Woodland fourth-grader uses sewing, math skills to make protective equipment for friends and family

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Logan Gnade, a fourth-grade student at North Fork Elementary School, uses mathematics combined with sewing skills he learned from his teacher Patti Cutler to make face masks at home.

Since the statewide school closure, Gnade took the skills he learned in class to the next level by designing and cutting out a pattern to sew masks from an old pair of pajamas. Along with more addition to more-advanced sewing skills, he used math he learned in school to make the proper calculations to ensure that the face masks he made would fit his friends and family properly.

“He calculated a quarter-inch seam allowance where needed throughout the pattern, spaced out uniform stitches a quarter-inch apart and made all the necessary adjustments to ensure his pattern would work,” Cutler explained in a news release. “He was also careful to observe the safety skills I teach in class to prevent any injuries from sewing needles, which include keeping needles in fabric when putting down a project.”

Cutler uses her background working as an apparel pattern maker for Nike to develop projects that teach her students life skills.

“Sewing is a great way to practice practical mathematics skills including measurement and fractions,” she said. “In addition, sewing improves hand-eye coordination, increases dexterity, relieves stress and improves focus and patience.”

Since schools closed in March, Patti and the rest of her fourth grade team have developed home learning lessons for their students centered around core subjects each week.

“We want to keep our students engaged with learning by encouraging them to participate in a variety of activities that don’t involve screen time, too much of which can cause eye strain and exhaustion,” she said. “Our team creates and designs projects to help students meet standards using step-by-step directions with kid-friendly language.”



Along with sewing projects, teachers create activities such as scavenger hunts, finding math problems in home projects like cooking, going outside to plant a garden and arts and crafts.

“We also make fun videos for our students including teachers reading aloud, demonstrating a variety of projects or teaching strategies for growth,” Cutler said.

Transitioning in-class learning to remote home-based projects presents incredible challenges for all of Woodland’s teachers.

“None of us expected to teach online for the remainder of the school year but maintaining a positive attitude and a flexible mindset has been key to making the online transition as smooth as possible,” Cutler said. “Woodland’s technology experts have been amazing to help navigate the pitfalls of making the quick jump to online learning; they have been working feverishly to help make technology accessible to our families and to make it as easy as possible for parents to become our learning partners with their children.”

Whether learning in-class or remotely, Patti emphasizes the importance of adding variety to how students learn.

“Core subject learning is important, however practical hands-on projects provide invaluable lessons about community, family, civic responsibility, and social health,” she said. “These central components of human life can also be woven into the curriculum we teach our students.”