Page 4 - Paduan Fall/Winter 18-19

Chemistry Lab
“A new, clean, organized room makes all the difference in classroom management and student learning.” Students love the new room and are so much more engaged in their learning. It is a dream come true!”
– Science Department Chair Kim Zahler ’92.
During the summer of 2019, phase four construction will begin. The plans for the Physics, Environmental Science and Earth Science rooms will take on a universal lab classroom approach. All three labs will be identical, in that the lab benches will fill the area to accommodate teacher-centered learning, as well as student-centered learning. The concept is that these rooms can be used for any type of science courses, for both the current curriculum and in the future.
Renovations
Are Complete
After two years of dreaming and planning, our renovated Chemistry Labs have come to fruition. Padua Franciscan students are now learning Chemistry in state-of-the-art labs. The labs were renovated during the summer of 2018, as part of phase three of the PaduaPlus+ Campaign. Teachers and students have been using them since the first day of school in August.
The old labs were designed for students to do experiments and hands-on activities, but the arrangement did not allow teachers the flex- ibility to employ other up-to-date means of instruction. The old labs have been expanded into new lecture/lab classrooms, where one side is a lecture area and the other is a lab area. Teachers are now able to implement a more student-centered and student collaborative approach to learning. Additional sinks and new cabinets provide more convenience for cleanup and storage of materials.
Safety is also a key reason for the renovation. A new fume hood is a focal point of the labs. It draws any toxic air from the lab space into the hood and disperses it outside. In addition, updated emergency showers and eyewash stations are installed in each lab.
Finally, the removal of the deteriorating
atrium/greenhouse rounds out the renovation.
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