WGOL
Listen Live
Local Weather
Russellville, AL
40°

RCS Board hosts reception to honor rocketry team

The Russellville City Schools Board of Education hosted a reception for its world champion rocketry team Monday morning, the latest event in a busy summer of accolades for the seven team members.

The Russellville Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) team won the national competition in May and earned a trip to Paris, France for the world championship last month. On June 19, 2015, the students captured the International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show. The team, sponsored by Raytheon, defeated teams from the United Kingdom and France.

RCS superintendent Heath Grimes told the students that additional official congratulatory messages were coming, both from the White House and Gov. Robert Bentley’s office. The team will be recognized at the Alabama State Capitol on July 22, after a July 17 reception at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

The RCS Rocketry Team consisted of Katie Burns, Niles Butts, Andrew Heath, Cristian Ruiz, Cady Studdard, Chelsea Suddith and Evan Swinney. They were coached by Mark Keeton and Joseph Cole.

“We’re extremely proud of each of you. You’ve put Russellville City Schools on an international stage,” Grimes said. “I don’t know if you hear it enough, but what you’ve done will have a lasting impact on our school.”

RCS Board president Jerry Groce told the students that board members were at the annual meeting of the Alabama Association of School Boards when they learned of the team’s international title.

“I can’t tell you how much excitement was generated from that announcement statewide,” Groce said. “Looking forward, this means something special for Russellville City Schools and will provide opportunities for students in a way we haven’t been able to in the past.”

Theresa Burns, whose daughter Katie is a TARC team member, said her daughter has always had an interest in engineering, even though she’s only in eighth grade.

“She’s told me since second grade she wants to be an engineer,” Burns said. “Her involvement on the rocketry team helped her want to go forward with earning an engineering degree.”

Burns’ husband Tracy served as a team mentor. He’s employed by United Launch Alliance in Decatur, another sponsor of the TARC program.

Theresa Burns said the team continuously worked so hard, and that helped keep any nerves from affecting their competition performance.

“It was a very overwhelming process, and I never expected anything like this,” she said. “I don’t think they understood exactly what they were up against. I’m so proud of them. It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Katie said being part of the rocketry team solidified the direction she wants to go with her education.

“Before this, I didn’t know what type of engineering I wanted to go into,” she said. “But the more we worked with rockets, now I want to go into mechanical engineering.”

Burns plans to be part of the RCS Rocketry Team next year. After winning a world championship, you might think some motivation might be lost next year, but Burns said that won’t be a problem.

“As the years go on, the required altitude and times of the launches get more difficult,” Burns said. “But we’re definitely going to try and finish first next year. If we can do that, it would be the first time a school wins the competition in back-to-back years.”

RHS principal Tim Guinn attended Monday’s reception to honor the students, and he also recognized the contributions of the local legislative delegation in making the team a reality.

“Special thanks go out to Sen. Roger Bedford and Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, who put up the seed money several years ago that began this initiative,” Guinn said.

Should the team again advance to the international competition in France next year, Guinn offered another strategic idea for the students.

“I think they definitely need their principal to accompany them to France,” Guinn joked.

The board also recognized Lorraine Perez, RHS biology teacher, for being named Outstanding Biology Teacher in Alabama for 2015.

Personnel moves approved by the board included

•Resignation in position: Angela Pickens, RMS teacher; and Hugh Johnston, RMS teacher.

•Transfer in position: Sommer Pounders from teacher to Library Media Specialist at West Elementary.

•Employment in position: Tracy Malone, temporary part-time aide at RHS; Courtney McKinney, counselor at RMS, effective July 7; Alice Kimbrough, science teacher at RMS; Brianne Roberts, science teacher at RMS.

The next scheduled meeting for the Russellville City Schools Board of Education is July 23 at 3:30 p.m., with work session on July 20 at 3:30 p.m.

comments powered by Disqus
Copyright © 2024 Franklin Free Press All Rights Reserved.
Designed and Hosted by RiverBender.com
113 Washington Ave. NW | Russellville, AL 35653 | 256-332-0255