FMS Columbia Space Shuttle Memorial Garden dedication

On Friday, June 9, 2006, the students and staff at Farnsworth Middle School paid tribute to the seven national heroes who lost their lives aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in February 2003.

The dedication ceremony of the Columbia Space Shuttle Memorial Garden at Farnsworth Middle School took place in the school’s interior courtyard, and featured musical selections by the middle school brass quintet, saxophone quartet, and seventh grade choir. Guest speakers included Assemblyman John J. McEneny, 104th Assembly District, and Christopher A. Hawver, executive director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission. The highlight of the ceremony was a special astronaut memorial, read by middle school students, in conjunction with the unveiling of the Columbia Memorial Plaque.

In February 2003, students at Farnsworth Middle School—in collaboration with Central Park Middle School of the Schenectady Central School District—participated in a research project carried aboard the Columbia Space shuttle on its last flight. The goal of the “Garden From The Stars” project was to compare the growth of native seeds from the Albany Pine Bush that had traveled through space to that of seeds that had been kept here on Earth. The seeds left on Earth to establish a controlled experiment were planted as a memorial to the brave astronauts that gave their lives instilling in our children a passion for knowledge and the courage to explore.

After two years of construction work at the middle school, the Memorial Garden will finally be open to the public this summer.

FMS Columbia Space Shuttle Memorial Garden Dedication photo gallery

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