Carter Sio, an instructor at George School in Newtown, teaches boxing. He’s not part of the athletics department. He is an artisan woodworking teacher. And his “boxing” instructions result in student productions of beautifully hand-crafted, decorative wooden containers.

Sio, a 1976 graduate of George School himself, first fell in love with the art within its hallways. He attended college, majoring in woodworking, and spent three years in a British-style apprenticeship.

That training instilled in him an appreciation for the time, patience, skill, and technique required to create something as seemingly simple as a box.

“There was a great deal of emphasis on perfecting our hand woodworking skills,’ he said of his time learning the craft. “So, when I came to George School to teach, I wanted to make sure that all my students came away from the program confident in their ability to use and sharpen their chisels, hand planes, and to use the many other hand tools used in furniture making.

“When I was a student at George School, the first thing you had to do was make a half lap joint using hand tools. It took a few classes to complete, and you went away with just that, a half lap joint.

“I decided to incorporate learning to use hand tools in a full-blown project that each beginning student would participate in and at the end of the term, they walked away with a box,” he explained.

Over the years, Sio estimates he’s guided more than 1,000 students through the process. Each exited the campus with a box of his or her own design and creation.

Sio realizes that few (if any) of his students will make a living with this ability. Still, he sees value in guiding them through it.

“I … feel a sense of responsibility to at least make them aware of what is involved in making a piece of original furniture, and perhaps make them better-educated consumers of art and craft in the future,” he concluded.

More on the boxes made at George School is online.