Leon SpringsC o m m u n i t y N e w s
A monthly publication for the Leon Springs Community ✯ May 2018 ✯ Complimentary
A Publication of Hill Country Newspapers, Inc.
TMI Science Challenge celebrates 29 years, Page 2.
Inside:Inside:
Page 2 Leon Springs Community News May 2018
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By Gina M. Sohmer
Moving around the coun-try for 20 years makes me kind of an expert on what to do right away when you buy a new home. So this month, for home buyers, let’s talk about two things that you really need to do when you fi rst move-in.
First things fi rst – you own the home now, so change those locks! Most aft er-market home warran-ties have a re-key coverage option. Get it! You can then have all of the doors in your new home re-keyed for one low trade call fee. Most of the time this runs around $75.00. If you have ever dealt with a locksmith that is dirt cheap!
Why is this important? Because even though the seller turns over ‘all keys’ upon closing, they may have given copies of the keys to any number of people: cleaning or maintenance services, their brother-in-law, even your new next door neighbor may have a
key! Sellers are not out trying
to collect keys that they don’t remember giving out – they are packing up that moving van! So get your doors rekeyed before ‘Uncle Frank’ (who intentionally wasn’t told of the impend-ing sale) pays you a visit by walking right in your front door!
Replace Filters and Check the Dryer Vent to make sure that it isn’t clogged. Clogged or dirty dryer vents can cause fi res. So, replace the HVAC air fi lter, the vent fi lter above the stove, and the aeration fi lters in your kitchen and bathroom
faucets. I know, some of you
just went: “What?” Yes, replacing the faucet fi lters can actually improve water pressure depending on the amount of sediment that has built up over the years. So basically: fi re hazards: Bad! Improved water pres-sure: Good!
Gina M. Sohmer, is a veteran, a 2nd-Generation REALTOR®, a Graduate of the REALTOR® Institute, a Seller’s Representative Spe-cialist, and a member of the Phyllis Browning Company. You can reach her at www.ginasohmerrealestate.com.
You have closed on your new home! Now what?
Gina M. SohmerMBA, REALTOR®
C (210) [email protected]
By Miranda Koerner
Nearly thirty years ago, TMI Episcopal science teacher Leland Goertz had just started at TMI when his director, Diane Beechinor, suggested the idea for a day for middle schoolers to participate in sci-ence experiments in a team-like, competi-tion setting. Excited by the idea, he had no idea that what he viewed as a fun day for science would soon become a cultural hallmark of TMI. On April 26, the school celebrated TMI’s 29th Science Challenge with a day full of science fun.
“(The) science challenge is the culmina-tion of our students work solving intri-cate and fun problems using the scientific method, and feeling the joy of accom-plishment,” said science department chair Robert Friedrich. “It’s a great day where students break out of the classroom and use friendly competition to achieve their best.”
Each year, the science teachers collabo-rate on creating challenges that under-score subjects learned in class, such as Bernoulli’s Principle, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. Each stu-
dent must participate in three challenges and compete against other teams for the most points. The winning students are treated to a pizza party.
“The science challenge is designed similar to a track meet,” Goertz said. “Each science class makes up a team. For example, there are three sections of sixth grade Earth science, four sections of sev-enth grade life science and four sections of eighth grade physical science this year. That means we have 11 teams compet-ing in the science challenge. Each team selects a team color and a team name. On the day of the science challenge the stu-dents wear their team color t-shirts with black TMI athletic shorts.”
Students receive an information sheet over spring break that details the rules and projects, such as power golf club, where students tee off with a marshmal-low to see which one travels the greatest distance, a car powered by Mentos and
Coke, buoyancy boat and Rube Goldberg machine that must crack an egg in at least six different steps of simple machines, such as a wedge or wheel. Other chal-lenges include the water balloon toss, mousetrap car, bridge building and the egg drop, the day’s most popular event.
“The egg drop has been in every Science Challenge,” Goertz said. “Each middle school student must construct a package that will protect an egg which is dropped off the backside roof of our gym about 30 feet up! At TMI our students go from sixth the twelfth grade. We are a very close community where all students go to school in the same building. This means we have sixth graders that could be walk-ing with juniors and seniors throughout our campus. There is a tremendous love, support and respect for one another. This is strictly a middle school event but we still have many high school students that will come out and support and cheer on
TMI Science Challenge celebrates 29 years
Photos courtesy of TMI.
May 2018 Leon Springs Community News Page 3
our middle school students.”For Friedrich, he enjoys seeing students
overcoming concepts that have been stumping them over the semester.
“Every science challenge we have, we see students trying to solve a puzzle and they get so excited,” Friedrich said. “My favorite memory of past Science Chal-lenges is seeing students solving chal-lenging concepts they’ve been working so
hard on.”As the long time creator of the Science
Challenge, Goertz has many favorite events, including of course, the egg drop.
“What I look forward to every year are the faces and reactions of the students as they participate in the Science Chal-lenge,” Goertz said. “Each year there
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are different science challenge events, except the egg drop. But, after the sixth graders move through middle school and into high school, I will bring back previous events.
“For example, next year the students will be asked to build a cardboard boat that can hold two people. The objective is for those two students to get across the width of our swimming pool successfully and in the shortest amount of time. The Science Challenge had this event in 2015. It’s always one of my favorites.
“Another favorite event of mine
is the Periscope Blowguns. The students make a periscope but they must attach a marshmallow blowgun made of PVC pipe that shoots miniature marshmallows. The objective is for the students to stand behind an object, like a table, look through the peri-scope and shoot marshmallows at targets for points.”
Reverend Scott Brown, TMI’s headmaster, enjoys seeing the
students’ excitement year after year.
“I like to see how excited they get about learning,” Brown said. “The learning is so interactive and hands on that they don’t realize they’re learning! As they do the challenges, it reminds us learning happens outside the classroom and we want to create lifelong learners who get excited about learning.”
Thanks to Goertz, there are a whole generation of students still excited about learning.
“The best thing for me is hearing from alumni that have graduated years ago,” Goertz said. “They always have spe-cial memories about their days here at TMI and always have great stories about the day they participated in the Science Chal-lenge!”
From page 3
TMI
