DERRY - The chilly morning air didn't stop the students of David Howes' building construction technology class from raising one of the walls of a new 6,000-square-foot storage building at Pinkerton Academy on Friday.



The building is the smallest of three buildings funded by the state earlier this year for the school's Career and Technical Education department.

But unlike the 15,000-square-foot classroom building on the main quad and a 6,500- square-foot building on the south campus, the wood-frame storage building for the building services department is being put up by the students themselves.

Construction of the facility will have a number of benefits for the campus and the students, said Howes, serving both as a practical area for future students and a point of pride for the current students in his class.

"I tell them that this building is going to be here for a long time, so they are going to be proud," he said.

Several of the students said they appreciate being on a job site, rather than working in the classroom.

For Howes, his roll in the building goes beyond offering lessons and advice, as he can often be seen grabbing a hammer or climbing to the top of a ladder.

"Mr. Howes is a great guy and he's taught me everything I know," said student Chris Amari.

Working with Howes on the storage shed helps show what it is like to work on-site in the building trades, said senior Cody Richards. He said his dad also works in the building trades, and he hopes to build his own house.

"I love doing this," said student Warren Toups. "I love to see how everything is put together, and working together is a lot like acting like a giant family."

The other two buildings on campus are nearing completion, with the two-story main campus building looking at a March completion and the smaller building on the south campus for the animal sciences and cosmetology building looking at possible completion in February.

aswift@newstote.com