LONG, PRODUCTIVE DAY FOR IB STUDENTS
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October 2, 2022
For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.
IB biology students travel to and from Suttons Bay Friday for an inspiring day of research.
Notre Dame Prep IB biology students assemble on the deck of the Inland Seas schooner at Suttons Bay, Mich., with teachers Laura Elwood and Sue McGinnis. More photos below.
Since 1989, Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) has provided learners of all ages with hands-on experiences aboard traditionally rigged tall ship schooners along the shores of the Great Lakes and in local rivers, streams and wetlands. Located in Suttons Bay, Mich., the nonprofit says its mission is to inspire a lifetime of Great Lakes curiosity, stewardship and passion in people of all ages.
Count juniors and seniors taking Notre Dame Prep's International Baccalaureate (IB) biology class as truly inspired after a whirlwind trip Friday to and from Suttons Bay on the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan.
According to upper school teacher Laura Elwood NDP'10, they left at 6 a.m. Friday and arrived back on campus at around 9:45 p.m. Science teacher Sue McGinnis also made the trip.
"We started the day up there in the the cedar forest at Leo Creek Preserve, also in Suttons Bay, looking at macro invertebrates and how the forest has a natural ability to absorb runoff and potential pollution," Elwood said.
After lunch, Elwood said, the group ventured out on the bay.
"We went out onto a schooner called 'Inland Seas' to learn to be scientists, sailors and stewards," she said. "The students looked at the bottom of the bay and saw plankton, fish, some invasive species, microplastics, checked water quality and also learned about sailing and the physics of boats. They even were able to raise the anchor and the sails on the ship."
IB Biology is two-year, college level, lab-based course in biology with topics covered including cells, plant structure and function, chemistry of life, genetics, ecology biotechnology, evolution and human physiology.
For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.