Cardinal Middle School students are once again "making history" in the PHabLab...
CMS Named School On The Rise
Cardinal Middle School students are once again “making history” in the PHabLab. The National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) has named Cardinal Middle School as its November School on the Rise.
CMS was chosen from over 900 certification centers across the country and is the only middle school to ever earn this award. NC3 selects Schools on the Rise based on hard work and dedication towards Career and Technical Education and an increased certification performance.
“This is a true testament to the teacher we have in that classroom, Mrs. Mandi Matchinga, and all of our middle school students,” says Cardinal Middle School Principal Andy Cardinal. “What Mrs. Matchinga has been able to achieve with our students in that lab has far exceeded all of our expectations.”
The CMS PHabLab, which is a state-of-the-art fabrication lab, opened at CMS with the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The lab was designed and implemented by Palmer Hamilton and is housed in the former library. It is an elite 21st century learning space that includes 3D printers, a laser cutter, CNC milling machine, Arduino microcontollers and a Google JamBoard. A Cricut Maker and heat press were added recently. All of the materials for the PHabLab were funded through donations, bond money and grants.
The PHabLab supports the school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) initiative while helping to challenge students to engage in the design process through project based learning. All students in the middle school have opportunities to use the lab as part of daily instruction.
Already this year, CMS students are using their technology class time to learn how to create personalized designs on the Cricut Maker. Once a student has an approved design, they transfer the image to the Cricut Maker, which then cuts the design onto a vinyl material. Students then carefully cut away the excess vinyl so only their design is left, and then use a heat press to transfer the image onto their own mask.
“It truly feels like we get to ‘play’ in class all day with these projects,” says Matchinga. “But really, what’s happening, is that our students are getting an opportunity to utilize math skills, by following sizing guides; draw on their creativity with their designs; engineer how the mask and design will get put together as one product; and then finally see the science of how the heat bonds the material to the fabric. This environment truly provides so many opportunities for students to get hands on experience with concepts they don’t even realize they’re learning because they’re having so much fun.”
In addition to the personalized masks, students are also designing and creating ear savers for the masks, which are then created by the 3D printers.
CMS students made history in the PHabLab in April 2020 as well, becoming the first to ever be virtually certified by NC3. NC3 provides industry recognized certifications on the machines utilized in the PHabLab. The curriculum and corresponding certification exams are written for adults. The youngest person taking these exams is likely a junior or senior in high school that is part of a vocational program. At the end of the 2019-20 school year, nearly every sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grader received an industry certification from NC3. Fifth-graders do not receive certifications; they do, however, learn the basic operation and safety measures of each machine.
“This seems like a lot of ‘fun’ happening here,” says Cardinal, “but really, what we are doing is preparing these students for the future and potential careers. Very few, if any, other middle schools across the country are doing this right now, but here at Cardinal, these kids are already one step ahead of the game with industry certifications.”
NC3 will feature Cardinal Middle School in their newsletter and on their website NC3.net starting Nov. 1.
