Sent on behalf of AA4KN

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Marymount University (Fort Belvoir Elem.), Arlington, VA on 19 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 19:02 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and K6DUE. The contact should be audible over the eastern U.S and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

Fort Belvoir Elementary School (FBES) serves approximately 1,200 students in preK-6th grade, 96 percent of whom who are military dependents. Located on Fort Belvoir, an Army installation, FBES is part of the Fairfax County Public School System and one of the largest elementary schools in the Washington metropolitan area. FBES is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Focus elementary school funded by two consecutive grants from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) totaling more than 3.1 million dollars. The grant program is known as, Operation Patriotic STEM (OPS). OPS has enabled FBES to create a fully equipped STEM Lab and hire a dedicated STEM Focus resource teacher, who provides inquiry-based, hands-on lessons for all students. Additionally, students participate in after-school and summer STEM enrichment programming and families enjoy STEM field trips and STEM family days. These activities are specifically designed to increase students' enthusiasm for STEM education and potentially encourage them to pursue STEM careers.

The STEM emphasis is further supported through a partnership with Marymount University (MU). MU education and science faculty and students organize hands-on STEM activities for the annual family events such as "Family STEM Day" and the "Science and Engineering Fair and Family Day". Additionally, MU will begin a new program for the spring semester 2014. MU pre-service teachers will come to FBES for their "Math and Science Methodologies in Education" coursework. Pre-service teachers will be bused to FBES weekly, during the spring semester 2014, where they will be instructed by their professor and then practice their newly acquired skills in the classroom with FBES teachers and students. On the day of the ARISS contact, these students will be present to assist.

Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1. How did you work as a team to solve the heating and cooling problem on the ISS? 2. What is it like to be on the outside of the ISS in your space suit? 3. How much does your space suit weigh? 4. In a space crew, is there an engineer? 5. How many robots are on the ISS? 6. Do you like being so far from the stress of Earth? 7. What did it feel like to be in space for the first time? 8. What your favorite part about your job? 9. How does it feel to be one of the astronauts chosen to go to the ISS? 10. How do the astronauts from different countries communicate? Do you speak one common language? 11. Do you miss your family and how do you communicate with them? 12. What do you study in space? 13. How many missions have you done? 14. Is it fun in zero gravity? 15. How hard is it being an astronaut? 16. What is it like drinking water in outer space? 17. Is it cold or hot in space? 18. What is the longest period of time anyone has stayed in space? 19. What does it feel like to float and look at Earth? 20. If you were to throw a football in the ISS, what would it do?

PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES:

Sign up for the SAREX mail list at http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex

Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS).

To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status

Next planned event(s): 1. Australian Air League - South Australia Wing, Elizabeth, South Australia, Australia, telebridge via AH6NM Fri, 21Feb2014, 08:36 UTC

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries.

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).

Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN