THANK YOU, DR. ARVIDSON, FROM THE LEADERS
Today was a very special day for Fifth Grade students and teachers at Barretts Elementary, Parkway School District , press, teachers, M.A.R.S./Lewis and Clark Fourth Grade Voyagers, leaders, Gayla Rothermich, Jane Mues, and John Bourzikas.
Our Technology Director, Pam VanMater was called away with a very ill father, we certainly missed you, Pam. We continue to keep you and your father in our prayers.
Dr. Arvidson, words cannot describe the gratefulness we feel at this time for your willingness to share your time, expertise and the new photos our beloved rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have taken on Mars, with us today, February 19, 2004. We fully understand how exciting this time is for you with the successful MER mission underway. With any success comes great labor and we know that you had to schedule this time you spent in phone conference with us today amidst lost sleep, and a very full, demanding schedule at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
Today's Phone Conference left an indelible impression all of us.
A few of those unforgettable moments come to mind:
1. Failure Is Not An Option! The MER mission represents a bold new step into an uncharted frontier of exploration. Our use of new technology today at Barretts represented a bold new step in the use of technology for distance learning with an EXPERT. Your bold new steps had the whole world watching to see if the mission would be a success or failure; our bold new steps occurred on a smaller scale; trying something really new on a day already packed with a shortened schedule, an assembly and other activities. Working out major snafus with technology and going on with our lives as teachers of the wonderful children we are privileged to work with at Barretts Elementary, proved to be a daunting task. At 6:30 p.m. the night before, I opened an email to send to you saying, I just do not think we can do this. Since I am not a quitter, nor is Mike Schultz, our Assistant Principal, being fearless and willing to be PATIENT, experiment with buttons, gadgets, chords and computers proved to be the key to success in ironing out the last glitches by 7 p.m. I deleted that previous email and sent a new one with the subject line: SUCCESS, SUCCESS; talk to you in the morning!
2. The success of this new kind of technology for distance learning proved to be most exciting thanks to you, technology, Windows XP and all who attended yesterday. Using Windows XP, a phone with a microphone and projector with a large screen, was better than watching a video, we felt like we were looking right into the rover or traveling along in the Rover's footsteps. Now that we know the technology hook ups, it is a snap, cheap, easy way to receive information from an expert far away.
3. We adults in this Project are not experts in technology. We are taking brave, bold new steps into new, unexplored areas. We are endeavoring to be role models for the children we teach, by being willing to risk failure, due to stepping into areas we are not experts in, to let them see us struggle to learn, expect the most of ourselves and help them be the most they can be by losing their fear to take bold new steps into the present and future world they inhabit. We got to share the Joy of Success for that labor, today, with all who attended.
4. The joy of sharing our good fortune of knowing you, Dr. Arvidson, a Barretts neighbor and former Barretts parent, with others at Barretts, getting to see first hand the efforts of all the staff at Barretts who work with these boys and girls everyday in helping them to lose their fear of asking a question, thinking and expressing themselves creatively and critically, and trying new ways of learning which in turn prepared them to be able to bravely trot up to a phone and talk to THE EXPERT clearly and without fear in a totally spontaneous, unplanned moment.
So before everyone goes to sleep with this long epistle, we wish to thank:
*Our Principal, Annie Ritter for allowing this Project to take place, for helping us solve, with her gift for seeing a situation in a global manner, numerous bumps in the road.
*Our Assistant Principal, Mike Schultz, for helping me explore solutions for our technology snafus, carry equipment, and give me, Gayla Rothermich, encouragement to keep working out solutions until We Got It Right so this special new way of learning could come to pass today.
*The Fifth Grade Teachers for sharing their time and children with us so freely on a very, very busy day. We are so privileged at Barretts Elementary to have the outstanding staff and, of course, the best children in the world. We love our children!!!
*My CO-Directors who support me so ably in their own special unique ways. I am so blessed to have Jane Mues, Pam VanMater and John Bourzikas around me as we explore uncharted territory for our passionate Expedition, Integrating the Arts and Sciences.
*Last, but not least, thanks to the Voyagers and their parents for their long two year commitment to this Project. You are just the best participants, any leaders could have.
We are nearing the end of our Journey, it will be sad to say good-bye but we have had such a great ride into unexplored territory.
Thanks again, Dr. Arvidson, for making the world of our children, at Barretts Elementary, brighter because you were willing to be a part of their life during this very historic year for St. Louis with the MER Mars Exploration and the Bicentennial Lewis and Clark Anniversary. Please accept our deepest gratitude.
Most Sincerely,
Gayla Rothermich, Program Director
Jane Mues, Research Director
Pam VanMater, Technology Director
John Bourzikas, Web Director
THANK YOU, DR. ARVIDSON FROM THE VOYAGERS
Dear Dr. Arvidson:
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. I thought you did a great job. I learned a lot about the rovers and Mars that I didn't know.
Thank you, Dr. Arvidson for doing the spectacular phone conference. The pictures were really amazing with all the parts labeled, the picture of the rover and its tracks, and the picture that was 360 degree's. Also, it was cool that you shared information with us that nobody else had heard.
WOW! My entire class was very impressed with our NASA phone link-up on February 19. It generated renewed interest in the space program. The Mars project is very much like the Lewis and Clark Expedition-exploring, analyzing, and interpreting.
Thank you for talking to us about the results coming in from Mars. I think it is cool that you showed us info before the public. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for spending time with us on Thursday. We know you are really busy and it was really fun that we could see the slides and see what you are learning. I wish we could do what you are doing, so thanks for letting us, for a little while.
Thank you for having our phone conference with us. It was neat how it all worked. The information was cool. I learned that rovers bring photos of Mars to Earth without damage. I also learned that Mars Rovers need to be emptied when they have too much information in them.
Thank you for talking to us on Thursday. It was wonderful to learn things about what was happening on Mars. I liked learning about the Mars Berries because I never knew they were even there. I also never knew that Spirit landed in a Crater. I also never knew that Opportunity is heading for a crater.
Thanks to you for teaching us a lot about Mars and the rovers, it was cool that we got to see pictures you sent and we got to ask questions.