Representatives from Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School and Holy Name School pose next to Holy Name’s new trophy case.
A Diman student puts the final touch on a trophy case at the Holy Name School.
Diman carpentry students l to r Tyler Pereira, Justin Monte, Steven Parisee, Zachary Levesque and Darren Thibault.
Diman carpentry students install new bookcases at Holy Name school.
By Will Richmond
Herald News
Posted May 23, 2012 @ 12:37 AM
FALL RIVER - As the students at the Holy Name School found glory, their rewards found a place atop a dusty bookshelf in the school’s library.
Lacking a proper location to display the trophies students won for everything from athletic to academic endeavors, Joe Shaker decided to do something. After discussing his idea with the school’s leadership, Shaker, whose daughter attends Holy Name, turned to Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School to see if its carpentry-cabinetmaking shop could lend a hand. With shop instructor Emanuel Botelho agreeing to help, the wheels, or more appropriately the saws, were in motion.
After nearly two months of work, a group of four Diman students and Botelho returned to Holy Name on Wednesday to place the final touch, a keystone bearing the initials “H” and “N” with a cross in between, in the center of the case.
“We’re just delighted,” Principal Patricia Wardell said. “We’ve had the trophies just sitting on bookshelves in the library or even in storage in the basement. Now they’re here for everyone to see.”
The Diman students, all juniors, working on the project said the case was larger than most of the projects they typically complete, adding that working with the glass that created the shelves for the trophies and the doors was a new concept.
“This let us learn a lot of new stuff, like doing raised panels and crown molding,” Nicholas Aspessi said.
Botelho said the project lets the students expand on what they have learned and worked on in their shop assignments while also helping the community.
“The kids love doing projects like this,” Botelho said. “It’s a challenge to them and they step up to meet the challenge. This is also one of the bigger projects they will do and this is what they’re going to do out there if they go into the trade.”
Each student also gets to put their specialty to use.
“Everyone is the shop puts their own special talent into it,” David Barata, another of the Diman students, said.
Along with the assistance from Diman, volunteer contributions from Scott Charette, a parent of a Holy Name student who provided electrical work, and a donation from a city glass company helped complete the project.
Ultimately, the joint effort produced a case that will truly honor the achievements of Holy Name students.
“It really is amazing,” Diman student Tyler Pereira said.
Go to Diman news.
