Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Extracurricular topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cedar Hill students show off 25-year Rocket Club, AV program funded partly by MEF grant
Summary
Cedar Hill School principal and staff presented the Rocket Club and AV Club to the board, describing hands-on STEM learning, safety protocols and sizable student participation. Administrators said roughly one-third of the school participates and noted parent involvement and vendor discounts that help sustain the program.
Michael Raj, principal of Cedar Hill School, told the board the school’s Rocket Club and AV Club reach a large share of students and rely on volunteer staff and donated equipment. “The AV Club, as you know, we received a grant from the MEF, all the elementary schools did, where they were kind enough to gift us some AV equipment,” Raj said.
Raj said the Rocket Club is open to grades 3 through 5 and that participation has grown to “close to 120” students at Cedar Hill — roughly one-third of the school. Advisor Matthew Paladino, identified as the school’s physical-education teacher, described the club’s curriculum: students assemble model rockets, install igniters, attach parachutes and learn safety checks before launch. “Our Rocket Club ranges in grades 3 through 5 simply because, the dexterity they need to use to tie things together,” Paladino said.
Coach/educator Mr. DeLasio, who has run the club in district schools for years, reviewed safety practices and the club’s launch procedures, noting use of lightweight kits and specific wadding to protect parachutes from engine heat. The advisors said they use model engine sizes labeled A, B and C and that the club uses B engines to balance lift and neighborhood noise concerns.
Teachers and parent volunteers assist on launch days; the presenters said staff presence typically ranges from five to about 10 adults during launches. Raj and the advisors said the club works to ensure every student’s rocket achieves lift-off, sometimes testing multiple engines so a child’s project succeeds. Advisors also credited a local vendor, Zeppelin Hobbies, for discounts that help the program obtain matching kits and supplies.
Why it matters: The board received the presentation as part of routine school reports; trustees called the Rocket Club an example of hands-on STEM learning that also requires careful safety planning and ongoing community support.
Provenance: Transcript presentation began at 00:04:32 and closed at 00:24:28. Evidence excerpts: “The AV Club, as you know, we received a grant from the MEF” (00:04:48), “Our Rocket Club ranges in grades 3 through 5” (00:07:03), and “We use the middle engine, B” (00:11:46).
