My first Publication 1926874721_Alumni_Magazine_June_2010 | Page 6

Issue 3, June 2010
Science at ACS
The Science Department has always aimed to prepare ACS students to be able to meet all requirements of the Bulgarian Ministry of
Education and beyond. The department views its mission and objectives in the light of modern educational standards and methods:
a major goal is to develop and improve students’ skills like critical thinking, independent analysis, problem solving, experimenting,
and communicating results and information to the public. Moreover, we work hard to give opportunities to students who are curious
about and talented in science so they may develop skills and accumulate knowledge beyond the standards. The department offers
additional profile classes in physics and chemistry, elective courses for Advanced Placement preparation in Biology, Chemistry, and
Physics, and the SAT II subject tests. Our continuing goal is to bring science to students by improving and varying our in-class work
and extracurricular activities and by exposing students to more and more research and experimentation.
A fter ACS reopened, the first ninth
grade science courses started in 1993.
At that time our laboratories were
deficient of equipment, especially
modern equipment. The Chemistry lab
was just set up with working places for
students and did not yet have enough
equipment. Even safety goggles were
difficult to supply. Nevertheless, Mr.
Chehab with the support of his lab
assistant, Mrs. Chakarova, were doing
amazing demonstrations in the lab as
well as outside for the more dangerous
highly exothermic or explosive ones.
Often the equipment included fish
aquariums or flower pots, which cracked
and broke after the demonstrations. The
Biology lab was suffering a total lack of
equipment and Ms. Davis used a lot of
creativity to perform activities on campus
and a few with the donated microscopes
in the lab. The Physics lab was in the
process of planning and had very few
and very “old” apparatus such that Mrs.
Angelova could hardly utilize them
in the classroom. Hands-on activities
and demonstrations were the focus of
science classes. Yet all ACS students
were fascinated and, if not full of love
and enthusiasm, they showed respect
and admiration of scientific enquiry and
theory. So, shortly after the reopening,
the first student accomplishments in
national competitions began.
The tradition of participating in the
Physics and Chemistry Olympiads was
established, starting with very good
and excellent results. In 1997 three ACS
students qualified for the national round
of the Physics Olympiad and one of
them ranked in the top 20 students who
took part in the experimental second
day of the Olympiad. This was our first
(and until recently, only) student to be
admitted to MIT – Ivailo Dimov. This
school year, for only the second time
after 1997, ACS had a student who
ranked in the top 20 students of the
national Physics Olympiad and earned
the right to compete on the second day
– Yavor Panev from Grade 11. We cross
our fingers for Yavor who has the chance
to be selected for the National Physics
Team.
Also, additional accomplishments of
the first ACS profile classes strikingly
indicated that ACS was going to be
among the best schools in science in
the country. At that time a well-known
competition was initiated by a world
famous physicist, Minko Balkanski.
Its purpose was to identify talents in
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the field of physics and support their
education in the best Universities in
France. Initially the competition was
held in French and was very challenging.
Still later we had great results. Nadya
Dozova (class of 1998) won first place
in 1997, went to France and studied
biology. Deyan Yotsov (class of 1998)
was second in 1998 and also graduated
later in France.
Along with the hard work in the
classroom, science teachers were always
ready to offer high academic knowledge
and help students learn far beyond
the required curriculum with personal