McComb students take time for sewing, photography and more

McCOMB — Henley Scheutzow eyed the rectangle of yellow felt. She had been busily hand-sewing the double layers together to form a pocket. The creation is designed to hold an ice pop freezer tube while keeping a person's hands from getting cold. "It looks like a Pop Tart," she determined. It was just one of the projects that McComb third and fourth graders enrolled in a special Sewing Club spent time on Friday afternoon. The school began offering the monthly clubs three or four years ago, according to Kathy Miles, a fourth grade teacher who is in charge of the sewers. In other classrooms, students were learning about photography and French, creating their own comic books, playing with Legos and Play-Doh, and making art. Students pick their favorites at the beginning of the school. Once they make a decision, they have to stick with it until May, she said. "It builds a little passion. It lets them explore something that maybe you don't get to explore during the school day normally," said Miles. She directed the sewing club members to finish a pink felt bunny they started in March, then move on to the Popsicle holder. Students each had their own sewing supplies that were provided by the school, proceeds from a fundraiser and donations. "All the materials I get from thrift shops because it's more economical," Miles explained. "There's such nice pieces there, and you get them for a good deal." She said this is also a good age to start teaching children how to sew. "I think knotting is the hardest skill so we try different ways to teach them," she said. Miles bought the Popsicle holder at the Third Grade Store. Third graders make items and then sell them with the money going for service projects in the community. The creator of the Popsicle holder used glue to seal two sides of the rectangle, but club members were sewing theirs. Miles provided a pattern and reminded the students how to pin it to the felt before cutting out the image. When they were finished sewing their holder, they could decorate it using markers. That's when Henley decided to make hers look like a Pop Tart. "I wanted to take sewing because you can make stuff you can take home," she said. "And it's really fun, even though I poked myself a couple of times." Earlier in the year, club members made an ornament and a felt heart filled with beans. The heart can be microwaved for use as a heating pad. "Say I wasn't in this club, and I was in art or French Club. Those are like some of the things I wanted to do," said Henley. "Then I saw somebody make the heart. I would have been jealous." Third grader Larson Cramer sat behind Henley, working on his bunny. "My grandma sews and my brother did sewing one year so I wanted to do it and see how it was," he said. Larson said the rabbit he was finishing was probably his favorite project this year. "I learned actually how to sew because I didn't know how to sew before," he said. "But next year, I don't think I'm going to do sewing. I'm probably going to do Games Club." Over in Annessa Benjamin's classroom, 14 students were busy creating with Play-Doh. "They like to bring me their things and ask me what I rate them," Benjamin said. Her rating system features a thumbs up or a thumbs down hand sign. Benjamin said the goal is just about relaxing for the students. "And honestly, it's just a good outlet for them. They get to be creative because I teach third grade and sometimes we do Play-Doh for math. But you always have to give them that time to squish and feel and play," she said. Cookie cutters and different tools are available, and the students get to pick two colors of the modeling compound. Ryder Aukerman used pink Play-doh to make a miniature snowman. And why was he making a snowman in April? "I miss Christmas," he said. Aukerman, a fourth grader, took origami last year. However, it wasn't offered this year, he said. "I picked this one because I really like to play with Play-doh," he said, as he smushed the snowman. Fourth grader Lana Salas likes art and sculpting so she also enrolled in the Play-Doh Club. She used brown and yellow Play-Doh to create Springtrap of the "Five Nights at Freddy's" series. But it wasn't long before pieces of Springtrap began falling on the floor, prompting a yelp from Lana. Meanwhile, Noel Bartchlett fashioned an orange pumpkin named Jimmy who wore a crown and had a banana, a raindrop and three snowflakes. And Kenneth Miller, a McComb third grader, concocted a red doughnut with green sprinkles. "I have a whole bunch of Play-Doh and I couldn't think of what to make," he said. "And the school has more Play-Doh than I do, and I've made a whole bunch of stuff." The club has given him ideas for pieces he can make at home. "It tastes like strawberry," he said, looking wistfully at the doughnut. "I wish it was real." No one gets to keep their creations. Everything goes back in the containers for the next club meeting. "It's just good for them," said Benjamin. "These are third and fourth graders, but it's a good outlet for them. They're still kids." Leading club meetings are the third and fourth grade teachers along with the school's intervention specialist and guidance counselor.