July 17, 2015
SOUTH POTOMAC PILOT NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUTH POTOMAC DEFENSE COMMUNITY
Orange County Middle School Students Find Science Made Real at NSWCDD By Barbara Wagner Staff Writer
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For the Orange County Locust Grove and Prospect Heights Middle School students who visited several sites within the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), the hands-on experience widened their understanding of the real world applications of the concepts they learn in the classroom. The tour familiarized students with some of the critical missions of the Asymmetric Defense Systems Department, the Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Department, and the Warfare Systems Department. The day before, a team of NSWCDD professionals visited students at Locust Grove with a similar message: science is not only useful in the real, but can also be a lot of fun.
U.S. Navy Photo by Barbara Wagner
Meaghan, a fourth grader from Locust Grove Middle School in Orange County, is awed by the flash frozen flower during a liquid nitrogen experiment at NSWCDD. For parent and middle school math teacher Laura Wright, the chance for her students to see the “aha” moment s was priceless.
“So often now the teachers and students feel constrained by the test-directed education and aren’t able to have these opportunities in the
classroom,” she said. “Yet when they are watching these demos and we can see the ‘aha’ moments, we can tell that it becomes very real for them.
It demonstrates to them the concepts but also that these are the possible career options. ‘This is what makes science and math relevant to you now. This is why you need to pay attention in class.’ We can’t replicate that experience in the classroom.” For many students without those in-school opportunities, the options are limited to experience the hands-on demonstrations that they were able to take part in at NSWCDD facilities. “Unfortunately, with time and budget constraints, they often have to take the labs and experiments out of the classroom and many students don’t have that opportunity to see science and math in application,” Wright explained. “Opportunities like this are critical to the process,
See Science, Page 3
NSF Indian Head Welcomes New Fitness Director Aboard By Barbara Wagner Staff Writer
No stranger to the world of physical fitness, Hillary Essington, Naval Support Facility (NSF) Indian Head’s new Weight House fitness director, is excited to be aboard. Coming to the base from Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River where she served as assistant fitness coordinator, Essington has been aboard for a little more than two weeks. With a master’s degree in physical education, a minor in exercise science and with her lifetime interest in athletics, this native Marylander has everything it takes to successfully provide guidance at NSF Indian Head’s fitness center.
Essington’s interest in sports is clearly a family tradition that goes back a long way, “I have been snow skiing since I was about 18 months old - it’s just something my family does,” she said. “We take a skiing vacation every year - my brother is more adept at snowboarding but I love to ski.” In addition to skiing, Essington is also an avid basketball player having spent many afternoons shooting hoops on the courts at NAS Patuxent River, where her father has worked for over 20 years as an engineer. She played two other sports in high school and is an avid triathlete who just completed the Half Iron Man triathlon. One of the highlights of her job is working with
the young summer interns that are at the facility. It is evident from conversation with Essington that her passion is giving back and serving her community, “Athletics have always been a huge part of my life and I am interested in passing on that love to the future generations,” she said, “so to get to work with our interns is such a pleasure.” Essington has certifications in Exercise Physiology that she utilizes as a personal fitness instructor and Mission Nutrition, along with her Command Fitness Leader instructor, where she can “teach the teacher,” and her Navy Operation Fueling and Fitness (NOFF) series certification. With these qualifications she is able to understand the
U.S. Navy Photo by Barbara Wagner
The NSF Indian Head Weight House Fitness Center welcomes Hillary Essington, its new fitness director. military and more specifically the Navy’s guidelines to ensure that all sailors are “fit to fight.” She believes strongly,
though, that fitness is important not only for the Sailors but for the dependents in their lives as well. “Nutrition is a large part of a healthy lifestyle,” she explained. “If we have a Sailor here on Fitness Improvement Program (FIP), it is important that the dependents support their active duty member. It’s usually not just the Sailor - someone is cooking the meals, so it’s important that everyone is educated. We offer full day courses or even just an hour long class.” Although not from a military family, she has clearly found a connection with the mission and feels privileged to be in a
See Director, Page 4
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