Metal working class surprises retiring principal

Aug 27, 2023

Shelby High School welding and metal working students had an opportunity to tackle a special project this year.

Seniors in the metals and welding III and advanced studies class built a trailer for retiring principal David Allen.

Allen had contracted a trailer to be built as his former one needed to be replaced, but he ended up receiving an even bigger and better trailer than he expected.

Rick Greene, Shelby High metals instructor, said the group of seniors are his highest level of students.

"They’re one of the best groups I’ve had come through here," Greene said.

He said this is the first year he's had the advanced students separated into an individual class, and it has given them a chance to focus on projects such as the ones they completed this year.

"These guys have learned hands-on skills and critical thinking," Greene said.

He said the advanced studies is mostly hands-on instead of book work.

"We had built smaller trailers each year for the past 10 years. This year we decided to do something bigger and better."

The five-by-eight foot trailer has the Shelby golden lion burned into the wood, and the student's have signed their initials all around the metal frame.

The project took all year to complete, as they had to work on it in between other projects, including a go-cart. Since it was the first of its kind, they also had to create the trailer from scratch without a blueprint

"We’ve built these trailers before, but we learned how to do them more efficiently," said Brady Stout, one of the advanced metals students. "It bettered my experience."

The students presented the completed project to Allen Tuesday morning.

"It's the best trailer," Greene said. "One of a kind."

He said they included all the bells and whistles, including lights, a jack and extended chain hook.

Allen said students had built him a trailer five or six years ago, and he got a lot of use out of it.

"That's first class," Allen said. "Good job men. Y’all did a good job."

Greene said the metal working students will build and sell trailers for anyone in the community and that money goes back into the classroom.

Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at [email protected].