F.U.S.D. NEWS
Flagstaff Unified School District
3285 – East Sparrow Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
http://www.flagstaff.k12.az.us/
SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM CHRISTENSEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL “CONNECT
WITH A COMET” AT THE CHALLENGER SPACE CENTER NEXT WEEK
Mitch Strohman
FUSD Director of Marketing and Public Information
(928) – 527 – 6013
(928) – 527 – 6015 (fax)
(928) – 220 – 2021 (cell)
strohman@apscc.org
April 4, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Flagstaff) – Next Monday (April 7th), 30 sixth grade students from Christensen Elementary School (4000 N. Cummings St.) will travel to the Challenger Space Center in Peoria for a mission to “Rendezvous with a Comet”.
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, sixth grade students at Christensen had the chance to apply to be one of the 30 chosen to travel to the Challenger Space Center. Christensen teacher Mike Laird says students from all four of the school’s sixth grade classes will be going next Monday.
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Christensen Students Travel To Challenger Space
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The Mission Scenario has the students in the year 2061. A small space station has been chasing and is now approaching Comet Encke. Among the 30-member mission crew are highly trained scientists and engineers. The crew has only two hours to not only determine a rendezvous point with the comet, but also to launch a scientific probe into the comet’s tail.
Christensen teacher Mike Laird says the 30 students have been working hard to prepare for this difficult mission, “The students have been studying comets and space travel.” Laird says the “mission-prep” has been going on the last several weeks both in the classroom and after school, “During the mission, the kids will really be able to directly apply all of the things they’ve been learning; what a great opportunity this will be for them.”
The mission will run from 12:30 to 3:30 next Monday afternoon. The students will leave Flagstaff Monday morning.
The Challenger space center opened its doors back in 2001 and is the 43rd such facility across the United States. Each year, more than 20,000 students and teachers from Arizona will “fly” a mission as part of the Challenger Space Center’s educational simulations. Other Mission Scenarios include “Voyage to Mars” and “Return to the Moon”.
The nationwide program is designed to inspire students to learn and explore while driving their interest in math, science and technology.
For more information about Christensen’s trip to the Challenger Space Center next week, contact Principal Savino Ontiveros or teacher Mike Laird at 773-4140. Laird is also available at 774-7078.
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