The kids love rocket science

Tehachapi students compete for Space Challenge top honors

For two hours on the morning of May 21, the cheers at Tehachapi Municipal Airport were deafening as Tehachapi Unified School District fourth and fifth grade students from all three elementary schools – pressed against a barrier fence a safe distance from the launch pads – urged their home-made rockets upward toward the drifting clouds.

It was the annual Intermediate Space Challenge, organized by the Arts, Science and Technology Committee of Tehachapi, led by Nick Altieri and Joel Beckmann, event founder Marie Walker, their committee, volunteers and sponsors. Occasionally Airport Manager Tom Glasgow, seated in a vehicle by the runway, called a pause to the launching as an airplane or helicopter came in to land. The fired-up kids cheered those too.

The event includes essay writing, creating artistic banners, building a rocket in the classroom with the help of THEMA students and launching the rockets.

The two highest altitudes attained were 575 feet and 526 feet.

Ms. Terri Coward's fifth grade class at Tompkins won the event, receiving the overall trophy. They called their team the Boss Rockets.

Fourth Grade First Place – Mr. Thiesse's Sky Flyers

Fifth Grade First Place – Ms. Coward's Boss Rockets.

Other results:

Best Essay – Fourth grade, Ms. Bowman's Flying Tigers; Fifth grade – Mr. Lee's Gravitational Warriors

Best Banner – Fourth grade, Ms. Bernacchi's Sonic Boom; Fifth grade, Mr. Wood's Asteroid Busters.

Best Rocket Design – Fourth grade, Ms. Smith's Zombies; Fifth grade, Ms. Coward's Boss Rockets.

Most Spirit – Fourth grade – Ms. Robinson's Flaming Bananas; Fifth grade, Mr. Lee's Gravitational Warriors.

Highest Rocket Altitude – Fourth grade, Mr. Parrott's Teenage Mutant Ninja Parrotts; Fifth grade, Ms. Henderson's Titanium Tigers.