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Warwood School Students Learn About Rockets

Photo by Joselyn King Jesse White, an education specialist with the NASA Independent Verification and Validation Center in Fairmont, helps Warwood School sixth-grade student Tyler McGarry launch a paper rocket.

Students at the Warwood School learned this week the skills they master playing video games someday could translate into a career in cybersecurity.

The Warwood School celebrated knowledge of aeronautics, space and rockets through a variety of events. The students spent much of the unseasonably warm day outside on the school’s grounds, getting the opportunities to launch paper rockets they made and fly remote control airplanes.

Jesse White, an education specialist with the NASA Independent Verification and Validation Center in Fairmont spoke to the students at the start of the day. He instructed them on how to build the paper rockets  and later assisted them in launching the rockets outside with the help of an air pump.

He told the students the skills they are learning by playing their video games often are sought by the science and aeronautics industries, and they someday could find themselves working in cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity, these days, is a big deal,” White said. “We get involved with software validation, and part of our job is securing computer networks. The students are always seeing the mistakes made in video game software, and we look for mistakes in software.”

White does about 60 presentations in schools each year, and one observation he has made is that the rockets made by the female students often fly longer distances.

“They make them prettier,” he said. “What that means in science is that their rockets have more symmetry, and fly further.”

At least two of the sixth-graders participating indicated they have an interest in aeronautics and science.

“Science is amazing,” said Cadie Collins. “Science is life. I love science.”

Her friend, Shariden Obloy, has aspirations to go into space — but not alone.

“I would like to spend a year in space — it looks like fun,” she said. “But I would take Cadie with me. She’s the only one I would want to go with.”

Science teacher Debbie Clark said the event was part of the science, technology, engineering and math curriculum at the school. Last month, the focus was on health and wellness, with October geared toward space and aeronautics.

In November and December, the students will study the science of sound in partnership with the school’s music programs leading up to Christmas. A further look into engineering principles is on tap for students during the spring semester, according to Clark.

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