Inspiration Courtesy of NASA

Space Shuttle Discovery on final approach

I just returned from watching Space Shuttle Discovery fly overhead on her final flight from Kennedy Space Center to Dulles International Airport. I had the privilege of viewing the historic flyover with students from our Westfields Campus. I’m sure that I could have captured better photos from other places in the area, but then I would not have been witness to what this event truly encapsulated. Words fail to do justice to the shear excitement and joy that spread across each student’s face as Discovery and the Space Carrier made their first fly by. I watched as children and teachers alike started cheering. They ran to our playground’s fence hoping to get a final glimpse of the behemoth jet and her precious cargo. Simply put, there was an energy in the air. Every person, parent, child, and teacher had a smile on their face. Parents hugged their children, teachers hugged each other. I watched children giddy with happiness sharing their photos with each other and their teachers. Pure magic.

Children running for a final glimpse

Moved by the moment.

Discovery made two more majestic flyovers before landing at Dulles, each leaving me with goosebumps and filled with awe. Now several hours after the event I am still moved by the inspiration that the flyover provided to us all. The test of time will provide us the truth, but my best guess is that today’s historic experience has inspired more than one of our students to aspire to become an astronaut.

Beyond the Walls

Students at National Gallery of Art

With school locations in Northern Virginia and in such close proximity to our nation’s Capital, our students have the opportunity for some amazing experiences. Our Kindergarten students as well as our Elementary and Middle School frequently take trips to see world class performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Our students have toured the White House, Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, Phillips Collection, and National Building Museum to name but a few recent trips. Our students don’t only travel into D.C. but also take advantage of the beautiful parks and nature centers right down the road from our campuses.

At the end of the month, as a school community, Boyd families and staff will meet for lunch at the USA Science & Engineering Festival. The event will be a great opportunity for families to spend the day together learning, discovering and getting to know other Boyd families. The experiences gained beyond the walls of our classrooms and with teachers, parents, and friends allow for children to more readily understand our vast and interesting world. These experiences provide a hands-on, practical, and unique learning opportunity.

Next week students will have the opportunity to observe one such experience as the Space Shuttle Discovery will fly overhead one last time before landing in our backyard at Dulles International Airport en route to its final destination at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. With all of our campuses located so close to Dulles International Airport, we should have ideal vantage points during the flyover (scheduled for Tuesday, April 17) so students can spot Discovery and the Shuttle Carrier.

As the Shuttle passes, we’ll be taking plenty of photos which will be incorporated into an art installation piece. The centerpiece of the art installation will be a painting done by Broadlands’ After School art students inspired by the artwork of former astronaut and fourth man to walk on the moon, Alan Bean. Commander Bean's painting, "Hopes and Dreams" (see below) was created to commemorate the historic return to space flight of Space Shuttle Discovery following the Challenger accident.  For more information on the fascinating life and for examples of Alan Bean’s artwork: http://www.alanbean.com/

"Hopes & Dreams" - Alan Bean c. 1987

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is planning a festival of activities -- Welcome Discovery -- to celebrate the acquisition of the Space Shuttle Discovery.  The festival will begin when the orbiter arrives in the D.C. area on April 17 and will feature four days of space-related activities, performances, appearances by space pioneers, films, and displays at the shuttle's new home, in Chantilly, Va. Activities at the Center will kick off on April 19 when Discovery will be officially transferred by NASA into the Smithsonian's collection in an outdoor ceremony open to the public. For full list of activities - http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/discovery/schedule.cfm