Academic

A summary of GPA student results are
shown below, with national percentile, followed
by national rank and Detroit chapter rank. Sixth
graders do not get a Detroit chapter rank.
6TH GRADERS (2014-15)
Julia Hartnett: 90th, 5 Silver Medal
Danielle Patterson: 85th, 7 Silver Medal
Christina Thomas: 85th, 7 Silver Medal
Lizzy Kendrick: 85th, 7 Silver Medal
Sadie Kuelling: 85th, 7 Silver Medal
Billy Vogel: 85th, 8 Silver Medal
Courtney Mecke: 80th, 9 Bronze Medal
Alex Kelly: 70th, 12 Honorable Mention
7TH GRADERS (2014-15)
Maria Fields: 95th, 4, 2 Gold Medal
Brooke Popadich: 95th, 5, 3 Gold Medal
Nafi Sall: 95th, 5, 3
Gold Medal
Blake Pradko: 95th, 6, 4 Gold Medal
Aiden Kuelling: 90th, 8, 6 Silver Medal
Molly Woods: 90th, 8, 6 Silver Medal
Sade Shaw: 60th, 19, 15 Honorable Mention
8TH GRADERS (2014-15)
Samantha Savage: 95th, 4, 4 Gold Medal
Henry Whitaker: 95th, 4, 4 Gold Medal
Imani White: 60th, 18, 18 Honorable Mention
Karmella Williams: 50th, 22, 22 Honorable Mention
UP, UP AND AWAY!
Middle School students in Robert Rochte’s R.E.A.L. class
embarked on a near-space journey on Thursday, January 29,
with the launching of the 30’ balloon they built. Although
the balloon was launched with helium due to the weather
conditions, it was designed to fly throughout the day as a “solar
Montgolfiere” or solar hot-air balloon.
The balloon was equipped with a payload box containing
a GPS tracker (which unfortunately malfunctioned) and a mini
digital camcorder that was running when it took off. The hope
was that the students would be able to witness its journey
if the balloon was ever found. A label on the box included
instructions for its safe return to GPA.
“All of our predictions suggested it would land sometime
on Wednesday night, probably around 8 p.m., in northwestern
Ohio,” said director of technology Rochte, who also teaches
mathematics and computer science in addition to the Near
Space Explorations elective. The elective is part of GPA’s
R.E.A.L. (Real-world Experiences and Applied Learning)
program, which provides opportunities for students to engage
in real-world tasks that extend classroom learning, employ
cross-disciplinary thinking, make connections to the world
outside of their classroom walls, and create innovative solutions
and products as a result of their hard work.
The balloon, having completed its descent in the middle
of a field, was found by a man from Foster Farms outside of
Roanoke, Virginia.
“We never dreamed it would somehow make it all the way
to Virginia!” Rochte said. “Mr. Foster’s call on Friday morning
was the talk of the school all day.”
One early speculation for the balloon’s unexpected voyage
is that the helium diffusion rate was not as high as expected;
with some left-over gas in the balloon, the descent was
extremely slow. According to Rochte, this would have allowed
the balloon to travel much farther with the jet stream. He
estimates the balloon traveled approximately 400 miles. “Our
farthest ever GPA balloon flight was 933 miles, back in March
of 2007. That one almost landed in the Atlantic!”
While the balloon will be returned, it enjoyed a brief detour
to Shawsville Middle School in Montgomery County. Before
shipping it back to GPA, Drema Foster, the wife of the man who
found the balloon, took it to the school for the students to see
how it was constructed. She also sent pictures of the area in
which it was found.
“You will get an idea of how many mountains surround
the area the balloon was found in,” Foster wrote to Rochte in
an email. “It’s really quite amazing it landed in the middle of a
field and not in the woods.”
Rochte processed the video from the balloon and it is
available in the Latest News section of GPA’s website.
THE GROSSE POINTE ACADEMY / FALL 2015 19