Shadow Ridge High School’s second year construction students are on the final stretch of their dog house building curriculum. Every year second level students have the opportunity to learn real world construction skills as they learn how to build a fully functional doghouse, complete with a tiled roof and working electrical. 

Mr. James Tippetts has been leading this program at Shadow Ridge, inspiring new generations of construction trade professionals and handy men and women for future skills they can use throughout their lives.

He says, “My favorite trade is carpentry. I am a mason, carpenter, and electrician by trade. I became a teacher after the economic crash of  2008. I didn’t realize how much I would like it. I probably would have started earlier in life if I would’ve known how much I like teaching construction to students.”

Mr. Tippets says that students are put into groups of 5 and given instructions on how to complete the doghouses. 

SHRS sophomore, Russell Mills, is one of these second year construction students. He was happy to share some of what goes into crafting one of these homes for canines. 

Mills says, “First you have to build the base, and then the frame. Then you do the electrical for the lighting. Next, you put on more wood for siding and a frame for the roof. A lot of measuring and cutting goes into it. You get to paint it and make it look how you want. Then you put the roof tiles on. We are not at this part yet, but you will put some stone on it and finish up the electrical and that’s how you build your dog house. It takes three whole school quarters to finish the dog house.”

Another great thing about this program, Tippets says, is that, “the students are able to buy them themselves or we sell them to staff.” The proceeds go back to fund the future of the SRHS construction program.

Mills has enjoyed being involved in the construction program at Shadow Ridge High School these past two years.

He says, “I like that I get to learn wood shop stuff and life skills. It’s fun to build things with my own hands.  I like that I get to cut stuff with sharp blades and use big machines and hand tools safely. It’s also pretty awesome that learning to measure stuff makes you smart.”

It just goes to show that this amazing program helps any student who joins this class to become a handy dandy individual to have around when the dogs get loose!