School of Science and Technology
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| School of Science and Technology | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
| 1841 SW Merlo Drive [1] Beaverton, Oregon,  United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1993 |
| Oversight | Beaverton School District |
| Principal | Mary Jean Katz[1] |
| Vice principal | Kayla Bell[2] |
| Faculty | 8 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 180 (2011) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Maroon and forest green |
| Mascot | Flying Hedgehogs |
| Newspaper | The Hub |
| Website | SST Homepage |
The School of Science and Technology (SST) is an accredited, public high school located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. It is a magnet program within Merlo Station High School for students who have an interest in mathematics, life and physical sciences, and technology.
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[edit] History
SST began as a Certificate of Initial Mastery program called the School of Natural Resources Science and Technology, or NRST, in 1993. The school occupied an old warehouse, which was renovated a few months before the program's opening. The name was eventually shortened to School of Science and Technology (SST)
[edit] Students
As of February 2011, 58% of students were Caucasian, 24% Asian or Pacific Islander, 8% Hispanic, 0% American Indian, 1% Black, and 7% fit into multiple categories. 21% are on free or reduced lunch, 14% are eligible for special education, and 1% are enrolled in ESL. 31% were enrolled in TAG in middle or elementary school, significantly higher than the 11% district average. The state of Oregon has consistently rated SST "outstanding" in its annual report card. [2]
The average SAT score was 602 in critical reading, 620 in math, and 569 in writing. Of the 41 graduating students in 2005, 38 graduated with their Certificate of Initial Mastery. [3]
[edit] Schedule
The following is a typical daily schedule at SST. Focus is a time for study-hall, socializing, and announcements.[3]
| Period | Time |
|---|---|
| Period 1 | 7:40AM – 8:30AM |
| Period 2 | 8:35AM – 9:25AM |
| Focus | 9:30AM – 10:00AM |
| Period 3 | 10:05AM – 10:55AM |
| Period 4 | 11:00AM – 11:50AM |
| Lunch | 11:50AM – 12:25PM |
| Period 5 | 12:25PM – 1:15PM |
| Period 6 | 1:20PM – 2:10PM |
[edit] Culture
Being a small school, SST has a very close knit environment. Students get to know most of their peers as the year progresses. Though most students have a group of friends they generally hang around, intermingling between these groups is commonplace.
SST is often defined as a nerd school and SSTer's take this label with pride. Hallway conversations about history, science, politics, and technology are commonplace. A significant percentage of students bring personal laptops to school on a daily basis. During lunchtime, common activities include sports (mainly Basketball, Soccer, and Frisbee), card games (Yugioh, Magic, and Poker), hand held games (DS, PSP), and computer games.
[edit] Clubs
Clubs that take place in SST or consist primarily of SST students include Robotics, Drama, Mock Trial, M.U.N (Model United Nations), Hub (newspaper), Green Club, Leadership, and Yearbook. Science fair was once mandatory for lowers (9/10th grades), but starting in 2008, it became optional. Despite this, SST still boasts one of the most competitive science fair programs in the Northwest Science Expo.
[edit] Application Process
Until 2007, students who wished to apply were required to follow an application process which involved writing three essays and an interview from one of the SST teachers. However, in effect from 2007-2008 onward, the Beaverton School District simplified the application process to a single "option school" application. This removed the essays and the interview from the application process. Due to the controversy of the change in application process, the Beaverton School District modified their new system to allow 15% of students to be accepted based on talent or sibling status, while the other 85% would continue to use the streamlined application.
This new application process is a point of controversy among students, who hold one of two points of view. The first is that the new, incoming students, will not be weeded out from the harder application, which before the change, meant that only students that wanted to attend would be accepted to SST. They fear that the attitude of students who are accepted into SST, by the easier application, will change the unique culture that they have grown accustomed to. The second opinion is that SST will gain new life from the potential "flood" of new students who were put off by the old application process. Students of this line of thought use the fact that the class of 2010 turned out to be much smaller than any of the other classes in recent history, presumably from lack of applicants under the old application process. This was a result of the teachers being unable to promote SST to as many 8th graders students. The new application process arguably better promotes SST to incoming freshmen.
[edit] Shadowing
All applicants to the School of Science and Technology are encouraged to shadow a current student for a day. This allows the applicant to see the school in its entirety, and to see a "day in the life" of an average student. This enables them to make the most informed decision regarding their application. If an applicant decides to shadow, he or she is assigned to a student of the same gender, same middle school, and a similar grade, as the shadow. In addition to shadowing, attendance to both school open houses and tours is promoted.
[edit] Related links
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/home/schools/merlo/
- ^ https://sites.google.com/a/beaverton.k12.or.us/merlo-station/home/staff
- ^ https://sites.google.com/site/schoolofscienceandtechnology1/home/typical-schedule
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 45°30′28″N 122°50′55″W / 45.5079°N 122.8486°W
