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Travis Rowley knew his students wouldn't be doing much book work while he was gone on a weeklong family vacation in December.
So the wood-shop teacher at Hillcrest and Jordan high schools enlisted them in another project that would put them to work in a veritable Santa's workshop while he was away.
The task was this: Build wooden cars and block sets for needy children.
"What kid doesn't like a car for Christmas?" Rowley said.
So before he left on his trip, he cut the wood to size. He then left the sanding, painting and assembling to his students.
By the time Rowley returned, students had fashioned a fleet of nearly 60 orange, yellow and blue wooden dragsters, each 8 inches long. The cars were delivered to Midvale Elementary, where they were handed out to children.
"When I left on vacation, I wasn't sure what to expect," Rowley said. "When I walked back in and saw what they had done, my expectations were met. They all did a great job. They took pride in what they did."
Students at the two schools also built about 15 wooden block sets, which also were donated.
"I think my favorite part was not just making toys — because I enjoy woodworking — but just knowing that there were going to be kids out there who wouldn't necessarily have Christmas," Hillcrest senior Tyler Sly said, "and we guaranteed that they had at least one thing."
Rowley said "character education is probably just as important as the math or anything else that they do in class." He's thrilled students put care into each little car.
For some students, the project hit close to home.
"Hillcrest is a little bit lower economic school," Rowley said. "So those kids understand what it's like to not get too many things for Christmas."
Jordan senior Travis Lyman was among the students who participated in the project at his school. On Dec. 25, he couldn't help but think about the children unwrapping their handmade cars.
"[Mr. Rowley] was telling us it's probably the only gift these kids would get for Christmas," Lyman said. "They didn't have to get all bummed out thinking Santa wasn't real."
Knowing the cars would be treasured, Lyman said, students gave them a little extra love.
"You've got to do it right," he said.