Locust Valley Intermediate School welcomed a pair of impressive guest speakers, two-time Caldecott Medal recipient and children’s book author and illustrator Sophie Blackall and Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission and Flight Operations Audrey Powers on Nov. 14 and 15.
Locust Valley Intermediate students created their own iterations of Blackall’s book covers and lighthouses modeled after the one in her book “Hello Lighthouse.” Fifth grade student-reporters Vincent Lang and Lucia Mandell also interviewed the accomplished author for LVI Studio’s student news. Blackhall spoke to Ann MacArthur Primary and Locust Valley Intermediate students about her journey to becoming and author, and showed them how she draws the characters in her stories.
The next day, the fourth grade had a virtual call with Audrey Powers of aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin. Powers explained how she works to innovate space travel and how she ended up in space with actor William Shatner and other astronauts in 2021. Powers also answered students’ questions about space, other planets and how one day, we could see civilization expand to other planets.
Students were given amazing role models to aspire to be like in these incredible conversations.