Date: Fri 25-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

schools-weather-Middle-School

Full Text:

Middle School Starts Paying Close Attention To The Weather

(with photo)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

If you are watching the Channel 8 six o'clock weather report, you may see the

weather at Newtown Middle School on the map. Starting last Monday, Newtown

Middle School has joined 90 schools in Connecticut that participate in the

"worldwide school weather net program."

Channel 8 weather can retrieve data directly from weather monitoring equipment

at NMS, compile it with data from other participating schools and present the

information on the air.

The state-of-the-art Air Watch weather monitoring system (AWS) was installed

recently at the Newtown Middle School. The AWS includes sensors that measure

temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure,

rainfall and light intensity.

Jeanne Bugay, library media specialist who worked with Michelle Holda-Vaccaro,

science teacher, on the grant application for the equipment, said, "The kids

are excited!"

Weather data from schools across the country is available on the AWS web site

at www.aws.com. Working with real current data, students can see how a weather

system moves across the country. They can develop critical thinking skills

while practicing their mathematics and science by predicting the weather.

In Mrs Holda-Vaccaro's class, weather predictions are far ranging. Although

most students predicted about 10 to 20 inches of snow over the winter, one

sixth grader, Mallory Berko, predicted 80 inches of snow, which she also

suggested would result in 20 snow days (days off school due to the snowfall).

While some might think this is just wishful thinking, others have learned to

respect student predictions. After all, Nick Hall, sixth grader, was

absolutely correct in his prediction that December 11 would be the first day

snow fell. It may have only been a 30 second snowfall, but Mrs Holda-Vaccaro

said "it counted."

Nick also predicted 26 inches of snow over the year, four snow days and May 21

as the first day over 80 degrees. Will he be right? Each day students are

comparing what actually happens with their predictions to find out.

Last week, the sixth graders started announcing the weather on the school

announcements. Daniel Gindraux and Britta Cedergren did it last Wednesday.

Wishing for a little snow, Daniel said over the announcements, "Today is

cloudy, with a chance of snow showers, we hope!"

Mrs Holda-Vaccaro said that this is a pilot project, and other teachers are

already taking a strong interest in it, and incorporating the weather data

with their own curriculum.

She said that Georgia Batey's language arts students have been investigating

weather folklore and writing their own folk tales.

Tom DeBenedetto's social studies students are researching the effect of the

weather on the topography of the land in the middle east.

Lisa Puma's math students have been graphing the temperature and wind chill

for the month of December.

Mrs Bugay welcomes the new weather equipment in the library, not only for its

strong educational benefits, but also to answer the question, "Is it too cold

to go out for recess today?"

She said that in the past, on cold days she would have to scramble to get a

current weather report that included the wind chill factor, now she can just

check the instruments.

Mrs Bugay said that she is hoping that other local schools will also benefit

from the data the middle school is collecting. Schools connected with a wide

area network (WAN) could access the data directly through their computers, and

incorporate it into their own areas of study.