Davis: Student-built House

The House that High School Students Built

This past week I attended Lewis and Clark Career Center's Open House where attendees could view projects' building materials such as the brick samples I'm showing. The students of the Lewis & Clark Career Center (LCCC) in St. Charles build one house every year and are completing an entire block of houses.


Here I am with Joshua Blattner, LCCC's Brick and Stone Instructor. Mr. Blattner is in charge of the brick and stone masonry course.


Parents and others were able to view the blueprints of a new two-story house to be constructed in February 2011.


Would you have guessed that this house was built by high school students? It was completed earlier this year. All the LCCC's homes are built under the supervision of great instructors and now here is another masterpiece.  I am in the driveway with Kathy Frederking, Director of the Lewis & Clark Career Center, with her daughter Lauren Marie and my daughter Susanna and son Philip.


On the inside of the Lewis & Clark-built home is Joshua Blattner, LCCC's Brick and Stone Instructor with his daughter Cassidy Rose.  His students laid the tile on the interior floors as well as the home's exterior.


Not all students can or want to attend college.  Some people enjoy and are quite good at working in skilled trades.  My husband learned how to be a printer in high school, and his skills provided a living for our family.  It is very important to me that during our budgetary refinements we not short-change the technical schools since they are providing wonderful opportunities for a broader spectrum of students; and we all benefit from fostering the talent-development of each unique person.


Lewis & Clark Career Center is operated by the St. Charles School District, but students from all over the county attend.  Because of its uniqueness, it serves as an amenity to the entire region. This is why it is critical that Missouri never cut career training out of the state budget, and why I applaud the school districts that  make career training a budgetary priority.

Your thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about technical / vocational schools. You can send me your opinion by clicking here: Cynthia Davis

A Little Bit of Humor

Six Phases of a Construction Project:

1) Enthusiasm
2) Disillusionment
3) Panic
4) Search For The Guilty
5) Punishment Of The Innocent
6) Praise & Honors For The Non-Participants

Directory of Construction Terminology:

Contractor - A gambler that never gets to cut, shuffle or deal.
Bid Opening - A poker game where the losing hand wins.
Low Bidder - A contractor who is wondering why he's left out.
Engineer's Estimate - The cost of construction in heaven.