Ledbetter Students Display Projects

FARMINGTON – During a Dec. 18 meeting of the Farmington School Board held in the Ledbetter Intermediate cafeteria, school Principal Julia Williams informed the board of ongoing projects initiated by Shawna Williams, who has taught third and fourth grade since 2000.

“Shawna Williams became our media specialist this year,” Julia Williams said. “She started a program called Genius Hour. Genuis Hour was inspired by Google. Google allows their employees to work 20 percent of their hours on any project they have a passion for.”

Shawna Williams introduced students participating in Ledbetter’s Genuis Hour program. Layton Mitchell, a fourth-grader, built a 1-cylinder engine that has a working piston and drive shaft out of connect toy pieces. Russell Flory, another fourth-grader, constructed a bathouse for bats to live in. Quilt-making was popular with girls. Fifth-graders, Kelee Walker, Beca Brown, Kaycee McCumber and Kate Polly, sewed small quilts.

“I wanted to learn how to sew and I made a quilt,” Kelee Walker said.

Beca Brown also displayed her small quilt, telling the board, “I made a quilt. It took a long time, but it looks pretty, so…”

Kate Polly said she made a quilt because it seemed really fun and she likes to sew.

“Genius Hour is really getting to create things you normally wouldn’t get to create in the classroom,” Kate Polly said.

Julia Williams credited Shawna Williams with writing and obtaining grants to fund these types of projects.

“A lot of what we have done is from donations and grants,” Julia Williams said.

Superintendent of schools Bryan Law commended the staff and students on completing the projects.

“Very impressive,” Law said. “Education just looks different than it did at one time and it takes a certain kind of special teaching to make that happen.”