Our SLI team will consist on mainly 5 students, one teacher, and our mentor. We have the support and services of our entire district and community to help us.
Shawn is a senior at West Point-Beemer; he will serve as our propolsion, recovery and safety team member. He was a member of the 2006 TARC team that placed 3rd at national finals. He was also a member of the 2006-2007 West Point Beemer SLI team. He enjoys anything that has to do with programming and robotic engineering. He is a participant in Quiz Bowl, One-Act Play, and member of varsity golf team. He is president of the Saint Paul Lutheran Church Group and he serves as the video technician during church services.
Chris is a junior at West Point-Beemer High School this year. He has a grade point average of 4.0 and is enrolled in physics and chemistry. Extra curricular activities include football, basketball, quiz bowl, student council, FFA, TARC and 4-H. In his spare time, Chris enjoys hunting and fishing. He is looking to gain knowledge in this program as he looks to Engineering as a future career. He is currently our science payload specialist.
Jordan, a junior, is responsible for outreach and publicity on the SLI team. She is a member of many groups and clubs. She is involved in One-Act, Speech, spring musical, student council, Quiz Bowl, and Future Problem Solvers. She is the juniors class's president. Her math and science classes this year are Algebra 2 and Chemistry. She will be responsible for outreach and publicity.
Amanda, an active junior at West Point-Beemer High school, participates in many school activities. She currently participates in volleyball 3 years, track 2 years, FBLA Secretary 1 year, One-Act 3 years, Track 2 years, was also a member at one time, FCCLA and Student Council. She has been a letter winner in both Speech and One-Act. She is active in her churches Youth Group and has been serving as the Vice-President for the past 2 years. For science-related classes she has taken biology and physical science. She is currently enrolled in chemistry this year. She shows a big interest in computers and programming. This will be her first year on the school's SLI team as the Web Page Designer.
Andrew, a senior, is the project manager. He has been involved in student council 2 years, Future Problem Solvers 3 years, State Future Problem Solvers 1 year, Quiz Bowl 1 year, golf 2 years, Burke-Mount Michael Co-op swimming 2 years, FIRST V.E.X. Robotics 2 years, and student government 1 year. The science related classes he has taken previously are biology, physical science, chemistry and physics. He is currently entering his senior year at Mount Michael, an hour away, and is taking Honors Physics through Creighton University, A.P. Chemistry and A.P. Calculus.
He has been involved in many rocketry-related projects, including: Team America Rocketry Challenge 2004, TARC 2005 Finals-both years flying composite propelled two stage vehicles, TARC 2006 3rd place finalist, was a member of Nebraska’s 1/5th scale Delta III Rocket Project Team in 2005 (www.insaneprojects.com), he helped with the 1/3 scale Mercury Redstone flown at Airfest 13 this year and he was the team leader and project manager of West Point-Beemer’s 2006-2007 SLI project. He also participated in the national launches of LDRS 22 and 24. He is a member of THOR (The Heartland Organization of Rocketry), and his Tripoli membership number is #9725.
His community involvement includes volunteer work at his church’s local camp three weeks each summer the past 3 summers. He has helped with the local 4th of July fireworks show the past 5 years, 3 years as assistant co-coordinator. He has been a 4-H member for 9 years and taught a cub-scout rocketry class in 2004. The past 10 years he has been a member of the local swim team and the area YMCA Swim Team 6 years. The past 3 years he has gone to the Cosmosphere Space Camp in Hutchinson, KS. He is excited to be involved in WP-Beemer Jr-Sr High Student Launch Initiative team so he can learn more about the real world of aerospace engineering, his career goal.
Jim is the Lead Educator for this project. He is in his 29th year of teaching. For 24 years he was the entire science department for Beemer Public School. Jim currently teaches Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, and a DC Physical science at West Point-Beemer Jr. Sr. High School. He earned his Bachelors of Science degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and has over 45 graduate hours in the sciences to cover his varied teaching load. He is also endorsed to teach computers and Information Technology. Jim has been a Future Problem Solving coach, with 10 Nebraska State qualifying teams. Jim participated in the Peter Kiewit – Holland Academy of Excellence in the summer of 2007.
His outside school interests have included Boy Scouts of America where he was a Webelos and Troop leader, a contingent troop leader for two National Jamborees, a district new leader trainer, and a recipient of the District Award of Merit, and Council Silver Beaver. Jim also volunteers with Special Olympics. Woodworking, and caring for his grandson round out his time. Rocketry is still a new field for Jim, but he has learned a great deal in the last year. He says his students are great mentors. He will be sponsoring the schools reemerging TARC team as that project moves forward as a part of the SLI outreach.