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Building benches: Students working hard for a great place to sit

Building just seems to come naturally to Kody Keller.
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Sam Richards, 14, on Thursday installs a screw into a bench being built by students from Bishop Gallagher and E.Q. Jennings schools. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

Building just seems to come naturally to Kody Keller.

The 12-year-old has spent the past several days building benches with other special needs students at Bishop Gallagher School, which will be used by students at the Clayte Street school as well as E.Q. Jennings School.

“They’re going to be outside where the bike rack is so kids can sit,” the youngster said on Thursday, with about three weeks to go before the project is completed.

He said he loves working with tools.

“You get to drill and put things together,” he said.

Classmate Andria Lamers, 13, said bench building was exciting.

“It’s fun and you have to build stuff,” she said.

“I love hammering and using the screwdriver.”

Tim Slongo, the tech teacher at Bishop Gallagher, said the project is always rewarding for both teachers and students alike.

“These kids really like to use their hands and it’s something they can do, with a little bit of help. And it’s a skill that they should develop because later on in life they might use it,” he said.

“I have a couple of students in here who are excelling quite well with it.”

The group of students is willing to learn, never argue and never complain, Slongo added.

“They just jump in with both hands.”

The garden benches will also help the two schools enhance their environmental initiatives.

 



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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