Challenger Middle School

Quarterly Newsletter

History

"We Touch the Future, We Teach"

We are celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year. In 1987, Challenger Middle School started as a junior high with a double-session schedule of 840 seventh graders sharing the site of Wangenheim Junior High School. We moved to temporary bungalows located next to our current site later that same year. Our permanent buildings opened in 1990 with eighth graders joining us in 1991. We became a middle school with 6th, 7th and 8th graders in 1996.

Our school is named in honor of the space shuttle Challenger and her courageous crew. On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded during lift-off, ending the lives of all seven crewmembers including the first "Teacher in Space", Christa McAuliffe.

The name “Challenger” captures the energy and the inspiration associated with commitment to success. It dares one to go beyond one’s limits, to have high expectations, to touch the future. The crew’s love for their country, commitment to excellence and appreciation of education were elements that led to their success. The memory of that crew will serve as a role model for our multi-ethnic student population.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Report about the Challenger Accident

Christa McAuliffe

September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986

First Teacher in Space

Mrs. McAuliffe was a social studies teacher from Concord, MA who chosen by NASA out of thousands of applicants to develop lessons and teach all of us about space. She considered it to be The Ultimate Field Trip. In order to be part of the crew, she trained for 114 hours just like all the other astronauts. She loved to teach and her motto was “I touch the future, I teach.”

Teacher Reaches Space Two Decades Later

Barbara Morgan, an elementary teacher who trained as a backup astronaut for Christa McAuliffe under the Teacher in Space Project, finally flew in space for twelve days in August 2007 on the orbitor Endeavour during Mission STS-118.

Pre-Flight interview with Barbara Morgan covering her role then and now as an Educator Astronaut

Challenger Crew

Mission STS 51-L

These astronauts who trained and worked together represented the hope and diversity of America.
Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Commander
Michael J. Smith, Pilot
Ronald E. McNair, Mission Specialist
Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist
Judith A. Resnik, Mission Specialist
Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload Specialist
Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist - First Teacher in Space

Arlington National Cemetery Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial

20^th Anniversary

Many former staff members and students attended our 20th anniversary celebration, including all of our former principals. We were privileged to have a U.S. Marine Color Guard, VMFA (AW)-121 Greenknights, from Miramar MCAS present and retire the colors. One of our parent volunteers, Mrs. Shortill was instrumental in arranging their participation. Thank you the men who took time out of their very busy schedules to honor our school with their impressive performance.

Sgt Reese W. Taylor, Cpl Harvey R. Ballman, Cpl Eugene F. Sloskey, LCpl Jason A. Slaven
Accompanied by MSgt Steven C. Shortill

Mrs. Generia Perkes', who also retired on that day, reflected on the years she spent learning and growing through change as we went from a junior high with only 7th graders to a middle school with 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Our current ASB President, Nicole Hardson-Hurley discussed her many family connections to Challenger and how Christa Mcauliffe, the First Teacher in Space, inspires her to become a teacher herself. George Presecan, a former Challenger student and senior at Mira Mesa High School, encouraged our students with his motivational speech about becoming a well-rounded student in academics as well as in sports. Advisory representatives recited the poem One Life and the Challenger Chorale, accompanied by one of our excellent student pianists, Jinyoung Hwang and violionist, Natalie Gibson, sang the Star Spangled Banner, Challenger's Alma Mater and, to finish, Happy Birthday!

Principals (from left): Sheelagh Moran (2007-Current), Lamont Jackson (2005-2007), Samuel Wong (1993-2005), Mary Castleberry (1987-1993)

Shuttle Court

In the center of our campus, to greet all who enter is a full-size mosaic of the Space Shuttle Challenger; aptly named the Shuttle Court, it serves as a reminder to young and old alike of the sacrifice all astronauts make in the name of charting our future travel in outer space. The picture is courtesy of Google Earth.

The Gillespie Field Air Museum in El Cajon donated a very large model of a space shuttle to Challenger in the spring of 2003. We thank them for their generosity. It is currently housed in the auditorium and is quite impressive. It is larger than most of our students!

Challenger Alma Mater

Oh Challenger, we honor you as we go through life,

We'll think of you and what we learned

as we face our life's strife.

As we move on through the days,

our thought will oft return

To the friends we made, the joys we shared,

They will stay throughout the years.

Written by Leonard Wolfe, Former Challenger Music Teacher Music arranged by J. Cusack

Shuttle logo designed by former art teacher, Larry Oviatt
Each one of the stars represents one of the lost astronauts.