Students speed to summer learning
Published 4:44 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Isle of Wight County Deputy Grayson Craun talks about ways that police measure speed to a group of gifted students participating in the Tidewater Regional Governor’s School at Georgie D. Tyler Middle School on Wednesday, July 12. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Ethan Jarratt receives instruction from Deputy Grayson Craun as he prepares to use a lidar gun. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Isle of Wight County Deputy Grayson Craun instructs Christopher Cohick on how to use the radar gun during the Tidewater Regional Governor’s School on Wednesday, July 12, in Windsor. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Brycen Mayfield uses a radar gun to calculate the speed of a softball rolled down a sidewalk by one of his classmates in the Tidewater Regional Governor’s School. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Audrey Graham concentrates as she works the radar gun during a hands-on learning opportunity Wednesday, July 12, in the Tidewater Regional Governor’s School. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Zyaire Nobles follows the instructions of Isle of Wight County Deputy Rasheim Franklin as he utilizes a lidar gun to detect the speed of a passing vehicle on U.S. Route 258. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Kylie Turner calculates distance with a lidar gun as Deputy Grayson Craun studies the readout. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Measuring the distance to the far end of the room with the lidar gun is Logan Lipford. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Focusing as she uses a lidar gun to measure distance is Emma Genito. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Tia Warford uses a lidar gun to track a vehicle’s speed on U.S. Route 258, receiving assistance from Isle of Wight County Deputy Rasheim Franklin. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Orion Brown makes use of the lidar gun with instruction from Deputy Grayson Craun. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
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Gifted students from across Western Tidewater enjoyed a hands-on learning opportunity during a special session of the Tidewater Regional Governor’s School on Wednesday, July 12, at Georgie D. Tyler Middle School in Windsor.
Leslie Moring, an educator at Windsor High School, noted that the TRGS is a grant-funded summer program that services 60 identified gifted students from Isle of Wight County, Franklin, Suffolk and Southampton County.
On Wednesday, students learned about radar (radio detection and ranging) and lidar (light detection and ranging) courtesy of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies on hand gave a brief overview of the technology to students, explaining how law enforcement utilizes it, and then students were able to make use of radar and lidar guns themselves, tracking the speed of rolling softballs and basketballs on the sidewalk and even cars driving down U.S. Route 258.
“This is a real-life activity that’s going along with our theme for our camp, which is the ‘Need for Speed,’” said Chris Johnson, a teacher from Windsor High School who is in his first year working with TRGS. “So rather than doing just passive activities and seated activities, we give the students an opportunity to have some real hands-on experience and see things from a perspective of somebody outside of the school environment, such as the (sheriff’s office).”
Alluding to a key social component and opportunity created by the summer program, Elizabeth Zartman, a teacher from King’s Fork Middle School who is also working with TRGS, said, “All of the kids are from different districts, so they come here not knowing each other.”
Johnson indicated that TRGS is the local chapter of a two-week program taking place throughout the state, and Zartman added that it is funded by the Department of Education.
Sharing a tentative schedule of other activities scheduled for the Tidewater Regional Governor’s School, Moring said that on Tuesday, July 18, there would be a field trip to Daniel’s Performance Group in Smithfield from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
“Students will learn about speed and how cars can be influenced,” she stated, adding that there would be a small car show and hands-on activities.
On Thursday, July 20, there will be an open house/expo at Georgie D. Tyler Middle School at 1 p.m., Moring said, noting that those attending will be able to see all that the students have learned about speed.
