TGS Wright Flight Serves Others, Flies Planes

As part of their Friday Explorations, nine seventh- and eighth-grade Gregory School students recently completed the Wright Flight program. Wright Flight is a non-profit organization that teaches students about the history of aviation and pairs the aviation curriculum with the importance of goal setting. This is the second year in a row that Middle School mathematics teacher Ms. Mickey Celentano has offered this program to our students. 

 With the ultimate reward of flying a plane (yes, really!), students must complete two components of Wright Flight. The first component is a series of nine lessons on everything from the Wright brothers’ first successful flight to modern space aviation, and then pass a written test with at least an 85%. The second component is to set and achieve a goal.

 This year, Gregory School Wright Flight students chose to make their goals entirely community-service related. Six students joined forces with a goal of raising $125 to donate to Casa de los Niños. Through a series of bake sales, the students raised double what they anticipated and were able to donate $250! Two Wright Flight students served our TGS community by volunteering to return the middle school dishes to the dining hall after lunch every Friday, and one student made and donated six blankets for Pima Animal Care Center.

 All TGS students passed the test and achieved their goals, so on Friday, February 28, the group set off to Tucson International Airport to fly the planes! “It was really cool to take control of the plane,” Sydney Sundt ‘25 said. “And my pilot was very nice.”

Katie Cannon ‘24 added, “It was so satisfying because you work really hard for two or three months to learn all about aviation, and when you finally get up in the air, the feeling of euphoria is indescribable.” 

Ms. Celentano plans to continue Wright Flight at TGS next year!