Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9409280060
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They are just as enthusiastic as ever about space exploration.
The enrollment for the school for grades six through eight continues to increase - four years after it was converted to a magnet school with an aerospace theme.
The school is so popular that nearly half of its 470 students come from outside Addison's attendance zone. They come from other areas in Roanoke and the counties of Roanoke, Bedford, Botetourt and Franklin.
Addison is the only middle school in the nation with a simulated space shuttle, space station and mission control center, said Principal Paul McKendrick.
Students spend up to six hours in a simulated trip in an orbiting space shuttle or space station. They have access to state-of-the-art computers and other technology to help simulate space travel and the principles of flight.
What makes the school so unique, said McKendrick, is the young ages of the children. The aerospace curriculum is the marquee attraction for the school, he said.
Representatives from school systems from inside and outside Virginia tour the aerospace center in what was once the school's field house.
On Tuesday, Charles Jiggetts, a retired Air Force general, toured the school and inspected the mock space shuttle, space station and mission control.
"This is amazing. We've got to get the word out about this program," said Jiggetts, who came to Roanoke to speak at a dinner for the Roanoke chapter of the Air Force Association.
"What I expected was a small mock-up," Jiggetts said
Addison's curriculum includes all of the basic courses such as math, English and social studies. The aerospace theme is integrated into all areas of study and also is presented as a pure discipline. Each student has a daily block of aerospace study.
During their three years at Addison, students take courses in space-related fields such as astronomy, robotics, rocketry, weather and physics of space flight.
Jane Turner, an aerospace resource teacher, said students receive practice in solving problems in a space mission two or three days a week.
"When we have simulated trips, each child is assigned a particular task," she said. Up to two dozen students might be included on a mission.
The students wear uniforms with patches of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other space-related ensign.
Addison's space center has a computer connection with NASA's "Spacelink," an educational science and space informational program. The Spacelink allows students and teachers to teleconference with a NASA lecturer at the Langley Research Center.
"The idea is to get the students interested in aerospace and other studies," Turner said. "Not all can become astronauts, but this is something that excites them.''
The aerospace theme is evident throughout the school. Each hall is named for a space shuttle, such as Columbia and Discover.
by CNB