Friday, November 20, 2009

Questions
1)  What is MESA?
2)  Where is MESA?
3)  How do I attend MESA for 2009-2010?
4)  Who can apply to MESA?
5)  Are there pre-requisites to apply to MESA?
6)  Is there an additional cost to attend MESA?
7)  How is MESA different from the high school experience at other schools?
8)  How many courses are involved in MESA?
9)  Does my child have to be strong in math to attend MESA?
10)  Does my child have to want to be an engineer to attend MESA?
11)  How many hours of college credit will my student earn upon completing the program at MESA?
12)  How many students will MESA accept for 2009-2010?
13)  If I do not live in the district that serves Albemarle High School, how will I get to MESA?
14)  We don’t live in the Albemarle High School District. Can my child still apply to MESA?
15)  What if my child is not accepted as a rising 9th grader? Can s/he apply again in a future year?
16)  What if my child took Algebra II in the 8th grade? Can s/he still apply to MESA?
17)  Who is the ideal MESA student? What are the expectations of students, work load, etc.?
18)  Will my child still be able to participate in extra-curricular activities, such as sports and music programs if s/he attends MESA? Will these be Albemarle High programs, or programs at my child's home school, if that is not AHS?
19)  How are the classes weighted for GPA calculations?
20)  My school offers science as a semester course and I have just started my 8th grade science class. I doubt my teacher knows me well enough yet to write the most effective recommendation. Should I get my 7th grade teacher to write the receommendation?
 
Answers
1)  Q What is MESA?
A
The Math, Engineering and Science Academy offers a four-year program designed to prepare students for a college preparatory pathway to a career in engineering. Students will thrive in a state-of-the-art laboratory environment designed to provide authentic experiences in mathematics, engineering, and science. Academy students will explore science and mathematics through the lens of engineering research and design. Students will learn to communicate complex ideas reflecting the rapid growth of technologies applicable in the global community. Students enrolled in the Academy will have the opportunity to experiment with cutting edge technologies as they interact and intern with professionals in the science, mathematical, and engineering fields.
2)  Q Where is MESA?
A
It is located in the new Science wing of Albemarle High School, which will open in 2009-10.
3)  Q How do I attend MESA for 2009-2010?
A
There is an application process to attend MESA. Applications are available for download at the link on the left or from your student's guidance counselor, beginning January 5, 2009. Applications are due to the student's guidance counselor or to AHS by March 2, 2009.
4)  Q Who can apply to MESA?
A
For the first year we are accepting approximately 25 9th graders and 25 11th graders into the program.
5)  Q Are there pre-requisites to apply to MESA?
A
Student applying for MESA as rising 9th graders should have completed Algebra I and Geometry. If a student has not yet taken Geometry , they will need to take that as their 9th grade elective.

Rising junior applicants should have completed Math Analysis. However, because this is a new program we anticipate that many 11th graders wil not all be at the same academic point in their science courses. Some students will have completed Chemistry while other will just be starting the class. In these first years of the program there will be some adjusting to accomodate juniors who are different places in their science development.
6)  Q Is there an additional cost to attend MESA?
A
MESA is part of Albemarle County Public Schools. As a public school, there is no cost to attend for residents of Albemarle County.
7)  Q How is MESA different from the high school experience at other schools?
A
MESA is designed simply to be another option for students who are interested in additional math and science electives beyond the current offerings.
8)  Q How many courses are involved in MESA?
A
MESA students will take their math and science courses as part of the academy. English, social studies, world languages and other electives will be taken as part of the regular course offerings at Albemarle High.
9)  Q Does my child have to be strong in math to attend MESA?
A
While a certain skill level is a must, the ability to be a problem solver is probably the strongest requirement. A student must have taken Algebra I prior to 9th grade in order to be eligible for the academy. In addition, students who would take Geometry in the 9th grade who are in the academy will need to “double up” on their math for that first year, taking Geometry as their elective.
10)  Q Does my child have to want to be an engineer to attend MESA?
A
Many business people and employment recruiters think of an engineering degree as an asset to any future career. Engineers are trained problem-solvers, and that skill is highly applicable and transferrable. The biggest question students considering MESA should ask is “do you like to solve problems and do you like to create?” The engineering curriculum provides an excellent background for careers in law, business or medicine because it creates disciplined work habits, it empowers creativity, collaboration and communication skills.
11)  Q How many hours of college credit will my student earn upon completing the program at MESA?
A
All MESA graduates will earn 5 engineering credits through our partnership with PVCC and UVA. It is anticipated that the student will also earn some college credit through AP classes taken concurrently with the Academy. Ideally, a MESA graduate will have 11 to 14 college credits upon graduation, depending, in part, on the number of AP classes taken.
12)  Q How many students will MESA accept for 2009-2010?
A
25 for 9th grade and 25 for 11th grade.
13)  Q If I do not live in the district that serves Albemarle High School, how will I get to MESA?
A
At this time there are no provisions to allow students to attend MESA on a part-time basis. In other words, only full-time AHS students will be admitted into the program. If a student is in another school district, they 1) have to be accepted into the MESA program 2) have to make arrangements to attend AHS as a full-time student. This includes providing their own transportation and getting approval to attend Albemarle High School from the school division.
14)  Q We don’t live in the Albemarle High School District. Can my child still apply to MESA?
A
Yes, all county students are invited to apply to the Academy. Please note that the student will need to attend Albemarle High School as a full-time student. Bus service will not be provided at this time, and if accepted, parents would need to make transportation arrangements.
15)  Q What if my child is not accepted as a rising 9th grader? Can s/he apply again in a future year?
A
Yes, even if not accepted as a 9th grader, students can apply to MESA again as a junior. We do plan to expand the program in future years to include students in grades 9-12.
16)  Q What if my child took Algebra II in the 8th grade? Can s/he still apply to MESA?
A
Absolutely. Although the Academy is being specifically designed for kids who will have completed Geometry by the 8th grade, students who have already completed Algebra II as entering freshmen will be ahead of this pace a bit. The curriculum will have some repetition to it, but as the course is being designed as more of a lab course with the science overlap, the student will receive a deeper and richer understanding of the material.
17)  Q Who is the ideal MESA student? What are the expectations of students, work load, etc.?
A
It is expected that the MESA student will have a strong interest in a career in a math- or science-related field, and that they have a general passion for experimentation, design, building, self-discovery, etc. As students accepted into the academy will have a love and an interest in the content, the work-load will not be overly burdensome as they will be studying topics they might have been exploring on their own anyway. Kids who are building roller coasters, robots or other gadgets in their spare time will not see any work outside of class as "homework" but more as fun.
18)  Q Will my child still be able to participate in extra-curricular activities, such as sports and music programs if s/he attends MESA? Will these be Albemarle High programs, or programs at my child's home school, if that is not AHS?
A
A student must attend Albemarle High School to be part of MESA. If a student does not reside in Albemarle High School’s district, and is accepted to MESA, permission can be granted for that student to attend AHS and MESA. In that case, AHS becomes the student’s home school, and any extracurricular activities at AHS are open to that student. A student may not, for example, attend AHS/MESA and compete in athletics at another county high school in the district where the student resides. The student could compete for any AHS team or activity.
19)  Q How are the classes weighted for GPA calculations?
A
The 9th/10th grade classes will be weighted at the Honors level (i.e. 5 points for an A). Upon completion of the two-year program, the student will receive a total of 5 weighted class grades.
20)  Q My school offers science as a semester course and I have just started my 8th grade science class. I doubt my teacher knows me well enough yet to write the most effective recommendation. Should I get my 7th grade teacher to write the receommendation?
A
Although this would be a personal choice, if you think your 7th grade science teacher has a better understanding of your abilities, then yes have them write your recommendation.