Practical Arts department hosts third graders for 22nd annual Holiday Workshop

As the holidays approach, so does our excitement for spending time with loved ones, giving back, and eating all the Christmas cookies we could ever want. And while the third graders of Lampeter-Strasburg are excited for what typically accompanies the holidays, they may argue they are even more thrilled for the high school’s annual Holiday Workshop.

Third graders building their graham cracker houses.
In its 22nd year of festivities, the Holiday Workshop has continuously brought smiles to every third graders’ face, as they travel through four 25 minute sessions of holiday activities. Arriving at 12:40 pm, the third graders, decked out in Santa and elf hats, are always eager to get started. They are split up into four groups and directed to their first station.

Safety first! Third graders don eye protection before working in the wood shop.
The elementary students love interacting with the “big kids” and learning from them. As they are guided through their four child-friendly holiday activities, they are able to see the high school and get a feel for the high school schedule set up.

Third grade students were guided through various station in the wood shop. Here a student operates the drill press.
The festive stations include crafting a gumball machine, making pizza, constructing and decorating a gingerbread house, and designing coloring books and greeting cards. Mr. Adrian Baker runs the gumball machine station in the High School Materials Lab. Wood Tech students help the kids through each step of the way, including cutting the wood, sanding it, and putting all the pieces together.

In the graphics lab, third graders created "elfie selfies."
Over in the Graphics Lab, Mr. Benjamin Krothe and Mr. Adam Zurn, along with Intro to Info Technology and Desktop Publishing students, ran the coloring books and greeting cards stations. Third graders were able to design their own coloring book cover and create an activity book filled with holiday themed challenges like “dot-to-dot,” games, puzzles, and coloring pages created by high school students. Then the elementary students had the chance to put their face on a holiday card, taking a picture with holiday themed props.

Third graders had their pictures taken in what became an Instagram themed elfie selfie.
A new course was introduced this year, a “Pizza: From Farm to Table” class, where the FFA club and Vet Science students taught the third graders how wheat, tomatoes, dairy, and pork get from the farm to the table in an interactive way. Not only did students get to make their own mini pizza, but they were be able to take home a dry pizza dough mix so they can use what they learned and make their own pizza at home.

Third graders learning about farm to table.

Third graders created custom covers for an activity that contined pages produced by high school students.
The final class, and arguably the most festive, was the design and construction of graham cracker houses. In the CADD Lab, under the supervision of Mr. Todd Garber and his Intro to CADD classes, students built their own graham cracker house and using icing and holiday candy, they decorated the exterior of their house. The third graders were hard at work, designing the most festive “gingerbread” house they could.

Candy!! Third graders decorate their graham houses in the CADD lab.
The Lampeter-Strasburg Holiday Workshop is an exciting time where third graders and high school students can come together to learn and have fun during this holiday season. The elementary students never fail to be impressed by how enjoyable this workshop is. With a lot of hard work by Mr. Krothe, Mr. Zurn, Mr. Baker, Mrs. Holly Oberholtzer, Mr. Garber, Mrs. K. Janae McMichael, and all of their students, the annual Holiday Workshop was once again a success.

--By Olivia Sullivan, LS News reporter

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