Wood Technology, Sustainability and Herbs.

I was visited today in my office by two Year 8 students Skyla and Mahnoor. They came bearing a gift...a herb box fully complete with a potted plant which I am told, will grow some green peas. The herb box was expertly crafted by these 2 students using their knowledge of wood technology tools and techniques. The cutting, assembling, sanding and gluing and nailing were all done with precision. Congratulations on a fine job!. The wood as then stained using a natural product - tumeric in keeping with the sustainability focus. I look forward to caring and nurturing the baby peas as they grow!

Ms Adriana Taveres Green, the students' Wood Technology teacher, shared below, the learning and process the students experienced to make their masterpiece herb boxes. Ms Taveres Green was very proud of the students' efforts and applauded 'Team Featherbrook!'

Since returning to school the students have been looking into sustainability and how they could create products to help them live more effectively without impacting the environment. Students were asked to construct a planter box from scrap wood that would be naturally stained and hold a plant they would grow from seed. The students were able to make perfectly sawed, sanded, glued and nailed planter boxers in a very short space of time before the end of Term 2.

They understood how to be safe in the workshop and make clear and concise decisions on what tools and machinery they would use. Amazing team work also went into their planter boxes with students helping one another or providing constructive feedback. The outcomes were excellent.

Red onion skins, tea, coffee, raspberries and turmeric were the main sources of colour used to stain their planter boxes and the students learnt about how they could use natural materials to dye and stain wood. The students will now have the opportunity to watch their peas/kale/cabbage grow over the next couple of weeks in their homemade planter boxes and continue to be sustainable!