South Walton students are blowing glass instead of class

What do you think a group of high school students would want to do on their first day of Spring Break?
Going back to class was probably not one of your guesses, though that is exactly what over a dozen South Walton High School art students did. They got a chance to work with local glass artist Russ Gilbert, Master Glassblower and owner of Fusion Art Galleries, spending the entire day in the art Department without having to stop and go to another class.
"It was the first time we had blown glass in several months," said Jerry Pilcher, SWHS art teacher. "The new guys were very eager to get a shot at glassblowing, and the old hands wanted to get back to it before they forgot the skills they had learned."
Pilcher explained that he is changing the glass system a little bit with the help of a grant from Seaside Merchants Association and Russ Gilbert at Fusion Glass Galleries. The system he wanted to use is one Gilbert had been using for years but is now getting away from. 
Gilbert is donating his System 96 glass pellets to SWHS and this glassblowing session was the students' first chance to experience using the new system. 
"One of my students who had tried to blow the old plate glass said the new glass was like working with honey," remarked Pilcher.
Prior to Gilbert's donation, students were blowing regular plate glass, which is very stiff and has to be worked very fast, making it extremely difficult for students to work with. 
"Actually, we had 100 percent completion for everybody who attempted to make something," said Pilcher. 
Once a piece of glass is made, it is put into an annealing oven set at approximately 1,100 degrees for 24 hours.  The piece of glass is then cooled down gradually. 
"I was very impressed with this new System 96 glass," continued Pilcher. "When I opened the annealing oven the next day after glassblowing, every piece we had put in was still in one piece. That wasn't always the case with the regular plate glass."
The South Walton High School Art Department is one of three high schools in the country that has a glassblowing studio, the other two in Washington and California.