Date: Fri 25-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: JEFF

Quick Words:

carpentry-Bullard-Havens

Full Text:

Building A Future: Carpentry Students Find Experience in Newtown

(with photos)

BY JEFF WHITE

Though the temperature was relatively cool last Friday, Carlos Esteves and his

classmates from Bullard Havens Regional Vocational Technical School in

Bridgeport did not miss the opportunity to plunge into the chilly water of

Andy and Linda Drap's backyard swimming pool. The 13 students had just

hammered in the last nail of the new back deck they built for the Draps'

Castlemeadow Road home.

"You learn a lot," Carlos said. "Without this, you wouldn't learn anything

about carpentry; you're always in shop."

"You're getting a quality job," said Mrs Drap, who was impressed with the

young carpenters' finished product.

Mr Drap, himself a Bullard Havens graduate, simply called the carpentry

department at the school and offered the job to Ray Simmons and John Mascia,

professional carpenters who work within the department as instructors.

Thirteen students were given the opportunity to work on the deck addition at

the Drap house as part of their final exam. For five days last week, these

students commuted the 25 miles between Bullard Havens and Newtown, working

from approximately 10 am to 2:15 pm.

The students broke down into groups of three and four, with one member of each

group responsible for overseeing a specific aspect of construction: one group

cut the wood, one group built the frame, one group built the stairs. Mr

Simmons and Mr Mascia oversaw the entire enterprise, transporting their

classroom instruction to the Draps' shady backyard.

The end product was a deck 16 feet by 18 feet, rising 10 feet off the back

lawn.

Before the students from Bullard Havens were called in for the job, Mrs Drap

sought estimates for a new deck from several professional contractors. She

said many professional carpenters quoted prices in excess of $4,000. The deck

that the students built cost Mrs Drap $400.

"It's a great opportunity for some people in town who have work to be done on

their homes, but don't have the means to get the job done without going

broke," she said.

Mr Simmons was quick to emphasize that such a project was, above all, a

learning process for his students.

"We're not out to compete with contractors," he said. "The kids are here to

get an education in carpentry."

Before Mr Simmons and Mr Mascia commit to a project, there has to be a clear

educational value present that will benefit the students. Moreover, the

project has to be large enough in size to accommodate a considerable work

force, so that a greater number of students may become involved.

The resident desiring the work must understand that he or she ultimately is

dealing with students involved in a learning process, according to Mr Simmons.

However, even though they are students and not professionals, customers should

still expect quality work.

"They don't skimp," Mr Simmons said. "They are shown the right way to do the

job, and their grades depend on it."

The students charge a flat fee of $8.50 per hour and estimate the job based on

how many hours a regular contractor would take to complete the project. Any

profit the students make, and both Mr Simmons and Mr Mascia insist the margin

is slim, goes to basic repairs, new tools, and gas money for the class van.

Although the Drap house was the first Newtown project for these students, they

have a few pending jobs in neighboring towns, including a possible opportunity

to build two additions on a residential home in Stratford. According to Mr

Simmons, the ideal job for these students would be to build an entire house

for a customer.

As the students carved into a four-foot sandwich, while standing on their

finished project, it seemed that both sides benefited from the hard work. Mr

and Mrs Drap got a solid new deck, and the students from Bullard Havens

received a hands-on opportunity to apply the skills they learn in the

classroom to a real life situation. The experience these students get from

out-of-school assignments, like the Draps' house, has allowed many of them to

push their skills and knowledge to new levels.

For example, Carlos recently took first place in a state carpentry contest,

and on June 28 will represent Connecticut as a carpenter for a program in

Kansas City.

"They learn what a building inspector expects of them," explained Mr Mascia.

Upon completion of their carpentry requirements, each student is certified for

1,000 hours toward their carpenter apprenticeships, an important first step

along the road to becoming a professional.

"They were an exceptional class," said Mr Simmons, who was confident that

these students will go on to successful careers as professional carpenters.

Mr and Mrs Drap plan on using students from Bullard Havens again in the near

future. The carpentry students will remove a wall within their house and raise

their ceiling. They also intend to call on the help of the school's masonry

department to cap their chimney.

"The experience has been great," said Terrance Wortham, amid the sounds of

splashing swimmers. Mr Wortham is one of the post graduate students who has

come to Bullard Havens in order to learn a new trade, although he has already

graduated from high school. "I got to learn how to do a lot of things that I

didn't know about the trade before this week."