JAY – Fourth-graders stood around two shop tables listening to high school teacher Dan Lemieux explain different increments of measure on a 1-inch portion of a ruler. Their focus was on how to measure 1/16 of an inch.

Lemieux has been teaching fourth-graders about measurement for years to coincide with fractions lessons and prepare them for woodworking and metalworking classes in high school.

“It’s important to me that every fourth-grader learn to measure. You cannot go into the (trade fields) if you don’t know how,” he said.

On Friday, not only were fourth-graders learning to measure, they were also laying out a piece of wood to make an arched-wood key holder with the help of high school students.

First they traced a prepared key holder on to a small block of wood and then used a ruler to make a line through the center and then indicate markings for the hooks to be set.

Isiah Wyman got a little help from high school student Jeff Gordon as he carefully measured and marked the lengths Lemieux directed.

Fourth-grade teacher Tammy Deering pitched in to help, along with other older students.

By the time they would be done, Lemieux said they would cut the arch shape of the holder and drill holes in the board for the hooks and then stain them.