These past few weeks we watched one of the final pieces of the construction project – the canopy over the front entrance – being put in place. This is like a giant erector set with a concrete cylinder base, a steel cylinder, six angled support arms, and beautiful wooden trusses, all supporting an angled wood roof. The engineering on this is amazing! If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to come by and have a look!

A particular group of staff would always find an excuse to spend time in the general area of the work just to watch the installation….

Sideline Builders

This reminded me of a commercial that was on TV a few years back. The ad was for a lottery, and it featured two news anchors sharing the news about some large jackpot. The one anchor asks the other anchor what he would do with all that money if he were to win it.

The anchorman gets a dreamy look in his eyes and replies, “I’d buy me some heavy equipment and dig me some holes.” It is cliché, but so true for many of us; there is something about big machines and building stuff that captures our imaginations!

So, there we stood…up to four staff members watching the skilled construction crew assemble this very cool structure with a couple of scissor lifts, a truck crane, some big concrete anchors, and some custom-built adjustable temporary support beams.

As on-lookers, we debated the design, and we shared our interpretations on the process. It was a bonding experience!

From Duct Tape to Laser Cutters

I also see this in our students when they get creative.

Recently, our grade 8 students built incredible cardboard boats as part of their learning. One group designed a boat that raced three times and stayed dry through it all. Even after all the races were completed, other students were lined up to take a turn paddling it. Once again, it is amazing to see what can be built out of cardboard, duct tape, imagination, and careful design!

We are preparing to run a series of exploratory options in grade 6 and 7. Students will have new opportunities to design and build using computer software and our 3-D printers or the laser cutter. This will motivate students to find real world applications for their design thinking.

In the end, it is wonderful to see an incredible facility take shape. The anticipation for moving into all our new spaces is palpable. We are indeed blessed with the facilities and resources to inspire our students as they find new ways to design and build with some really cool tools.

As for me? I will continue to enjoy my view from the sidelines and dream about the holes I could dig with some big machinery.