OLG students build model boats
Last spring, the 7th grade students at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic School built a puddle duck racer sailboat as a team building project with the Texas Sea Grant Extension Agent Rhonda Cummins and three parish volunteers. Puddle ducks are basically “box boats.” Simple and inexpensive to build, they give the students real world application of math concepts taught in class and other problem solving skills. This year’s 7th grade class will also build such a boat in the spring. In preparation for the building of the school’s next puddle duck, these students are building miniature boats which will be used at the OLG Valentine’s Gala for table centerpieces. The boats have been sponsored by several local businesses to help raise money for the school’s Annual Teacher Bonus Fund.
The teachers at OLG are all highly qualified professionals who could teach anywhere, yet they have answered a call to work for a small, parochial school at a fraction of the salary they could earn elsewhere. The profits from this event will be divided among them as a bonus to recognize their dedication to the school and their support of faith-based education in our community. This bonus generated by the gala is an important gesture from the community showing that they also value such commitment to excellence.
The boat building is a collaborative effort with the Calhoun County AgriLife Extension Office and Texas Sea Grant. Such programs help to fulfill the school’s goal to develop deductive reasoning, critical and creative thinking skills, and communication skills needed to succeed academically. These middle school students are learning basic boat building and sailing skills that enhance and enrich the curriculum in mathematics, computer literacy, art, language arts and even physical education. This program also teaches lifelong lessons that build successful futures. Students learn how to work as part of a team to accomplish a common goal, how to find solutions to difficult problems, and develop strong bonds with their elders by working with the adult volunteers. The greatest lesson the students may walk away with is learning to believe in their own abilities when faced with new challenges.
