Three Students Win Chemistry Contest

Juniors Ilene Kim, Dah Kyung Kim, and Paulina Nguyen tied for first place in the Chemical Titration Contest at California State University Monterey Bay on November 1, 2008. Beating competing teams from all over the county, the girls participated in a laboratory contest to determine the percentage of acetic acid in a vinegar sample. Part of National Chemistry Week, ten of our AP Chemistry students took part in the event.

Marine Science Class Visits Tide Pools

Dr. Christian Reilly and his marine science students visited Point Pinos on October 31, 2008. When the tide is low, the sea recedes to expose hundreds of tiny tide pools teeming with life. Within the puddles is an array of invertebrate creatures including sea stars, anemones, black turban snails, and hermit crabs.

"While the tide pools we explored are the same ones John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts peered into sixty years ago, the community of animals are not what Steinbeck and Ricketts would have seen," says Dr. Riley. "Monterey's tide pools have already changed in response to rising ocean temperatures. Understanding and protecting these delicate ecosystems requires empathy, insight, and action."

New Science Teacher Comes Aboard

Dr. Christian Reilly is the new Upper School Science teacher. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Christian spent most of his time trying to figure out what lived in the water, and then explaining what he found to family and friends. As an undergraduate at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, he continued to blend marine biology research with early science outreach and education. Christian went on to complete a master's in marine biology in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and a doctorate in marine ecology and neurobiology at Stanford University's marine laboratory in Pacific Grove, California.

"I realized that as much as I loved marine research, today's real need is in conveying the scope and grandeur of the natural world to the next generation of citizens and scientists," Christian stated. "I'm looking forward to working with a students who bring so much thoughtfulness and joy to their work."