Out of This World Experiments at St. Ursula Academy
Six physics students at St. Ursula Academy were part of a joint STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education program run by NASA and Portland State University (PSU). The program, named CELERE 2013 (Capillary Effects on Liquids Exploratory Research Experiments) gives students in grades 5-12 an opportunity to participate in microgravity research on capillary action, through experiments similar to those conducted on the International Space Station.
The students each learned to use a 2D CAD program, DraftSight, to diagram capillary channels and test a hypothesis about how the liquid will behave in the channels in microgravity. They submitted their drawings and PSU students manufactured the experiment hardware using the drawings and a computer-controlled laser.
The science behind it all
A quick reacting silicon oil (with low viscosity) is used in the University’s Dryden Drop Tower. The experiments’ models are dropped down a 22-meter shaft and they behave as if there is very little gravity. It is easy to see and study capillary effects in such an environment where there is free fall, which replicates the gravitational environment on the Space Station.
Teacher Jackie Kane explains, “There is almost as much gravity in the Space Station. It is only that the Space Station is also falling toward the Earth like the experiment and therefore we see the effect of weightlessness. The Space Station is moving horizontally very fast so that as it falls, it moves away from the Earth horizontally in a straight line, resulting in a constant distance from Earth (i.e. orbit).”
The benefit for students
The project is strongly tied to new STEM and core curriculum at the all-girls school. Students are encouraged to create open-ended inquiry based experiments, and senior Alysse Budd was pleased to participate. “I really enjoyed how easy it was for
the participants to create their own experiments to be tested. I found it very cool to be able to submit my experiment to be tested by NASA through this program.”
The CELERE program is a BETA program, designed to offer American students the opportunity to experimentally explore the properties of space while they remain on Earth. It takes the place of earlier programs that were eliminated due to cutbacks in NASA funding.
New Charter School for Special Needs Students
Special needs students affected by the closing of Mary Immaculate School in June will have a new place to call home in September. Former MI parent and Board president Dan LaValley has spearheaded the drive to open the new school, Hope Learning Academy, to be located in the former Hampton Park Christian Church at Rushland and Monroe Street in West Toledo.
“Parents and friends of the school called me when they heard the news,” he explains. “They told me I had to do something. So I started the process of getting a school open in time for school this fall.”
He asked former MI coordinating intervention specialist Melissa Hinton to be his Head of School; they will work with teachers and staffers and a 5-person Board to provide a stringent curriculum in K-8 classrooms of no more than 10 students.
“There is a tendency to go easy on these kids, because people don’t believe they can do the work,” LaValley said. “But they can, and we will do our best to help them. We will have a Sensory Integration Classroom, a state licensed counselor and occupational therapists on staff. The small student/teacher ratio will make us stand out from other schools.”
Hope Learning Academy will open at 4234 Monroe Street, Toledo this fall. More information is available at 419 297-6313 or on their website [email protected]
More than just popcorn
Popcorn isn’t just for movie theatres any more. Rachel Matthews believes it is a great treat any time, and hopes customers at her new Rachel Michael Gourmet Popcorn shop will agree.
“My sister and I always made caramel corn during the holidays,” she explains,“ and we had to make two batches because we pretty much consumed the first batch ourselves. We gave it as gifts to friends and families, and people were always asking for the recipe. So, when I lost my job as a pharmaceutical rep, the popcorn business was Plan B. We’re starting out slow, but we are getting rave reviews!”
Matthews set up shop with three ovens in her home kitchen, and works at night after her two young children have gone to bed. She starts with special popcorn popped in a movie theatre machine, applies a caramel coating and bakes the popcorn for an hour. Sometimes she forgoes the caramel and chooses different toppings (cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, mint, to name a few) which blend with the hot baked popcorn and provide the signature flavors. The most popular is Buckeye Corn (think Buckeye candies), which is joined by Confetti, (with a mix of fruit flavors), Buffalo Bleu Cheese, White and Yellow Cheddar, Christmas, and S’Mores. Could a popcorn lover ask for anything more? How about Cinnamon Roll or Caramel Apple Bacon Brittle or Parmesan Basil Tomato flavors? Stay tuned — they are in the planning stages! And all of Matthew’s offerings are available online for personal or corporate gift giving.
The new venture will feature a retail shop and an open kitchen, where customers can watch Matthews prepare the popcorn for sale in bags or tins. She hopes to have a kids’ area, where young popcorn lovers can make their own flavored popcorn balls and celebrate birthdays.
Rachel Michael’s Gourmet Popcorn is located near Gino’s Pizza and Bar 145 on Monroe Street at Nantucket.
Phone: 419 304-8001.
Website: rachelmichaelspopcorn.com and e-mail [email protected].
Maumee Summer Fair
Art, crafts, music, food, and special areas just for kids and dogs; what’s not to love about the Maumee Summer Fair? Festivities kick off on Friday night with Taste of Maumee, where you can stroll past booths manned by local restaurants selling fare ranging from a small taste to a full meal. Taste continues a through Saturday. Other attractions include the Kids Zone, with plenty of games and activities, and live music from bands like Venyx and 80’s-inspired, Reaganomics. A huge variety of local vendors will have booths with info and giveaways, and you can feast your eyes on art and crafts as well.
On Saturday, the 3rd annual Bow-wow Bash provides “all kinds of dog-gone fun,” including a variety of contests, goody bags for dogs and owners, and baby pools so your pooch can chill out in the hot summer sun. And don’t miss the parade, at 10 AM, led by the Maumee High School marching band, and featuring dance groups, classic cars, wild imaginative floats, singers, pets and costumed children on bikes. The fair is sponsored by the Maumee Uptown Business Association.
Friday, August 16, 5-11pm;
Saturday, August 17, 9am-11pm
(Fun Zone ends at 9 both nights).
Downtown Maumee,
www.maumeeuptown.com/maumee_summer_fair.php
Positively Portable Preschool
Visit Black Kite Coffee at the right time, and you’re likely to chime in and start jumping on the “bed” yourself. The activity is part of Positively Portable Preschool, the brainchild of early childhood special educator Denice Rokicki. The Toledo native spent the last thirty-odd years educating elsewhere, primarily Phoenix, AZ, where she created a music and movement program heavy on stories.
“Everything is related to books,” says Denice. “I incorporate songs and movement, including old standards that parents know, and newer stuff.”
Her program is designed for children ages 0-5. “The zeros don’t watch me, they watch the other kids,” she says. Play is all-inclusive, and special needs kids are welcome. Parents can join in or take a break with other parents, enjoying Black Kite’s excellent coffee and breakfast offerings. Denice is available for chatting while she sets up the space about a half hour before.
That includes putting together a puzzle-piece dance floor—kids are welcome to help—as well as bringing in four crates and two backpacks full of toys. Denice is looking to expand the program to other locations; call 419-280-1173 for details.
Positively Portable Preschool, Black Kite Coffee, 10:30 on Saturdays, excluding the last Saturday of the month. 2499 Collingwood,( at the corner of Delaware) Toledo. 419-720-5820. www.facebook.com/BlackKiteCoffee