Christy Garvin

Georgia Tech Robotics and Propulsion Labs (4th and 5th grade)

GSRA Cadets,

It is time to make plans for our third training exercise of the year.  We will be traveling to Georgia Tech to visit several robotics labs and possibly a space propulsion lab.  This trip should give you the opportunity to see some cutting edge robotics technology being developed by professors, graduate, and undergraduate students at Georgia Tech.

The trip will be on Thursday, April 26^th, and we will leave the bus port at 6:45 a.m. -please arrive in your GSRA uniform at 6:35 a.m.  We will travel down to Georgia Tech and tour a couple labs before eating lunch in the student center.  After lunch we will enjoy a couple additional tours before heading back to Vaughn.  We will arrive back at the bus port at 3:15 p.m.  The cost of the trip is $28 per person and will include transportation, lunch, and snacks.  Please return permission form and payment no later than Friday, April 20th. I will need parent  squad leaders to chaperone this GSRA training; if you would like to help in this way, please fill out the chaperone sheet and return to me by Thursday, April 19th at 8:00 a.m.; I will not be able to accept late chaperone forms.  Since space is limited in the labs, I will probably need to draw names for chaperone positions, and will do so on Thursday, April 19th; please do not send in chaperone money until you have been notified of who will be attending.  If you have submitted your name to be a chaperone, please hold both your payment and your child’s payment until chaperone names have been drawn on the 22nd; then, you will be able to write one check and use one payment envelope.  The chaperone fee for this field trip is also $ 28.

Sincerely,

 Commander Garvin

Challenger Center (4th and 5th Grade)

The time has arrived to begin making plans for our final training exercise of the year.  Your mission, should you accept, is to travel to Mars to collect planetary samples.  In order to accomplish this task, we will be traveling to the Challenger Center, which is housed at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, on Wednesday, May 2nd.  We will leave from the front flagpole at Vaughan at 5:30 a.m. (arrive at 5:15 a.m.) and will return at 4:15 p.m.

 

The Challenger Center is an interactive learning environment that immerses students in a unique space mission simulation.  Throughout the mission, students are presented with tasks and realistic dilemmas that build problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills.  The mission is called “Voyage to Mars” and is based on the following scenario.  In Earth years, it is 2076. A now routine voyage to Mars has brought the latest human crew into Martian orbit.  Control of the incoming flight has been transferred from Houston's Mission Control to Mars Control at Chryse Station. The crew arriving from Earth on the Mars Transport Vehicle has been specially trained to replace the existing crew of astronauts, which has manned Mars Control for the past two years. After arriving on the Martian surface, the team will collect and analyze a number of planetary samples and data. This information is vital to scientists and explorers for a better understanding of the Red Planet.  In addition to the mission, students will also have the opportunity to construct and program Mars rovers, and then to control them as they attempt basic tasks.

 

The cost of this trip is $75, and it includes lunch, snacks, the Challenger Center mission, and the Mars Rover Encounter.  Please return permission form and payment no later than Friday, March 23rd. I will need parent  squad leaders to chaperone our astronaut training; if you would like to help in this way, please fill out the chaperone sheet and return to me by Thursday, March 22nd at 8:00 a.m.; I will not be able to accept late chaperone forms.  Since space is limited at the Challenger Center, I will probably need to draw names for chaperone positions, and will do so on Thursday, April 22nd; please do not send in chaperone money until you have been notified of who will be attending.  If you have submitted your name to be a chaperone, please hold both your payment and your child’s payment until chaperone names have been drawn on the 22nd; then, you will be able to write one check and use one payment envelope.   The chaperone fee for this field trip is also $ 75.

Dahlonega, Ga (3rd Grade)

    As part of our” Life is a River” unit, third grade Target students will be taking an extended day field trip to the North Georgia Mountains.  This trip will allow us to compare and contrast the conditions of a stream in Cobb County (urban stream) to those of a stream in the North Georgia Mountains (rural stream).

     The trip is scheduled for Friday, April, 27th.  Students will depart Vaughan promptly at 6:00 a.m.  They will need to arrive at the front flagpole no later than 5:45 a.m. so that we can load the bus and pull out no later than 6:00a.m.  We will eat breakfast on the way and will arrive in Cleveland, Georgia around 9:00 a.m. While there we will conduct all of our usual stream assessments and will then enjoy a special treat of grubbing for gemstones.  Each participant will receive a bucket of gem ore, a screen, and directions on how to use the sluice to look for rubies, emeralds, amethysts, sapphires, topaz, and other semi-precious stones.

Once we have finished with our grubbing, we will drive to Dahlonega, Georgia where we will enjoy a family style lunch at the historic Smith House and a visit to the Gold Museum.  After all our activities are complete, we will leave Dahlonega and return to the front flagpole at Vaughan at 4:00 p.m. 

     This trip includes breakfast, a snack, lunch at the Smith House, transportation, Gold and Gem Grubbin, and entrance to the Dahlonega Gold Museum. The cost is $60 per student and $70 per chaperone.  Please fill out the permission form and return both the form and payment no later than Friday, March 9th. 

If you would like to be considered for a chaperone position, please return the chaperone form no later than Friday, March 2nd.  Given space restrictions on the bus, we may not be able to accommodate everyone who would like to help; with that in mind, chaperones will be chose on Friday, March 2nd and notified that afternoon.  We will send home an additional payment envelope at that time, so please do not send in a chaperone payment until we know for sure who will be attending. 

     

Students will need to bring a small backpack on our trip to the North Georgia Mountains.  Since we will be doing river assessments, boots, gloves, a change of socks, and possibly even an extra outfit should be packed. Students also might want to bring a disposable camera (with child’s name written on it), a jacket, and a book to read.  Students WILL NOT be permitted to bring candy, gum, snacks or any type of electronic device or game.  This includes i-pods, cell phones, Gameboys, etc… If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Nantahala River- Whitewater Rafting (3rd)

Believe it or not, it is time to begin making plans for our big end of year field trip.  This trip is designed to be a culminating activity for our river unit as well as an experience that will give students practice with extended day field trips.  Since 4^th and 5^th grade Target students traditionally take overnight field trips, extended day trips are a great way for third grade students to become familiar with procedures and responsibilities required for longer trips.

 

The end of the year trip for the river unit will be a whitewater rafting adventure on the Nantahala River in North Carolina. The trip will be on Friday, May 11^th, and we will leave from the flagpole at the front of Vaughan at 4:30 a.m. (All students and chaperones will need to report to the front flagpole no later than 4:15 a.m.) 

We will travel by bus to the Nantahala and will begin our day with team building activities and the opportunity to climb an alpine tower.  This will give the third grade Target students a chance to develop strategies, solve problems, and work together as a group.  It will also give them a chance to overcome some personal limitations and challenge themselves with new skills. 

 

After the team building activities and alpine tower, we will enjoy a deli style picnic lunch before embarking on our afternoon adventure- a whitewater excursion on the Nantahala River.  We will enjoy a fully guided tour of this river with mild rapids and beautiful scenery. The Nantahala is a great river for beginning rafters and is approved for children 7 and older. Students will wear life vests during their entire time on the river.  After enjoying the rapids, we will change into some warm, dry clothes for evening activities.

The first order of business will be a buffet dinner, and then we will enjoy a campfire and smores.  We will leave the Nantahala at approximately 8:00 p.m. and will return to the front flagpole at 11:00 p.m.  The cost of this trip will be approximately $185 per person (depending on number of participants).  In order to get an exact price and to be able to send in our deposits, I need to have an accurate count on the number of people who will be attending the trip. 

As always, I will need several parents who would like to join us, so if you would like to be considered for a chaperone position, please fill out the chaperone information in the packet (sent home 1/27) and return to me no later than Friday, February 17^th; I will be unable to accept late forms for chaperone positions.  If you do not wish to chaperone, then please make sure you have sent in the form for your child by Friday, February 24^th.  As soon as I have an accurate count I will send home the exact amount of the trip and payment envelopes.  I will need a  $50 deposit per person by Friday, February 24th in order to hold our reservation with the Nantahala Outdoor Education Center. Because the company will not refund deposits, all deposits are non-refundable; sorry for any inconvenience that may cause.  I am looking forward to a fun and educational experience to wrap up our river unit in May; as always thanks for your support and willingness to provide great experiences for your children.

We are looking forward to our trip this Friday!  Here are the last minute reminders on where to be and what to bring.

Download Nantahala Field Trip Reminders 2012

 

Wastewater Treatment Plant (3rd)

We are very excited about the first River Kids field trip of 2012.  During the fall semester, we studied the hydrological cycle and learned how nature is constantly cleaning and refreshing our sources of fresh water.  However, with the number of people living in urban and suburban areas, the natural water cycle is unable to keep up with the rate of pollution; so, our first topic this spring be the man-made water cycle.  In other words what do we do with all of our dirty water?

Over the first couple of weeks we will be studying water reclamation and drinking water facilities.  We will seek to understand how we purify the water that is in our rivers and streams so that it is safe to drink and what we do after that water has been used.  We will also be comparing and contrasting the natural and man-made water cycles. 

As part of our study, we will be visiting the Northwest Water Reclamation Plant that treats the wastewater from West Cobb.  Students will be able to follow the complete process and see each of the stages that we will be studying in class.  This field trip will be on Thursday, February 9^th for Mrs. Peterson’s class and Friday, February 10^th for Ms. Garvin’s class. On both days, we will leave Vaughan at 8:50 a.m. and will return shortly before 2:00 p.m.  As part of the trip, we will stop at a local restaurant for lunch, and the cost of lunch is included in the field trip cost of $8.  Please fill out both the waiver and the permission form and return no later than Friday, February 3rd.

We will need just a few parent drivers/chaperones to help us transport students to the site and to chaperone.  If you are willing to help in this way, please fill out the chaperone form that is being sent home and return no later than 8:15 a.m. on  Friday, February 3rd..  We will send out an e-mail on that day with a list of chaperones.  The fee for chaperones is also $8; please do not send in the chaperone fee until the list of chaperones is sent out Friday, February 3rd.  We will send home chaperone payment envelopes on that day.  Thanks for your help.

U.S. Space and Rocket Center Field Trip Reminders (4th and 5th Grade)

Just a reminder that our U.S. Space and Rocket Center field trip will be on Friday, December 2nd.  We will meet at the front flagpole at 5:30 a.m. for a 5:45 a.m. departure.  Please make sure to arrive on time as we will not be able to wait for late arrivals.  We have a very tightly packed schedule and a late departure would result in cadets missing some of their activities.  Students must also wear their GSRA uniforms on this training exercise; that means they should be wearing khaki pants and the GSRA t-shirt.  Since the weather will probably be cool, it might be a great idea to wear a long sleeved shirt under the GSRA t-shirt. 

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack are all included in the trip, so students do not need to bring any food.  They are allowed to have plain water on the bus as well as a pillow, blanket, book, or notebook.  Several students have asked about cameras, and it is fine to bring a camera as long as the student's name is clearly visible on the camera.  Students should not bring electronic devices such as cell phones, games, i-pods, or i-pads, nor should they bring gum.  Students may bring up to $20 of spending money for the gift shop, but this is completely optional.  The movies we will be watching on the bus are:  October Skies, Apollo 13, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and Walle.

We will return to the front flagpole at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night.  Please let your child know the best phone number where you can be reached just in case we happen to be running a little early or a little late.  If your child will be riding home with another parent, please place a note in your child's backpack so that it can be given to me when we return to Vaughan on Friday night.  It would also be a good idea to provide that parent's number in case we need to make contact.

If your child takes medication, please pack it in its original container in your child’s backpack.  Please include detailed directions and a note authorizing others to give the medicine. Your child's chaperone is in charge of his or her medication and will make sure that all doses are given throughout the day.  On Friday morning there will be time to tell your child's chaperone that there is medicine to be administered on the trip.  Please do not bring medications or notes to me on the morning of the trip; with all of the details to be handled as we leave, it is very easy for me to misplace or forget something. 

Chaperones:

Red Squad- David Vann, Jewell Conally, Scott Randall,

Yellow Squad- Ronnie Barrett, Carol Estes, Jay Garrity, Roger Gravlin, Heather Paris, Pam Shattles

Green Squad- Kristen Chance, Ken Dekle, Kahnie Cowan

Blue Squad- Derrick Glaze, Tim Goodman, Kendra Gurrick, Becky Kelly, Robin Rohrbach, Brian Williams, Mike Wing

U.S. Space and Rocket Center (4th and 5th Grade)

The time has arrived to begin making plans for our second training exercise.  Your mission, should you accept, is to complete a rocketry workshop, museum scavenger hunt, and simulator check-off at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  While there, you will also participate in training briefings, view the IMAX Hubble movie, take part in an interactive Outpost in Space demonstration, and tour Rocket Park, the Saturn V Center, and the main museum.

 

This training detail is scheduled for Friday, December 2nd; cadets will leave from Vaughan’s front flagpole at promptly 5:45 a.m. (arrive at 5:30 a.m.) and will stop on the way to Huntsville for a bite of breakfast.  We will be at the Space and Rocket Center until late afternoon and will eat dinner on our way home. Cadets will arrive back at the front flagpole at 11:30 p.m.  The cost of this training is $90, and it includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, transportation, snacks, and all museum activities.  Permission forms and field trip money are due by Friday, November 18th.   Cadets may want to bring a camera and no more than $20 spending money for this trip.

 

We will need parent squad leaders to chaperone our Huntsville training and the cost for parent chaperones should be around $110; the meals and admission are a little more expensive for chaperones, and I will not have an exact chaperone cost until I know how many individuals will be joining us.  If you would like to help in this way, please fill out the chaperone sheet and return it no later than Thursday, November 10th.  The Space and Rocket Center can only accommodate a certain number of chaperones for the Ultimate Field Trip Experience, but that number is pretty high, so many of you should be able to join us.  If I end up having to draw names for chaperone positions, I will do so on Friday, November 11^th.  Please do not send in chaperone money until we know for sure who will be attending and what the final chaperone price will be.  If you would like to chaperone, you can wait on sending in your child’s payment envelope until you receive notification on Friday, November 11^th.   

 

Aviation Challenge Field Trip- Friday

 
Just a reminder that our Aviation Challenge field trip is this Friday, September 30th.  We will meet at the front flagpole at 3:50 a.m. for a 4:00 a.m. departure.  Please make sure to arrive on time as we will not be able to wait for late arrivals.  We have a very tightly packed schedule and a late departure would result in cadets missing some of their activities. 

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack are all included in the trip, so students do not need to bring any food.  They are allowed to have plain water on the bus as well as a pillow, blanket, book, or notebook.  Several students have asked about cameras, and it is fine to bring a camera as long as the student's name is clearly visible on the camera.  Students should not bring electronic devices such as cell phones, games, i-pods, or i-pads, nor should they bring gum.  The movies we will be watching on the bus are:  The Astronaut Farmer, Short Circuit, and Zathura.

 

We will return to the front flagpole at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night.  Please let your child know the best phone number where you can be reached just in case we happen to be running a little early or a little late.  If your child will be riding home with another parent, please place a note in your child's backpack so that it can be given to me when we return to Vaughan on Friday night.  It would also be a good idea to provide that parent's number in case we need to make contact.

If your child takes medication, please pack it in its original container in your child’s backpack.  Please include detailed directions and a note authorizing others to give the medicine. Your child's chaperone is in charge of his or her medication and will make sure that all doses are given throughout the day.  Please e-mail or tell your child’s chaperone on Friday morning that there is medicine to be administered on the trip.  Please do not bring medications or notes to me on the morning of the trip; with all of the details to be handled as we leave, it is very easy for me to misplace or forget something. 

Chaperones:

Red Squad- Scott Randall

Yellow Squad- Ronnie Barrett

Green Squad- Ken Dekle

Blue Squad- Becky Lelly 

 

Except for the water survival portion of the training, cadets will be wearing their GSRA uniform for this mission.  Please make sure that your child is wearing khaki shorts or pants and his or her GSRA shirt upon arrival Friday morning.  We want to look like the outstanding ASCANS we are!

Finally, don't forget to pack the items that will be needed for the water portion of our survival training; I have listed those items below.  I hope everyone is excited and I'm looking forward to seeing you bright and early Friday morning!

Items to pack for survival and flight school:

• Plastic bag for wet bathing suit
• Bathing suit (water survival)
• Shoes that can get wet or water sandals
• Towel
• A pair of shoes that will remain dry
• Backpack to hold all of your “stuff”

 

 

4th and 5th Grade Aviation Challenge Mission

 

It is time for your first real training mission!  This mission will definitely be a long day as we travel to Huntsville, Alabama to participate in an Astronaut Survival and Flight School Program.  Our trip is scheduled for Friday, September 30th; we will leave from the front flagpole at 4:00 a.m. (please arrive at 3:50 a.m.) and will return to the front flagpole at 11:30 p.m. that night.

 

During the flight school module of the training, you will master high-performance jet fighter simulators and learn the basics of flight dynamics, acrobatics, and aerial combat.  You will also participate in a flight physiology briefing which will include a ride in a Barney Chair and a few spins in a professional flight grade centrifuge.  But the adventure doesn’t stop there!   The wilderness survival module will teach you about teamwork and skills that would be necessary in a survival situation.  Finally, you will learn water survival skills that could be used if you had to ditch your craft in the ocean or other body of water. (Don’t worry- you will have on a life vest for all water training)  The cost of this training module is $182 per recruit; it includes all survival and flight school activities, transportation by charter bus, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.   Permission forms will be given out at the parent informational meeting on Tuesday, September 13th; please return your form and payment no later than Thursday, September 22nd. No late forms will be accepted and sooner is better than later since this trip is only a couple weeks away. 

Sincerely,

Commander Garvin (Director of GSRA)

 

Items to pack for survival and flight school

• Plastic bag for wet bathing suit
• Bathing suit (water survival)
• Shoes that can get wet or water sandals
• Towel
• A pair of shoes that will remain dry
• Bug spray
• Backpack to hold all of your “stuff”

PLEASE DO NOT BRING!

• Candy, gum, or food
• Any type of weapon
• I-pod, Mp3 player, cell phones or electronic games or devices (Students only)  

Except for the water survival portion of the training, you will be wearing your GSRA uniform for this mission.  Please make sure that you are wearing your khaki shorts or pants and your GSRA shirt when you arrive at the bus Friday morning.  We want to look like the outstanding ASCANS we are and seek excellence in everything we do.  Give every module and training exercise your very best effort!

 

3rd Grade Tennessee Aquarium Trip

 

As part of our” Life is a River” unit, third grade Target students will be taking an extended day field trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee.  This trip will allow us to observe the plants, animals, and features of a river from its headwaters to its mouth.

The trip is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4th.  Students will depart Vaughan promptly at 6:45 a.m.  They will need to arrive at the front flagpole no later than 6:30 a.m. so that we can load the bus and pull out at 6:45.  We will eat breakfast on the way and will arrive in Chattanooga around 9:30 a.m. While in Chattanooga we will tour both the freshwater and saltwater aquariums and enjoy a Southern Belle Riverboat lunch on the Tennessee River. We will leave Chattanooga around 3:45p.m. and should return to the front flagpole at Vaughan at 5:30 p.m. 

 

This trip includes transportation, admission to both the freshwater and saltwater aquariums, the Tennessee River Riverboat Tour, breakfast, lunch and a snack.  The cost is $60 per student and $80 per chaperone.  Please fill out the permission form that has been sent home and return your child’s form and payment no later than September 9th. 

If you would like to be considered for a chaperone position, please return the bottom portion of this sheet no later than Friday, September 9th.  Given space restrictions on the bus, I may not be able to accommodate everyone who would like to help; with that in mind, chaperones will be chose on Friday, September 9th and notified that afternoon.  I will send home an additional payment envelope at that time, so please do not send in a chaperone payment until I know for sure who will be attending.  And don’t worry, there are a lot of great field trips planned for the year; if there isn't enough space for everyone to attend this one, there will be many additional opportunities to join your child on a learning adventure!

Students will be permitted to bring a small backpack on our trip to Tennessee.  They might want to bring a disposable camera (with child’s name written on it), a jacket, a book to read, and a maximum of $20 spending money for the aquarium.  Students  WILL NOT be permitted to bring candy, gum, snacks or any type of electronic device or game.  This includes i-pods, cell phones, Gameboys, etc… If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.