Metalworking is a certified CTE (career and technical education) program run by Mr. Hamilton, in which students can progress through a three-year course. Students who progress through the three-year course will be able to earn industry-standard certifications from the American Wellness Society for welding or precision machining. When asked about all of his Metals classes, Mr. Hamilton said, “The technology department at Morris Hills offers so many amazing career opportunities for its students. I am proud and honored to be part of a school district that recognizes the importance of career and technology education. The support for not only our CTE metalworking program, but all of our technology courses helps prepare our students for college, trade schools, career readiness, or to even find a passion they may never knew they had.”
In the second year of the course, called Metals and Manufacturing Technology, students build on skills learned in Metals 1 and complete independent projects. Students begin to make plans for their product at the end of the third quarter and spend all of the fourth quarter making and fabricating the product. Some of the requirements for the product include an outline or a drawing of all of the parts (their numbers and names), a list of any tools or software programs used, and a list of materials. Students also have to track the time it will take to complete as well as how much everything will cost and what their product will be valued at. They will also be assessed on the quality of their work and the accuracy of their measurements.
Students are allowed to bring in any approved materials and are also allowed to use any materials in the shop. The metals class often collaborates with the woods class and many students can use wood for their product. Some examples of such projects include shields and tables. Despite shields and tables being common products, anything is possible as demonstrated by Metals 2 student Matthew Pomroy. Pomroy decided to build a customized fireplace. When asked why he chose this he stated, “My decision for choosing a fire pit out of all things had to be just enjoying the warmth and smell from sitting out on a dark night with a cozy fire.”
All-in-all, the three-year Metals course offered at Morris Hills is definitely worth pursuing for anyone interested in working with their hands in any capacity. When it comes to continuing onto Metals 2 specifically, Pomroy stated this: “Continuing onto the Metals 2 course offers a wide variety of technical aspects. Throughout the course, we’ve learned how to do MiG welding, manual milling, and technical drawings. The whole goal of Metals 2 is to give us the aspect of if we are to go into these trades such as welding or machining. By learning these skills we are gaining hands-on experience and it has been a lot of fun.” Any and all Morris Hills students should seriously consider giving this course a try if any part of the project intrigues them!