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This week students learned all about pizza and got a chance to put it all together and make their very own! Recipe from our new Prostart curriculum. Thanks to Hospitality MN for the funds to purchase industry created textbooks to advance our academic knowlege and technical skills. There are future chefs in our FCS spaces! "LoOk At My ChEsE pUlL!!"

POV: you're a gen z teacher... picture evidence... In our Child and Human Dev class we've hit the unit where we talk about dating and relationships. When asking students if they thought our generation did things different than previous generations they went "hold up how old are you?" Love these students and the fun we get to have in this room. THANKFUL that this is my job!

Have you ever tried to explain lefse in an appetizing way to a group of 30 high schoolers? No easy task! Some LOVE it- some have no idea or exposure. It is so fun to provide students new and exciting experiences AND to share some of my own family heritage. Students are always talking when they aren't supposed to, its hard to get high schoolers to shut up! BUT when I share personal stories and experiences kids are silent. It is often uncomfortable to be a teacher- learning how

Culinary Basics students are spoiled during the holidays! We make as many treats as humanly possible in a week! Then students participate in a cookie exchange and get to try them all! This year each kitchen group made a different kind. Gingerbread, sugar cut outs, spritz, crinkle, and thumbprint. The following week we washed it all down with learning the history of hot cocoa and made our very own hot chocolate spoons. We evaluated the cost of this product and determined somet

"These are actually better than Scooters!" That makes this teacher smile! We like King Arthur's Cinnamon Roll recipe...

December is the busiest month for an FCS teacher! All the cookies, extra planning and last stinking second expectations- my silverware disappear and every body needs to borrow a serving spoon or fridge space... it is hectic in my room in the month of December! I love it! My child dev students have been put through the wringer these past three weeks but they have handled it all with such grace. Racketball with our DAPE buddies, dance offs then finally cookie decorating. I thin

Short week+ produce that needs to be used= fried rice Before any break I'm cleaning out the fridge. We had eggs from a previous donation, carrots and green onion from our ALP student's school garden. Easy and nutritious meal using lots of local ingredients= great way to wrap up the week! Enjoy your break school staff and students! *Hey teachers! Feel free to use my slides for your own fried rice lab! See attached.

This teacher got lots of prep time today... Students got a break from their teacher to hear about and then taste test MREs provided by the National Guard. We got to review our "don't yuck their yum" mentality today. Some students really enjoyed the meals while others practiced fixing their face. Thanks for coming in to present to us today National Guard! We learned lots from you and enjoyed your stories!

Next week is a short week - thankful for the Thanksgiving break! So this Friday we celebrated with our DAPE buddies. We had crafts, games, a hot cocoa bar and homemade rice crispy treats. So fun to see students interact in a new setting with new tasks. This group planned and prepared this event leading up to today and took great ownership and pride in hosting their buddies. Super thankful for this awesome group of students! Happy Thanksgiving!

Today a group of FCCLA -ers went with to donate fresh baked bread to the local food shelf. We donated 24 braided whole wheat loaves and 5 sourdough. Each student prepared, baked and packaged their own loaf. This is all possible because of King Arthur Flour Company. Every year I fill out a grant application to participate in their " Bake for Good " program. King Arthur sends us everything we need to make a whole grain dough. The only stipulation is that students must donate ha

Yesterday was a lovely day, the weather was perfect. This is why we live here! Perfect day for a scavenger hunt! Students in child development have the opportunity to earn their CPR and first aid certification during class. Yesterday we introduced the AED. Then we raced to see who could find the most on our campus. First step to using an AED is finding one! Hey teachers! My AED overview slides are HERE ! Feel free to borrow!

Your students saying that too?? I think it's from tik tok... Today we processed 7 pumpkins harvested from our school garden last month! Each class period picked up where the last left off. We roasted and pureed the pumpkin meat. We seasoned and roasted the seeds. Finally we dropped off our skins to feed some local chickens. Students will be using the pumpkin puree in class this week as they prepare for their first food innovation lab. Students are to create a snack product fo

What even is FCCLA? Future Career Leaders of America... Most of my students didn't know what FCCLA was... until a group of students approached me and asked if I would use a project rubric in my classroom to bring awareness to the organization. "OF COURSE!" I was an FCCLAer myself in highschool. I gained skills that I still use to this day. Public speaking was not a strong suit for me but now I speak in front of kids all day long and have coached a speech team! Personal skills

Hey Opal foods and Mrs. Kuehl we like your chickens! Thanks for donating to LHS FCS! Today students got to choose what they did with their egg. Tomorrow they get another shot to try a different technique. Lots of omelets, sandwhiches, poaches, sunny side ups! Kids are way more invested when they get to make choices and show creativity in the kitchen. Rogness

One thing I think is hard to teach is flexibility. How do we teach our kids to pivot and remain resillient as these are nessecary skills for life outside of school. Let me tell you, my child dev students are constantly having to deal with moving gymspace, limited/postponed resources, plans changing and straight up chaos. They are learning how to be flexible and remain calm under less than ideal circumstances. Again today, last minute changes were made and students were sent i

I don't have kids. Nor do I want them yet. But for a month every year, I have 24 babies!! Child develppment students have finally made it to the fun unit. Infants! When you think of this class, this might be all you remember. Just remember that any time and frustration you spent on that simulation baby, your teacher spent even more time programing and preparing it for you! I found myself camping at the school last week at 9 pm to make sure these babies were operating at peak

I bribed some students with donuts and cookies... 6:45 am the bus left the LHS parking lot. 23 students rode all the way to the Minneapolis Convention Center to attend Hospitality Minnesota's annual expo. Students got a tour of the convention center, and kitchens, talked with staff and sampled eclairs and pork meatballs. Students were exposed to careers and industry that is hard to explore in rural small towns. LHS culinary students filled in "passports" by talking to indsutr

"What is that...?" Like a veggie tray but cooler! This week students from Litchfield's Alternative Learning Program donated fresh potatoes, carrots, and green onions they grew this past season. Apples were donated and lettuce was harvested from our hydroponics towers. Culinary students then got to practice knife skills, plating and presenting as well as demonstrate creativity when making their own Crudités! Many of my students had never tried pesto before. Within the first we

Child development students took a break from the classroom to play! Rise and Roam is a local non profit that seeks to build community for parents through providing an indoor play place for kiddos. Students were given a tour of the space and heard from the founder herself. We learned about her background in early childhood education, the value in developmentally appropriate exhibits, career opportunities within the organization and heard her passion for her mission in everyth

Happy MEA break to all those who celebrate! As all school staff know, there are preparations to be made when you step away to take a well deserved break... the FCS department is no different! Today culinary basics students helped with our farm to table initiative. We have six diffent types of lettuce varieties that grow in our six hydroponic towers. Lettuce grown and harvested by FCS students gets used in the middle and high school cafeterias. Eat your greens next week studen