month, ASL 1 and 2 classes were assigned a Black Deaf person on whom they did a brief research report. We have much more work to do, but we are proud to have these individuals representing our Deaf Community as a unified whole.

The LightSaders are heading to another competition on Jan 22.  Thanks to the Robotics team for their superior technical skills in serving others.