Kindergarten students from Centre Avenue Elementary School and high school students from East Rockaway High School recently worked together to create a life-sized snowman as part of a special holiday project delivered to the kindergarteners’ parents on Dec. 18.
The project involved kindergarteners from Brianne Allgier and Linda Grace's classes and high school students from Hugh Howard's construction class. The high school students measured each kindergartener and cut wood to match their heights. After painting the wood white to resemble snow, the students added details such as buttons, scarves, and hats to complete the snowman.
The schools took safety precautions to ensure elementary students did not interact with heavy machinery. Teachers allowed the younger students to measure themselves, and asked them to step back while high school students cut the materials.
Once finished, the kindergarten students presented the life-sized snowman to their families as a holiday keepsake.
The kindergarten students benefited from the guidance of the older students, while the high school students practiced leadership, patience and problem-solving skills, said Allgier.
“This project is innovative because it fosters collaboration between two groups of students who typically don't interact: kindergarteners and high school students,” she said.
The project combined elements of technology, math, art, and social studies, supporting the district’s broader goals of promoting social-emotional learning and creating hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences.
“By bringing these diverse age groups together, the project encourages mentorship, teamwork, and communication across developmental stages,” Allgier said.
