As the wind blew, sophomore Andres Prieto and his classmates ran back and forth trying to make their kite fly the highest.

After reading the novel “The Kite Runner,” Ron Baer’s third and fifth period English classes got a chance to fly the kites they built.

“I like that they had the experience of trying to make a kite,” English teacher Ron Baer said. “I think for the book they need to experience how hard it is to fly a kite and how much talent it takes.”

Both of Baer’s 10th grade classes read Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” which describes the tradition where everyone comes together and fly their kite as apart of a competition. After finishing the novel, students were assigned a kite-making project to represent the tradition. The students were provided with  patterned scrapbook paper, bamboo and string.

The process was challenging for many students. Trying to make the kite balanced so it could fly was a difficult task and took a lot of time and patience.

“You have to shave off the bamboo so it could be balanced and if it wasn’t you would have to scrap it and do it again,” Prieto said.

Some students were successful and got their kite to fly as high as the basketball hoops.

“It was my second time making a kite and the first time it failed but this time it worked,” sophomore Nicole Gabino said. “It flew on the first try. It just all depends on how well your coordination is.”

It was Baer’s first time doing an activity like this with his classes and thinks it was a great way to celebrate the ending of the book. He plans to continue doing this activity with his sophomores.

“I would do it for the connection of the book, if I do “The Kite Runner” again next year,” Baer said.