EAST Conference

Commercial

Our EAST program was approached by Mr. Miller, the principal of GJHS, about creating a commercial for the school. The goal of the commercial was to provide new students and parents with the opportunity to learn more about the school. This commercial included interviews with coaches, band directors, and teachers; and also showcased some of the other extracurricular activities offered at our school. The staff was asked to talk about why teaching is important to them and the impact they have on the students. The commercial also highlighted many of the achievements and awards the school has won. Students from the GJHS News team helped with editing and filming the commercial. The footage was edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. Photos were provided by Amy Wayne and by students of the different programs mentioned in the video. The photos were put into Canva to create various layouts. The finished video will be released on all of our schools social media channels as well as the website.

GJHS News

This year, a group of EAST students brainstormed and decided to create a GJHS News, a student-led weekly program that is distributed to staff and students every Monday. The news program includes information about upcoming events within GJHS, clubs and organizations, and sporting events. At the beginning of the year, students split into small groups and created a mock newscast. This garnered interest from EAST students and led to the establishment of the final news crew. This exercise also allowed for a trial-and-error period in which students learned the basics about newscast production. Since the news program is a weekly project, managing time can sometimes be a challenge. In order to stay on task, the news crew developed a set schedule: on Mondays, they send a google form to teachers in order to collect the information necessary for the script, on Tuesdays they finalize the script and film the variety show, on Wednesdays they film the main segment, on Thursdays they edit, and on Fridays they finish editing and export the final news program. Teamwork plays a very big role in the success of producing each episode. This year's crew consisted of anchors, editors, script writers, and a director. Our editors use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit their footage. Now we have increased our overall productivity and communication with teachers, clubs, and organizations.

GJHS-News-March14.mp4

Geocaching

Geocaching is an online recreational activity in which participants search for small containers–or “geocaches”– with various items inside. These geocaches are placed by other participants and mapped out using ArcGIS Story Maps. Greenbrier administration approached the GJHS EAST program with the idea to utilize geocaching to promote engagement with the community and Greenbrier’s history while also expanding on R.I.S.E. literacy skills. EAST students identified historically significant sites within and around Greenbrier, as well as potential geocache placements within these historic sites. Students are mapping geocaches using ArcGIS. They are also using Survey123 to collect a digital log of participants. Geocaching Trinkets/SWAG have been designed and will be 3D printed. To incorporate R.I.S.E. reading standards, clues will be included for each geocache. These clues will promote literacy skills in an entertaining and age-appropriate manner.

Garden

EAST students had an idea to put raised garden beds in the inner courtyard at GJHS. This idea had many problems. The proposed area was very close to the drainage system, and would likely interfere with it. The area was also consistently shaded, making it a less than ideal place for a garden. The students pivoted, researching what vegetables they could grow in pots. This way, they could still add to the courtyard while avoiding the problems caused by the sun and drainage. The students are currently in the process of pre-sprouting seeds to test their viability and preparing the soil for planting.

History of GJHS

Mr. Miller, the principal of GJHS, requested last year that we get old pictures from the beginning of GJHS history. Our students found digital photos from past yearbooks in order to create a story map. The photos were digitally restored as part of a past project. We were able to take the old pictures and put them into an ArcGiS map. The map will have sections on the buildings and gym, sports, clubs and organizations, and daily life throughout the years. We also took the pictures and printed them out on canvas so we could spread the photos through the walls in the building. We plan to put QR codes with them so people can easily access the map. The main obstacle in this project was gathering information that couldn’t be found in the yearbook. We pulled old issues of 501 Life magazine to get the extra information. The map is intended to be a resource for students and parents to learn more about the school.

Repurposing Technology

Max Young, a former EAST student at Greenbrier was able to connect his company, CTEH, with our EAST program to make a large donation of tablets that were no longer being used. Our students were challenged to figure out how to wipe data, inventory, and repurpose them. Mr. Young was able to speak to one of our EAST classes, and open students’ eyes to a growing problem. What happens to old technology and devices, and what can be done to lessen the impact on our environment? Students are currently working to repurpose the first set of tablets to control robots in our school’s Computer Science classes.

Blessings Box

The blessing box would be a large outdoor box that stores basic needs such as food, clothing, and hygiene products. This box is available to everyone in the community who needs those products. The team is working with the Greenbrier Public School Maintenance team to build the box. They have created a design of the box in TinkerCAD, and researched non-perishable items to stock, such as canned items, dried fruits in bags, tea bags and such, will be in the blessing box. The box will be placed near the edge of the Junior high school campus. People will be taking the items they need from it, and they will not be judged if people should or shouldn’t take something since they might feel embarrassed since they needed help. A challenge they have had to overcome is finding a location that will allow both students and community members to easily access.

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