NASA Explorer Program

What will happen to Central Park Middle School's NASA Explorer program and the funding associated with it? This has been an extremely successful program with seeds being send into space on the space shuttle - twice as I recall. This first time the experiment did not come back to earth because of the tragic space shuttle accident. I remember a ceremony of planting the "control" seeds still at CPMS in a graden at Central Park. But as I recall, the experiment was sent back up into space on a later mission. The kids have had opportunities to speak with astronauts while they were in space and be a part of many other unique learning experineces that few other schools in the state participate in, much less in the region. This program was well funded and was one of the programs that consistently put Schenectady in the news for positive reasons.

I hope this wonderfully positive program be kept despite all the changes to the district.

Mr. Ely told us at the discussion held at Howe last Tuesday night that they planned on keep the NASA program at CP if/when Howe was brought over.

A: We have no intention of letting our NASA relationship subside at Central Park. In fact we will work with the space center to expand this project into the magnet elementary setting as well.

That is wonderful news!!!

Puzzled wrote:

Yes, it is wonderful. Just not so wonderful for the kid wants to be an astronaut and was looking forward to going to CPMS to be in a school with a NASA program now that his school will no longer feed there. Does he get a voice in this?

Have him speak at the next board meeting. A sixth grader spoke at the Paige School PTO meeting when Mr Ely and Mr Roberts were answering questions. He expressed his concerns about not being able to go to the same school his brother went to and not wanting to enter the lottery because even if he got in, he would not have his friends with him. The children should be seen and their voices should be heard. It's all about them, after all.

I am a Woodlawn parent and I have been asking people to sign a petition that opposes the proposal. Today I spoke with a Howe parent and as I spoke with him I heard in his voice that he could careless about my child that has to go to Mont Pleasant next year. Of course, Howe parents want this proposal to go through. What parent wouldn't want ALL THE PERKS!!!!!!!!!! THE NASA PROGRAM, YOUR MAGNET SCHOOL IS ALREADY TAGGED AS ONE OF THE BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN SCHENECTADY. K-8 at CP will be overwhelmed with over 500 children all different ages. The B.O.E. mentions that they want a "community style school" well if you haven't noticed your students don't come from one community, they are bussed all over Sch'dy . Most of them only see each other in school. Why doesn't Eric start at a non-magnet school and make them "community" schools. What ever happen to the good old days. I don't care if the playground they are going to build at CP for the Howe magnet school is in the budget or not. TEACHER'S are still going to getting FIRED!!!!!! NO QUESTION!! They didn’t budget for them. I believe they will move FDR over to the Howe, I wouldn't put it past them. There's no room for a playground for the FDR children, what about them. FDR children don't even have a stinking playground and the District wants to spend money at CP for 5 year olds to attend there. Here‘s a thought, since the District took out the 6th graders out of the middle schools and they want to fill the empty seats at CP, MP and Oneida, place the 9th graders there. It's harder for a 9th grader to enter a high school then a 6th grade to enter middle school.