Eanes ISD students brought creativity to life through a cross-campus collaboration between West Ridge Middle School and Barton Creek Elementary. Led by Family and Consumer Science (FCS) teacher Shannon Zock, the 2024–25 WRMS Educator of the Year, West Ridge Middle School’s FCS II students transformed original monster drawings by Barton Creek Elementary CDC students into handmade plush toys.
The project allowed the middle schoolers to apply sewing techniques learned in class, blending both hand stitching and machine methods to construct recreations of the younger students’ artwork. In doing so, students practiced not only technical skills, but attention to detail.
Extending beyond the crafting process, WRMS students had the opportunity to visit Barton Creek Elementary to personally hand-deliver the plushies. They also created personalized short stories inspired by the plushies, which they then read aloud to the elementary students during a special storytime visit. This added a meaningful literary component to the experience, while also helping the students develop their public speaking and creative writing skills.
This cross-campus collaboration helped students build real-world skills in a fun, hands-on way. Middle schoolers used sewing and crafting techniques to make plush toys. They also grew more confident by writing and reading stories aloud. Working with younger students taught them empathy, leadership, and teamwork. This project is a strong example of how cross-campus collaboration can connect learning with community.
Sources: Eanes ISD Facebook Page
Blog by: Jennifer Briscoe, Intern, UTSA
