VIDEO: Rocket Day Ignites Clarence Middle School Student Learning

The learning of sixth graders at Clarence Middle School blasted to new heights as students took part in Rocket Day.

Throughout the day on June 3, 2026, students had the chance to fire model rockets behind the school building, with fellow students using math and their powers of observation to calculate the altitude of their launch. The lesson is a part of the students’ astronomy unit, and this year was the largest for the event in more than five years. 

“It’s that sense of accomplishment watching it launch, then seeing it come down,” said science teacher Deborah Wehrlin. “It’s very exciting to see their hard work.”

Wehrlin added that students drew inspiration from the recent Artemis II space mission, during which the astronaut crew achieved the greatest human distance from Earth at 252,756 miles. 

Lined up with their classmates, students took turns firing their rockets into the sky, then watched as they slowly came back to the ground with the help of a parachute. Many students took time to decorate their rockets with colorful patterns as part of their preparations for the launch.

“When the rocket first went off, it was pretty scary, but then it was pretty exciting,” said student Ellie Swiderski. 

Near the launch area, students worked together to find the angle of their classmates’ rockets using the clinometer. In class the next day, they were given the opportunity to determine the altitude of their rocket using the angle and a tangent table. Many rockets soared over 200 feet into the air.

“They really enjoy the real world application of math,” said teacher Sandra Zang. 

Wehrlin expressed her appreciation to the Clarence Schools Enrichment Foundation and the Middle School’s PTO for supporting the purchase of the students’ model rocket kits.