Journal Entry

Looking into student’s classrooms!

Temperature: - 27.0 C, - 16.6 F Windchill: - 38.8 C, - 37.0 F Wind: 9.1 knts. Weather:  bright and sunny until noon.

The day started again at 5:30 am to get breakfast and then to get ready for our second video broadcast using a Polycom camera. This camera is also used by other team members of the station, like the medical team. Medical emergency, of course, would have the priority!

The first one we conducted on Saturday at 6:30 am with two schools in New York, the school of Columbia University (grade 7) , and my own school( grade 8, some grade 12, several teachers of different subjects),  the United Nations International School, UNIS in New York. It was interesting to see my own classroom from so far away! Students were well prepared with questions. Andy, Amy, and Mike (IT department) joint me in this very special question session.   Video conference from the South Pole Andy, Amy, and Elke (and Southie and Northie) are listening to the questions of students from the School of Columbia University. Mike from the IT department at the station took the picture.*

Seeing the classroom in New York Elke, Amy and Andy can see the conference room in New York*

Today at 6:30 am Antarctic time, ( 12:30 pm New York time but the previous day, Monday the 17th of December) we met the 3rd graders of the School of CU and later all of the 120 4th grade students at UNIS via Video conferencing . The reception was great again.

We are all at the video conference Besides Amy, Andy, Mike, and me, Katherine from the weather department also joint us, Katherine used to be a first grade teacher. Northie and Southie, of course would not miss this event either. (Mike from the IT department took the picture)*

**Viewing students from the School of Columbia University, N.Y. ** Elke, Amy, Andy and Katherine saying hello to the students from the comfortable conference room at the South Pole Station.*

Classrooms close to the South Pole Mike and Amy answering saying hello student’s questions. Southie and Northie in between them are giving good advice.*

Seeing what New York can see. Elke, Amy, Andy, and Katherine can also see at a second screen what New York can see. Mike is controlling the cameras for zooming and display. Amazing technology!*

120 students as seen from the South Pole These are the 120 4th graders from UNIS in New York. They all gathered in their library to ask questions.*

UNIS Teachers and Students seen at the South Pole We had a good view of all the teachers and students at the junior library at in New York.*

It was great seeing students while being at the South Pole! All members of the team truly enjoyed it , though we had to get up very early. We enjoyed sharing our experience here at the pole and answering all the questions! Thank you UNIS and School of Columbia University for giving us the opportunity to talk to your students!! And thank you Mike, Amy, Andy and Katherine for sharing your expertise with so many students

Many students ask me if they could see us. Unfortunately , we can not turn the camera to the outside. However, you can find the South Pole webcam here: http://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/spwebcam.cfm   http://southpolestation.com/   In the afternoon we continued our surface ozone data collection and launched  one of the pink surface ozone balloons with a cut off device. Before the launch, Amy and I conditioned the ozone sonde. It takes about 1 hour to two hours to get ready for the launch .

**Changing the solution ** Elke is using a syringe to change the solution of one of the cells, the cathode. Here I am discarding the solution and I replace it in the ozone cell with fresh solution just before the launch.*   This time, Andy and I conducted the launch:

Launching the Pink again Andy and I are leaving the BIF and aligning the instruments for Launching. Then I run forward with three steps and released the balloon.*

This procedure included a GPS again for finding the instrument. Andy got the snow mobile ready and followed the balloon. The conditions were perfect: calm and bright and sunny.

Amy and I observed the rise of the balloon on the monitor. However, at the designated cut-off altitude initiated by a pressure device, the balloon kept going!.. So Andy came back, disappointed. He took the opportunity of having the snow mobile ready to go and get the second balloon we launched last week and never could retrieve it. With a GPS handy, he found it!!, Andy drove a 4 km round trip on the snow mobile to complete this job!! Go Andy, go! What would we do without you!

I missed dinner while I sorted my photos. But there is always something to eat. One refrigerator outside the kitchen has labeled leftovers!!

As I packed some packages and answered more of my 300 cards for students I saw Amy, It was 22: 00 and she just came from ARO. She also missed dinner but has a stack of food at the observatory. Like Amy, there are so many hard working people here! I made it to go to bed before 23:00 (11pm). Time to get a good night rest!