Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Eighth-graders at Redwood Middle School stand by the scale model of the new campus which they built this summer. They are (from left) Irene Fan, Jessica Chang, Kalvin Wang, Andrew Fleury, Patrick Shih, Matt Hiscox, Stephanie Kong, Amanda Burns, Sue Ting Chene and Christina Lin.
Redwood eighth-graders model latest school style
By Jason Baker
While most youngsters would love to claim "model student" status, several Redwood Middle School eighth-graders spent the summer with a model of a different sort.
Under the guidance of Redwood math teacher Mia Onodera, 10 students put their geometry, math and art skills to the test, constructing a scale model of the future Redwood campus. After obtaining a copy of on-site plans from Saratoga Union School District architects, the students worked for almost 26 hours in July and August constructing the three-dimensional cutaway of the renovated school.
Onodera suggested the project to the students, but said it was the students' own initiative that brought it to fruition. She provided her classroom as a workspace, offered suggestions and served as project chaperone.
The project provided an opportunity for students to apply their classroom skills to real-world situations, Onodera said. "The plans didn't include the heights of the buildings or the slope of the structures. The students had to perform the measurements themselves and make their best estimates," she said.
Student Kalvin Wang served as a foreman of sorts for the model building, rounding up student volunteers, coordinating work schedules and material lists via a website and bankrolling the project itself--with his mom's assistance, of course. The students have applied for a $175 minigrant from the Saratoga Education Foundation in hopes of reimbursing the costs.
Wang said he has no real interest in a future in architecture. "I just thought the project would be fun," he said. Getting volunteers to work on sunny summer days was not really difficult, he said, "because we're all friends. Some people did go on vacation, though."
Amanda Burns, who also added her talents to the project, agreed that spending time with friends made the project worthwhile. Other than measuring the buildings for scale, Burns said, the students faced minimal difficulties--save a few cutting mishaps.
"We cut some of the cardboard wrong and had to redo it," she said, to which her friends replied, laughing, "What do you mean 'we'?"
Workers in June began initial renovations of Redwood and Saratoga schools. Renovation and construction will continue through the fall and should be completed by next summer, barring any major setbacks.
District architects estimated the cost of a professionally built scale model at $1,500. The students said they think their project just might save the district some money. They also hoped that students and visitors to the campus will enjoy the model for years to come.
The model is encased in Plexiglas and currently is on display in Onodera's classroom, Room 22 on the Redwood campus.
The students who participated in the project include Amanda Burns, Jessica Chang, Sue-Ting Chene, Irene Fan, Andrew Fleury, Matt Hiscox, Stephanie Kong, Christina Lin, Patrick Shih and Kalvin Wang.
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