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Perspective Newsletters
Summer 2005
LEARY SCHOOL JOB SITE
Page 7
 This
has been a year of transition and change for the Leary School JobSite program. After
finishing construction on a single family home last spring, the staff and students
were ready to begin work on a new project. The next single family home construction
project will be located on one of two lots purchased next to the renovation project
on Holyoke Drive that was finished in 2002. Along with many of the lots on Holyoke,
these two adjoining properties are somewhat narrower than is typically found in this
area. As a result, the two houses that will be constructed over the next few years
will be only 20 feet wide. After applying for zoning and building permits, construction
on the first property should begin in the fall. This home will be a four bedroom,
two and a half bath home with a basement.
During this school year, the students worked on a variety of projects that allowed
them to acquire some new skills and practice many of the ones that learned on the
last single family project.
One area the students were able to participate in that they do not always see was
the demolition of a building. There was a structure on the property where we will
be building that needed to be torn down. The students were able to observe the permit
process for the demolition of an existing structure. They were also able to help
with the actual demolition and understand that this is the reverse process for building
a house. In the case of the demolition, they students started at the top and worked
down. This also enabled the students to see the "anatomy" of a house. Giving the
JobSite students a wide range of opportunities is a goal toward which we strive.
Following the water damage the School sustained last summer, the JobSite staff and
students replaced wall boards that were damaged or destroyed by the water. They also
installed new trim, repaired or replaced drop ceilings and painted. This project
allowed students to utilize the basic carpentry skills that they developed earlier
and which will prove to be beneficial when the new home construction begins again
in the fall. Some of the skills they practiced included operating a circular saw,
measurement, a study of how interior wall units are framed and how to work as a member
of a team.
As the end of the school year approached, the students also had an opportunity to
replace siding on the house that is next door to the School and used for administrative
offices. Again, this was an area that is not always available to JobSite students
but a good learning experience.
We also experienced a year of transition and change in personnel. Ms. Haywood, who
had been the academic teacher at the JobSite since the 1999-2000 school year left
in March following the birth of her daughter, Zoe. Although we were sorry to see
Ms. Haywood leave, we were fortunate in finding Mr. Rubain who had temporarily relocated
to this area. He remained at the JobSite through the end of the 2004-2005 school
year and allowed the students to finish their year seamlessly.
Finally, four JobSite students finished their secondary schooling in June. Two long
time JobSite students, Zakat Norris and Emmanuel Jenkins, received their high school
diplomas from the District of Columbia Public Schools and the Prince George's County
Schools while two students who were newer to the program - Peter Maybee and Michael
Romero completed their schooling through the Fairfax County Public Schools and theAlexandria
City Public Schools. We wish all four the best of luck as they transition from the "world
of school" to the "world of work".
Alan Peck, M.S.
Vocational Coordinator
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