Farmingdale Students and Teachers Are Out of This World!

The Farmingdale School District recently sent students and teachers from Howitt Middle School to SPACE CAMP® at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Hunstville, Alabama. Sixth grade teachers Ms. Cuiffo and Mr. Marzillier were part of the Space Academy for Educators program, designed as a professional development program to help teachers experience science, technology engineering and math (STEM) in action to enhance lesson planning. The teachers experienced astronaut simulators and took a virtual tour into space to save the International Space Station. Trainees also followed lesson plans based on official NASA material and received content to pass on to their students in the classroom.

Accompanying the teachers were two 8th grade students from Howitt Middle School, Heaven Diaz and Samantha Leroy, who were selected to attend the Space Camp for Students program. During the seminar, the students learned about what it takes to be an astronaut, and how astronauts conduct scientific experiments in zero gravity.

The all-expense-paid program was part of the Farmingdale School District’s ongoing initiative to promote interest in fields related to STEM, and help train teachers using interactive hands-on activities.

For more information about the Farmingdale School District, visit the website http://www.farmingdaleschools.org.

Photo 1 (2454): (L-R) Farmingdale School District’s 6th grade teachers at Howitt Middle School Mr. William Marzillier and Ms. MaryEllen Cuiffo (far right) and 8th grade students Heaven Diaz and Samantha Leroy recently attended SPACE CAMP® at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, NASA’s official Visitor Information Center for Marshall Space Flight Center. They were participating in a District initiative to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in school, training teachers with hands-on activities and missions based on teamwork, leadership and decision-making.

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