Jan Term course provides students woodworking experience

For Jan Term, teacher Johnny Wilson and his students have been hard at work building toy chests and a locker cubby storage for RPA’s Learn and Play Daycare, a skateboard rack for the Proficiency Lab and a few other independent projects. 

Called “Under Construction,” Wilson essentially assembled a wood shop class in a regular classroom space with way less tools. Students came in with varying levels of experience, but they were able to use power tools that many had never used or had access to before.

“Our ‘Under Construction’ class has been a lot of fun and we’ve been able to build some necessary items for the daycare and other things around campus,” Wilson said. “Even with different experience levels, all students were able to contribute and expand their skills the last few weeks.”  

During Jan Term, some students may want to explore a subject they would not otherwise take during a regular grading period, while other students may be interested in getting a more in-depth experience in a subject with which they are already familiar. Other students may work on completing standards in order to earn credit in courses from semester one or working on courses that will help meet graduation requirements in specific subject areas.    

Wilson explained that the structure of Jan Term works well for his light construction class as they are allowed a dedicated space for tools and materials, allowing for less time spent on setup and cleanup each day.    

“This group of students worked really hard to build the items in time and took ownership of the projects and it shows with the level of detail and beauty in each item,” Wilson said.