Red Hook High School’s Residential Construction students in the first semester constructed a shed at the request of the Red Hook VFW Post 7765.
“I put the word out last spring, asking if anyone needed a shed,” teacher Dan Gall said. The VFW “had a shed they had had for 25 years, or so, the roof was caving in. They were looking to replace it.”
With two sections of Residential Construction working on the project, “we made progress every single day,” Gall said.
While the VFW paid for the materials, the students assembled the 10-by-16-foot shed free of charge. “It’s a nice way for us to be able to offer the class without putting out the money and then having to find a buyer or use for a shed,” Gall said.
In Residential Construction, students study the skills involved with the construction of residential buildings, including planning; measuring; the use of power tools; framing roofs, floors and walls; quality assurance; and others. Completing the creation of a large wood structure is the culmination of the half-year course.
“That’s a really fun class … They learn a lot, they’re doing a lot of hands-on application of the skills they’re learning,” Gall said. “The work mentality is really fostered there.”
The shed was transported to the VFW earlier this month by Bayhorse Gazebo and Barns, which likewise provided the service free of charge.
Last school year, students similarly built a shed that is now being used at Linden Avenue Middle School for recess and other outdoor equipment.