APES Fills Year End With Big Projects

The AP test was over and done at the beginning of May, so students in FSHA's three AP Environmental Science classes spent the rest of the school year working on projects to benefit favorite causes.

Mrs. Mary Havrilla's Block F APES class put together a handmade book about composting that they shared with second graders at La Cañada Elementary School. The story, which was written by Ally Clapp '14 and designed by Julia Houser '14, Kelly O'Connor '14, Daisy Beckner '14, Stephanie Farajian '14, Alissa Aguilar '14 and Lexie Rittichier '14, follows a group of "wiggly things" named the Wilsons who are scooped up and taken home by a boy named Timothy. There, Timothy's dad tells him about all of the helpful things the Wilsons actually do for the environment.

Mrs. Havrilla's Block G class published its own document called the "Homeowner's Guide to Sustainability," which is available for download on Podium. It includes recipes for homemade beauty products and soap, tips for an eco-friendly diet and instructions for composting at home. The class also created a video trailer advertising the "Homeowner's Guide to Sustainability," which is also available on Podium.

The Block C APES class, taught by Ms. Leslie Miller, staged the popular Faculty Pie-Eating Contest, an inaugural event that took place on Senior Patio at lunch on Monday, June 3. A group of 10 male teachers and staff members gathered sponsorships prior to participating, and leading the pack in donations going into the event was Mr. John Pettersson, FSHA's Director of Technology. At the contest, math teacher Mr. Kirk Nishiyama handily beat the rest of the field, and photos of the event are online. The money raised by the pie-eating contest as well as sales of homemade ice cream will go toward sending solar-powered lanterns to Kenya and Tanzania in the hopes of engineering social change by reducing indoor air pollution and allowing children to study at night.