Sultan High shows off STEM projects

A low-cost water filtration system, a chicken tractor and a native plant museum are just a few of the student projects shared with Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn during his visit to Sultan High School last week.

Dorn was in town to celebrate Sultan High School's recent distinction as a 2015GÇô16 Washington Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Lighthouse School, for its exemplary instruction in STEM curriculum. The award was given after interviews with STEM teachers and careful evaluation of Sultan High School's career and technical education (CTE) program, and provides a $20,000 grant awarded by the state Legislature and Dorn.-á

Dorn was accompanied by STEM Program Supervisor Clarence Dancer, who conducted the STEM and CTE program evaluation in mid-January.

The purpose of the Lighthouse School program is to designate schools that will serve as STEM mentors to other schools across the state. Sultan was recognized for fostering small, highly personalized learning environments, for offering interdisciplinary STEM curriculum delivered using a project-based approach and for its active partnerships in the community that extend learning beyond the classroom.

CTE Director David Cavanaugh applied for the grant, with STEM teachers Sarah Harkins, John Hubbard, Ryan Monger and Karissa Kelley each playing an instrumental role in the grant application process.

Sultan was one of five schools across the state selected for the award.-á -á

A celebratory assembly took place at noon on Friday, March 18, but first, Dorn and Dancer were treated to an interactive tour of the school, including a glimpse at several sustainable projects all conceptualized and carried out by students using CTE knowledge and their skills in STEM.

Student Charlie Ford presented a project he and another student did on water quality, which included a low-cost water purifying system using a filter known as a Doulton. He tested tap water from the school, tap water from Gold Bar and water that had been filtered using the Doulton, recording his results.

They tested for phosphates, nitrogen nitrates, dissolved oxygen and pH, which is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. Gold Bar tap water tested high in phosphates and nitrogen nitrates, Ford said.

"So we're finding that water is actually bad in certain areas,GÇ¥ he said. "But luckily the school is fine.GÇ¥

He told Dorn the most interesting part of his research had to do with pH levels. Gold Bar tap water reflected a pH level of 5.5, said Ford, which is slightly acidic. A pH level of 7 is known as neutral, and the lower the number the more acidity in the water. Vinegar, for example, has a pH level of about 2.5.-á

"With the pH, the perfect level is around 7.0,GÇ¥ Ford said.

What was interesting, he said, was that after he ran the Gold Bar tap water through his filtration system, it tested at exactly 7.0. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the device, he said.-á

Ford told Dorn the project was initially just another project, but he ended up finding it really interesting. Now he wants to take his research even further by learning how to filter out fluoride.

Students Riley Wiita, Carsen Smith, Trenton Maddox and Tanner Belcher built a "Chicken Tractor,GÇ¥ which they defined as a sustainable way to provide food like meat and eggs. The apparatus includes a mobile chicken coop built to accommodate roughly five chickens at a time, with a detachable chicken run to give the birds more room to walk around. The entire device cost less than $150 to build, doesn't take up a lot of space and would be easy to implement, they said.

Belcher said it was his frequent meals eaten at school that inspired him to want to do something to improve the quality of the food.

"If we had fresh eggs coming in, it would make the breakfast a lot healthier, and it would taste a lot better and I think it would encourage more kids to eat at the school instead of not eating,GÇ¥ Belcher said.

The finished chicken coop will feature a quote from the book "Walden,GÇ¥ by David Thoreau: "Our life is frittered away by detailGǪ Simplify, simplify.GÇ¥-á

Dorn and Dancer toured the Sultan High School salmon hatchery, the greenhouse and the new vegetable garden, which are all part of biology teacher Ryan Monger's curriculum. Monger's students spend a lot of time in the forested area behind the school, working to identify trees and restore native habitat. They also care for the hatchery, work in the greenhouse, cultivate the vegetable garden and care for the orchard.

The orchard was just planted last year, and was made possible by Raintree Nursery in Morton, Washington, which donated $2,500 worth of fruit trees. Now, students are learning to care for the infant orchard, which will eventually produce apples, pears, peaches, plumbs and grapes.-á

"Mr. Monger has a dream of supplying fresh fruit to our cafeteria one day and hopefully we'll be able to do that,GÇ¥ said Allison Fulcher.

Beyond the vegetable garden, students Enrique Nambo and Byran Aikman introduced Dorn and Dancer to a type of home called an Earthship. The idea behind an Earthship, Aikman said, is to create something that's intertwined with nature and completely sustainable. An Earthship is a solar-powered home built entirely out of natural and recycled materials, he explained, and he and Nambo hope to build one of their own.

So far, Nambo and Aikman have begun collecting tires, which will be filled with dirt and used in the construction of the Earthship. They will work on developing prototypes before engaging in the actual construction, and hope to organize groups of students to help them with the different aspects of the project.

"I want people to see this, I want to turn some heads, I want people to wonder how to build this and I want them to question why they wouldn't build one for themselves,GÇ¥ Aikman said.

After visiting several other projects, it was time to move inside for the assembly. Dorn and Dancer explained what it means to be a Lighthouse school and congratulated Sultan High School for its successful implementation of engaged, student-led learning.

"You are what's called a Lighthouse now. You are a beacon for those other schools in other districts who want to do the same thing,GÇ¥ Dancer said.

Dorn presented Sultan High School Principal Tami Nesting with a "Golden AttitudeGÇ¥ pin for her efforts on behalf of the school. Nesting gave a glowing report of the many ways in which students are able to succeed despite limited resources, Dorn said, and invited him to come for a visit. During their talk she credited her staff, the students and the Sultan community for working together to create opportunities for learning, he said.

"She bragged you up big, and I've been impressed,GÇ¥ Dorn said. "Everything she said about you is true. You have a great place, a great staff, a great school, a great community. You may have to do it in a different way because you don't have all the resources and all the bells and whistles that maybe some other school districts have, but you're getting it done.GÇ¥

For more information on Lighthouse schools, visit www.k12.wa.us/Communications/pressreleases2016/STEMLighthouseSchools.aspx.