George School senior Murtaza Paghdiwala, a Bensalem resident, won a Student Award for Excellence in the 2005 Philadelphia Furniture and Furnishings Show, which ran from April 15 through April 17. His entry, a patio bench crafted from mahogany and bamboo, was one of two student pieces that woodworking teacher Carter Sio selected to represent George School's woodworking and design program in the show's high school competition this year. Junior Robert Wojno, a Newtown resident, designed George School's other entry, a three-legged stool made of maple and walnut.

Murtaza and Robert are both students in Carter's advanced woodworking and design class, a year-long arts course open to students who have completed a year of the beginning woodworking and design course. Students in the advanced class work on original, individual projects, from the design stage through completion. "Carter is great," Robert said. "I always look forward to woodworking with Carter."

"Bamboo is really different to work with," Murtaza said, explaining how he chose the materials for his bench. "I hadn't worked with it before and I thought it would be fun." He said that he enjoys woodworking and design because time spent in the studio is a nice change of pace from his other classes, and there are many opportunities for creativity. "You can get as much out of it as you put into it," he said. "Putting the last coat of finish on is always a thrill."

All George School students take four year-long courses in the arts. In addition to woodworking and furniture design, the arts department offers courses in instrumental and vocal music, theater arts, dance, video production, journalism, painting and drawing, ceramics, and photography. The arts department encourages students to be creative and enjoy themselves while they practice and appreciate a specific art form. In addition, students learn to be discriminating when they evaluate their own and others' work.

Note: Digital photographs of the students' furniture are available upon request. 

About George School 
George School, founded in 1893 by members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), teaches that each person shares a responsibility for helping to make the world a better place. The student body is diverse, representing twenty states and thirty foreign countries and a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, academic, and economic backgrounds. Each year more than $4 million in need-based financial aid is provided to eligible students.