HHS Agriculture Construction students create Jack-o-Lantern Tea Lights
Oct. 30, 2024
It’s a little spooky, a lot of learning.
In Jon Vaughan’s Ag Construction class at Hillcrest High School, students built Jack-o-Lantern Tea Lights as part of their first quarter learning. During the project, students learned the basics of how to operate a miter saw, sanding and staining.
“It was really fun to use a miter saw,” said junior Wyatt Adams. “I figured it out pretty quickly, but making the Jack-o-Lantern was fun. I took it home and gave it to my mom. She loved it.”
In Ag Construction, students use guaranteed and viable curriculum to learn how to navigate certain technical equipment, as well as learn life skills like problem-solving, creativity and collaboration. It’s not so much making a lantern, it’s understanding how to build something, says Vaughan.
“Ag Construction, wood technology, these classes help students learn life skills that can help them thrive in any career,” he says. “Building a Jack-o-Lantern is just a fun way to introduce students to what’s possible.”
Ag Construction is part of the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Career Technical Education pathway at Springfield Public Schools. This class, as well as Agricultural Science I and II, are available to students pursuing agriculture at Hillcrest and Glendale high schools. This work is in alignment with a districtwide expansion of College and Career opportunities, a priority in the district’s Strategic Plan.