IN Murrysville Winter 2016 | Page 47

Franklin Regional Places Third in First International Medicine Olympiad
The Franklin Regional Senior High School( FRSH) team of Bhav Jain, Daeil Bae, Nitya Anantharaman and Vineet Madduru participated in the first ever International Medicine Olympiad
( IMDO), conducted by and at the University of San Diego( UCSD), California, from Aug 1- Aug 3, 2016. This was an international competition with the FRHS team competing against more than 30 teams from the US, China, South Korea, Singapore, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Canada.
The rigorous competition consisted of three written tests and a Medicine Quiz Bowl on Cell Biology, Human Physiology and Human Diseases, conducted over two days. The individual written tests on the three subjects contributed to 80 % of the total score for each participant. The medicine bowl, essentially a team competition, contributed to the remaining 20 % of each participant’ s overall score. The medicine bowl was conducted in knock-out style with only the winning team moving on to the next round. The FRSH team, led by Jain( Team Captain), went all the way to the semifinals
, but lost to the eventual champions( Walnut High School).
“ IMDO really exposed me to the beautiful world of biology and its compelling impacts,” said Jain.“ Perhaps, the best part was the opportunity to compete with USABO finalists, Science Olympiad medalists, and accomplished people from around the world. I’ m really grateful for all the support and the awakening experience in San Diego.”
The FRSH team placed third and was awarded a Third Place cup & certificate. Jain won a Silver Medal for his individual score, Anantharaman and Madduru each won a Bronze Medal each, and Bae received a Certificate of Merit.
“ It was very inspiring to see that so many people study so hard from all over the world, which encouraged me to try harder for next year ' s competition,” said Bae.
“ I found that Medicine Olympiad has not only been a spectacular learning experience, but it has also demonstrated how one can have fun while studying,” said Madduru.
“ I enjoyed the learning experience that IMDO provided and it showed that studying hard pays off,” said Anantharaman.
The FRSH team was initiated by Mr. Ron Suvak, FRSH Principal, and Mr. Pankaj Jain, Team Coach, in early June when school was coming to an end. Given the limited time available, it was a tough challenge to quickly form a competitive team. The four students spent the entire summer preparing for this event. In the process, the Franklin Regional students also beat the top two teams, famous at the National Science Olympiad( Mira Loma High School from Mira Loma, CA and Troy High School from Fullerton, CA).
FRMS Visual Art Students Produce Vases for FR Panther Foundation Sponsors
The Visual Arts classes at Franklin Regional Middle School( FRMS) are shown working on etching glass vases using a laser printer. The laser printer was made possible through a generous donation from the Gurrentz Foundation and with funds provided by the FR School District. FRMS Art Teachers Heidi Herholz and Bruce Palmiscno guided students during the process and taught them how to measure the product for exact logo placement and how to program the machine using computerized technology. The vases were presented to Scoreboard Sponsors during a reception for the Franklin Regional Panther Foundation, Inc. in September. The students from left to right are Heather Ciaramitaro, Josh Bernacki( seated), Jeremy Bernacki( standing).

ranklin Regional

FRANKLIN REGIONAL NEWS
FR Engages in Feasibility Study to Determine Future Needs
The Franklin Regional School District is now engaged in a unique process that will positively shape and influence education at FR for many generations. The Franklin Regional Board of Education approved the completion of a comprehensive facility feasibility study in June 2016.
The feasibility study is a first and critical step in exploring planning options for future facility upgrades. The FR feasibility study will provide an objective analysis to help the District determine the need and scope for future capital improvements for all FR buildings and facilities. A comprehensive and detailed analysis will enable FR to develop a Facility Renovation / Development Plan that enables the District to provide students with a world-class education, in exceptional facilities, while upholding our obligation to be fiscally responsible.
The goals of this plan involve completing an overall analysis of all Franklin Regional facilities in the following areas: Mechanical Systems, Structural Components, Programming Needs, Future Enrollment, and Options for Facility Changes.
To share information with the community about this process, the District will host three Town Hall Meetings. These events are designed to give the community a clear understanding of the process, condition of FR’ s facilities, and potential future options.
Based upon these interactive meetings, VEBH, FR’ s architectural firm, will provide an Executive Summary to the Franklin Regional Board of Education. This summary will concisely and clearly share the major findings of the feasibility study, potential options, and plans for future projects. The summary document will include the following sections: Educational Landscape / Market Analysis, Educational Landscape / Market Studies will determine facility needs based upon educational trends and enrollment projections; Potential Renovation / Construction Options, and SWOT Analysis, which is an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each potential facility renovation or construction decision; Challenges for Each Potential Renovation / Construction Option; and Identification of Challenges and definition of academic, artistic, and athletic opportunities. Financial Projections will be included in the financial analysis section of the report, with both replacement costs and annual operating budgets. The first Town Hall Meeting was conducted on September 27th, 2016. The next two meetings will be January 12, 2017 and February 23, 2017 at 6 p. m. in the Franklin Regional Middle School Little Theater. The public is encouraged to attend.
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