PRINCETON, W. Va. -The Princeton Senior High School Greenhouse has reopened for the season on Monday with a grand opening. While most of the growing here happens in the spring, the students here have been hard at work to make things to sell here in their gift shop, while learning things you won’t see in a traditional classroom setting.
“Not all of them learn the same way, and so this gives students who struggle in some areas or are weaker in some areas, this gives them the opportunity to learn hands-on skills that they can carry through those skills that aren’t just academic…” says Jennifer Weakley, a teacher at PSHS.
The students all have a hand in making these hands-on projects, taking things like wood pallets and upcycling them into fall and Christmas decorations, while learning valuable skills like socialization and woodworking. We asked some of the students here about some of the things they learned.
“How to take it apart,” says Brandon Akers.
“Put it together and see how it works,” says Hailey Hilton.
“…Well, I actually learned how to pull nails in our pallets because every time I did a pallet, it broke, so, I mean, I watched my buddy Tyler do it and then I did it after him,” says Colton Gentry.
The goal here is that these lessons don’t stay within these walls, but stick with these students as they grow into adulthood.
“We want to give our students the opportunity to… be creative, give them on-job training life skills. They’ll be able to take this throughout… once they graduate and have the opportunity to take this into their life skills after they graduate,” says Sanette Collins, a teacher here.
However, this shop is more than a teaching opportunity; it helps keep the greenhouse funded, making sure generations of students can learn and grow.
Students and teachers we spoke to encourage the community to stop by the Princeton Senior High School Greenhouse Gift Shop, whether to do some Christmas shopping or to visit with some of the students working here. They are now open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm or by special arrangement on Saturday.
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