E-Waste Drive!

DOHERTY IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE E-WASTE DRIVE!

How we set up:
We let people know about the E-drive, by making fliers with information and spreading information about the E-drive by talking to them and presenting on what it is to parents. 

What happened:
We set up an E-waste drive which just happened at Doherty on October 19th. As a group we collected old machines and electronics that didn't work anymore or are no longer in use.
A lot of the electronics we took apart and recycled parts of them like motherboards,fans, batteries, steel, brass, aluminum, copper, wire, etc.

Future plans:
we wanted to educate people on the E-waste that is ruining our environment and let them know that there is a way to safely dispose of old electronics, and recycle to make parts for new electronics instead of them ending up on landfills. This way we use less of our natural resources, clean up our landfills and make new machines who people will want.

E-Drive Video

IMPORTANT:

The freshmen ETA Learning Fair has been moved to May 23rd in the auditorium and cafeteria due a schedule overlap from Doherty Junior-Senior Prom on the 16th.

The 19th Annual Doherty Food Drive

The Food Drive field trip was on February 7th, 2019 for Jeremiah's Inn. The food drive is run and organized by Mr. Garcia, the freshman history teacher of the ETA. The food drive annually makes posters to advertise and boxes to hold the donations in. For four weeks, the students bring in non-perishable items like canned food, boxed goods, hygienic products, and similar products to donate. Also, a concert was held at Nu Cafe on January 28th, 2019, in which we collected donations. The students and teachers raised 6,745 items this year!

For eighth graders who are thinking about the ETA...

ETA APPLICATION ARE AVAILABLE NOW UNDER THE PAGES TAB OF THE ETA WEBSITE

Doherty Memorial High School will be visiting Forest Grove on January 24, 2019, to let the 8th graders who are thinking about Doherty, to be aware of the different programs and clubs that are available at our school. For anyone who is thinking about the ETA, the application is available at our admissions page.  Admission is based upon attendance, grades, and conduct during their seventh and eighth-grade years. Applications for the ETA program can be accessed through this link: ETA Application 
The application needs to be filled out by the student and the student parents and then returned to the guidance counselor to finish filling the application. The application must be submitted on time if not the student chances to be accepted will be lower. You do not need any prior experience in engineering to be accepted in the ETA. For more information go to our admissions page on this website.

The Fall Learning Fair 2018 

The Fall Learning Fair 2018 was a great success! We'd like to thank all the students for all their hard work throughout the learning fair process. We'd also like to thank those who joined us Thursday night to celebrate the achievements of our ETA students. A video of the learning fair is attached above. The learning fair highlighted the intertwined subject matter of the ETA. The students were pushed to achieve their best and were held to strict deadlines. The students all did well and we are very proud of them all. Thank you to all the ETA Teachers for their hard work to make it happen.

Special Thanks to the students speakers at the Learning Fair, Victoria Peters, Ava Hurley, and Santiago Baez. They talked about what the Learning Fair is and about what they did in all different subjects.

                                             What is the Learning Fair?

The Learning fair is a project where all subjects in the ETA are connected together. It happens two times in a year, in the fall and the spring. This fall topic is about the Blackstone Canal. In history class students get to create a timeline about the Blackstone Canal. In biology students get to create a green plan. In Engineering class students get to build there building, which must be in scale, like all the other students buildings, it also have to be build online on Inventor. Inventor is used all year long, a software where they get to create their products, which has to be done after measuring their specific product. In English class, students get to write letters to the mayor about their specific product to be build. In Math, students get to make a blueprint of their building. It usually last for about a month and a half.

The Learning Fair: What to expect

The Learning fair will be held on December 13th in the Doherty cafeteria. Students will have the option to purchase pizza before the learning fair for a reasonable price that will be disclosed later on. Students that purchase pizza are asked to arrive around 5:30 pm and students that do not purchase pizza are asked to arrive around 6:00 pm. The learning fair shall promptly begin at 6:30 pm. When students arrive, they will be greeted by a table with sign in sheet for extra credit. Students are asked to sign in to their respective homeroom sheet. Posters will be set up in the cafeteria, around the canal which is made up of the models. The evening will begin with a short speech from Mr. Garcia and two student speeches. One student speech will cover the classwork and the other student speech will cover the students' experiences with the project. The projects will then be open to be viewed by the parents and attendees of the learning fair. Students are asked to remain by their projects while the projects are open for display. There will also be two raffles, one student raffle and. Parents are encouraged to interact with students and inquire about their project. Students can take their project home with them.

More photos can be found here: Blackstone Canal Learning Fair 2016 Photos

NOTE: Make sure that your design is to scale, or POINTS WILL BE TAKEN OFF. Below are a student example of a complete project.

                       DMHS Open House: 

The DMHS open house will be held on Thursday, November 1st 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm at Doherty Memorial High School. Parents and students will have a chance to view the multitude of academics, club, and sports Doherty has to offer and  take a guided tour of Doherty Memorial High School. The ETA will be among these opportunities represented at the open house. Parents and students will be able to find out more about the ETA program and decide whether the ETA is a program they would like to be a part of. If students are interested in joining the ETA, they must apply. A shadow day may be be scheduled if the student would like to see more of what the ETA is like on a daily basis. More information can be found by clicking on this link: More Information about the ETA
Applications for the ETA can be found by clicking on this link: 
ETA Application Copy

Learning Fair
Due Dates

Oct.19th- Introduction to the "Bringing Back The Blackstone" Project
Oct. 22nd- Oct. 26th Engineering week/Research History &Green Technology
Oct. 30th- Building permits for approval due
Nov. 6th Complete math sketches
Nov. 8th- Researched dates for the history timeline completed
Nov. 14th- English editorial completed with rough draft attached
Nov.21st-23rd- Thanksgiving Break
Nov.27th History timeline completed
Nov.30th Green technology key for biology completed
Dec. 7th- Construction of three-dimensional model completed
Dec.11th Poster board completed for Learning Fair
Dec. 13th Learning Fair

         DEADLINE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR LEARNING FAIR                             EXTRA CREDIT IS:  Dec. 12th

STUDENTS TAKE NOTE: Procrastination will only lead to more stress! 

Reverse Engineering Learning Fair 2018

The Reverse Engineering Learning Fair was a huge success! Students showed up at 5:30 to set up their boards and eat the pizza that was provided by the teachers. Parents and students signed in at the front desk and then moved into the main room. 
The speakers of the night were Sokol Hoxha, Erisa Sote, and Fabjola Sote. Sokol gave a speech about what the project was about in the class. The Sote sisters spoke about student's experience with the project, thanking the teachers for all of their help. Then the learning fair began in earnest. The projects were about reverse engineering an object, by taking that object apart and then building that object on Inventor software. Parents walked around, asking the students about the project, and the students explained what their favorite part was, what was the most difficult, and what they did for each class. The learning fair ended promptly at 7:30, and the teachers were very proud of this year's freshmen and their projects. Have a great summer!

The feedback given was:

"Great!"
"You guys did well but some of the students are so nervous they don't know how to explain their work properly."
"It was fantastic! The students are so poised and articulate!"
"Really nice job setting up the projects this year."
"Great job! The space is still small but it was better than last time. Super hot in here though."
"All students did an excellent job! Proud parent here!"
"Everybody did a great job on their project. I think the project helps these students use their talent and ideas toward their development and advancement."

Reverse Engineering Learning Fair

Engineering and Technology Academy Invites You!

The ETA is holding their 4^th annual “Reverse Engineering” learning fair, and welcome the community to see. Those who attend will have the freedom to walk around and talk to the students, parents, and staff about the projects and the items that were selected, in a casual environment. Snacks and drinks will be provided.  

Date:
May 10th, 2018

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm.

Location: In the cafeteria of Doherty Memorial High School

Reverse Engineering Learning Fair Due Dates

March 16th- Introduction of the project/brainstorming

March 26th- Research for Biology and History

March 28th- Engineering Gantt chart due

April 2nd- Researched dates for the History Timeline completed

April 5th- History Timeline completed

April 12th- English Technical Writing completed

April 16-20- APRIL VACATION

April 25th- iProperties

April 27th- Math Calculations completed

May 1st- The Human Connection for Biology completed

May 4th- Inventor Files and Working Drawings printed for Engineering

May 8th- Poster Board completed for Learning Fair

May 10th- Learning Fair

The 18th Annual Doherty Food Drive

Doherty just finished it's 18th food drive for Jeremiah's Inn. This food drive is run and organized by Mr. Garcia, the freshman history teacher of the ETA. The food drive annually makes posters to advertise and boxes to hold the donations in. For four weeks, the students bring in non-perishable items like canned food, boxed goods, hygienic products, and similar products to donate. 
The students and teachers raised 6,295 items this year! On Feb. 15th, the food drive took a field trip to Jeremiah's Inn, and unloaded all of the donations. 
A huge thank you to the Doherty community, the students in the food drive, and anyone who donated. Another huge thank you to our chaperones, the retired Health teacher Mr. Garcia, the guidance counselor Mr. Halfmann, and the organizer of the food drive Mr. Garcia.

Document Based Writing

As the freshmen return from the holiday break, they will starting a new project in World History II. They will be learning how to write Document Based Questions, or DBQ's. These are essays that are written in history classes and that are written after reading documents from a specific time period. The question is based within that same time period, and in a standardized test setting, the essay is timed. Mr Garcia will allow the students to work on it in class and after.

Documents can be anything: a letter, a picture, a speech, a political cartoon, a poem, an excerpt from a book, etc.

An acronym for writing based off the documents is SOAP.

• S- Who is the speaker? What is their point of view?
• O- What is the occasion? What is happening? 
• A- Who is the audience? In the time period, who would've read/heard this?
• P- What is the purpose? Why is this being written?

Pre-College Programs at WPI

To any juniors and seniors who are interested, WPI is offering pre-college STEM programs. Some of the programs offered are in Biology, Physics, Robotics, Engineering Technology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, and more!
If you are interested, click here.

Learning Fair: Bringing Back the Blackstone

Last week, the ETA held its annual learning fair on Wednesday, December 7th.
It opened with Mr. Garcia introducing the night, and explaining the learning fairs to the parents, guardians, and guests on the students. Ina Zhidro and Ama Agyeman-Williams, the student speakers, talked about the project. Zhidro walked through the specifics of the project and how it related to all of the five core subjects of the Engineering and Technology Academy. Agyeman-Williams spoke of the dangers of procrastination and about the more challenging aspects of the project. 

Mr. Garcia opening the night

Ama Agyeman-Williams

Ina Zhidro

After that, the learning fair officially began. Guests walked around, seeing the models and the all the hard work the students had put in. Students explained the fair to the guests and showcased the projects that they had spent so long on. It was the busiest fair we've had in years!

At the end of the fair, two raffle winners (one guest and one student) were awarded $25 gift card to Barnes and Nobles. We'd like to thank the students and teachers for all of their hard work and dedication. If you have any ideas on how we did at the fair, please comment below. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

From left to right: Ms. Cochran, Ms. Vanni, Ms. Perez, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Simmarano

The Blackstone Canal

Engineering and Technology Academy Invites You!

The ETA is holding their 9^th annual “Bringing Back the Blackstone” project fair, and welcome the community to see. Those who attend will have the freedom to walk around and talk to the students, parents, and staff about the projects and the future of the Canal District, in a casual environment. Snacks and drinks will be provided.  

Date:
December 7th, 2017

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm.

Location: In the cafeteria of Doherty Memorial High School

The Blackstone Canal

The History of the Blackstone Canal:

An artist's rendering of a modern Blackstone Canal. www.golocalworcester.com

The Blackstone Canal was a canal that ran from Providence to Worcester, through the Blackstone Valley, giving it its name. The canal was created by a merchant community that wished to profit from the trade in the greater Worcester area. The proposed waterway would use water locks and natural bodies of water to give the people of Massachusetts and Rhode Island better prices for their goods. The builder of the canal was Benjamin Wright, who also helped create the Erie Canal, and Holmes Hutchinson, who went on to build canals in New York state.  Construction began in 1825, and on October 7th, 1828, the Lady Carrington officially opened the canal. The canal was very profitable to Worcester. At its highest, the canal was 451 feet, and passed over 45 canal locks. The canal also helped to bring the countryside into the more urban parts of Worcester and Providence.  

An etching of the Blackstone canal. www.blackstonedaily.com

However, the canal became increasingly polluted over time and was made obsolete by trains, which moved far faster than the boats. In 1848, the canal was closed, and later, due to pollution, Worcester covered up what remained. The canal still exists underneath Harding Street. 

The canal being covered up in Worcester. www.worcesterhisory.org

Overview:
The basis of this project is the idea of bringing back the Blackstone Canal. This would increase tourism in the area, causing the need for new businesses along the canal, boosting the local economy. The students are each "given" a 120x120 ft. plot of land, as well as one of five sectors to work with, ie. commercial, residential, industrial, recreational, and cultural. They must get a building permit approved by two teachers before they can officially begin. 
Engineering:
For the engineering project, students must design a scale building on Inventor, and build it in real life. They have to build the whole thing to scale, also accepting the parameters of the project. 
Science:
In science, the students have to create a "Green Plan" for their building. They have to research new and developing environmentally friendly technologies, then utilize them within their design.
English:
For English, the students must write a letter to the mayor. This implements their writing skills, as they must write a persuasive essay to explain what their building will do for the city, such as the economy, the green energies they will use, and how they plan to run their business. 
Math:
For the math portion of the project, the students have to design, on paper, how they want their land to be laid out. They also have to do this to scale and label every part of their design. 
History:
For the history portion, the students have to research the dates of the Blackstone Canal. It is a three part timeline, that includes the history of the Industrial Revolution, the history of the Blackstone Canal, and the history of Worcester. Students are graded on their creativity, accuracy, and originality.
The Learning Fair:
Students have to put all of their work on a poster board, to be graded by their Engineering teacher (Ms. Cochran) for neatness, design, and creativity. The posters are then put on display in the cafeteria their parents, friends, and community to see. The learning fair is a chance to relax and take pride in all of the student's work and effort. 

First Engineering Week!

On October 13th, the freshmen will start their first Engineering Intensive Week. It will be a five period block where the students are introduced to the Learning Fair Project, surveying, scale, and the basics of civil/architectural engineering. Students who have the 5-block period should bring clothes to be worn outside (dress for the weather), and a snack to be eaten before lunch. The classes that do not have the 5-block period will go to their other four classes for a slightly extended period of time. The schedule goes as follows:
     Oct. 13th: Ms. Vanni's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Ms. Vanni's class first.)
     Oct. 16th: Mr. Simmarano's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Mr. Simmarano's class first.)
     Oct. 17th: Mr. Garcia's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Mr. Garcia's class first.) 
     Oct. 18th: Ms. Perez's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Ms. Perez's class first.)
     Oct. 19th: Ms. Cochran's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering.

Math Textbook

The online math textbook has been updated! To get it, please follow these steps.
     Step 1: Log into the Student Portal (link here)
     Step 2: Under "Student Links", Click "McGraw Hill ConnectEd"
     Step 3: When on the McGraw Hill page, do not click "Add". Simply click on the book cover that is yours
     Step 4: Click on the e-book for the access to individual pages
McGraw Hill ConnectEd also provides extra resources to students. There are tutor videos and quizzes to check their math skills. 

Know Your School Night

Know Your School Night will be on Thursday, October 12th, at 6:30 pm. Parents of freshmen students in the Engineering and Technology Academy will:

• Go to their child's first period class shown on the schedule provided
• Will then be taken to the library, with all of the other freshmen ETA parents, for a more detailed discussion about what being in the ETA will mean. 

The teachers will discuss grading systems, learning fairs and other projects throughout the year, and then they will open the floor to questions. We hope to see you there!