Students Start Their Engines in New Club
By Valeska Simmonds

Mr. Nolan (center) helps Nick Fox and Will Mitchell with their car engines.

"Ladies and Gentlemen Start Your Engines!" — or in our case, "Wind up your rubber bands! The Forest Dale Mini Indy 500 is about to begin!"

For the past eight weeks, members of the Mechanical Mayhem club at Forest Dale Elementary have been learning the basics of car maintenance. The club, open to boys and girls in grades 2-5, meets each Thursday, where Mr. Nolan puts students through their paces. Some of the areas they have been learning about are how to change a flat tire, how to do an oil change, changing burned out lights and maintaining the proper fluid levels in the car. Club members also learned the importance of using the right tools for the right job. Perhaps one of the most important lessons taught is when it is time to take the car to the experts! 

Yes, this is elementary school, but as Mr. Nolan will remind students, it’s never too early to become familiar with your car. Mr. Nolan is studying Automotive Mechanics at Ivy Tech State College and enjoys sharing his passion for cars with our students. His goal is to work on high performance engines such as the ones seen at the Indianapolis 500.

The end of the eight-week club session will feature a race with mini dragsters put together by the students in teams of two. They have spent the last two weeks piecing together and painting their cars for our Mini Indy 500 to be held on Tuesday, February 6. Parents, if you think this is the kind of activity your child would enjoy, talk to your school Site Coordinator about establishing a Mechanical Mayhem club at your ESE program. Let the mayhem begin... mechanical that is!