CLINTONVILLE, Wis. — Gavin Christopherson is one of the students at Clintonville High School who helped build four small-scale picnic tables for a local day care center this fall.
The project offered some hands-on learning as well.
“I didn’t know how small they were going to be. I thought they were just like regular picnic tables,” he said. “As we were measuring out and cutting all of them it was like, ‘This is going to be a really small one.’ Obviously, it’s for the little kids, so I understand that, but it was nice to do.”
Christopherson and other students in the advanced carpentry class are now working on other projects.
“It was definitely something new for sure,” he said. “All the boards had different angles. It was hard to have each angle on different boards and match them all up and make sure they were perfect. That was probably the hardest part.”
Mother Goose Family Daycare Center lost its child-sized picnic tables and other outside equipment in an October shed fire.
The center’s assistant director, Amber Hammons, said the community came to aid the day care when news of the loss spread.
“We can’t thank the community enough for everything that they’ve done for us. And the high schoolers, that’s amazing to kind of teach them the importance of community and helping out surrounding neighborhoods,” she said.
Hammons said the tables — which are awaiting finishing touches at Torborgs Lumber in Clintonville — will be put to use again in the spring.
“We spend so much time outside, especially when it’s nice out, we eat snacks and lunch out there,” she said. “They spend as much time as possible outside, so those tables are really, really helpful.”
Torborgs donated the lumber for the project and sought help building the tables from the class headed by wood shop and automotive teacher Turner Doornink.
“I’m hoping that they learned a little bit to give back to the community, giving back to where we live,” he said.
For Christopherson, it was an educational class project that also left him and others feeling good.
“It makes me feel good knowing I can give back to the community after a tragic event like that,” he said.