New Springdale High School classes aimed at boosting student cooking, technical skills
Share this post:
When students begin the semester in one of Mandy Harrison’s family and consumer science courses at Springdale High School, they don’t know much about home economics or kitchen skills.
Some aren’t sure which pots or pans to use to make a certain food. Others don’t know how to prep the kitchen to make a meal.
But, throughout the year, Harrison works to teach students those integral skills. A new course curriculum will take those offerings to another level.
To better prepare students, Allegheny Valley School District is revamping its curriculum for family and consumer science and technology education classes. The updates will take effect next school year.
“I think it’s going to set them up for success, giving them the skills they need in the future,” said Harrison, who has been teaching at Springdale for a little more than a year.
Under the new curriculum, students could start the family and consumer sciences track by taking a Culinary Principles class, which would teach them basic kitchen safety, sanitation skills, measuring skills, baking and nutrition.
From there, they could take baking and pastry arts, foods and nutrition, and international cuisine courses.
Baking and pastry arts teaches students how to make food from scratch, Harrison said. Foods and nutrition focuses on food science and how it contributes to a healthy lifestyle. International cuisine allows students to explore fare around the world.
The district also is updating its child development course, the introduction to family and consumer science for seventh grade.
Family and consumer science courses have always been necessary, said Elizabeth Gallagher, a North Allegheny School District family and consumer science teacher and member of the Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
“In general, districts value these classes and the skills they are giving to their students regardless of where their future may take them,” Gallagher said.
All students benefit from family and consumer science classes because there is always a need for having those skills, Gallagher said.
“We still see a need for these programs to be offered, and students still benefit from the skills they learn from family and consumer science classes,” Gallagher said.
“I think these skills are so integral to all of us in all sectors that students are benefiting from learning these skills.”
Harrison said students are interested in taking family and consumer science courses. She has found that some students are unsure about basic cooking skills before taking the class.
Her goal is to teach students the basics so, when they’re adults, they’ll be able to make their own healthy food and know how to budget, as well as take care of children.
“I want to get kids working collaboratively and working on those 21st-century skills,” Harrison said.
Technology education
Springdale also is redoing its technology education courses.
Currently, students can take a robotics class only once. With the update, students will be able to take an Advanced Agile Robotics course and an independent study class.
“It allows the students to come back and further enrich their knowledge in these topic areas,” technology education teacher Mark Gizler said.
The technology education production classes will teach students the techniques and safety necessary to design and make projects. Students also will learn woodworking skills.
The three robotics courses will prepare students for the rapidly changing advancements in that industry, Gizler said.
Students in Agile Robotics will make a 15-pound robot to participate in the BotsIQ competition. They also will learn skills in mechanical and electrical engineering, machining and welding, Gizler said.
Springdale students also get help building their robots from Kiski Precision Industries.
Student Casey Sprinkle, a senior, said he would have liked the opportunity to take the classes earlier in his high school career. He intends to pursue a career in the electrical trades.
“I think classes like this are incredible,” he said. “We need more classes like this.”
The robotics class at Springdale taught him the basics, such as how amps and circuits work. He had no idea about electronics before taking the class.
“It teaches you the foundation,” Sprinkle said. “It gives you a good foundation with what you want to do.”
Principal Andrew Leviski said the changes to both family and consumer science and technology education classes will create new learning opportunities and allow more students to take the courses.
“What we did was reimagine how our electives were set up. Now, a student with an interest in those disciplines can pursue that study for three years instead of one,” Leviski said. “It’s exciting. It’s time for a breath of fresh air for our electives.”