PRESCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Preschoolers love to create. From teetering towers of blocks to finger paint masterpieces, they learn best through hands-on activities. So when Mrs. Lachmann had Mr. Vossel visit her class this week to guide them through a woodworking project, the kids were thrilled.
Mr. Vossel is a St. Peter legend! He taught for 24 years in Illinois and 18 years in Iowa. He taught math, science, driver’s ed, shop, industrial arts, industrial technology, applied technology, and STEM during that time. He has retired from teaching but now volunteers full time at St. Peter in our maintenance department and is well known as he repairs and maintains our building.
Mrs. Lachmann’s preschoolers were so excited to have Mr. Vossel in their classroom as part of their construction theme. He showed the kids some of his tools and taught them about flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, hammers, safety glasses, pliers, nuts, and bolts. He gave each student a nut and bolt set and had them remove the nut and then screw it back onto the bolt. When they finished, he showed them a note he had written – but he had a dilemma because the note could easily blow away. He needed a way to keep the note secure.
The kids were given a small wood block with pre-drilled holes and a clothespin with a pre-drilled hole. A perfect noteholder was created by tightening a screw through the block of wood and into the clothespin. The preschoolers had the opportunity to put the set together, insert the screw, and turn the screwdriver to tighten it. Once completed, the kids could decorate their noteholder.
What a fun way for some of St. Peter’s youngest Saints to learn by doing! The kids were sad to see Mr. Vossel go, but they have a great memento of his visit and what they learned from him about building things.
