Kids in the 21st Century after-school program at Katahdin Elementary had a chance to show off their science know-how with a demonstration by members of the rocket club Tuesday afternoon. The 10 members of the rocket club successfully launched rockets they built into sub-orbital space with the help of their
science coordinator, Ralph Vetter. “The kids here at KES love the science program we offer in our after-school program. Launching rockets that we build is one of the highlights of the program. My younger rocketeers lean about gravity and what makes rockets go up. My older kids learn about Newton’s laws of physics. We get a bit more in-depth as to how the planets and our universe works. Most importantly, the kids learn about teamwork. During a launch sequence, each student has a specific job to do in order to make the launch safe and successful. I have been building and flying model rockets for a long time now,” said Vetter. “Many of today’s astronauts, engineers, and physicists got their interest in science started by building model rockets like the ones we built. Who knows, maybe some of our kids will someday follow in their footsteps.
“After seeing how much fun and hard work these kids put into a project like this, I can take a step back and say on days like this, I guess I really do love my job. Now that rocket club is over for this year, what next? It’s time to plant the garden, of course,” said Vetter.
