Athletics News

LCA Students See Stars (at a Star Party!)

Ever wonder what an astronomer sees through a telescope? Lexington Christian Academy students in grades 7 and 8 had the opportunity to discover for themselves at a Star Party early in April. Through a professional development program at the Museum of Science, Mrs. Kathy Oliver met Dr. Michael Ratner and he became her partner astronomer. Dr. Ratner, who works at the Center for Astrophysics, has come to LCA for several years with his StarLab, an indoor planetarium. LCA teachers, students, and families really appreciate Dr. Ratner’s commitment to helping students understand and appreciate the stars.

One of the favorite parts of a Star Party are the astronomers, who set up their telescopes on the LCA field and let students and their families look at the stars and the planets. The Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston (ATMoB) volunteer to come to star parties with their telescopes.

Mrs. Oliver does a great job organizing this event so that everyone is busy and has an opportunity to experience all of the different solar stations. A special thank you to the parents who helped organize the food.

This year’s Star Party got rave reviews:

“Just wanted to let you know how much fun we had at the Star Party. The highlight was certainly outside under the stars. Our sons talked about what they saw the rest of the night.”

“You did a fantastic job with the Star Party. It was awesome for kids and grown-ups alike! Everything seemed so seamlessly, but I’m certain it was because of the amazing amount of work you did behind the scenes. Thank you, Thank you.”

“I appreciated that you started by reading the Book of Job. It was indeed God’s creation on display. To be able to see so many stars and planets in one night was wonderful. Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and a very detailed moon provides for some amazing gazing.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Oliver, for your hard work!”