Schools

If You Build Them, They Will Play

Hatboro-Horsham High School's technology education students double as Santa's helpers in making more than dozen toys that will be donated to Toys for Tots.

Sometimes holiday gift-giving is more about to-do lists than wish lists.

Just ask Nicholas Pompei’s 37 students in his two manufacturing classes at , who spent the last month making lists and checking them twice. But, instead of adding presents to the list, students made note of wood measurements, nuts, bolts and other equipment necessary to make their own gifts for needy children.

And, on Dec. 9, a combined total of 37 ladder golf toys and shuffleboard games will be picked up by Toys for Tots representatives and delivered to children in need.

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It’s awesome,” Hatboro-Horsham senior Danny Adelsberger said. “Why not help someone out and get a grade for it?”

The only downside to having students make the toys - which this year cost $1,500 in materials - is that students are not able to personally deliver the toys, or hear feedback about how the gifts went over, Pompei said. 

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“That’s the one thing that bums me out,” he said.

Students in Pompei’s technology education classes have served as Santa’s little helpers for the last five years, each holiday season creating a toy that the class overwhelmingly selected through voting.

“It’s all their doing,” Pompei said. “All their ideas.”

The only guideline is that toys be considered for older children, Pompei said, adding that teens are sometimes overlooked when donations are made to Toys for Tots.

If Danny and classmate Michael Charles are any indication, their class’ shuffleboard game - which is modeled after a Dutch game called Jakalo – will be a big hit.

“It’s kind of like you’re playing goalie at the same time,” Michael said as he shot a wooden puck across the board.

One of four student project managers, Danny oversees functions as the materials manager. Of the toy-making process, he said, “It’s kind of like an assembly line.”

Using a band saw, Danny said his task was to cut out the slots on each of the shuffleboard games.

With the toys now assembled, the only task left on the class’ to-do list is to add a specially designed logo to the white board portion of the game boards. On Monday, students collaborated via videoconference with students from Boiling Springs on tweaks to the logo, which Pompei’s students will then make in-house.

“It’s a great way for the kids to give back,” Pompei said. “It helps the kids realize the project is meaningful for the community.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here