This year, a group of students from PGHS embarked on the school’s first ever transatlantic trip to Texas!
The purpose of the trip? A once in a lifetime opportunity to witness a total eclipse and to visit the NASA Space Station at Houston.
Our students gathered at school at the incredibly early time of 2am, ready to set off on a bright and early flight to Texas. After an impressive 15-hour trip, we landed in Houston. We headed first to an authentic American hotel, ready to rest up and get some much needed sleep before the eclipse the next day.
We woke up and headed to Waco, where we were able to watch the eclipse at a special event held at Baylor University. There were a few nervous moments, where it seemed that cloudy skies may hinder our view but luckily, the clouds cleared and revealed gorgeous sunshine! It was perfect weather for eating corn-dogs and drinking buckets of frozen lemonade!
The moment where the eclipse became total is impossible to describe. A moment of hushed awe fell over the gathered crowds before we all celebrated the beauty of the sight. It feels impossible to put into words just how magical and unforgettable that experience was. I believe that none of the students or staff will ever forget that moment.
After the eclipse, we headed back to Houston, ready for the rest of the week to be spent at Houston Space Station – learning all about NASA!
Our students were able to access some incredible tours, seeing such sights as the training centre for the astronauts and the enormous Saturn V rocket!
They were also able to take part in some NASA training activities. This included scuba-diving in the astronaut training pool and creating thermo and cryogenic shields. The students threw themselves into every activity with enthusiasm and ambition.
There are so many highlights from the experience, including meeting a real-life astronaut and even completing our own rocket launch (and that’s not even mentioning the amazing food, evening entertainment at bowling alleys and the funfair at the boardwalk)!
Here are a few highlights from students who took part in the trip:
“On our first full day in Texas, we had the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the incredible solar eclipse. During the few minutes where the sun was fully covered by the moon, there was a significant difference in light intensity and the whole area darkened considerably. It also felt considerably cooler. The sight of the event was truly breath-taking, and I know that it is one I will never forget. I feel so lucky that we got to see such a rare event. It was definitely the highlight of my trip and a forever lasting memory.”
Hattie C (Y10)
“Our time in NASA was really fun. We got to learn about new things. We got to see things such as tour around the Mission Control Centre, the Falcon 9 Tour, the tram tours around the building, and the Independence Plaza tour (such as the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility and the Rocket Park). It was really cool! We also had a Q&A session with a NASA Engineer.
We learnt how to make rockets and even launched them. We also took part in a VEX robotics and coding competition, a thermal tile and cryogenics challenge, a mars habitat challenge plus many more.
My personal favourite was the food in NASA. Who doesn’t love some good food? It was delicious! We had chicken tenders with chips, pizza and other options. For a dessert, there was ice-cream (my favourite was the cookie dough one), chocolate bars, and sour patch kids.”
Sahasra V (Y8)
“On Friday 12th April 2024 the NASA crew all went to Kemah Boardwalk and had a great time. Firstly, we went to Bubba Gump for our evening meal. Two waitresses did a quiz for us all and people were winning prizes. Once all our food arrived, we tucked in. I had BBQ ribs and chicken. It was so yummy. Once all our food was eaten and our plates were cleared, it was time for the fun part of the night. As we all boarded the coach, we were all getting more and more excited to go and have fun. Once we arrived, we were told to go around in groups so I went around with Miss Starkie and Mrs Byard. The first ride we went on was called ‘The Pirate Ship’. As we were queuing up for the ride, we saw people get on. It looked like so much fun and it was! As we got near to the front, I was getting more and more excited. It was finally our time to get on. As the ride was starting, it tickled my tummy. I was having so much fun. I was screaming because I loved it that much! After that, Mrs Byard and I went on the swings. They were so good that we went on it more than once. I could feel the wind rushing into my face. Our final ride was the Ferris wheel. The views were amazing. After the Ferris wheel, we were all fun- faired out so we got back on the coach. I then did a speech for Mrs Honeyman and the staff, just to say thank you for taking 34 children to NASA and to Kemah Boardwalk for the night.”
Claudia B (Y10)
Miss Starkie
Parent comments:
“Organisation was fantastic. Lots of information and updates. Teaching staff were outstanding. We felt completely secure sending our daughter.”
“The presentation evening was really helpful to hear from you what activities they did as we hadn’t heard much detail from our daughter on that. Also celebrating each individual for their memorable moments was really special.”
“My comments relate to the teachers who accompanied the pupils. Their input and organisation before, during and after the trip was first class. My daughter requires additional help and they went beyond the call of duty to ensure that she was fully looked after. That gave us, as a family, peace of mind. Our daughter really enjoyed the trip and I feel it was excellent value for money. The NASA evening that reviewed the trip with parents was well organised, thoughtful and very enjoyable. It was obvious to me, as a parent, that all the pupils had a great trip. Cannot speak highly enough of the teachers (esp. Mrs Honeyman). Beyond the call of duty. Thank you very much.”
“We are so grateful that our daughter has had this experience which truly was once in a lifetime. The teachers were amazing from start to finish. We feel very privileged to have been a part of the experience.”
“My daughter really enjoyed the trip! Thank you so much for giving her an amazing experience.”
“My daughter had a wonderful time and has made memories to treasure.”
Mrs Honeyman
Associate Assistant Headteacher
