After receiving a generous timber donation from Halswell Timber, Wakefield School had a pile of timber with no storage space. The solution was simple: a hands-on learning opportunity where students built a timber storage area.
“We want the kids to learn practical, transferable skills that they can use in real life, skills that align with us being a rural school and reflect what they see their families, friends, and local community doing every day, and that includes building,” Wakefield School Year 7/8 teacher Scott Mackenzie, often referred to as “Mr. Mac,” who oversaw the student-built timber storage area, explains.
Thirty-five Year 7 and 8 students worked together to measure, cut, nail, screw, and assemble a six-metre-long timber storage area in just one day, taking shifts to get the job done.
Year 7 students Gideon Cambridge and Max Higgins agreed that getting the measurements correct was the hardest part, while Paige Waldron said she really enjoyed impact driving and drilling. Mr. Mac noted that the students’ confidence had grown from previous building projects, like the lizard lounge, propagation shed, and bird café fence.
“The first time we used power tools; the students had to adjust to the weight and noise. I could see their increased confidence from past projects.”
“This was easy after helping build the propagation shed last year,” Year 7 student Oscar Miller says.
His peers, Evie Thynne and Kayla Jordon, both chimed in, saying how fun the project had been for them.
Building on this momentum, the team will design and build outdoor furniture for the library, offering more opportunities for growth and creativity.
