27 April 2012 - The Gulf Defender
27 April 2012 - The Gulf Defender
27 April 2012 - The Gulf Defender
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A8 | <strong>Gulf</strong> <strong>Defender</strong> Tyndall Air Force Base<br />
Friday, <strong>April</strong> <strong>27</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
From budgets to robots<br />
Gov. Scott visits Tyndall Elementary<br />
By CHRIS SEGAL<br />
747-5081 | @cmsegal<br />
csegal@pcnh.com<br />
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE —<br />
Many generals have<br />
marched the halls of<br />
Tyndall Elementary<br />
School, but on Monday<br />
a governor visited the<br />
school for the first time.<br />
Gov. Rick Scott toured<br />
the elementary school<br />
with Rep. Jimmy Patronis,<br />
R- Panama City, and Sen.<br />
Don Gaetz, R-Niceville,<br />
to talk to students and<br />
learn about one of the top<br />
educational institutions<br />
in the state. Tyndall<br />
Elementary School has<br />
received an “A” school<br />
grade for the past 11<br />
years, something only 2<br />
percent of schools in the<br />
state have accomplished,<br />
according to Gaetz.<br />
“This is a great school,”<br />
Scott said. “I am visiting<br />
schools that have done<br />
well.”<br />
Scott is touring<br />
schools around the state<br />
to discuss his budget<br />
that includes $1 billion<br />
in funding for education.<br />
Critics of the budget<br />
point out that education<br />
spending was cut by more<br />
than $1.3 billion the prior<br />
year.<br />
Although education<br />
funding was the topic, it<br />
was not the focus of the<br />
governor’s time at the<br />
school. While on campus<br />
he visited with secondgraders<br />
to discuss what<br />
they wanted to be when<br />
they grew up, talked<br />
to fifth-grade science<br />
students who were<br />
using an interactive<br />
board to study for the<br />
Florida Comprehensive<br />
Assessment Test and<br />
watched the robotics<br />
club demonstrate their<br />
inventions.<br />
“I think he sees what<br />
amazing things that<br />
are happening here at<br />
Tyndall,” said Principal<br />
Susan Ross.<br />
Fifth-grade students<br />
C.J. Brown and Sehyun<br />
Chung, both 11, are in<br />
the robotics club. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
built a Lego Mindstorm<br />
robot that could travel<br />
around a board, deliver a<br />
ball to a predetermined<br />
location and avoid<br />
obstacles. Following<br />
the tour, the governor<br />
spoke of his highlights,<br />
which were the Science,<br />
Technology, Engineering<br />
and Mathematic,<br />
(STEM) opportunities he<br />
witnessed at the schools.<br />
Photos by ROBERT COOPER | Florida Freedom Newspapers<br />
Gov. Rick Scott watches as a student adds effervescent<br />
tablets to make a “lava” lamp at Tyndall Elementary<br />
School on Monday. Left, State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-<br />
Niceville, left, and Scott visit Jan Dykes’ fifth-grade<br />
science class. Sehyun Chung, 11, and C.J. Brown, 11,<br />
demonstrate a robot they have been working on for a<br />
class assignment.<br />
“I learned about all the<br />
STEM they have here,”<br />
Scott said. “It’s hard to<br />
see if you always have the<br />
right funding, but this is<br />
the future for all of us.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> students all<br />
spoke about their<br />
excitement to spend<br />
time with the governor,<br />
as did the teachers and<br />
administrators.<br />
“I am thrilled,” said<br />
teacher Jan Dykes, about<br />
her classroom visitor.<br />
“I think it’s a great<br />
opportunity to learn what<br />
is needed and what is<br />
going on at schools.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> governor<br />
concluded his visit at the<br />
school by participating<br />
in a science experiment<br />
with the students. He and<br />
some of the students used<br />
a water bottle, oil, water<br />
and Alka-Seltzer to create<br />
a lava lamp.