Pennsbury 8th Graders Observe Engineering Week

FALLSINGTON, PA — Roughly 800 eighth graders across all three of Pennsbury School District's middle schools observed Engineers week with some high-profile, VIP calls on Zoom.

"It was our special honor to partner with Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Boeing CEO David Calhoun, Ms. Mae Krier (Levittown’s "Rosie the Riveter"), Pennsbury Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula, and engineers from Boeing Aeronautics to participate in two lessons during science class," said Pennsbury K-12 Curriculum Coordinator, Jamie Swanson.

On Feb. 17, Boeing engineers Hana McKee and Christina Bowen helped science students be curious about such things as: "What makes things fly?" and "What is an engineer?"

Afterward, students became the engineers themselves in a design challenge to build the best paper airplane, Swanson said. They designed and built their planes, then tested them for distance, stability and placement of cargo loads.

On Feb. 22, the students, along with political leaders, watched as Calhoun honored Krier, a retired Boeing employee who, in the 1940s, joined "Rosies" across the country to build the planes that would fly over Normandy and become integral in winning World War II.

Calhoun suprised Krier with an announcement about "Rosie the Rocketeer," a robot complete with the signature red and white, polka-dot bandanna, that soon will fly in a Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station.

Casey interviewed Krier during a "fireside chat," during which she urged students to "Persevere and never give up." In a chat with Fitzpatrick, Krier spoke highly of the STEM field.

"We are excited to grow with the STEM occupations that Rep. Fitzpatrick described as exploding for our next generation of scientists and engineers in the making,” Swanson said.

Gretzula welcomed Boeing as the district's newest Pennsbury Partner and several students shared their thoughts on engineering.

"This was such a great opportunity for students to complete an activity in the classroom and actually discuss the scientific method with women who work in the field of STEM," said Tom Mellon, an eighth-grade teacher at Charles Boehm Middle School.

Susan Mahoney, who teaches at William Penn Middle School, called hearing from Krier "inspiring."

"She is a strong woman and role model who continues to keep helping others and I am proud she is from Levittown, PA,just like me," Mahoney said.