Cornelius – On 12, May 2010, students at Cornelius Elementary School joined with more than 500 other schools around the world by signing Student Signatures in Space® posters to celebrate “Space Day 2010!”

Student Signatures in Space® (S3) provides elementary and middle school students the opportunity to send their digitized signatures into space and feel a personal involvement with the crew and the mission. Jointly sponsored by NASA and Lockheed Martin, S3 is one program of the award-winning Lockheed Martin Space Day educational initiative.
“We started the Student Signatures in Space® program in 1997 as a way to attract youngsters to space and science studies by giving them a personal connection to space,” explains Community Relations Senior Manager Barbara Reinike, who oversees the S3 activity as Lockheed Martin’s Space Day program coordinator. “We had 220 schools participate the first year, and it was so successful that we expanded the program to 500 schools per year.”
The concept is simple and, as Reinike notes, “It’s a creative, educational tool for teachers.” Participating schools are sent giant posters for their students to sign on Space Day, which is celebrated each year on the first Friday in May. Schools return the posters to Lockheed Martin, the signatures are scanned onto a disk, and NASA flies the signatures aboard a Space Shuttle mission. Upon completion of the mission, the poster is returned to the school along with a photo of the astronaut crew that took the signatures into space and a NASA flight certification verifying that the signatures flew in space.
To complement the signing activity, Lockheed Martin provides several space-themed lesson plans as well as classroom and school-wide activity ideas, which are featured on the Space Day web site at www.spaceday.org.
Although students and teachers are the usual participants in the Student Signatures in Space program, over the years the project has included parents, grandparents, and even local political leaders, who often participate in Space Day celebrations at schools.
Former Austrian President and Secretary-General of the United Nations Kurt Waldheim, for example, signed a Signatures in Space poster in May 2007 when his grandson’s school participated. As part of that school’s Space Day festivities, Waldheim read a statement that he and President Jimmy Carter had prepared in 1977 for inclusion on the Voyager 1 spacecraft that was launched on a journey to deep space 30 years earlier. Waldheim signed next to his grandson’s name on the 2007 poster. Sadly, he passed away just a month after Space Day that year, so was unable to witness the mission that carried both his and his grandson’s names to space. Vienna Elementary School, the school at which Waldheim signed the poster, has put it on permanent display.
Another notable poster signer is Senator John Glenn, who signed a poster that flew aboard mission STS-95, the historic flight that returned him to space in October 1998. Also on that mission were the signatures from an elementary school in Glenn’s hometown--a school which Glenn submitted for participation in the Space Day event that year.
At Cornelius Elementary School, in addition to signing the poster, students also recognized space day and will be following this misson.
Lockheed Martin is the founding sponsor of Space Day. Over the years, the program has evolved into a massive grassroots effort dedicated to the extraordinary achievements, benefits, and opportunities in the exploration and use of space. In partnership with NASA, the ultimate goal is to promote science, technology, engineering, and math education by nurturing young peoples’ enthusiasm for the wonders of the universe and inspiring them to continue the stellar work of today’s space explorers.
This year’s Space Day event – with the theme “Looking at Earth from Space” – was celebrated by students and educators throughout the world.
More information about Space Day and Student Signatures in Space is available online at www.spaceday.org.

- For more information on Cornelius Elementary School’s poster signing activity, please contact Mrs. Price at 980-343-3905
- For more information on Student Signatures in Space, please contact April Tensen at 540-384-7809 or signatures@mindspring.com .
- For more information about Space Day, please contact Barbara Reinike at 301-897-6601 or barbara.reinike@lmco.com .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2010
Contact: Mrs. Mary Price
Cornelius Elementary School
Phone: 980-343-3905 (school)
 

Dinner by Outback.  UFCA will acknowledge the recent SACS CASI accrediation as well as its 25th anniversary in excellent education. Dr. Joe Siragusa the Headmaster will discuss future plans for the school.  Golf and dinner packages as well as dinner only packages available.  Call the school at 704-541-1742 ext. 200 for information.

There might be a time in our lives when one person will not only make a difference in someone else’s life, but also becomes a life-saving angel. Such was the case for Chris, a typical fifth grader—at least at first glance.

In our phone conversation, Chris said that he was always getting into trouble in school, but no one knew that he had troubles at home and family members who were using drugs and alcohol—until his teacher noticed that he was upset and took time to talk with him. She suggested that he consider a low-cost summer camp called STAND (Students Taking Action Not Drugs).

Shawn Overcash, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Anuvia Prevention and Recovery Center told me that the STAND camp was developed at Anuvia and is reasonably sure that nothing exactly like it exists in this area. The structured activities build the development and practice of skills in leadership and teamwork, he said, and helps kids identify and understand the dangers of substance use, presents a strong case for abstinence and finding alternative activities, and breaks up counter-productive stereotypes about other kids.

For more information about STAND, visit Anuvia’s website at www.anuvia.org

If you’re concerned about making a difference by fighting childhood obesity, check out Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign at www.letsmove.gov. There are sections on healthy choices, healthier schools, physical activity and accessible and affordable and healthy food.

 Be well!

 Resa Goldberg

 Editor in Chief 

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That’s right, Ranucci’s Catering brings to you Award Winning Big Butt BBQ prepared exactly the same as we do for competitions. Our succulent hickory smoked pork is slow cooked for 12-14 hours and hand-pulled on-site. Ribs so tender and tasty, with just a hint of sweetness from our Maple’Licious BBQ Sauce. And our chicken, whether smoked or Italian Roasted, is always a crowd pleaser.We Are Headed to Memphis In May 2010In September of 2009 Ranucci’s Big Butt BBQ took First Place in Pork Shoulder at the Charlotte Shout, Blues, Brews & BBQ Event (MIM) and received a ticket to participate in Memphis In May... the Super Bowl of all BBQ Cook-Offs!
 

 Top Row (L-R) Asst. Coach Merkle, Taylor Phillips, Lexi Lewis, Ashley Baker, Brianna Bentley, Jordan Muhammad, Peyton Huff, Madi Cowell, Coach Vanderhill
Bottom Row: (L-R): Haley Reid, Katelyn Mathis, Jillian Perry, Lauren Miller, Janessa Askew