On the day after Father's Day, M.T. Davidson teacher Maggie Preston-Coles extended the festivities by inviting her father, Chris Preston, to help teach the students from her Grade 3/4 class and the 7/8 class of Taylor Patterson how to build and launch their own rockets (see video below).
Chris Preston is a professional engineer and mining explosives expert with more than 50 years of experience. He has high hopes these experiential learning opportunities will unearth the scientists of our future. His daughter's classroom — and the school's makeshift outdoor launching area — provide the perfect testing ground. The father-daughter team figure they have successfully guided the launches of student rockets five times over the past 15 years.
It was a family affair on Monday at the school, as Preston-Coles' husband and daughter joined in, cheering along with the students.
Heather Taylor, the school's principal joined the boisterous rocket launchers in the school's playground, craning her neck skyward with the rest, watching as one rocket's fuselage separated from an internal charge and launched its parachute to begin its descent from approximately 300 metres up.
Grade 8 student Quinn, even before the successful launch of their team's rocket, agreed it was a fun way to spend the afternoon at school, and deemed the exercise a success. "It's super cool."
