Balloons aloft in search of friendly returns

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 585, 9 May 1995, Page 1

Balloons aloft in search of friendly returns

By Michele Monaghan Hundreds of heliumfilled balloons were released by Waiouru Primary School pupils on Thursday signalling the end of the school' s flight week. The balloons were tagged with return addresses and notes requesting the finder to contact the school and/or dispose of the balloon in a proper manner. "We're hoping the people who find them will send them back," said deputy principal Murray McGibbon. (One tot had grander ideas and asked the balloon finder to send a present.) Mr McGibbon said. the balloon venture was not undertaken lightly. Permission to release the balloons was obtained from civil . aviation and Ohakea Air Base as Waiouru is in a flight path. The green aspect was also considered and Mr McGibbon said he hoped the tagging of the balloons would encourage people to pick them up. Students spent the week making darts, kites, rockets, parachutes and boomerangs. Anything that could fly was studied during the school' s focus on science week. Senior department pupils were vertically grouped with students of different ages. Each day the groups had a different teacher and different activity, encouraging interacti ve learning, said Mr McGibbon. I