Students in Aaron Tarsa's CTE Construction Trades class enjoy seeing the results of their work.
Five years ago, students built a 30x40 out-building near their classroom workshop for lumber and equipment storage.
Last year, students gained experience in framing walls, setting posts, and roofing to attach a good sized "lean to" to its much used out-building for even more storage.
"Thanks to the great weather last fall, construction trade students were able to make excellent progress in setting posts, footings, and trusses for lean-to. This year students focused on prepping the floor and approach for concrete," said Mr. Tarsa.
In the weeks before the concrete was poured, students learned how to properly compact the dirt floor base, set screed stakes, and use laser levels to get the floor prepped.
"I think students were surprised by all of the math involved," said Mr. Tarsa. "But they stepped up. They were committed to a quality project."
It was a much-anticipated day when the cement truck arrived to pour the concrete.
Students jumped right in and used bull-floats for the very first time to level and smooth the concrete.
Then, after waiting for the concrete to set a bit, they used mag-float trowels to further flatten and smooth the surface, taking care to open the pores of the concrete to get rid of any extra water and air bubbles.
"It's a great feeling to sense the pride the students have in their work," observed Mr. Tarsa. "They're proud to have built something that will stand to serve others for a long, long time."
