- Fifth-graders at Aucilla Christian Academy are learning storm tracking with the WEATHERSTEM system.
- Students share personal stories about storm impacts on their families.
- Watch the video to learn about other ways the system helps students.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Some Jefferson County fifth-graders are now weather experts in training!
"Weather is universal."
I'm Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter, showing you how students at Aucilla Christian Academy are using high-tech tools to track storms and stay safe.
For kids at Aucilla Christian Academy, weather class isn’t just about learning the difference between cumulus and stratus clouds—it’s about tracking real storms in real time.
The school’s WeatherSTEM system lets students see local weather changes as they happen, from temperature drops to approaching thunderstorms. And for some, like Ensile Gober, it’s personal.
"My grandma, she lives down at Keaton Beach, and Hurricane Helene kind of took out her deck and her stairs," Gober said.
This system isn’t just for students. It’s a game-changer for the whole county. During Hurricane Helene, Aucilla’s WeatherSTEM was the only one still up and running, giving emergency officials critical weather data like wind speeds, lightning strikes, and rainfall, plus a live look at storm damage.
Lynwood Baxley, a student who lives on a farm, says he shares WeatherSTEM data with his family to help them stay prepared when storms hit.
“We have a hurricane brewing that we should probably get prepared for and get all the supplies we need right now,” Baxley said.
Lynwood’s teacher, Katie Fletcher, knows firsthand how powerful storms can be. She lives in Perry, where Hurricane Helene left behind major damage. She says storms like Helene can make some students anxious, but having WeatherSTEM in the classroom gives them a safe way to learn about what happened and better understand the science behind it.
"This kind of gives them a fun way to look at weather and realize that not all weather is bad, and that the best thing we can do is prepare, and that the weather is always changing," Fletcher said.
So, next time a big storm rolls in, don't be surprised if a fifth-grader is the first to warn you! WeatherSTEM is helping kids learn, families prepare, and emergency crews stay ahead of the game. In Jefferson County, I'm Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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