Science

The York science curriculum helps students develop critical thinking skills grounded in a broad knowledge of the major concepts of science and the scientific method. Students learn to understand and interpret natural phenomena through extensive laboratory work, class discussions, field trips, guest lectures, and experimental research projects.

All students are required to take Biology, Chemistry or Physics, and one other science course, so that a basic competence is developed across the range of natural phenomena. Secondary elective courses, some at the AP level, are offered in all three areas. Students with special interests in science have many opportunities to further develop their general knowledge and their research skills in preparation for college majors in science. Other significant features of the science curriculum include the following:

York’s own Science Fair, judged by over 40 local scientists, which allows students to develop independence and furthers understanding of the scientific method;
Our “green” science building, which helps students to achieve a sense of global awareness and responsibility;
The Outdoor Lab and Design Shop, where students can easily conduct field work to advance their understanding of science.

Requirements. In Grade 8, students enroll in Science 8 for the full year. In Grades 9-12, three years of science are required for graduation: Biology (usually taken in 9th grade), Chemistry or Physics, and one other science course.

Anatomy & Physiology

Offered in alternating years
Students are introduced to the basic concepts of anatomy and physiology, with an emphasis on humans, while using the comparative anatomy approach to show relationships between all vertebrates. Approximately 40% of class time is devoted to laboratory activities which include dissection, monitoring various physiological parameters and hands-on study of 3-D models. Through lectures, discussions, and labs, students develop a strong sense of how structure and function are related.
AP Biology

This course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course taken by biology majors during their first year. The textbook, reading assignments, writing assignments, and written examinations are equivalent to those found in major college biology programs. Lectures, discussions, chapter study questions, laboratory investigations, and written examinations are used for instruction and student evaluation. Students become extraordinarily adept at tying various concepts together, and in the world of modern biology, this is definitely a skill necessary for success. The course will include the material that will appear on the AP Biology exam, and all students enrolled in the course will be expected to take this exam in May.
AP Chemistry

The lectures and laboratory work in this course go significantly beyond first-year chemistry in the depth and detail with which topics are covered. The testing format simulates the AP Chemistry exam, which all students are expected to take in May. Topics covered include stoichiometry, aqueous reactions, electronic structure, chemical bonding, gases, liquids and solids, solutions, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, precipitation reactions, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry.
AP Physics C: Mechanics

This calculus-based course is designed to build on the foundation of the first-year Physics course. Both the lecture and laboratory work go significantly beyond first-year physics in the depth and detail with which topics are covered. Hands-on lab work is an essential component of the course, providing a platform for inquiry-driven experiential learning. This class also emphasizes the art of problem solving. To support this objective, the bulk of assigned homework emphasizes reasoning rather than rote memorization and single-step plug-and-chug problems. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively. The course will include the material that appears on the AP Physics C: Mechanics exam, and all students enrolled in the course will be expected to take this exam in May.
Biology

With scientists unraveling the mysteries of life faster than ever before, this introductory survey course provides a foundation for students to understand the living world around them. It covers introductory biological principles, including chemistry of life, cellular structure and function, heredity and molecular genetics, evolution, ecology, and classification. Students are encouraged to approach science both critically and with curiosity, utilizing lectures, discussion, readings, and a significant laboratory component. In addition, all students complete an individual research project based on the scientific method, enabling them to make their own science connections to the real world. Also, field work and environmental studies can be conducted easily in the 100-acre York Outdoor Laboratory.
Chemistry

The course exposes the student to the major topics of chemistry, including classification and measurement of matter, atomic theory, nomenclature, stoichiometry, electronic structure, chemical bonding, gases, liquids and solids, and solutions. Additional topics may include thermochemistry, nuclear and organic chemistry. Laboratory work familiarizes students with lab equipment and techniques, and reinforces the topics covered in lectures and class discussions.
Environmental Science

This course introduces students to a variety of environmental issues both locally and globally. The emphasis is on solutions for living sustainably. Issues are considered from many perspectives to help students realize it takes compromise and understanding from many groups to solve today’s environmental problems. The students use critical thinking skills and examine the “big picture.” Field trips to local areas of interest, work in the field, and laboratory exercises help to reinforce ideas discussed in class. Field research and environmental studies can be conducted easily in the 100-acre York Outdoor Lab.
Marine Biology & Oceanography

Offered in alternating years
This course introduces students to the basic concepts of oceanography, marine ecology, marine zoology, and marine botany. Field trips to local areas of interest and laboratory exercises give students an appreciation for and knowledge of the dynamics of the marine ecosystem both locally and globally. Laboratory investigations include hands-on dissections, scientific illustration and work with live specimens.
Physics

This introductory physics class is aimed at promoting student understanding of the motion and behavior of matter through space and time, what physicists call “classical mechanics.” The curriculum is delivered with a student-centered focus and hands-on learning through labs and design challenges, with an active, social course design. One of the main goals of the course is to have students gain a better understanding of how the universe behaves, and to integrate the application and power of mathematics to model and predict that behavior.
Science 8

The goal of this course is twofold. First is to give the students a conceptual (non-mathematical) overview of the major topics in physical science. Second is to teach the scientific method and help students develop the ability to use this tool as a logical approach to problem solving. Labs, activities, and projects are used to help students become scientists-in-training, simultaneously helping to develop proficiency with making measurements and fostering critical thinking in the analysis of data. Students learn the principles and connections between physics, chemistry, and earth science, while taking a journey from the outer reaches of space to the inner workings of atoms and molecules.

Faculty

Jeff Hanna

Math/Science Department Chair

jhanna@york.org
Bio
It is easy to see why students at York love Physics. Walk into Dr. Hanna’s room and you are immediately engulfed in art, algebraic analyses, and experiments in action (just watch out for the projectiles!). From building mouse-trap cars to calculating the i and j components of the path of an angry bird, Dr. Hanna finds interesting ways to connect with students and show them that physics applies to things they do every day.

Great teachers are, by nature, giving and Jeff gives freely of his time and energy. He is continuously finding innovative methods to introduce concepts. Then he readily shares them with his colleagues as well as students. After school he can be found discussing vectors while running dust trails with the cross country team or in the design shop helping students fine-tune a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition. Dr. Hanna’s enthusiasm for physics and his dedication to ensuring that students understand and can apply the concepts keeps the students continuously engaged.

Jeff has always been curious about how and why things function. His career path was inspired by his physics teacher, Mr. Khan, who helped him see that physics can be used to explain almost everything. After spending his high school years in Dallas, Texas, where everything is big, Jeff applied to the School of Mines in Colorado.

There he learned to appreciate big ideas, as well as big mountains, while earning his Bachelors degree in Physics and a Masters degree in Systems Engineering. He continued his studies at Cal Tech in Pasadena completing a second Masters, then a PhD in mechanical engineering that was focused on fluid dynamics. Dr. Hanna completed a postdoctoral project in fuel cell design at MIT before coming back to California and joining the York faculty.

When he’s not teaching, Jeff spends as much time as he can outdoors. A dedicated scientist he is always observing and learning, including recently why and how to avoid poison oak. On a typical weekend you will find him trekking through the wilderness with his wife and dog.
Haley Halasz

Math/Science Department

hhalasz@york.org
Scot Johnson

Math/Science Department; 11th/12th Grade Class Dean

scotjohnson@york.org
Bio
USN Commander Scot Johnson (Ret.) was born in Barcelona. At a very early age, he was taken by Viking pirates, and given to the Johnsons, a family of retired riders who had settled near Minneapolis. On its next trip, the pirate ship was lost at sea with all its crew, and the Johnson’s kept him with the hopes he would become a farmer. But the call of the sea could not be ignored! After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Physics (High Distinction), young Mr. Scot left the frozen but serene plains of the Midwest for a life of duty and adventure as an officer of the US Navy. For thirty years he sailed the tempestuous Seven Seas in service of his country. The waters of Hawaii, Germany, Italy, Greece, Djibouti, Oman, Kwajalein Atoll, and Diego Garcia, Australia, Japan, Kenya, Midway Island, the Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka have been theater and witnesses of his exploits. However, he has privately confided to us that the time he spent in Rota (Cádiz, Spain) will always have a special place not only on his aeronautical career but, most importantly, in his heart. Flying with his Electronic Reconnaissance Squadron, Commander Johnson kept a vigilant eye on the southern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance (His other eye was busy watching the flanks of...*). Between missions, Commander Johnson would sometimes drive his battle tested Ford Fiesta a few (nautical) miles east by south east, to Cape Trafalgar. From the rail of the lighthouse, he would behold the waters in which that action was fought, lamenting, sometimes even cursing, the two centuries which deprived him of the glory of being part of the greatest naval battle that -not counting Lepanto- the world has seen or will ever see.

Back to the USA, Mr. Johnson used his highly prestigious Burke Scholarship to earn an MS in Electrical Engineering (High Distinction) at the NPS in Monterey, taught the same subject at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and even sailed schooners to Great Antilles. He also served as a project manager for avionic software development.

Upon retiring from the Navy, Mr. Johnson went back to Minneapolis where he worked as an information technology consultant for the private sector. After seven long winters, his crew, formed at the time by Mrs. Johnson, wife, little Kevin, son, and Serra, family dog, mutinied, traced a line on the ice, and demanded an immediate descent of the Johnson’s Armada to more humane latitudes, thus giving York School a rare, indeed unique, opportunity to enroll in its ranks a truly exceptional scholar and experienced educator. Under the York flag, Mr. Johnson has taught all levels of math and science, created calculus and statistics College Advanced Placement Courses, coached the JETS Engineering Club, participated on the Admissions Committee and lead the Safety Squadron Committee which performed with much distinction in the York School Evasive Action of October 14, 2013. He is also the 11th grade Dean.

Mr. Johnson is very fond of hiking, golfing and, if I understood him correctly, of a pair of famous twins from Minnesota.

In conclusion, Scot Johnson is, not only a courageous, resolute and expert seaman, but a man of great culture and the best of friends.

* The following words were censored by the U.S. Navy D.M.I
Kim Kiest

Math/Science Department; 9th/10th Grade Class Dean

kkiest@york.org
Bio
To inspire young men to go into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) fields, one needs dynamic, challenging teachers. To inspire young women to do so, one needs not only challenging teachers, but role models. Kim Kiest fits the bill across the board. A riveting storyteller, Kim makes it one of her goals to accumulate personal adventure tales to bring back to the classroom. She has literally searched high and low in her quest, SCUBA diving under the Antarctic ice and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Between those extremes, she has battled dengue fever in the tropics and whale lice in Baja California. If there is a country with endangered species, marine animals, or both, Kim has most likely been there to see them, photograph them, and, if at all possible, play with them. In fact, she has traveled to all seven continents, returning to write articles for scientific journals based on the research she has performed. Kim brings to her classroom an endless wealth of great stories, a Seussian sense of humor, and a profound level of care for her students; it is no wonder that so many York alumni return to tell her that she has inspired them to pursue a career in science. Kim was raised in and near Portland, Oregon, where she showed horses and did her best to live outside the box. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Scripps College in Claremont and her graduate degree at San Jose State University, earning an Masters of Science degree in Marine Science through Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. In addition to specializing in environmental science, Kim has a Master Gardener certification. In her spare time, Kim collects Zuni fetish carvings, Native American jewelry, Dr. Seuss artwork, and stuffed replicas of bacteria and viruses. At York, Kim teaches Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Science. In addition, she is the 10th Grade Class Dean, the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, the Chair of the Discipline Committee, and the Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees.
Kande Williston

Math/Science Department

kwilliston@york.org
Bio
uiding others with kindness and motherly concern is the major activity in Kande Williston’s busy day. Whether she is guiding an Algebra II class through a conic sections dance, student council organizing for Fall Fair, or her own children on an outdoor excursion, Kande will be setting clear boundaries for what needs to happen, and displaying the fun that is possible within those boundaries.

After earning a Bachelors degree at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Kande was first exposed to teaching while working as an instructor at a science camp on Catalina Island. From there, she went back to UBC and obtained a teaching credential, taught in Ghana for two years, then in Gibsons, British Columbia, finally arriving at York in 2002. With her sister living nearby, and her husband working in Moss Landing, Kande chose York as the place to put down roots and start a family.

As a teacher, Kande is constantly trying new approaches to the material she is covering. This can involve experimenting with online graphing programs, using motion sensors for math labs, and trying out the flipped classroom experience. Her classroom is seldom quiet as students are encouraged to ask questions, openly collaborate with each other, and, whenever possible, music is incorporated into lessons. Students in Geometry, Algebra II, and Chemistry are the ones most likely to experience these activities, but she has also taught Physical Science, and Algebra I.

Kande created and led a popular Ultimate Frisbee club earlier in her years at York, and has acted as the faculty advisor to the Student Council for over a decade. As half of York’s Canadian contingent (with Murray Walker), Kande continues to “mark” papers and ask students to “sit” for exams.

York School

9501 York Road
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: 831-372-7338

We inspire and prepare a diverse community of creative, independent thinkers.
Since 1959, York School has created an exceptional college-prep experience for our youth: inspiring them to develop intellectual curiosity; challenging them to create and try new things; and preparing them to be passionate contributors in college and in life.

York School is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment and campus life. The School does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in School programs and activities.