King School Space Camp

Final Farewell

2011-05-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

We've arrived back safe and sound. Everyone has been taken home and the buses have pulled out of King School. The students had a wonderful graduation. They even had the privilege of having Don Thomas, who is a four time shuttle astronaut, speak to them at graduation. He had a wonderful message for them about never giving up. Thanks to everyone who supported this trip and made it happen. A special thank you to all the chaperones who traveled to Alabama with us. It was an incredible trip.

Thursday

2011-05-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

Our last day of camp was fantastic! Students had the opportunity to visit all their favorite outdoor simulators again. The space group completed a 3rd mission today. All robotics groups put the finishing touches on their robot for the competition tonight. Tonight all groups will compete in a Space Bowl and will also graduate. They have about another hour before graduation and another few hours before we load up to head home. We will give you a call as we pass over into Michigan from Ohio. See you all soon!

Pics and Update for Wednesday

2011-05-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

As you can see by the pictures below, we had a very full day. Mrs. Haddas and Ms. Shah enjoyed riding Space Shot with the Robotics 4 group. For some reason, the students really enjoyed listening to them scream. Many groups had space missions, rocket launches, and more time on the simulators. The robotics groups continued working on their robots and are finding it a great challenge. Tomorrow will be a very full day! The kids will be going from 7 a.m. until we climb aboard the buses at 11 p.m. (midnight Michigan time). Looking forward to every last moment.

Working Hard on Wednesday

2011-05-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of events going on today. Look for post with a lot of pictures to be posted later this evening. I also want to let people know that we have an eye on the weather and are aware of the situation. We'll let you know if anything affects our plans.

Your 5th Grade Team in Action!

2011-05-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tremendous Tuesday

2011-05-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Groups woke up at 7 am and by 8:30 were involved in their first activities of the days. All students in robotics had two sessions in the robotics lab. Groups also had the opportunity to use some of the simulators . Students learned about life in space and about the space shuttle. The space group had their first space mission today. The adult chaperones began their mini-camp experience today. We also climbed the Mars rock wall, had our first mission training, and learned about the space shuttle. Another fantastic day at camp! We can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Marvelous Monday!

2011-05-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

What a great first full day at camp! Kids were having a ball and were fully engaged with many fun activities. From mission training to riding Space Shot you could see a sea of red Space Camp shirts running all over camp. Whenever we ran into the students we were greeted with enthusiastic shouted updates of all the fun they were having. Students are still at it for another hour and a half tonight. Some are going on simulators while others are working in the robotics labs. More adventures and updates tomorrow.

Spending Accounts

2011-05-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up for everyone. We are finding things are costing a bit more this year. It's up to you but you may want to check your kids account and add more spending money. The spending money is for the gift shop and concessions at the movies. There was a question about if kids can buy concessions at the IMAX, camper services said they can use their wristbands there as well. All is going great, look for pics later.

We Have Arrived!

2011-05-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

We have officially landed at Space Camp. Our trip went smoothly and everyone is checked in and getting bonded with their groups. Enjoy the pics of our day and look for a more detailed written description of our adventures tomorrow.

2011-05-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

Are you ready? We're ready! Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

Taking Care of Business

2011-05-10T12:25:00.001-07:00

Hi Families,
Now is the time to start taking care of all the important travel details. Start looking over the packing list, pulling out the suitcase, and double checking that all your forms are in order. We are T -10 days away from blast off!

Parent Spring Space Camp Meeting

2011-04-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Please attend an information meeting on Wednesday, April 13 at 7 PM in King's Multipurpose Room.

We're Back!

2010-05-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

The busses have pulled away and the children have all been picked up. Another adventure at Space Camp has come to an end. The 5th grade teaching team would like to thank you for all your support for this very special trip. Make sure when you see one of the chaperones for this trip that you thank them. Not only did they survive a 12 hour trip down to Alabama and a 12 hour trip back home; they did an outstanding job taking care of your children. A special thanks to Peggy Levine who did a tremendous job helping with so many details. Thanks to all of you who lent a hand in putting this trip together. We appreciate it as do your children. Their smiles this past week have said it all. Below you will find a few pictures of last night's graduation ceremony. Dr. M mentioned last night how this trip was the perfect trip to end on.

Only T - 361 days until Space Camp 2011!

The Final Hurrah! Thursday Evening

2010-05-27T16:12:00.001-07:00

Students are finishing up their Space Bowl Competition and Robo Competition tonight before graduation. The kids are already packed up and ready to go. We will load the bus at about 11 PM and head back home. Enjoy the pictures from the day below. Groups enjoyed more simulators and Robo groups put the finishing touches on their robots.

The adult chaperones enjoyed scaling the 32 foot "Pamper" Pole today. The 5th grade teaching team did King proud by climbing and leaping fearlessly into the air.

It has been a special week for all of us. Make sure that you see all the pictures. We have two postings worth.

Fifth Grade Team Pics - Space Camp Day 3 and 4

2010-05-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Thursday

2010-05-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

We have been running all day long. There are a few more details to finish up for departure tonight. You can look forward to a full update in a few more hours. Thanks for your patience!

Wednesday Afternoon

2010-05-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

It was hard to catch up with the teams today as they were so busy building robots and doing missions. Those activities are so fierce we try not to disturb the campers with too many picture taking interruptions. Check out the videos of campers launching rockets and sharing their insights about Space Camp. Many more photos will be shared late morning tomorrow. Have a wonderful evening! Many groups will have more simulator experiences this evening as well as being able to see "Fly me to the Moon" in 3D.

Wednesday Morning

2010-05-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

3-2-1 BLAST OFF!!! Today all groups will be launching the rockets that they constructed yesterday. 5th grade teachers will be heading out soon to capture the excitement to share with you later. All the robotics groups are scheduled to continue their robot construction and programming. The space groups all have their missions to Mars. We checked in with everyone this morning before they headed out for the day. Busy, busy, busy....

Shown below are some pictures taken all through the trip by parent chaperones. Enjoy!!

Terrific Tuesday

2010-05-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not students are still going strong this evening. They have another 2 hours of activities planned. (Remember we are an hour behind you.) Today was another flurry of action. The robotic teams of Gear (1), Pulley (2), and Wheel (3) all spent time today working in the robotics lab. Mrs. Haddas caught up with Wheel and shared some pictures below.

Team Pulley enjoyed their experience on the 1/6th gravity chair. It is one of the favorite simulators. Campers practice the different types of walks that can be done on the moon. They hop like a bunny, side to side, and slow jog. See the pics below and a video of Yuqing doing the bunny hop.

Team Collins was so excited to share their mission story at dinner tonight. Good food and good stories were enjoyed by all.

Team Conrad was spotted at the MMU and also had a successful Endeavor Mission today. Team Gear was busy building rockets and had many briefings today. Both Team Conrad and Team Gear were pictured a lot on Monday. Look for more pictures of them on Wednesday. We can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

2010-05-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

We just finished greeting all the students this morning at breakfast. Robotics 1, now known as Team Gear, was excited to be going to build rockets this morning. Robotics 2, Team Pulley, was off to learn about crew systems and to try out the 1/6 gravity chair. Robotics 3, Team Wheel, was heading off to work on their robots this morning. The conversations around the tables for Space 1 and Space 2 were all centered around their upcoming missions today. Lots of energy, excitement, anticipation, and smiles!

The adult chaperones are also starting their own mini-camp experience today. Check back later this evening for pictures of our day.

Monday Was Action Packed and Full of Fun!

2010-05-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today students experienced tons of exciting activities. They ran up to us constantly with reports of how much fun they were having. Space Shot was an activity we heard about constantly. Ms. Shah and Mrs. Haddas had the opportunity to ride Space Shot with Space Group 1 (now known as Team Conrad).

All teams did training for their first space missions. Students were assigned jobs such as shuttle commander, inco, mission specialist, etc. Tomorrow students will perform their actual missions.

Other activities students participated in today were patch design, simulators, and an IMAX movie about the Hubble telescope.

Your students are having a fantastic time! We are all looking forward to another fabulous day tomorrow.

Monday Morning

2010-05-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

We met up again with the students this morning at 7:30 am for breakfast. Lots of smiling freshly washed faces greeted us. The kids were all sporting their new red Space Camp t-shirts. Students were excited by the food choices of cereal, eggs, tater tots, french toast sticks, and fruit. The chaperones were excited by the coffee. Excitement was in the air as they headed out for their first full day of Space Camp activities. We'll add more to the blog late this evening so check back later to see what all the groups were up to.

We Have Arrived Safely!

2010-05-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some pictures of our first day at Space Camp. Everyone is doing great! Campers checked into their habitats and met their counselors. A very busy day.

4 More Days!

2010-05-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today we watched a saw a Power Point presentation and learned more about what our week will look like. So much excitement, nervousness, and anticipation! We can barely wait. Come back soon for pics of our preparations and our departure.

2010-05-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to our count down to Space Camp! We are T -10 days until blast off. You can feel the excitement in the air in all the 5th grade rooms. Check back to see our adventure unfold.

We Have Returned!- From the 5th Grade Teaching Team

2009-05-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

All the campers are back with their families, all the luggage has been unloaded, and the buses have pulled away. The kids were super on the ride back. Everyone slept pretty well due to our busy week. Thanks for all your support and hard work. Only T- 361 days until next blast off to Space Camp!

The Finale-From the 5th Grade Teaching Team

2009-05-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our last day at Space Camp was wonderful. Campers were able to get in one last ride on Space Shot, G-Force, and the Mars simulator. Team Aldrin (Royal Blue) enjoyed watching Dr. M., Mrs. Haddas, and Ms. Harris shoot into the sky as they rode Space Shot.

Everyone also saw Story Musgrave, one of the main engineers for the Hubble Telescope and a Space Shuttle Commander, as a guest speaker today. He shared many unbelievably beautiful photographs that he has taken over the years. It was an inspirational afternoon.

All the robo teams spent time today preparing for and competing in their final robot competition. The event is off limits for adults so we are all looking forward to congratulating all teams on a job well done.

Space Bowl, which is a quiz game like Jeopardy, takes place this evening before graduation. All teams will get to test themselves to see how much knowledge they have retained from the week.

Graduation is our final activity this evening. Students will get a certificate and pin. Awards for the robo competitions as well as other team awards will be given out at this time.

A very busy end to our very busy and most excellent week! Our expected departure time from Space Camp will be around 10 PM this evening. See you all soon!

Working Hard on Wednesday-From the 5th Grade Teaching Team

2009-05-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

Teams had another action packed day here at Space Camp. Robo teams spent a lot of time in the lab today perfecting their team robots. Kids shared with excitement how successful their creations were being achieving their missions. They can't wait to face off in tomorrow's competition. They are taking a lot of pride in their accomplishments. Both Space groups completed another mission and enjoyed sharing what role they played. Whether they were in Mission Control, on the shuttle, or space station they had an important part in a successful mission.

All through out the day, teams were climbing the rock wall, and riding Space Shot and G-Force. Teams also continued having experiences on simulators and learning about space history.

It was really special to be able to observe the positive attitudes displayed by all the King students. They were laughing and fully engaged. King students have received lots of complements from counselors, team leaders, and support staff. Way to go!

The Armstrong Team

2009-05-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Aldrin Team

2009-05-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

The Differential Team

2009-05-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Pulley Team

2009-05-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Gear Team

2009-05-20T20:52:00.001-07:00

Day Three- A Parent's Perspective by Stephen Modell

2009-05-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

Robotics kids started the day by viewing U.S. Space program's venture to the moon. Campers also did the Ares Moon Activity, gearing them towards future moon shots. While kids were having fun, parents hiked through the nearby hills. There is quite a bit of natural beauty in this heavily forested area occupied by the Marshall Space Center. Both parents and kids constructed Estes model rockets ("but will it fly?"). We are set to blast off! Kids at this point only momentarily notice their parents as they carry on with their own missions and groups.

- Marrisa Modell's Dad Stephen

Images Taken by Lazo Radulovic

2009-05-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Images Taken by Cynthia Gur-Arie

2009-05-19T17:06:00.001-07:00

Images Taken by Steve Endres

2009-05-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Day 2 from Stephen Modell - A Parent's Perspective

2009-05-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi to 5th Grade Parents,

Today the kids got into full swing. Those in the Space Group did various space simulation piloting activities (I saw three campers in the Space Shuttle control room looking like they knew what they were doing); those in Robotics had their first crash course in robot construction plus did one Space activity -the Space Shot (a Cedar Point-style ballistic ride). A few parents caught their youngsters rock wall climbing in the museum; this evening several of us saw them spinning at a fairly fast clip in a Leonardo DaVinci type series of concentric circles (somehow their food seems to stay down O.K.!). They also watched a moon trip animation in the I-Max with Armstrong, Aldrin, and Dean characters and three stow-away bugs dressed in space suits for the flight!

Parents had a delightful fish fry for dinner; the kids enjoyed beef stroganoff in the cafeteria. We noticed small band-aids on two of our youngsters - one on a finger; the other a knee. These scratches seemed adequately and swiftly taken care of, all kids in full action mode at present. The youngsters seem to be mingling more than they would in a standard classroom setting, with more conversation between boys and girls since they are sharing activities in common / in close proximity / at the same time. Some of the kids are voicing pride in getting on the space rides.

- Marrisa Modell's Dad Stephen
Robotics 2 Chaperone

Terrific Tuesday - From the 5th Grade Teaching Team

2009-05-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Another action packed day at Space Camp! Groups were running in all different directions enjoying all the great experiences Space Camp has to offer. The day started early for all campers. They woke at 7 and were eating breakfast by 7:30. Students were enthusiastic about how tasty the food is at Space Camp. They had eggs, sausage, and pancakes for breakfast. Milk, juice, and fresh fruit are always available as well. Meal times are an excellent time for all chaperones to touch base with campers and hear about the great time they are having. Space Shot is mentioned over and over as being, "Totally Awesome!"

All groups also saw the IMAX movie, "Magnificent Desolation" today. It is a great film narrated by Tom Hanks.

Aldrin (Space Group 1 Royal Blue) had their Intrepid Mission today. Campers really enjoyed using the 1/6th Chair. They learned what it feels like to walk on the moon. They bunny hopped, side walked, and jumped. Their smiles said it all!

Armstrong (Space Group 2 Lime Green) spent some time in the museum today learning about early space missions. Touring Rocket Park, learning about crew systems, and shuttle history was also part of their day. Their space notebooks are quickly filling up with all information they are learning.

Differential (Robo 1 Navy) worked on their robots today. They also had fun constructing their rockets. Dr. M and Mrs. Haddas peeked in on them during this time and were impressed with how focused the group was while constructing their rockets. They also enjoyed learning about how astronauts go to the bathroom and deal with vomit in space. How interesting! They were also able to visit the gift shop.

Pulley (Robo 2 Black) were also busy working on their robots. Along with constructing rockets this group spent much of their day using simulators. They used the MMU and the 1/6th chair. They were anxious to take their turn and earned the privilege by answering trivia questions. The amount of knowledge they have collected already is very impressive.

Gear (Robo 1 Red) are confident that their robots are the best and will prevail in the upcoming competition. Big words with such hard work happening in all groups. Gear also had their Discovery mission. They did a great job working together as a team. Way to go! Another fine example of students doing their personal best.

2009-05-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

Ms. Harris tries out the MMU!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Marvelous Monday

2009-05-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Campers enjoyed their first full day of activities at Space Camp. Groups sped from one event to the next full of energy and excitement. Every where you went at Space Camp you saw King students sporting their brand new red Space Camp shirts grinning ear to ear. All groups designed their custom mission patch today.

Space Group 2 (Lime Green) received their Space Camp group name of Armstrong. They climbed the rock wall, went on Space Shot, and also performed their first space mission to Mars. Some pictures of their group conquering the rock wall are included in an earlier post. We were all impressed with how quickly the kids scaled the rock wall. Everyone did a great job!

Space Group 1 (Royal Blue) received their Space Camp group name of Aldrin. They also had a mission to Mars, went on the MMU simulator, and started constructing their rockets. Everyone worked hard today!

Robo Group 1 (Black) received their Space Camp name of Gear. They began working on their robotics and lego teamwork today. Rocket construction was on their top of the fun list today as well as starting training for a space mission tomorrow. They can't wait for tomorrow.

Robo Group 2 (Navy) received their Space Camp name of Differential. Today they trained for and went on their space mission. They did a great job working together as a team. Working on their robotics and lego teamwork was a highlight for this group. We were proud of how everyone worked to do their personal best.

Robo Group 3 (Red) received their Space Camp name of Pulley. They couldn't get enough of Space Shot. This group also learned about crew systems and spent time working on their robotics as well. We were impressed by the positive attitude and energy of the whole group.

We are all looking forward to more fun tonight and tomorrow.

Campers are Climbing the Walls at Space Camp!

2009-05-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Images from Sunday

2009-05-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

We Have Arrrived!

2009-05-17T16:13:00.001-07:00

Our trip went smoothly. All the kids did great and arrived at Space Camp ready to begin their adventure. We started by having lunch in the cafeteria and then spent some time getting settled in to the Habitats. Students who had medications sent to Space Camp met with the nursing staff during this time as well. Counselors met with their groups and began working on team bonding activities right away. We were able to wave at many smiling faces and check in with the students as they ate their dinner.

Short but sweet because we are all VERY tired. Look for more information tomorrow as well as some pictures.

Blast Off!

2009-05-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

Space Camp buses left King School at about 12:10 AM! It was a smooth blast off into the Michigan darkness. They hope to land in Alabama tomorrow in the early afternoon.

Schedule for Saturday Departure

2009-05-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

All students and parents arrive through the parking lot entrance and exit through the center doors. (Refer to map that was sent home in student packet)

11:15 PM - Students with medications arrive and go to the teacher's lounge to check-in medications. After medications are checked in students may proceed to their Space Camp group check-in table.

11:30 PM - Students without medication arrive and go directly to their Space Camp group check-in table. Students will put on t-shirt, luggage tags -on one big bag that goes under the bus and one on the backpack they are taking on the bus. Parents then help student load their big bag under the bus. Wait in front of King School.

11:40 PM- Busses will begin boarding and parents say good-bye. Chaperones will take attendance on the bus.

12:00 AM - Departure

Phone chain will begin once we arrive at Space Camp late Sunday morning/early Sunday afternoon.

T-4

2009-05-12T13:43:00.001-07:00

T -4 days and counting!

Door to space camp

2009-05-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

This is what the door to space camp looks like:

We are T - 5 days until lift off.