LAYTON — It takes 12-22 hours to get a ceramic tile ready to paint and present.

Over the past several years, Layton High School’s ceramics classes have saved their tiles and projects. Now, those tiles are being used to add to the school’s construction additions. The projects — ceramic bowls — are being sold to the public as a fund-raiser. The newly-finished day care hosted an open house to show the public what students can do with those tiles.

“My students are just amazing,” said Layton High School ceramics teacher Shalise Marx. “I’d tell them we need a few more bowls, and they just kept cranking those out.”

Marx has five classes per semester full of ceramics students. The school itself has a few framed collections of tiles dating back as far as the 1970s. Aside from the tiles themselves, students have also created bowls that are sold each year to the public, with funds going directly to organizations like the Utah Food Bank, Utahns Against Hunger and the Family Connection Center.

“Charity is something you just have to experience. Words can’t explain how you feel after giving to those that are in need,” said Christian Kasyan from the ceramics class.

The bowls were for sale during the day care open house, and students were able to share their work with people who came through. Children in the day care center also made rubbings of students’ work, which were also on display.

“Seeing all those tiles put together like this makes me feel proud of all the hours we put in for ceramics. It’s nice to see the outcome of all our work,” said Marcus Gould, another student in class.

The tiles will continue to be used in Layton High School’s construction, but Marx said the district is interested in using the tiles for other schools as well.

The ceramics class works with the creative writing class to make pamphlets with descriptions and pictures, to share their projects as art they have created.