Amber Oosterheert’s Deep Hope for her third-grade students at Allendale Christian School is to recognize that everyone is uniquely made in God's image to be a light in their community. With this hope in front of them, the students were invited to practice community building by creating quadrilateral castles that would be displayed in the Allendale Township Library to bring joy to everyone who visited this space.

Students created quadrilateral castles and "I Spy" questions for the community to enjoy and interact with. They then completed a gallery walk and answered each others' "I Spy" questions.

The class called the local library to ask if students could share their work, and asked the local deputy to assist the class in crossing the busy street. The students then walked to the library with their quadrilateral castles in hand and hung them up on the endcaps of the library bookshelves.

This wonderful story demonstrates the deep engagement that results when students master curricular content, practice a Throughline way of being, and create work that serves a purpose beyond the classroom.

A more in depth look at the Learning Targets, Throughlines, and curricular outcomes that outlined this project can be found in Amber Oosterheert’s PowerPoint, attached below.