Two top Navy specialists from NAS Whidbey Island in Oak Harbor —

Aerographer’s Mate 1st Class Amy Sexton and Lt. Casey Bruce — joined more than 20 science and engineering experts in a day-long presentation at South Whidbey Elementary School on Friday.

The annual Science Day, sponsored and funded by the school’s PTA, is designed to get younger children excited about science.

And it seems to be working.

“Every year, we hear the same thing from the kids: ‘This is my favorite day of the whole year,’” said PTA president Kris McRea.

Throughout the day, veterinarians, science teachers, conservation speakers, nutritionists, scuba divers, geology experts and others rotated through the school’s classrooms. A representative from the Port of South Whidbey even brought the materials to construct a bridge.

Well, a small bridge, anyway.

Capping the day was an assembly put on by the Pacific Science Center’s Science-on-Wheels program, helping make physics, electricity, geology, astronomy and more come alive.

Sexton began her class by engaging fourth-graders over the different kinds of cloud formations, then went on to describe the importance of good weather forecasting to Navy operations, especially those that involve airplanes.

Lt. Casey, a search and rescue helicopter pilot explained the functions of his Nomex flight suit. He was soon swamped by questions: 

“Why are there so many pockets?” “How come some uniforms are green while others are sand-colored?” “What does camouflage mean?”

After explaining that the pockets are needed to “hold all my stuff,”

Lt. Casey then launched into the details of what a search-and-rescue mission helicopter pilot needs to fulfill his, or her, mission.

Elementary principal Jamie Boyd was thrilled the Navy could participate.

“When our kids get to see real-life examples of men and women in the Armed Forces, it resonates wonderfully,” she said. “I was just in the weather classroom and the children are mesmerized. We love having the Navy here and they can come back anytime.”