Sister School Solutions Helps Several Schools at Once

A Northbrook High School shop student uses a woodburner to engrave a picnic table built for Woodview Elementary.

An item in the SBISD Council of PTAs April 10 newsletter tells the story of Hunters Creek Elementary’s fifth-grade class continuing a tradition of purchasing a year-end gift for Hunters Creek’s sister school, Woodview Elementary.

Interesting enough on its own, but it gets better.

Asked what kind of item they might want (last year it was a rug for the front entry), Woodview said that they would like a couple of picnic tables for the playground.

So Hunters Creek did a little research and discovered that Northbrook High School’s shop class builds and sells picnic tables.

Do they ever.

Led by instructor Ken Dies, the class takes orders for two kinds of tables – the traditional two-bench style, and a more expensive octagon-shaped table.

His shop is organized much like a factory assembly line – the tables are built in stages, with students working at assigned stations as the tables move through the process.

The tables are customized with artwork of the buyer’s choice. The Woodview tables, for instance, are being engraved with the mascot, a beagle, surrounded by the words “Woodview Elementary.” Other tables are emblazoned with college logos, family names and other unique markers.

Meager profits are plowed back into the program to replenish materials and to purchase tools that need replacing.

“I love how Hunter's Creek Elementary found a way to help their Sister School in addition to helping another school in our district,” said Francine Todes, Sister School Solutions chair for the Council of PTAs.

Sister School Solution Partners:

Bunker Hill Elementary - Thornwood Elementary
Rummel Creek Elementary - Sherwood Elementary
Frostwood Elementary - Housman Elementary
Wilchester Elementary - Spring Shadows Elementary
Hunter's Creek Elementary - Woodview Elementary
Memorial Middle - Landrum Middle
Cornerstone Middle - Ridgecrest Elementary
Memorial High School-Pine Shadows
Valley Oaks Elementary-Shadow Oaks Elementary
Stratford High School-Northbrook High School
Meadow Wood Elementary-Edgewood Elementary
Memorial Drive Elementary-Hollibrook Elementary
SBISD Admin (Finance, Technology, Community Relations)-Terrace Elementary
Memorial Area Women Give Back-Westwood Elementary
Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association-Spring Branch Elementary
Liz Clearman-Treasure Forest Elementary

Schools without a Sister School that may be interested in a partner:

Buffalo Creek Elementary
Northbrook Middle School