Wheeling Country Day School teachers and fifth-grade students prepare their weather balloon, the JoJo XI, for launch Thursday at the school’s campus. (Photo Provided)

The Wheeling Country Day School fifth-grade class’ launch Thursday of the JoJo XI weather balloon maintained the school’s annual tradition of honoring late classmate Josiah Titus-Glover. Yet this year, the school has taken an extra step in honoring Titus-Glover’s memory.

WCDS presented fourth-grader Vinnie Caruso on Thursday with the inaugural Josiah Titus-Glover Scholarship, to be awarded annually to a student in fourth through seventh grades who asks deep and meaningful questions and works with collaboration and kindness like Titus-Glover did.

Titus-Glover died unexpectedly right before the launch of the first balloon in 2014. The balloon has been named after Titus-Glover ever since in his memory.

WCDS Director of Facilities and Logistics Michael McDonald has helped with the annual weather balloon project for years, but this year took the reins from former assistant head of school Luke Hladek. McDonald said this project is now a labor of love.

“When we start the year, we emphasize what the true meaning is of this project,” he said. “It’s not just an elementary school project. It’s a project with a purpose in honor of somebody. It’s a wonderful, wonderful tradition I hope we can uphold.”

The fifth grade class breaks up into groups for the project, each group with a specific purpose like recovery, research and development or weather. Fifth graders Greyson Lovell and Levi Porter have watched this project for years, and are now excited to have a hands-on experience with it this year.

“It’s really been a challenge, being with a group,” Lovell said, “and it’s a little stressful the day of the launch. But I think we’re going to get it done and it’ll be great for everyone.”

“I’ve been watching it all these years that I’ve been here,” Porter said, “and it’s been cool to finally get to do it, to try and figure it out.”