Montgomery Laser Cutter System - A Power Up Project - Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation
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Montgomery Laser Cutter System – A Power Up Project

David Crowell, a teacher at Montgomery school, is helping students learn about laser cutting as one of Saskatoon Public School Foundation (SPSF)’s Power Up Projects.

SPSF contributed $5000 towards the purchase of a NOVA 35 laser cutter system and program software that allows classroom resources to be created in a Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) classroom. The NOVA 35 system uses a laser to cut materials into 2D pieces with a high level of detail. This resulted in an SPS classroom making needed materials to give to other classrooms.

a NOVA laser cutter system
A NOVA laser cutter (picture source)

The students at Montgomery, along with their teacher, David Crowell, have made materials for classrooms. This allowed SPS teachers to save money by creating an alternative to purchasing new materials. In total, all the materials created for SPS classrooms is worth more than $80 000!

What has the Montgomery laser cutting system made?

  • 1500 solitary bee hotel models – used in 50 SPS classrooms for a project in spring 2024
  • 1500 Red River Cart models – used in over 40 SPS classrooms, and played a key role in a Red River Cart in-service held with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNIM) unit support
  • 36 unit circle models – used in a math class at Marion M. Graham Collegiate
  • Plains Bison and Red River Cart game tokens – made for a class activity in Westmount school
  • More than 60 ten-frame math manipulatives – made for several schools including a grade 1 classroom at Alvin Buckwold

Showcasing the laser cutting system

In April, the SPSF Board members were able to see the laser cutter at a showcase. The next month, the SPS admin council got a tour of the system. Member of Parliament, Kevin Waugh, was even able to see the laser cutter system in action.