We would like to express our gratitude to the Mercer Island Schools Foundation for its continued support of our fifth-grade science program. The annual Phone-A-Thon will be taking place on Oct. 27 and 28 this year, and we want to encourage the community to support our schools through this fundraiser.

Thanks to the Mercer Island Schools Foundation, fifth-graders at Island Park Elementary were able to participate in an exciting space simulation at the Museum of Flight’s Challenger Learning Center during the last school year. The classes successfully worked together, using problem-solving and critical thinking skills to carry out missions to Mars. During the missions, students faced problems and challenges similar to those experienced by real astronauts and mission controllers. As teams, they used math, science and technology in order to overcome problems, becoming true members of the Challenger Crew.

Without funding from the Foundation, this field trip could not have occurred. Thank you, citizens of Mercer Island, for enabling us to enrich the experiences of our students through high-quality programs such as the Challenger. The Challenger experience certainly gave our students a genuine opportunity to “touch the future.”

Gary Barone

Stephanie John-Lewis

Kerida Millison

Thelma Ritchie

Island Park Elementary School