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Central Park Middle
School Raises Flag of Distinction
PHOTO GALLERY
Students, staff proud to display NASA School Marker
 Anyone
who passes or visits Central Park Middle School will now know
that the school is an official NASA Explorer School. On Monday,
November 20, about 45 students and the school’s NASA Explorer
School team of teachers celebrated in front of the school near
the flag pole as the official NASA Explorer School flag was
raised high in front of the building.
The flying flag
is a distinct marker that Central Park has the rare designation
of being a NASA Explorer School. “The flag will be up there
every day,” said teacher Danielle Hartkern. “We want everyone to
see it and realize all the great programs, opportunities and
learning that is taking place inside that building,”
The students,
school Principal Mary Ozarowski and the team of teachers,
Hartkern, Jamie Deats, JoMarie Fretto and Lilla Miller formed a
circle around the flagpole. Four eighth graders, Brionna Neal,
Lena LeGere, Kathryn Cooper and Katie Weiskotten spoke briefly
about the unique experiences that come with being a student
within a NASA school.
All four
students referenced an exchange program with Matthew J. Kuss
Middle School in Fall River Massachusetts in which a team
consisting of Central Park students and teachers, traveled to
Massachusetts to participate in a radio downlink from the
International Space Station.
The students spoke with Astronaut John Phillips and Comonaut
Sergei Krikalev. “NASA brought two schools in two states
together,” said Leger.
“This program
has provided me with so many opportunities,” said Kathryn
Cooper. As a result of the experiences and the opportunities,
the eighth grader said she is now interested in the field of
science.
Brionna Neal
thanked NASA for the opportunities and said the waving flag will
bring happy memories to her each time she sees it.
The middle
school became the first Explorer School in New York State in
2003. Since that time students and teachers have embarked on an
array of extraordinary projects and experiments with NASA
including the Cosmic Veggies experiment which sent seeds into
space aboard the International Space Station.
Leger said
because of this program she is interested in pursuing a career
in science and space exploration.
As a part of
the NASA program, students continue to work with scientists and
NASA personnel on space and science programs. Students have
access to an array of resources and experts including Aerospace
Education Specialists from Goddard Space Flight Center.
WINTER T006
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