2022 Junior Solar Sprint
Elementary and middle school students interested in having fun while learning about STEM should consider signing up for the 2022 Northern Virginia Junior Solar Sprint. This event will take place on June 25, 2022, from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (TJHSST) in Alexandria, VA.
The Junior Solar Sprint is a hands-on experience. Students work in teams and use math, science, engineering, and technology to design and construct their solar-powered cars. Students will race their designed solar cars at the event and win awards for design and speed.
Ramya Reddy & Ram Reddy (TJHSST) and Pranav Bhimaraju (Marshall High School) in cooperation with TJ STEMbassadors, Young Scholars Circle, Technology Student Association (TSA), US Army Outreach Program, and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) will host this year’s event. The three-student leads will be offering FREE Junior Solar Sprint workshops (self-paced and recorded videos) to educate and inspire middle school and elementary students about solar energies.
Design, Build, and Race a Solar Car!
The Junior Solar Sprint provides a unique opportunity for students to enhance their skills and education while learning to work creatively as a team. We invite all students from grades 5 through 8 to participate.
Students work together to create small vehicles powered by a standardized solar cell and motor during the event. Participants learn about renewable energy and how design affects functionality. This event provides insight into the learning process preferred by STEM schools like TJHSST and Academies of Loudoun, two of the world’s leading STEM schools.
Free Solar Car Building Workshop
Interested students are strongly encouraged to attend our free Solar Car Building Workshops before the event. These workshops provide a chance for students to learn about the proper design of a solar car.
Academies of Loudoun Admission Tips & Test Prep Strategies
26 Jul 2021 Category:
Academies of Loudoun “Writing skills, critical thinking and STEM creativity are some of the crucial skills that we need to instill in our students.”
Krishna Belino – Cart
SY 2021 Academies of Loudoun Application Timeline
- AOL Application Portal opens on August 18, 2021 to October 22, 2021 (by 12 noon)
- AOL Test Days: November 6 or 13, 2021 (Choose only one date).
- Final Decision: March 2022
STEM Thinking Skills Test Prep Classes will start on September 11, 2021. Learn more about the class below.
Academies of Loudoun Writing Assessment Workshop will start on October 4, 2021. See other class information here.
We have year-long classes for 7th graders that serve as academic enrichment and TJHSST and AOL test preparations in one. See the updated schedule here.
The New TJHSST Holistic Process
21 Dec 2020 Category:
Academies of Loudoun, Holistic Process, Math Problem Solving Essay, Problem Solving Essay, Science Problem Solving Essay, STEM, STEM Thinking Skills Test, Test Taking Strategies, TJ Math, TJ Science, TJHSST Holistic Admissions, Young Scholars' Approach Critical thinking and writing skills are crucial skills to help our students face the challenges of this world.
Krishna Cart, MA Ed, NBCT
The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved the new TJHSST Holistic process last December 17, 2020. The Board increased the capacity of admitted students to 550. The highest evaluated students are offered admissions by pathway until the cap is reached.
The universal screening tests like the Quant Q, ACT Reading Aspire and ACT Science Aspire were replaced by Math and Science Problem-Solving Essays to focus more on the thinking process that are applicable to the problems that we face in our society today. Selected students must display problem-solving skills and STEM aptitude by writing a Math or Science problem-solving essay.
The former Student Information Sheet (aka SIS) was replaced by Student Portrait Sheet with additional questions. Selected students must exhibit Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st Century skills in a Student Portrait Sheet.
It is crucial to prepare your students ahead of time. Our classes go beyond the test prep and are meant to enhance your students creative and critical thinking skills.
Academies of Loudoun (AOL) Admission Requirements. What’s new?
This COVID-19 season brings so many changes. My heart goes out to all parents, teachers and administrators who are all trying different ways to educate our students.
Last August 11, 2020, the Loudoun County school board has adapted some changes to the Academies of Loudoun (AOL) Admission requirements. It is now only one phase of testing rather than having two phases to make everything simple. Instead of four tests, they will only administer two tests: STEM Thinking Skills Test and Writing Assessment.
Do you want to learn more about how you can prepare your student> Sign up with your student for FREE in our Academies of Loudoun Admission Tips and Strategies. We will show you a sample of the type of essay genre that they will need to learn to get an edge and be competitive.
Now how can you prepare your student? We have AOL preparation classes for your student: AOL Writing Assessment Prep and STEM Thinking Skills Test Prep.
Should you pursue to enroll in our Academies of Loudoun Writing Assessment Prep class, you will need to take first our Writing Assessment Sample test that costs $95, but the fee is deductible towards the purchase of our AOL Writing Assessment Prep class. This is an investment that will go beyond the test prep because it will enrich your student’s writing skills that are helpful when he/she applies for other private high schools, scholarships, internships and college applications. In addition, if your student just hate writing, in this class, I assure you that your student will love writing because he/she will learn writing techniques that are useful in school academics or any research project.
Another class that you might want to consider is the STEM Thinking Skills Test. Just like all our test prep classes, we create diagnostic tests and require all our students to take it prior to the first day of the class so we can modify our instruction based on the results of the student. Our instruction is always data-driven.
