Johnston Middle School is one of over a thousand NASA Explorer Schools nation-wide. Last year, JMS was honored to participate in a downlink with astronauts Shannon Walker and Doug Wheelock aboard Expedition 24 of the International Space Station. As a follow-up to that experience, Shannon Walker came to JMS in May to talk to students about her experience. To have an astronaut who sat in the same classes, ate in the same cafeteria, and walked the same halls as the students tell them that the sky is the limit was an especially special learning moment, one which JMS is taking to a new level.

This year, three members of the Johnston Middle School staff have been chosen to participate in the Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program during the week of February 5-11, 2012. Among the NES schools, Johnston is one of the few nation-wide, and the only one from Texas, chosen for this honor. The teachers will do science experiments in the weightless environment created by a series of parabolas aboard NASA's Vomit Comet. Students will participate by re-creating, testing, and monitoring the experiments in the classroom on the ground.

"Through this experience, kids will learn real science and test their hypotheses on the ground while we, the teachers flying aboard the plane, just hope to come home alive," explained Ms. Berry, AVID teacher at Johnston. Staff members who will brave this challenge include Lanena Berry, AVID teacher; Amber Pinchback, Dean of Students and Science Coordinator; and Cynthia Dinneen, librarian and science mentor.

What a wonderful experience this will be for both teachers and students! We are Johnston Proud!

To watch the video in which the announcement of Johnston's selection in this elite list of schools was made and to learn more about the NGO experience sponsored by NASA, visit their website at http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.