ASHLAND — The West Holmes Middle School wood shop area is humming with the sound of a chop saw, a table saw, and a dozen hammers and coping saws in the hands of 7 & 8th graders.
The school’s wood shop has gained new life with the introduction of a beginning Manufacturing program taught by Tom Kalo, who is also the instructor for Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center’s new Manufacturing program at West Holmes High School.
Kalo, who has a construction background, wants to get tools in the hands of students.
“Some of these students have a little background with tools but some haven’t even held a screwdriver so this is all new to them. I want them to learn basic skills but I really want them to learn safety while they’re using any tool.”
Kalo’s afternoons have been kept busy with about fifty middle schoolers who learned about safety and tool use before they tackled their first project, a “pumpkin basket.”
“I try to relate projects to the seasons or holidays so they have something to take home,” says Kalo. “What parent doesn’t want to see their child bringing home a project they have made all by themselves?”
To keep the program cost-efficient, students are using wood reclaimed from old shelves and cabinets discarded by the school or scraps gleaned from the Career Center’s Building Trades program at the high school.
Soon, students will be learning about fire safety as Kalo plans to team with the local fire department for a safety day.
“I want my students to learn respect for tools, how to make basic repairs, and, most importantly, lifetime lessons on safety,” he adds.
