USP MATHCOUNTS Competition Winners
On Saturday, March 9th, three of our very own, PALCS and University Scholars Program students competed in the 6th grade MATHCOUNTS competition along with several other schools from Chester County, PA. Justin Dugan, Kevin Zhu, and Aiden Cannon all did a great job representing our school, and did a terrific job on all the components of the competition! The students each participated in a 40-minute sprint round, trying to answer as many questions as possible within the time limit. Next, students participated in a sprint round, answering four sets of 2 questions every 6 minutes. The students finished with a team round, where each group was given 10 questions to answer together. Once all the tests were scored, the top 10 individual scorers were brought up to participate in a countdown round. If students provide the correct answer faster than their competitor, they move up the rankings of their individual placement. Aiden Cannon moved from fifth place, to fourth place, by defeating his first competitor in the buzzer round. Kevin Zhu was also in the countdown round, scoring first place on his individual test! Kevin scored better than all 103 other 6th grade students across the county, which is an amazing accomplishment! The results of Kevin's countdown round placed him in second for the individual competition. Congratulations to Justin, Aiden, and Kevin! We are all very proud of you! (Photographed left to right: Aiden Cannon, Kevin Zhu, Justin Dugan, and USP Math Teacher, Kirsten Mackey)
Now Accepting ’19-‘20 USP Applications!
Happy New Year! We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year for our University Scholars Program! It is not too early to begin exploring your options for next school year and see if PALCS, or USP, is a good fit for you and your family! The University Scholars Program (USP) is a cyber-blended, honors college-preparatory program for eligible students in grades 6-12, enrolled in PALCS. USP opened its doors in the fall of 2005, and has over 245 middle and high school students today. As a highly competitive and rigorous program for students, eager to learn at a more advanced level, an additional application and test is required for acceptance to the program. Students may participate in the program either virtually, or on-site at our Advanced Ideas Center, located in West Chester, PA. The Advanced Ideas Center provides a small learning community, with an average class size of about 12, where individual and diverse academic achievement is valued and supported in this blended learning situation. The University Scholars Program Curriculum focuses on synapse building through problem-solving, rich experiences, and challenging content. Lessons are designed to be interdisciplinary, engaging, project-based, and to spark intellectual curiosity. If accepted, students participate in the program two to three days per week. Middle school students attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and every other Friday, while high school students attend on Mondays and Wednesdays, and every other Friday. Classes are generally offered from 8:15 am to 2:45 pm. Classes range from 60 to 90 minutes, allowing students to take at least four classes a day. Students who are accepted into USP will take their core classes through this program, and their electives either online through the PALCS, or at our Center for Performing and Fine Arts Program (CPFA). Families interested in The University Scholars Program may attend our upcoming USP Information Session on Monday, January 28th, 2019 at 6:30 PM. Details about this event may be found here. Anyone interested in applying to USP may begin completing a USP Application. After the application is complete and all required documents are submitted for review, qualified students will be invited to come in for testing. If accepted into USP, you will receive your official acceptance letter a few weeks after testing is done and decisions are made. The early decision application deadline is March 1st, and the final deadline is July 19th, however, spots fill up quickly so we recommend getting everything into us early if your family is interested! Good luck, scholars!
Student Spotlight: Audrey Emata
Presidential Scholar nominee, PALCS graduating junior, scholarship winner, flutist, sister, and proud daughter are just a few terms to describe Audrey Emata. At only sixteen years old, Audrey has already accomplished so much, including being named as a nominee for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts Award, an honor that only 60 students in the entire country receive. We recently had the opportunity to speak to Audrey’s mother, Christina, about her talented daughter’s future goals and her journey to becoming a Presidential Scholar.
Educational Trips: Past and Future
This past year, the University Scholars Program (USP) had some amazing trips and educational journeys that brought them up and down the East Coast: north to New York and south to the Florida Keys, and several places in between!
Outstanding Accomplishments Among Individuals
Here at PALCS, students and educators are encouraged to work together and be team players, while also forming individual opinions and standing up as leaders. PA Leadership’s University Scholars Program (USP) embraces the individual scholar and tailors instruction and opportunities to the individual need and goals of each scholar, which is a large part of why we have seen such success among our students and educators this past year!