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Students showcase CTE projects, leadership and community work to school board
Summary
Students from Sulphur Springs, Silver Springs, David Crockett and Gray Elementary presented engineering, FFA and CTE projects to the Washington County Board of Education, highlighting hands-on learning, community partnerships and a student-led beautification project tied to flood recovery.
Students and advisers from multiple Washington County schools presented projects and awards at Thursday’s board meeting, highlighting career-technical education, leadership initiatives and local recovery work.
Sulphur Springs Elementary’s student leadership team described a year-long engineering challenge aimed at strengthening student access and engagement. Eighth-grader Mackenzie Shivers and classmates explained that a school survey and learning walks showed middle school proficiency lagging behind third through fifth grades; students said hands-on group projects and outside time were top motivators. The leadership team has started “Motivation Monday” and peer-mentorship classes to boost engagement.
Representatives from David Crockett High School’s FFA presented student honors and projects: several students received the FFA state degree, agriscience fair placings and regional proficiency awards. Adviser Mr. Ford highlighted projects including soil testing after river flooding, flower-dyeing horticulture projects and student-run agribusiness enterprises. Students described work-based learning placements and a partnership with the Washington County Long-Term Recovery group to plant gardens and beautify yards rebuilt after floods.
Gray Elementary staff and a student volunteer outlined the new Paxton Patterson CTE lab and a reset room intended as an in-school alternative to suspension. The volunteer said the lab exposed younger students to multiple career pathways; the student recounted, “The first day I walked in, I built a hospital bed without any instructions,” and described biomedical engineering, cosmetology, welding simulations, veterinary and emergency-medical stations used in the lab.
Board members and staff praised the student presentations. Several trustees asked students how the projects prepare them for high school courses and for future careers; students and teachers said the hands-on work increases engagement and, in some cases, provides pathways to summer work and local businesses.
District staff said some projects will continue into next school year and that student leadership cohorts will pass lessons to new teams. The David Crockett FFA also described an in-progress community beautification drive tied to the county’s flood recovery efforts; students said they planned plant drives and volunteer planting along rebuilt riverfront houses.
No formal board action was required for the presentations; they were given as recognitions and program updates during the meeting.
