You would have thought he was a rock star as the gymnasium erupted when Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield came on the screen. Children cheered when he said the simple words, “Hello, Breslau Public School!”

Hadfield talked about the curiosity of learning. He said that in space you don’t have spare time, but you have the opportunity to be curious and to experiment all of the time. On a lighter note, the students took interest in hearing that in low gravity you can do 1000 summersaults in a row or even learn that you can go to the bathroom upside down!

However, beyond that, his messages were clear and far more than outer space. He talked about working hard and being a good person. He said that when you experience a sunset and sunrise every 45 minutes, “There is beauty everywhere. The problems of the world look different from that perspective. The terms “them” and “I” fade away and it all becomes us. We are all part of the same world.”

He went on to talk about the hard work in achieving any goal.  If you want to be an astronaut you need to be willing to work hard. You need to be fit, show that you can learn complex things by doing a master level degree in university and that you can make good decisions in situations where the consequences are important. Hadfield was a very optimistic speaker that found a way to draw the children in!

The Breslau PS staff and students very thankful to the Canadian Astronaut Society who facilitated this once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

 

Breslau PS staff and students enjoying the wisdom of Chris Hadfield.

Breslau PS staff and students enjoying the wisdom of Chris Hadfield.