Education Matters: High school students go to Space Camp, Boston

An O’Fallon student recently attended an Aviation Challenge MACH II Program in Huntsville, Ala.

Mitchell Nalley spent a week at the program designed for students with an interest in military aviation and flight. The camp uses fighter pilot training techniques to understand science, technology, engineering and math.

Students also learned land and water survival skills and mastered flying maneuvers. Retired Space Shuttle astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger spoke at the graduation.

Learn more about the camp at www.aviationchallenge.com or by calling 800-63-SPACE.

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A rising senior at Mascoutah High School attended an honors-only Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston in late June.

Ebriannah Janelle Ward was nominated to the program by Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon.

Ebriannah and other students from across the country were to learn about the future of science and technology at the Congress, which included speeches by Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science Winners.

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Racial Harmony and the children of Mary McHugh have awarded the first scholarship in the late teacher’s name to an O’Fallon student.

Steven Kramer was awarded the $1000 scholarship on July 9. He graduated from O’Fallon Township High School, where he was in the Air Force Junior ROTC, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society and more.

He plans to attend the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

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Schools around the area are getting ready for registration and the first day of class.

▪  Belleville schools will celebrate the start of school with a fair from 5 to 7 p.m. at Belleville West High School. The education committee hopes to give away at least 1,000 backpacks for children at the fair, and is looking for sponsor to help fund the event. The fair, previously called the BackPACK to School Day, will be for students registered at Belleville School District 118, Belle Valley District 119, Harmony-Emge District 175, Signal Hill School District 181, Whiteside District 115, and Governor French, Zion Lutheran, Blessed Sacrament, Notre Dame, Sister Thea Bowman, St. Teresa and Queen of Peace schools.

Three levels of sponsorship are avialable: Backpack for $1,000, Corporate for $500 and Table for $100.

▪  Dupo Community School District 196 starts on Tuesday, Aug. 18. An open house will be the night before, from 6 to 8 p.m, and students can bring in their school supplies then.

Bluffview registration is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 4 and noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 5.

Dupo Junior/Senior High School registration is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 4 and noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 5.

For more information, go to www.dupo196.org or call the superintendent at 618-286-3812, Bluffview at 618-286-3311, and the junior and senior high schools at 618-286-3214.

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Belleville District 201 officials have made a police report about the damage to the practice soccer field, but it will not impede the boys’ soccer season.

Soccer practice at Belleville East will start as scheduled, Belleville District 201 Superintendent Jeff Dosier said a few days after the field was slightly damaged by vandals who drove on it.

Dosier said the vandals got on the field “after a rain and did some doughnuts to the corner.” The practice field is grass, Dosier said, and because the team has artificial turf on the game-day field, practice is limited on the grass field anyway.

“We want to catch whoever did it and charge them with trespassing ... but it’s something we can fix,” Dosier said.

The district made a police report with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department last week. He said district personnel are reviewing security footage taken nearby as well.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Education Matters: High school students go to Space Camp, Boston."