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3rd Grade Visits Mr. Lagarde’s Woodworking Shop

Severn 3rd graders enjoyed a visit up to Teel Campus to visit Mr. Lagarde’s woodworking shop, located at Daiger House. It was a beautiful spring day as the 3rd graders excitedly gathered outside Mr. Lagarde’s workshop to learn about woodworking.
Mr. Lagarde, who has enjoyed his hobby of woodworking for over 20 years, invited students into his workshop and had them gather around a large work table. He described the process it takes to turn a piece of wood into a completely different shape, and how long each piece might take. He also explained the differences between the many types of wood that he uses, and passed around pieces of wood so students could touch and feel the differences between them. In addition, he showed students images of trees that the wood comes from -- some as far away as California. One of the students’ favorite parts was when he showed them how several machines work, donning safety goggles and a face shield to demonstrate turning a piece. Wood chips flew everywhere, including on Mr. Lagarde, eliciting laughter from the students.
 
After finishing up in the workshop, the students moved inside Daiger House to look at several finished pieces that he has made. They were able to see the different shapes and polishes on a finished product, including several bowls, platters, and even different types of pens, like ballpoint or a fountain pen. Students were fascinated to learn that making a pen, which seems small, can still take a substantial amount of time. Mr. Lagarde then told them a special story about making pens for an entire class at Severn. “The class of 2020 had their senior year cut short due to the pandemic. Suddenly finding myself with a lot of free time, I made pens for the entire graduating class of 2020,” said Mr. Lagarde. “It took me about 120 hours total to make all of them.”
 
Before they wrapped up their visit, students were able to try on one unique piece of woodworking: a wooden hat that Mr. Lagarde made. While he is self-taught, Mr. Lagarde told students that the only class he has ever taken was to make that hat. Students carefully passed around the hat and posed for pictures, excited to be wearing a real hat made entirely of wood.
 
Thank you to Mr. Lagarde for such a unique learning experience for the 3rd grade class, and for establishing this field trip as a beloved tradition for the Lower School students.
 
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