4th grade students from Team Montreal at Greenview Upper Elementary School showcased their STEM skills by participating in a rocket launch on Wednesday, May 18th and Thursday, May 19th. The special learning experience took place behind the school in the grass field appropriately named “Cape Greenview,” and was overseen by Math and Science teacher Mr. Paul Kijinski. Students were organized into small groups which assisted Mr. Kijinski in preparing and launching fourteen Alpha III rockets. Featuring a solid fuel engine, the rockets soared to over 1,000 feet above “Cape Greenview,” with fellow students and teachers observing from a safe distance. Students were also organized into teams to locate and retrieve all rockets once they landed.
The rocket launch at “Cape Greenview” was part of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) unit generously funded by the Greenview PTA. To prepare for the launch date, students learned about Newton’s Laws of Motion through hands-on experiments that involved building balloon rockets and Alka-Seltzer rockets. The unit was designed to reinforce specific skills that promote success in the academic, social and professional areas of life, including working cooperatively with other team members, creating and testing hypotheses, making precise measurements and properly following checklists to ensure consistency and safety. The rocket launch also provided Mr. Kijinski, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and former Missile Launch Control Officer an opportunity to share his passion for rocket science with young students.
The SEL Schools would like to thank Mr. Kijinski and the Greenview PTA for providing such a special and exciting learning experience for our students!
