Posted: 8/12/2026 5:10:58 PM EDT
[Last Edit: guns762][Edited]
Year 31 of my career starts today! Thursday, students will be here and we will begin this whole adventure once again. We again no longer have an empty canvas to start with. It’s getting kind of crowded here . As we did last few years, we will be adding to an existing display. This year is a bit different, as we worked as a group at the end of last year to come up with some concepts for what we might try to create this year. This was pretty awesome, as the kids and I were all excited last May to get going on the new project. I’ve looked forward to this all summer. Usually, I’m pretty stressed out trying to figure out what we might be able to work on. Not this year. We have some good concepts, thanks to A.I. artwork we worked on last May. This year’s room for renovation will be our U-Boat/Liberty Ship room. We last visited this room in 2021 when students came back from the dreaded Covid lockdowns. We added the 2 Liberty ships and some mural work at that time. We will again add to what we have, and try to enhance the area.        Many of you have contributed, followed along, and read these threads for the last 14yrs. I would hope you would consider joining us again this year for another fun adventure creating an immersive environment in one of our breakout rooms. The input you all have given has turned cool ideas into unbelievable displays that really are something special. You’ve helped to turn our entire school into some crazy museum that our students take great pride in. I know you all will come up with crazy ideas, some of which will become major focal points in the display. A brief history for those who are new to these threads...... ARFCOM has been an essential part of the adventure my students' experience with the building of permanent, large installation projects here at our high school. I know that this year will be no different, and our success will be attributable to the incredible help that so many of you provide. This will be my 31st year teaching. These projects have rejuvenated my teaching style, given my students something they love coming to school for, and providing experiences that they truly value. I want to say again, THANK YOU! You are an incredible group of people and my students are lucky to have you on their team. My Art classes will again work with CAD students, Welding students, Woodworking students, and Robotic students to try to create our next display. For those new to our adventures, roughly 60-80 students from grades 9-12 will work the entire school year to build from scratch a permanent 3D display in an area roughly 14’wide x 30' long x 25’high. Some students might only spend an hour working on this, some three weeks, and some might spend several hours every day the entire year. Our last projects have ended up costing roughly about $4300-4800 each. The generosity in both funds, equipment, and advice in our previous years have made all the difference in being able to spend that much money on such a project. Since the U-Boat project (2015) the areas we are again visiting, ARFCOM has covered the costs of every single one of these projects. Not a single dime has had to come out of my classroom budget. We will again have to have a t-shirt sale (later, much later) to celebrate the adventure and raise the funds needed. The fundraiser will be near the end of the project, so not for almost a year. The last few designs have been pretty epic and no doubt, we should be able to come up with great designs. On to the important part…… Deep Sea Legends 2026-27 Our 30ft German Type VIIC U-boat will still be featured in the display, along with the 14ft, and 7ft Liberty Ships. There will be a variety of smaller projects added to the display. I’m hoping we get all of them, but who knows. There may be more, and we may end up having to leave a few things out. That is one of the crazy parts of these projects……we have some ideas, but things may change over the course of the creation. We want the room to be more immersive. The kids specifically talked about how cool the whole feel of the 2nd Age of Vikings room, and last year’s Apollo Mission To the Moon turned out. We will work to get something similar in this display. Where I’d like to see this go: A.I. really has made it easier to help the kids see the "vision" that we might end up with. They worked last May getting some concept images created. They aren't perfect, but they do the job of helping people see where our display might end up. It's been awesome for a brainstorming session. -1st, a Mermaid calling to students is a big hit with the students. We will have her wrapped around the support column.   -For the kid in my that can’t ever get enough model air planes……. I want to see a downed WWII F-4 Corsair in the corner with a deep-sea diver in a dive helmet standing under it. The kids were a little growly when I told them I wanted to see the F-4. Well, tough  , it’s going to be awesome, and fits the WWII setting well.  - The kids are excited to create some sea life, and a Great White shark may make it into the display near the diver. Coral, fish, plants should also be expected to be added.  - We might end up with a whale and giant squid somewhere in the display. We talked about having the squid wrapped around our U-boat, but I’m not sure that would work. It might be more than we can handle.  - Above the mermaid, we want to have an old Spanish galleon wreck, called into the rocks by the mermaid.  - In the corner by our sinking Liberty ship, we might have a sculpture of the U.S.S. Arizona sinking and on fire, using the historical pictures as our refences.   -We might add a Japanese Mini sub at the other end of the display, to the left of the F-4  -Amelia Earhart’s missing plane might also be something fun to try to add. Not sure how big or where, but that was the kids’ idea. Creating 2 planes might end up with me buried at sea somewhere. I might have to think about that a bit.  I know you will all come up with even better ideas so let’s get this started. Post your ideas, pictures of what you might envision, or what you’d like to see us add in. At the end of last year’s thread, we already have some ideas getting posted. I’ll try to get those listed in here soon. This is a nice video produced by my district of what happens in my class: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1846Njp2TW/ |
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No offense, it seems like it's getting cluttered/ too busy and too many themes in one place but I realize you have to work with what space you have. Didn't y'all do a galleon already? The mermaid and squid would work better with that than the WWII stuff I'd think. Just random thoughts... ETA, I was typing while you posted after the sub and victory ships and was referring to adding a the mermaid and squid to that scene. |
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I like the mermaid idea. Heck! they are all some cool ideas. The artwork in the school is so awesome to see in person. My family and I are in awe. The work that your students have done is just amazing. And don't forget.. They have a good teacher to guide them. Might have to start doing mini scenes in the nooks. Like where the mirrored unicorn is hiding.
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Originally Posted By FB41: Subscribed to another great thread! Lotta good ideas there Guns... hope you can get them all done, but I imagine it's gonna be a knife fight in a phone booth deciding which one's get priority. Hopefully we can get them all done. I think having the variety makes getting more kids invested in the project. Ill see who my students are next week. Ill get a feel for who wants to work on what. There will be tables with each topic and the kids will be allowed to choose what they want to work on. We might end up with no one wanting to work on one of them. We will see. The F-4 will not be one of those neglected.....  |
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Looking forward to this! Just a thought, the kraken (giant squid) should be attacking the galleon (or similar). Also, just for the back-of-mind, propellers that are spinning when they hit the water get mangled to heck. |
Life is about choices.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
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Originally Posted By redoubt: Looking forward to this! Just a thought, the kraken (giant squid) should be attacking the galleon (or similar). Also, just for the back-of-mind, propellers that are spinning when they hit the water get mangled to heck. Don't let me forget about the propellers. We may have the squid attacking a sperm whale. That is kind of what the kids were thinking at the end of last year. Not sure how we will do it, other than carved foam. |
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Originally Posted By guns762: Don't let me forget about the propellers. We may have the squid attacking a sperm whale. That is kind of what the kids were thinking at the end of last year. Not sure how we will do it, other than carved foam. 
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Originally Posted By HermanSnerd:
In reality, those two hot chicks that you just met that want you to come home with them for "a good time", are merely the bait for the huge guy hiding in the closet wearing a Batman suit.
In reality, those two hot chicks that you just met that want you to come home with them for "a good time", are merely the bait for the huge guy hiding in the closet wearing a Batman suit.
When the Tide is out you can see who swims naked
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Originally Posted By 67Firebird: *Black Pearl. https://i.postimg.cc/k5KxKg4p/Jack-Sparrow-Surprised.gif Originally Posted By 67Firebird: Originally Posted By redoubt:...the kraken (giant squid) should be attacking the * https://i.postimg.cc/k5KxKg4p/Jack-Sparrow-Surprised.gif 
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Originally Posted By 67Firebird: *Black Pearl. https://i.postimg.cc/k5KxKg4p/Jack-Sparrow-Surprised.gif Originally Posted By 67Firebird: Originally Posted By redoubt:...the kraken (giant squid) should be attacking the * https://i.postimg.cc/k5KxKg4p/Jack-Sparrow-Surprised.gif 
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Life is about choices.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
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Given the "theme" for this year......I think this song may be fitting! Good luck students, I believe you will do well! You have a great teacher!  Drunken Sailer - Irish Rovers |
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Originally Posted By Bigtwin: Given the "theme" for this year......I think this song may be fitting! Good luck students, I believe you will do well! You have a great teacher!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw
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Originally Posted By Bigtwin: Given the "theme" for this year......I think this song may be fitting! Good luck students, I believe you will do well! You have a great teacher! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw Hoist the Colours | The Bass Singers of TikTok |
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So in, will be stoked to help whenever the call comes....This will be an epic year... Love the spectrum of imagination and the boldness of the possibilities.... |
trobertston5-0
I wasn't put in jail for what I did. I was put in it for what I think. My trial was 10 percent facts of the case and 90 percent things I have said or posted...
Leges Humanae Nascuntur, Vivunt, Et Moriuntur
I wasn't put in jail for what I did. I was put in it for what I think. My trial was 10 percent facts of the case and 90 percent things I have said or posted...
Leges Humanae Nascuntur, Vivunt, Et Moriuntur
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