Out of this world day of fun for Sheffield Girls' pupils to mark 50th anniversary of moon landings

The pupils from across the infant, junior and senior schools of Sheffield High School for Girls, went off-timetable on Thursday, July 11, to take part in various activities and learning based tasks centred around the theme of an astronaut training camp.

The event was held to commemorate 50 years since Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin first set foot on the moon, a day which will be marked by NASA between July 19 and 21.

During the day the students learnt about skills needed to be an astronaut, including teamwork, adaptability, mental endurance and physical agility, along with scientific knowledge and understanding.

With everything from a rocket build and launch project to space stories and a staged Star War’s Imperial March, there was something to suit all ages right through from Pre-School to Sixth Form.

The youngsters also donned their best fancy with many making their own costumes.

Those in the Junior and Senior school were invited to listen to astronomers and space scientists Andy Green and Dennis Ashton, who led a guest talk on the solar system in the on-site Stardome planetarium.

Other activities included a futuristic makeup workshop, Jedi fitness, dance and martial arts sessions, lessons on cyber space with space coding on iPads, and a workshop to teach the youngsters how to learn basic Russian.

There were also space-themed lessons on astro-physics, medicine and space, space research and travel, psychology of challenge, galactic geography, space history timeline, numeracy to infinity, economics of space exploration – all delivered by teachers who joined in on the fancy dress theme.

Nina Gunson, headteacher of Sheffield High School for Girls, said: “Today has been amazing, the atmosphere has been buzzing from start to finish. It’s been great to have something where the little ones right up to the Sixth Formers are involved.

“We’re not here next week when it’s the anniversary of the moon landings but it is such a momentous thing to mark. We’re big fans of all things STEM, for the girls to be looking at careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths but also how those skills apply into any career they go onto.

“They’re going to be more important in the future but if we look back to 1969 and the technology that came about from the Space Race because of the things that were developed to put those men on the moon, looking at in comparison to today how little technology they did have it is quite remarkable. Even though it is 50 years ago it’s really important in the timeline of technology and important that the children learn about that.”