On January 24, Grade 7 visited Yokohama Science Frontier High School (YSFH) for their Educational Excursion. After a warm welcome, the students from the two schools collaborated to build miniature rockets (with real fuel!).

Although the rockets came with meticulous instructions, there was also room for students to exercise their scientific and engineering skills to optimize the design. After lunch, we gathered in a field for a grand launching session. This excursion served as an excellent opportunity for our students to apply what they have learned in their Physics unit, particularly when designing the parachute to maximize air resistance without adding too much extra mass to their rocket. Our students also learned a lot from the YSFH students, many of whom are members of the school’s Rocket Research Club!

But perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the excursion was the friendships that were forged over the course of the day. Aside from the collaboration and communication we saw during the rocket building phase, it was a pleasure to witness the students play games and share stories with one another during their free time, as if they had known each other all along. No doubt it was a memorable day for all! We hope this experience will serve the Grade 7s well as they embark on their Middle School Science Fair projects.