Canadian Astronaut video chats with Kamloops students

“Every day is a little bit different, but every day I really train to fly in space,” she told the students.

Kay Bingham Elementary was part of the chat thanks to the work of Grade 5/6 teacher Lisa Pye.

“Two summers ago I was looking for information about space because we would be studying space in a unit, and I found an application on the Canadian Space Agency website that said if you would like an astronaut to visit your school, please sign up here,” Pye said. “And I thought, ‘absolutely, we would like an astronaut to visit.'”

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Jill Sperling

Pye was recently contacted by the CSA about the opportunity to participate in a teleconference with Sidey-Gibbons.

The Canadian astronaut discussed how she was recruited by the CSA before answering a variety of questions.

“They were very curious,” Pye said of her students, “they were all excited to ask a question, all of them wanted to talk to the astronaut, and they listened really well, it was a fairly long presentation, so for them to sit still and focus on what was happening and still be interested by the end, was really exceptional.”

When asked if she ever felt like giving up, Sidey-Gibbons encouraged the students to reach for their dreams.

“Hopefully I can pass on to you that you really shouldn’t cut yourself out of the running for anything or give up on something,” Sidey-Gibbons said. “If something doesn’t work out, it surely should not be you that puts that limit on yourself.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Jill Sperling

By the end of the presentation students like Paige Smith were inspired to shoot for the stars.

“It makes me feel pretty confident that she had a dream when she was little, and then when she was in her twenties again, and that she is now training and wanting to go to space,” Smith said. “It’s kind of nice to know that dreams do come true sometimes.”

by Jill Sperling

Canadian Astronaut video chats with Kamloops students

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