STARRY-eyed pupils at Bilton C of E Junior School went beyond the final frontier when they reached out and touched the moon.
They had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hold rare samples – including a 1.2billion-year-old piece of moon rock and a 4.3billion-year-old meteorite – during the school’s Space Week.
The lunar samples, collected in the late 60s and early 70s during the Apollo missions, were lent to the school by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council.
And meteorite samples included a piece of Campo De Cielo which was first recorded in 1576, and a chunk of the Udei Station meteorite, which was witnessed falling to the Earth in 1927.
Pupils also viewed space through a planetarium which came on site, and created their own moon footprints.
The week culminated in a community stargazing evening for parents and children, hosted by The Rugby and District Astronomical Society.
Teacher and Space Week organiser Sarah Stevens said she was incredibly excited by the arrival of the unique objects, and overwhelmed by the children’s response.
She said: “The children’s eyes have been truly starry all week! They have been in awe of the fact they have held a piece of space in their hands, something very few people have been able to do.
“They have brought items from home, carried out their own research and been truly creative with their ideas across all of the activities – their enthusiasm has known no bounds.”
She said another highlight was a message of encouragement from British astronaut Major Tim Peake, who spent over six months on board the International Space Station in 2015-16.
“From an early age he would look out to space and wonder what stars and planets were made of,” said Mrs Stevens. “Our children have had the opportunity to see that for themselves.”
Head teacher Alexandra Norton added: “It has been a truly intergalactic week with everyone involved being truly inspired to reach for the stars.
“We have seen first-hand how the children have spent a week living in awe and wonder of our world, realising we are not the biggest thing around.
“One of this week’s activities has been to plan items that they would need to take to the moon – what an exciting prospect.
“This experience has opened their eyes to the truly endless opportunities that their future holds.”
Pupil Connie M agreed, saying: “Space week has been very good. Mrs Stevens has managed to get us lots of different things to see that a lot of other schools will not have.”
Martha K added: “The planetarium was great, I loved how we were able to see how all the stars connect and makes stories and pictures together.”
And Daisy M said: “Touching the moon rocks was amazing, as that is something that I would never have thought I would do in a million years.”
Staff thanked Coventry Museum, Rugby High School, and parents and carers for their help during Space Week.
