Geology teacher Jane Kelson and senior Sofia Marino have coordinated the purchase and installation of a weather station on campus to be used by the science courses. The cost of the station was $2500, and was finished during the week of March 16.
According to Kelson, the station was paid for through grant money. “I had some grant money from being Educator of the Year last year. The Parents Club also donated some funds, so that we were able to purchase the weather station,” she said.
“It took about a week [to build and create the weather station]. All of the science classes are excited about incorporating the weather data into the lessons,” Kelson said.
Marino said that the hardest part of building the station was the directions. “I built the whole thing. It came with directions that were not really directions. I sort of had to do it guessing and on my own,” she said.
Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES) teacher Tren Kauzer said that the station provides important climate information. “I think that many things in a student’s [life] is disconnected. Having a weather station brings important data to students first-handed. By being able to see how the weather changes daily and overtime is really cool,” he said.
According to Kelson, the weather station gives a variety of data. “It gives us temperature inside and out, along with the rainfall. It shows humidity, and the barometric pressure. By the end of this week, we will connect the [weather station] to the weather underground. Everybody will be able to look online and decide what to wear before coming to school,” she said.
Kauzer said that the weather station can help depict the weather, as Moraga is known for it’s unique climatic events. “Moraga has its own micro-climate. Being able to provide more data about this micro-climate is really exciting. It is cool that students can check the weather from home,” he said.
Kelson said that the weather station can provide data that helps teach units in both Geology and APES. “In geology specifically, we do a unit on weather. As we learn about humidity and barometric pressure, we can watch the connection between the measures and those terms first-handed,” she said.
“I have wanted a weather station for years. I am thrilled that we have made it happen, and that it is up and running,” Kelson said.
