Lake County Gazette

Eighth grade students at Mokena Junior High School participated in a virtual meeting with members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of their science curriculum’s “Weather and Climate” unit.

The session was organized by science teacher Cheryl Baltzer. “It is a great opportunity to get the experts from the field to share firsthand the information about weather to supplement our curriculum,” she said.

During the meeting, two NOAA representatives described their roles within the agency and discussed career paths in meteorology, including necessary skills and educational backgrounds. The presentation covered how weather forecasts are developed, types of weather systems such as fronts and atmospheric pressure, and tools used for monitoring severe storms. NOAA speakers also addressed local examples like tornadoes affecting the area, the 2020 derecho, winter storms, and how corn impacts local weather patterns. Students were able to ask questions about weather topics that interested them.

"I learned a lot about this governmental agency and what goes into forecasting,” said eighth grade student Logan McGrath.

Mokena Junior High School is part of Mokena School District 159, which also includes Mokena Elementary School and Mokena Intermediate School in Will County. The district has 97 teachers with an average salary of $61,802; most are women, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. In terms of demographics, 85 percent of students are White, while Black, Hispanic, and Asian students make up smaller portions of the population. In 2020, the district spent $23,197 per student for a total expenditure of over $35 million.