WESTFIELD – Students from Westfield Technical Academy’s Career Tech shops spent the morning in the Southampton Road Elementary School on Thursday, as part of its Adopt-a-School program. The different shops were assigned to classes in kindergarten through fifth, where they read a story that related to their career directions, and did a project with the students.
Construction Tech senior Alex Sparks and freshmen Rachael Cyrankowski and Bailey Ala prepare to demonstrate how to build a birdhouse to first graders at Southampton Road School on Thursday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
In Ann Marie Buell’s first grade class, Construction Tech instructor Matt Gomes, senior Alex Sparks and freshmen Rachael Cyrankowski and Bailey Ala brought materials to demonstrate how to build a birdhouse. Before starting, Ala read the story, “Going Places,” to the class, about two friends who take a creative direction in building a go-cart from a kit.
“Our students start in 9th grade by building things that are pretty small, like this bird house. In 11th and 12th grade, students leave school during the day to build houses,” Gomes said. He told the students that they were doing similar things by following instructions to build their “100th day of school” celebration hats earlier in the day.
Westfield State student teacher Courtney Connors and second graders in Phil Lewis class show off newly planted flower pots. (Photo by Amy Porter)
In Phil Lewis’ second grade class, Horticultural Tech instructor Nathan Sperry and seniors Nick Clegg and Arianna Washington had just helped the students to plant marigolds and johnny jump-ups in a pot. After planting, they put the pots on the window sill with their names written on sticks in the dirt.
Since school vacation week was coming, Sperry told them to take the pots home, and water them just a little every day with a squirt bottle.
Aviation Maintenance Technology freshman Faith Young reads a story to Rebecca Fulton’s fifth grade class, about the first woman to build and design an airplane. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Rebecca Fulton’s fifth grade was treated to a demonstration by Aviation Maintenance Technology freshmen Faith Young, Jamie Toomey, Vlad Selesnev and Lidia Bazukin, led by AMT instructor and pilot Krysten Renihan. Young read the story of “Miss Todd and her Wonderful Flying Machine” by Frances Poletti, the story of the first woman in the world to build and design and aircraft.
The students then demonstrated a nose landing gear from an airplane, which they brought with them to class. They also used balloons to demonstrate PSI (pounds per square inch).
Information Tech senior senior Marc Cintron explains algorithms through card games with Southampton Road fourth graders. (Photo b y Amy Porter)
Information Technology students, led by instructor Kevin Grimsley, brought card games to Ashley Trainor’s fourth grade class. Grimsley explained that by playing a card game and making up the rules, students learn about algorithms, a set of instructions that they would give to computers.
“I do this with the freshmen in high school during exploratory. It’s a great way to get them involved with making a decision before they touch their computers,” Grimsley said.
Information Tech senior Alex Stuzhuk played a card game made up by fourth grader Christian Martin using algorithms. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Seniors Marc Cintron and Alex Stuzhuk then played the games with the students. Stuzhuk played with fourth grader Christian Martin, who for some reason kept winning at the game he created.
Other shops that participated in the program were Allied Health, Collision Tech, Auto Tech, Culinary, Business Tech, Electrical Wiring, Graphic Arts and Manufacturing Technology.
