Construction has Started on the New Space Center and Central School. Bookmark The Troubadour for Weekly Updates, Pictures, and Historical Photos of Central School Over the Ages. Volunteering the Core of the Experience. Space Tech Theatrical Makeup. Meet the First Canine Mascot and Volunteer

     Construction of the new Christa McAuliffe Space Center and Central Elementary School started Thursday, April 4, 2019.  The heavy machinery was on the playground before the keep out fencing went up. First to go were the big trees which lined the east side of the playground.  

Left: this empty lot is where the old LDS church sat until it was tore down around ten years ago. The district bought the lot as a site for a future Space Center.  Right: Down goes the first basketball standard.

     I took the picture above in March 1983.  My class of sixth graders were at recess.  Danny Turner and a friend were arguing (friendly) over a call in their baseball game.  You can see the back of the old church and the trees.  The basketball standards in the top picture sit right where Danny and his friend were wrestling. 

     I went back to the school for an update on Friday, April 5.  Construction fencing was up and the heavy machinery was at work removing trees, shrubs, and the lawn.  

March 1983

     The afternoon recess baseball game. Chad Mills is up to bat. Aaron Hilton is catching. The big CAT bulldozer in the photo above is sitting a bit behind the old baseball field backstop.  

     From May 1984. My 6th graders are in the race of their lives for the school's Field Day festivities.  Jody Carr was the fastest kid in the school. You can see the large gap between Jody and Chad Jacob who came in second.  This picture was taken years before the new addition was built on the north side of the school. 

     Central Elementary School's playground will be closed to the public for one year during construction.  The students will use the school's parking lot to play.  Parking will be limited to the streets and of course, just maybe, the Baptist Church will let the teachers park there during the school day.  
     The Troubadour will give you weekly updates on construction mixed with pictures from the school's history. Stay tuned; the countdown is running. One Year To Go!

Mr. Williamson

Volunteering: The Core of the Space EdVentures Experience

     From the moment I first envisioned the Space Center I knew I needed a strong volunteering program in place or the Center wouldn't survive.  The Center's first volunteers were members of my sixth grade class my great students from the 1990/91 school year. I taught half day and ran the Center half day for that first year.  
     Good volunteers continue to be staffing core of all Space EdVenture centers:  Christa McAuliffe Space Center, Reality's Edge, Space Academy, Telos Discovery Space Center, and the Lion's Gate Center.
     Mr. James Porter from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center recently talked with BYUradio host Rachel Wadham (Worlds Awaiting) about volunteering. You can listen to the interview through this link.

To Volunteer at any of the local Space EdVenture Centers please contact:
     
     •  The Christa McAuliffe Space Center:  https://spacecenter.alpineschools.org/volunteer
     •  The Space Academy (Renaissance Academy, Lehi):  Director@SpaceCampUtah.org
     •  Telos Discovery Space Center (Orem): ryananderson@telosu.com
     •  Reality's Edge (Canyon Grove Academy, Pleasant Grove).  
              Sydney.brown@canyongrove.com
     •  The Lion's Gate Center (Saratoga Springs). nrayking@gmail.com

Space Tech: The Space EdVenturing Class at Renaissance Space Academy Learns Theatrical Makeup.

     Renaissance Academy is home to the Space Academy.  The Space Academy offers a four level experiential learning program to RA's students:

•      Tier One:  InfiniD Missions.  All RA students fly InfiniD missions during the school day throughout the school year.
•      Tier Two:  Space Tech.  Students in the 6-8th grades may enroll in Space Tech, an elective course taught during the school day in the Voyager simulator and its classroom. Space Tech is taught by Mr. Robinson and Mr. Funk. 
•      Tier Three:  Young Astronauts / Voyagers.  Students who wish to take the experience further may join the after school Young Astronauts and Voyager Clubs.  Two hundred students are members this school year. 
•      Tier Four: Space Academy Leadership Training (SALT). Students wanting to go the full distance may also join the SALT program. Think of SALT as a Starfleet Junior ROTC program for students in the 4th - 8th grades.  

     Theatrical makeup is one of several units taught to the Space Tech students. Myles was the guinea pig last week. The task, how to create nearly believable injuries. I'm guessing Myles didn't follow the ship's standard protocols for purging the ship's jump engine from plasma overflow.  Wanting to shortcut the procedure, Myles didn't wear the required protective headgear. He learned his lesson the hard way.  

The Jump Ship Voyager has an Official Mascot. Think of Opie as our Staff and Volunteer Support Animal in Addition to his Duties as a Really Good Alien Detector 

      

The Staff with Opie on Saturday's 5 Hour Voyager Mission
Front: Megan Warner, Opie, Ethan, Ammon, and Dylan.
Back: Bracken Funk, Logan Pederson, Camden Robinson

     What a good dog.  Opie is the best and so say we all.  I met Opie on Saturday at the start of the Voyager's five hour private mission.  He's a big dog so at first sight you must conquer your fear and not run for your life.  Opie came right over and we made friends. 

     Camden Robinson is Opie's master. Mr. Robinson is Renaissance Academy's middle school history and debate teacher in addition to his duties with Bracken as the Space Tech class teacher. Camden is also on the Space Academy's staff.  He teaches special historical units as part of the Academy's after school programs. He'll soon be a flight director.

     Opie is quiet and isn't bothered by the simulator's loud noises.  He keeps the staff occupied during those long waits between scenes and goes out if needed to play any role required. 

     Three cheers for Opie, the first Space EdVenture's mascot and canine volunteer.    

Imaginarium Theater
The Best Videoettes From Around the World Edited for Gentler Audience

Update on the New Christa McAuliffe Space Center: 2 Truths and 1 Lie. I Get To See an InfiniD Mission for the First Time. Greenpeace and Mad Dog Make Another Appearance. The Imaginarium.

Two Truths and One Lie About the New Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Can You Guess Which is Which?

Mr. Porter will reveal 2 truths and 1 lie about the starships being developed for our new facility. Find out more about what we have been developing as we move toward exciting additions to our fleet.
Like the Christa McAuliffe Space Center Facebook page to help them reach 5,000 likes to reveal which details are the truth and get even more details revealed.

Renaissance Space Academy News
My Students Fly an InfiniD Mission on the Space Academy's Jumpship Voyager

     I was able to see an InfinD curriculum mission for the first time last week when my Apollo class of sixth graders did a mission under the direction of Mr. Bracken Funk aboard the Space Academy's state of the art Voyager simulator at Renaissance Academy.  What InfiniD's website says is spot on: An InfiniD mission is thinking outside the bubble sheet.

     The imagineering needed to create a set of controls, integrated with a science based mission and curriculum tied to the Utah State Core is hard enough. But to do all of that and engage a class of 30 students is astonishing to say the least. 

     I am impressed and proud of what Casey Voeks, Skyler Carr, and their associates have created. InfiniD is thinking well outside the box - light years outside the box to be exact.  If your school isn't an InfiniD school, then I suggest you give InfiniD a call and get them right over to run a demo for your staff.  The product sells itself.

     There were a few hiccups during the mission which Bracken promptly sent on to InfiniD.  Within an hour we had a response.  That is what I call service.  The issues we had were related to the unique situation we have at Renaissance. We have a dedicated starship simulator which uses two sets of controls: InfiniD for the daytime operations and Thorium for our Young Astronaut squadrons and private missions and camps.  The issues we have wouldn't be issues for your normal school which uses InfiniD in their computer lab starship simulators. 

     

The Space Academy's Four Levels of Engagement with Experiential Education

     Renaissance Academy has four layers of experiential engagement for its nearly 900 students.

     I.  Tier One:  InfiniD Missions.  All RA students fly InfiniD missions during the school day throughout the school year.

     2.  Tier Two:  Space Tech.  Students in the 6-8th grades may enroll in Space Tech, an elective course taught during the school day in the Voyager simulator and its classroom.  

     2.  Tier Three:  Young Astronauts / Voyagers.  Students who wish to take the experience further may join the after school Young Astronauts and Voyager Clubs.  Two hundred students are members this school year. 

     4.  Tier Four:  SALT:  Space Academy Leadership Training. Students wanting to go the full distance may also join the SALT program. Think of SALT as a Starfleet Junior ROTC program for students in the 4th - 8th grades.  

     The Space Academy is proud to be called an InfiniD school. Our partnership with InfiniD benefits our students by enriching their learning with experiential simulations. Learning by Doing is the future of education and that is exactly what we do at Renaissance Academy.

This Much Fun Must Be Against the Law
The Five Hour Joint Magellan / Phoenix Greenpeace Mission

      I want to thank Jon Parker and Connor Larsen for inviting me to come by and watch the telling of my mission "Greenpeace" in a five hour setting at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center.  It is always good to step into Central Elementary School and "hang out" with the good folks at the Space Center who keep the magic alive and well.  
     I took a few pictures and filmed a few things for this post. What you old timers will enjoy is seeing Mr. Bill Schuler as Mad Dog once again in those end of mission videos we shot on the first Odyssey over twenty years ago.   Does this screenshot bring back any memories? 

     I'm assured that most, if not all the old Voyager missions will be returning to the new Space Center.  With that being the case, it is good that these original Voyager missions are being told now so that future generations of supervisors and flight directors can see them told by those who saw and did the missions on the Voyager I. 

     Enjoy this short video of the night's fun.       

Imaginarium