Since The School in Rose Valley’s founding in 1929, the Woodshop has been at the heart of our campus. The first classroom built was this very shop, underscoring its importance. Grace Rotzel, SRV’s principal from 1929 to 1967, eloquently described its significance in 1934:
“The shop is the center of the school. Working with tools furnishes one of the best disciplines a school can offer…The desire to make things is so general in children that they are willing to go through much hard work to reach their ends. This is discipline.”
In our Woodshop, students develop a range of woodworking skills, learning to use a variety of tools and techniques. But woodworking is just the beginning. Through this hands-on experience, students also cultivate important qualities such as responsibility, resilience, and respect for resources.
Core Values of SRV’s Woodshop Program:
In our child-centered Woodshop, all students use full-sized tools, accessible on a prominent tool wall, which fosters strength, stamina, and respect for equipment. Starting at age three, students learn to take care of these tools by putting them back in their proper places. With power tools available for older, skilled students, projects like lathe-turned lamps and bowls become possible as they hone their abilities.
Unique Features of the Woodshop:
Whether students are crafting go-carts, desks, lemonade stands, or even larger creations like bedroom lofts and chicken coops, they gain not only woodworking skills but also invaluable lessons in persistence, creativity, and self-reliance. In SRV’s Woodshop, students don’t just build projects—they build character.
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