LOUISVILLE, Kentucky USA — Ever since David Lee found out that he would be launching a real model rocket, the third-grader at Field Elementary admits he had trouble concentrating on anything else.

Principal Susan French, of Field Elementary School, laughed as she pointed to soaring rockets at Sacred Heart Academy yesterday. Students created working rockets in a schoolwide project called "October Sky." Photos: Michael Hayman.

It was the same for nearly every other student in second through fifth grade at the Crescent Hill school as they prepared for their first "October Sky" rocket launch yesterday on the athletic field at nearby Sacred Heart Academy.

"Each day for the past two weeks, they kept coming up and asking me, 'When are we going to launch them?' Is it almost time?' " principal Susan French said, laughing. "I kept telling them, 'You have to finish building them, first!' "

The students began building and decorating the rockets in mid-October with the help of Jesse Sims, an artist in residence with the Kentucky Arts Council from Munfordville.

SLIDESHOW: Several of the rockets blasted off from a launching platform. "To see the looks on their faces today and see all that excitement — this is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives," said teacher Sarah Carmichael-Miller. Photos: Michael Hayman.

"We received a two-year grant earlier this year from the Kentucky Department of Education in an effort to enhance our arts and humanities and foreign language programs," French said. "We started researching artists and wanted to find someone who could combine the arts with some of the other subject areas."

The project allowed students to use their math and science skills to construct the rockets and determine trajectory.

Yesterday morning, a group of eager third-graders were the first to test their rockets. After the students handed them to Sims to be placed on the launching pad, some rockets roared 500 feet into the air.

"Awesome!" they yelled.

Other rockets didn't go as high.

"Every little thing can affect how these things fly," Sims told the students. "When you get your rocket back, take a look at it carefully and check it out. Perhaps one of the fins was glued on crooked."

Danielle Foos, 8, said watching the launch was the best part.

"I love doing these kinds of things in school," she said. "It's so much fun that it doesn't seem like we are learning, but we are."

Third-grade teacher Sarah Carmichael-Miller said it took four hours over the course of two weeks to build the rockets.

"It took up a lot of instructional time, but it was worth it," she said. "To see the looks on their faces today and see all that excitement — this is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives."

Copyright © 2008, The Courier-Journal.