Nailed It! Green Meadow Students Build Toolboxes and Confidence Jun 4, 2026 | District, Green Meadow Two Green Meadow students work together to build a wooden toolbox on Thursday morning. Carefully

Nailed It! Green Meadow Students Build Toolboxes and Confidence Jun 4, 2026 | District, Green Meadow Two Green Meadow students work together to build a wooden toolbox on Thursday morning. Carefully holding a nail while a contractor gave instructions, a student swung his hammer down over and over as the nail sunk into the wood. It was one of many hammered nails outside Green Meadow Elementary School on Thursday morning as 4th grade students built their own wooden toolboxes. This engaging, hands-on activity has become an annual event at Green Meadow. Students use specialized kits to assemble their very own wooden toolboxes while building confidence in themselves and learning about the building trades field. Community Collaboration The success of this hands-on learning experience is made possible by the generous support of local experts. Contractors from the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition volunteered their time and skills to guide the students safely step-by-step through the building process. The contractors represented the following local businesses: Curtis Lumber TL Custom Renovations Otterbeck Builders A Team Effort Teachers, staff and parent volunteers worked alongside the contractors to help guide the students. “It’s never too early to introduce kids to the building trades, and this toolbox activity was the perfect, hands-on start for our fourth graders,” said Principal Dan Garab, who also assisted students at the event. “Working with Questar III BOCES and the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition to make this happen has been a true pleasure.” Confident Learners Many of the students who participated on Thursday had never built anything with hammers, nails and screwdrivers before. By completing this new task, they modeled the Portrait of a Graduate trait of “Confident Learner.” And at the end, they held their new toolboxes and beamed with pride. Special thanks to our volunteers and Jim Church from Questar III BOCES who made this activity possible!