Eighth-Graders Skydive into Science, Empathy, and the Upper School
January 29, 2025
For the first quarter of eighth-grade science, students study physics with eighth-grade science teacher Mr. Scott Goetsch, covering concepts from gravity and falling to force in motion and velocity. Although science already covers many fun topics, there’s no better way to excite students than skydiving into science! This week, our eighth-grade Eagles visited iFly as a class to apply their learning to real-life skydiving experiences.
The annual eighth-grade trip to iFly has been a part of the ESD curriculum for eight years, allowing students to test what they have learned in an engaging way. This trip takes education outside of the classroom through an unforgettable experience. Goetsch reflected, “A lot of students always say that they would definitely do it again.”
While most people cannot go out and skydive on a random Tuesday afternoon in January, these students get hands-on learning through their trip to iFly. The iFly staff members teach our students about indoor skydiving through flight chamber demonstrations. “The demonstrations are fantastic,” said Goestch. “The staff do a great job breaking down the concepts and talking students through different applications with such a strong science focus.”
Before suiting up for their indoor skydive, students do measurements and calculations to determine their drag and terminal velocity. Then, they fly in the wind tunnel and test if those measurements are correct.
This annual trip also includes the eighth-grade “Transition into Upper School” on-campus program. During this designated time, eighth graders hear from upper school ambassadors and administrators about student life, course offerings, and what they can expect to experience during their ninth-grade year.
Another critical component of programming centers on empathy. The Admission Office takes the eighth-graders through the highly competitive ninth-grade admission process that prospective students are currently experiencing. They fill out applications and sit for one-on-one interviews with faculty and staff. Next year, when they welcome the new ninth-grade students to their class, they will have an appreciation for what applicants experienced and how fortunate they are to be part of the ESD community.
It's always a great day to be an Eagle, but this special programming day is one of the best!
