By By SPIROS GALLOS / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Students in Room 29 at Ring Lardner Middle School have been busily working to complete a class project which will reap more rewards than simply a good grade for each student.
Room 29 is the shop class room at Ring Lardner, and the students have been hard at work measuring, cutting, and painting wood in order to make decorative trees.
For four years, students in Tom Hurst's shop class have made the decorative trees and sold them for fund raising purposes, but this year is a little special.
This year, the students are making 50 of the four foot tall trees which will be bought by the Niles Downtown Development Authority.
Niles DDA Main Street Director Lisa Croteau thought the trees would be a unique way to thank sponsors and contributors who helped support DDA Main Street programs such as Santa's visit to downtown and other activities.
Croteau contacted Hurst and expressed her interest in purchasing the trees.
In addition to wanting a unique gift for sponsors, Croteau also wanted to support Hurst's shop class.
There will be trees available for sponsorship by any individuals or groups interested in supporting Niles DDA Main Street programs for a $100 donation.
Although all of Hurst's six classes are involved in the creation of the trees, mostly painting finished pieces, 40 students his two eighth grade classes do a majority of the work, measuring, cutting and painting the wood.
All profits from the sale of project items return to the shop, allowing for more materials and equipment to be purchased. Every year after the trees are sold and money is collected, Hurst holds a special breakfast for his students in appreciation of their hard work.
In addition to the Christmas trees, the shop class has also made and sold other items in the past. Every year, the shop class makes parts for 160 snow shoes which are sold to Sarett Nature Center of Benton Harbor.
Hurst believes projects such as the christmas tree project are important for the students to do because it teaches them more than wood working skills.
Students have a full say in how the business of the class is run, from financial matters to distribution.
Helping Hurst in the wood shop is teaching assistant Debbie Johnson, who works at the school full-time, assisting different teachers in many different areas.
Hurst said he has even seen former students take their wood working skills out of the shop and make money while doing it.