Friday, December 11, 2009

Giant Leap: a science program blasts off

St. Michael's student Sophia DiFonzo tests her Lunar Rover before its launch during an engineering project at the school Friday. Behind her is classmate Gwyn Willwerth. Students designed and built a rover and Landing Pod modeled on the Mars Exploration Rover [Hudson (MA) Sun].

Catherine Buday
Hudson Sun

Inside their new, larger building, St. Michael School’s students are exploring space -- in more ways than one.

Since inheriting the building formerly occupied by Hudson Catholic High School, which closed in June, St. Mike’s elementary school children now have access to spacious laboratories and a large gym, which last Friday served as the proving ground for dozens of student-built “lunar rovers.”

Made from cardboard tubes, plastic Easter eggs, coffee stirrers and makeshift wheels – all protected by bubble wrap and cardboard boxes – the rovers helped the kindergarten-through-eighth grade students better understand physics. And they are just one example of how the new building is helping students take on more ambitious projects now that they have the room.

“Our school has always had an interest and a commitment to science,” said Principal Pat Delaney. “This is the first time that we have had the facility to do it.”

The school now has a stronger engineering curriculum, and six committees, headed by parents, devoted to the sciences, she added.

Read the article HERE.

No comments: