An educational tool turned out to be the cat’s meow for two students at a Davisburg area school.
“We made this cat toy with pipes and stuff,” said Grace Luke-Black, a Grade 8 student at Heritage Heights School. “My aunt has two cats and they always want want to play with one toy.
“I decided if they had this big thing, they can play with lots of toys in this little tent — it’s kind of like their cat tent.”
The cat toys were hanging from what looked like a mini swing set. It was built as the school’s Grade 8 students participated in the Virtual Skills Exploration Day Nov. 24-25.
The goal was for the students to create a chindogu.
"It’s a tool that serves a purpose but might be over involved or maybe the tool is so simple you wouldn’t want to use it in the first place,” said Glenn Gibson, Heritage Heights principal. “It’s about having the fun of designing something from start to finish.”
Luke-Black and partner Avery Schellenberg also created a heart-shaped jewelry stand, a garden ornament, and a sewed dress.
“It was a lot of fun for me because I love doing this kind of stuff,” Luke-Black said. “I also liked seeing what the other students did. I usually do this with my dad, but it was fun to do it with one of friends.”
Getting students to think outside of the box and to try new things was part of the whole process, said Grade 8 teacher Matt Berrigan.
“It was fantastic because we don’t have a shop program,” Berrigan said. “This gave them access to an introduction to trades where a lot of kids may want to go — it gives them a chance to try something they haven’t done before.
“As a learning opportunity it was absolutely fantastic.”
Some of the tools built by students included a dog-food dispenser, an incense holder and others.
Taya Vermeeren built a jewelry stand.
“We decided we wanted to make a crazy looking one and it looks crazy now,” Vermeeren said. “It looks really cool.”
She used an electric saw, drill, sander and others to build the stand.
She said she often helps her dad at home with projects.
“But it was fun to be able to do it at school where we don’t usually get to do that,” she said.
Ryder Shields created a storage chest.
“I got to use tools that I have never used before,” Shields said.
The program was virtual this year due to COVID-19. In previous years students from around southern Alberta would participate in one area, such as the Big 4 building for example.
A livestream on the school’s Facebook page was presented so students could show their wares to parents.
For information about the Heritage Heights’ experience go to click here.
