Students at Monarch Elementary School are using what they learned in geometry class as well as history to honor local veterans.

Parents, grandparents and other volunteers recently joined the students in Rhonda Hollingsworth’s third grade class on the school’s playground to build 10 bird houses. Also helping out was Cindy Fore, director of the Union County Veterans Affairs Office, who will take the bird houses to veterans who are either homebound or in nursing homes.

Mrs. Hollingsworth said the project grew out of her students’ geometry and history courses. She said their study of history made the students want to do something to honor local veterans. Their study of geometry had taught them about shapes and angles helping give the basis of how to build a small structure. They decided to combine what they learned and build bird houses for the veterans.

Building the bird houses was also a family affair for Mrs. Hollingsworth, whose husband, Terry, found the pattern for the structures on the Internet and cut the wood for the children. Her father, Wayne Smith, was among the volunteers who helped the children build the bird houses.

The students and their assistants also waterproofed the bird houses. The children then signed the bottoms of them.

Mrs. Fore said many of the veterans who will receive the bird houses are unable to get out and enjoy being outside. She said plans are to put the bird houses somewhere close by where they can watch the birds build their nests. During some of her past home visits, Mrs. Fore said she talked with veterans who had bird houses and enjoyed putting out seeds for the birds and watching them.