OREANA - "Oh, man, I'm scared of needles," Griffin Sparks of Cisco confessed, as he sat facing the sewing machine.

"The needle isn't going to get you; trust me," Ary Anderson of Decatur Quilters Guild assured him.

"You'll hit the pressure foot first."

Anderson was helping Griffin, as well as all of the other fifth-graders in Argenta-Oreana Elementary School, make quilts, courtesy of a grant Mary Jo Orme, librarian at Argenta-Oreana Elementary School, secured from the Illinois State Library.

As she guided each student through the sewing process, Anderson said, "They are doing quite well, considering how little time they've spent on a sewing machine."

During the students' library time, Orme has introduced them to literature, history and mathematics, all in the name of quilting.

It's called "Double Dipping with Math and Literature," Orme said.

The fifth-graders have nearly completed a wall hanging in school colors, they plan to make a quilt for Project Linus to donate for a child in stress, and they have a work in progress to donate to Scott Air Force Base.

That quilt, currently under construction, is an American flag-based design created by Brandon Newingham of Oreana. It will be donated into the hands of a wounded soldier, Anderson said.

Working with Orme and Anderson, Brandon said he thinks that when he created the design, he had in mind his brother and a friend of his brother's, both soon to be deployed to active duty in Afghanistan. He chose the fabrics that create the blocks of red, white and blue and in turn create the flag's stripes.

Part of the quilting experience, Orme said, has been learning the history and how quilting was part of the pioneer process. And the students even learned through experience how difficult it is to do hand sewing, she said. But the projects also have been heavy on the math, showing students how matrices are created, how fractions are added.

"The grant has afforded us many special opportunities this school year, and.;much of the materials and programs will benefit our students in the future," Orme said.

"Math and reading are two of the essential skills our students need to take with them for future success."

There was a lot of math involved, said Steve Lusietto III of Decatur, and quilting was a lot more fun than he anticipated. It was, agreed Talon Decker of Argenta, a different kind of learning project for math.

"This was a cool experience," said Clayton Hoffman of Decatur. "It was all fun, but I liked the literature best."

QUILTONDISPLAY

A fifth-grade.;quilt will be on display at the Argenta-Oreana Elementary School, 400 W. South St., Oreana, from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 24, for Family Math Night. The Argenta-Oreana Public Library also will put the quilt on display.

Mary Jo Orme, librarian at Argenta-Oreana Elementary School, received a $4,900 grant for "Double Dipping with Math and Literature" for the school through the Library Services and Technology Act from the Illinois State Library.

Half the money, she said, was used to.;purchase materials, including mathematics disks and computer software, children's books with math concepts, professional materials on math and literature for teachers and librarian and math manipulatives.

The other half of the money, Orme said, was used for "Dave the Math Dog" assembly; Amy Lowe and her original math music assembly, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., April 24; Lowe's performance during Family Math Night on April 24; Marsha Young, consultant for teacher workshop using math and literature; and Ary Anderson, consultant, Decatur Quilters Guild.

Activities associated with the grant included quilt making &.;pioneer/quilt literature.;for fifth grade, origami and writing fairy tale math problems for fourth grade, domino activities for third grade, estimating.;for all grade levels and story time activities for kindergarten through third grade.

Orme also included other examples of the grant at work:

- "I read 'The Doorbell Rang' by Pat Hutchins, where the children had to divide up the cookies each time someone new came and rang the doorbell..;Then we acted out the story, and the.;students had to divide up the cookies.

- "Last week I read 'How Big is a Foot?' by Rolf Myller to second and third grades..;We.;measured with their foot, and then with.;a foot that was 12 inches.

- "I read 'Inch by Inch' by Leo Lionni.;to kindergarten and first grade, and we.;measured with an inchworm."

-ARLENE MANNLEIN

Arlene Mannlein can be reached at amannlein@herald-review.com or 421-6976.