School goes star-gazing

By TIFFANNIE BOND

VIEW STAFF WRITER

The night Lamping Elementary School opened its Christa McAuliffe Observatory, the skies were clear, the air was still and the moon made a delayed appearance.

The air was also filled with magic.

To science teacher Cathy Grimes, the magic of the Nov. 14 opening is the first step toward the school's Science and Math Technology Project.

Although an artist rendering has already been produced, the project is still in the planning stages. On the horizon are plans to obtain funding for the science facility, which would include a space simulation center, computer stations, natural power, a greenhouse and a weather station.

"(The observatory) has been the instigator of bigger dreams that we had," Grimes said. "I really feel like it's going to happen."

In 1999, a $33,000 award was given to Grimes to build the observatory from the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program. To date, Grimes is the only teacher in the country to receive the award three times.

The program was established by President Reagan and the Department of Education in 1987 -- a year after McAuliffe, a Concord, N.H., high school science teacher, was killed along with six other astronauts when the space shuttle Challenger exploded in January 1986.

Veteran teachers in each state are rewarded with money in McAuliffe's name to explore new programs and innovative ways to teach their students.

"This gives them recognition and some money to expand and continue," said Grace Corrigan, McAuliffe's mother who was at the school for the dedication. "That's what Christa was all about. ... It's really completing what Christa was trying to do. There are so many great teachers out there."

As a teacher at Woolley Elementary School for eight years, Grimes applied the awards toward the school's science museum and desert garden. When she reached Lamping in 1998, she found a similar affinity for science in Frank Lamping, the school's namesake. The meeting with Lamping charted her course for the next few years.

"We're behind many of the foreign countries in teaching our kids science," said Lamping, who spent 30 years as a principal in the Clark County School District. "(The observatory) is step number one. It's going to be a functional part of the community."

Lamping and Grimes began to see the project come together when volunteers came forward.

Members of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society helped set up telescopes for viewing the night of the opening and donated a 6-inch telescope to the school, while employees from Fremont Construction donated the construction of the foundation and brickwork for the observatory.

"I budgeted in my grant for (the foundation), but they wouldn't take a check. That's what I'm talking about feeling the magic," Grimes said. "People really want to be a part of it."

The observatory not only will serve as a learning ground for teachers and students districtwide, it will also be available for community use.

The night of the event, Jupiter, Saturn, the North Star and the Andromeda Galaxy were visible.

"When I was looking through the scopes, I didn't want to take my eyes away," Grimes said. "It was just so beautiful."

Although the Community College of Southern Nevada has developed satellite viewing sites at its Henderson and West Charleston campuses, the observatory at Lamping brings scientific star gazing into the neighborhood.

"This is an opportunity for the community to look at the sky," said Dale Etheridge, director of the planetarium at CCSN's Cheyenne Campus. "The hands-on aspects of it really drives it home."

Reaching children at the elementary school level strengthens the chance some of the students will maintain their interest in science and eventually make it their career.

"Up until the fourth and fifth grades, students have great curiosity," Etheridge said. "(The observatory) keeps their curiosity going, and maintains the excitement they have about the sky and space."

Etheridge need not worry about third-graders Brittany Pesklevits and Gena Hanna. They're interested in science as long as it's fun. While Pesklevits wants to be a scientist, Hanna wants to follow in Grimes' footsteps.

The two girls could hardly contain their excitement for the opening of the observatory.

"I like science. Science is cool," Hanna said. "I've never got to look in (an observatory) before, and it's at our school, and I don't believe that."

Pesklevits and Hanna stood in line to look in the main telescope as well as numerous ones set up on the playground and monitored by the Las Vegas Astronomical Society.

"I've learned a lot of stuff about it already," Pesklevits said of the planets and stars they've covered in class.

"The heavens couldn't have been happier with us," Grimes said. "After observing the planets for about 45 minutes, the moon came up, and we could put the moon filters on and look at the craters on the moon. Everyone wanted to stay later."

On Jan. 26 -- the 15-year anniversary of the Challenger explosion -- students from Tarr Elementary School will participate in Lamping's first Reach for the Stars Science Camp. The students will stay overnight and learn about what they see in the sky.

The school will also offer community star gazing events at the observatory.

Those interested in the science camp or star gazing events can call Lamping Elementary School at 799-1330.