JEROMESVILLE — A constant credo of the math teacher seems to be, “You’ll need to know how to do this in the real world.”
Unlike algebra (who really uses that every day?), a group of Hillsdale Local Schools first-grade students recently saw first-hand how a math assignment could become something tangible.
Andrew Lewellen, the school’s gifted coordinator, said inspiration struck him when he saw the first graders’ assignments hanging in the hallway.
The assignment consisted of coming up with different ways to add up to the number nine. Students used two different colors, and colored in squares to show the combinations.
What is quilting club?
Lewellen has run Hillsdale’s quilting club for the past three years. It first came about because students said they were interested in learning to sew. Lewellen didn’t have experience doing that, but was happy to learn.
He ended up receiving a grant from the Ashland County Community Foundation to purchase sewing machines and some materials to get the club started. It’s open for fifth graders and older.
The club has several volunteers who regularly work with the students. It receives materials mostly from donations. Lewellen said around 12 students are actively involved and come to club meetings weekly, but more attend from time-to-time.
Lewellen, who also runs the school’s quilting club, said he thought they resembled quilting patterns. He brought the first graders into his classroom to show them.
One teacher — Keara Copenhaver — took it even further.
In pairs, her first-grade students made designs from their worksheets using construction paper.
They brought those to the club, and had the chance to work with older students in quilting club to create a blanket out of a math assignment. The younger students then got to keep the quilt.
“It was really fun,” said Blayton Graven, one of the first graders.
Practicing patience
Graven and his classmate, Kember Carroll, both said they enjoyed the process. They liked pressing the pedal on the sewing machine.
Carroll said ironing out the quilt was her favorite part.
For sixth graders Claire Atterholt and Katelyn Coleman, quilting club serves as a school-based extracurricular. Both students said they are in 4-H too. But since neither is an athlete, they said quilting club gives them a space to belong at school.
The club meets during lunch, but Atterholt and Coleman visit more often to work on their projects. They’re currently making coasters. Atterholt said last year, she and her cousin made a quilt for their grandmother in the club.
“Every week is different,” Atterholt said. “It’s always something new, and it offers a lot of creativity and freedom.”
Having the chance to work with the first graders was a learning experience for the sixth graders.
While Atterholt and Coleman know how to quilt already, teaching the process to younger students let them practice leadership skills.
“It was fun to be around them and understand how to work with younger students,” Atterholt said.
Coleman agreed, adding the process of sewing patterns with the first graders helped her develop patience.
Plus, Atterholt added, several of the first graders said they worked with said they want to do quilting club in the future.
That’s certainly the case for Graven, who said he’d love to join the club when he’s older.
For Lewellen, the way the activity fell together shows off the benefits of being in one building. Teachers can see what’s happening in each other’s classrooms more readily, and connect on relevant activities.
He hopes the quilting collaboration will happen again next year.
