Bakery and Business – the students are required to sell 10 orders a quarter. If orders are sold, we cook. Most of the students still have a couple more orders to sell before March 15th. Because this is a lab based class with no homework, the students are graded on attendance. Each day present is worth two points and if the student is tardy, they lose 1/3 of a point.

Foods 2 – the students just finished the Beef Unit. The students had a choice to make Taco Salad or Beef Macaroni Sauté. Both labs were delicious! Next unit is Chicken. We make Chicken Enchiladas for our lab. Our next unit will be Cakes and Frostings. With that unit we have a contest with each kitchen decorating a cake. The students usually have a lot of fun playing with the frosting.

Consumers – currently we are talking about Insurance. We cover the very basics just so the students have an understanding of how insurance works. There have been a lot of questions and class discussions this year which is great!

Hello All!

Today in World Foods we made food from India. Definitely different with spices not much of us are used too. Great experience.

Foods 1 we made Fruit Pizza. Tomorrow we will finish our notes and have a worksheet for homework. Time will be given in class to complete some but probably not enough time to finish it.

In Consumers we are finishing up ch 19 on Transportation. We will have a test on Friday.

Enjoy your day!

World Foods – The students are still working on finishing their student projects. Friday, November 16 the students will be in the computer lab to find a recipe for pumpkin pie. Monday each kitchen will be preparing their pumpkin pie recipe (using an actual pie pumpkin). Tuesday each student and a couple staff members will be tasting the five pies to see which kitchen (and recipe) wins the contest. I am looking forward to this event. After Thanksgiving break the students will present information on India, China and Japan. Also, the week before Christmas this class will be offering Christmas cookies and other sweets made to order for purchase. More information to follow.

Foods – right now we are talking about Table Manners, Table Settings, and Napkin folding. Test on Tuesday. Each student should be able to fold a cloth napkin differently before Thanksgiving.

Consumers – Test on Chapter 12 (Savings) tomorrow – Friday, November 16. Next we will talk about Transportation which should be a fun chapter for this class.

If you have any questions, be feel free to email me! Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

Just a couple updates about what is happening in the FACS room.

World Foods – students are continuing their projects of presenting information to the class about a country they choose. We also make five different foods to go along with the country. We just finished talking about Europe and the Middle East. We still need to talk about Africa, Russia, India, China, and Japan. We will have a Pumpkin Pie Contest between the five kitchens the short week before Thanksgiving.

Foods – we are just finishing up our chapter on Quick Breads. We made biscuits, muffins, and pancakes. The labs were very successful. Our next chapters are on Fruits and Vegetables.

Consumers – we are just about wrapping up our Finance Unit and just finished our Check Book packet. We currently are talking about Credit and the dangers of plastic money. Next we will be talking about Transportation and vehicles.

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Consumers Education :

• Friday, April 1 Test on Chapter 23 Housing
• Friday, April 1 we will be doing the month of January in our checkbook stimulation together as a class.
• the next few class periods notes on Chapter 10 and 11
• Tuesday, April 5 Feb – March on the checkbook
• Thursday, April 7 April – June on the checkbook
• Monday, April 11 whole checkbook due and handed in. 
• Monday, April 11 Test on Chapters 10-11
• the next few class periods notes on Chapter 12 
• Tuesday, April 19 Test on Chapter 12
• Thursday, April 21 chapter 14 questions are due

Foods 2

• we are taking Meat notes currently
• Friday, April 1 Taco Salad or Beef Macaroni Saute Lab
• Friday, April 1 Meat Test
• Tuesday, April 5 Yeast Bread notes.  Make dough for lab
• Thursday, April 7 Caramel or Cinnamon Rolls Lab
• Monday, April 11 Pretzel Lab
• Wednesday, April 13 Decorating Notes
• Friday, April 15, April 19, and April 21 Practice decorating techniques, make a cake, decorate the cake.

Business and Bakery

• Students are required to sell 20 orders this quarter and 3 tickets to our breakfast final (more info later)
• April 8 and April 29 we are making and selling small sandwiches during directed studies

Independent Living

• we are in our Foods Unit
• Thursday, March 31 finish Kitchen Safety and Sanitation
• we will spend a few days on Cost of food and supplies notes and activities
• Friday, April 8 Cookie Lab as one of cost activities
• Tuesday, April 12 Taste Testing different brands of the same food.  Actual food is still a surprise.  Homework is a reflective paragraph and filling out the lab evaluation
• Monday, April 18 Research garnishes.  Homework is filling out lab worksheet
• Wednesday, April 20 Garnish lab

Consumer Education:  The students have just finished their Career Unit where they were required to write a resume, cover letter, and participate in a mock interview.  I am very proud of the students and from the feedback, the students are feeling a little more comfortable applying and interviewing for jobs.  Our next unit is Finances.  Each student is required to keep a budget of all the money spent and made over the extended weekend which will help kick off this new unit. 

Foods 2:  The students are preparing to make Hash Brown Omelets tomorrow.  This is one of my favorite labs.  Next week Wednesday the students will be tested over Eggs and then we will continue with our protein unit with more focus on meat and poultry. 

Business and Bakery:  Some of you may be tasting some of the bakery items that are leaving the classroom.  These students are running their own bakery which includes selling orders, making bakery items, and then delivering.  Each baker is becoming very comfortable in the kitchen and we are receiving very good reviews.  Right now we are discussing a sandwich menu which we hope to introduce right after Spring Break.  Thank you for your support!

Independent Living:  The students are looking at and assessing different advertisements and talking about how advertisements are effecting us and society.

Next week is finals week and I am excited to see what the students have learned so far this year.

The Consumers final is worth 200 points.  There are 150 questions that were compiled from previous tests.  The students are allowed to come in before or after school to review the tests and fill out their study guide.  The other 50 points comes from the checkbook portion.  Again, the questions will be something the students have seen before.

The Foods final has a written and cooking portion.  The written portion covers equivalents (16 tablespoons = 1 cup), abbreviations (gallon = gal), measuring techniques (flour is measured with a spoon in a dry measuring cup then leveled with a narrow spatula), and what the ingredients are used for in all recipes (flour provides structure, sugar sweetness).  In the cooking portion, each kitchen is to properly follow a recipe while relying on their kitchen group if questions arise, not me.  As a kitchen they will make a homemade pizza.  They will be given their recipe on Friday and that is the last day I will answer any questions about the recipe or any procedures.  They will be graded on appearance, taste, participation, how well the group works together, and if all lab rules where followed (their usual evaluation).

In World Foods we are having a “sandwich baked off.”  Each kitchen group will be making a sandwich from a recipe they found.  As a class we will decide the best tasting sandwich.  They will be graded on participation, taste, appearance, cooperation, and if all lab rules where followed especially sanitation (their usual evaluation).  Each group will need to supply their own ingredients, cost list, and recipe.

Independent Living right now is focusing on learning how to prepare for and then find a job.  The students took quizzes on www.careercruising.com that match their interests to career choices.  The students then have been researching these careers to see if that is something they would be interested in as a career in the future.  They are also researching colleges and tech schools that offer classes they would need.  Their final is to start a professional portfolio that would help them live independently after high school or college. 

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me at roedakl@grantpark.k12.il.us  Thanks!

In the Consumer’s class we learn about “real life” situation  like how to write a resume and cover letter.  The students also participate in a mock interview.  They have balanced checkbooks and we just finished the Insurance unit.  We will be finishing up the year talking about vehicles, how to buy and what to buy, and a quick overview about the economy cycles.  The final will be comprehensive. 

Foods 1 we just finished Table Manner and Etiquette notes and next week we will make cutout Christmas cookies and frost them which may be a holiday tradition in some homes.  This class has a 50 point written final over abbreviations, equivalents, and measuring techniques.  There is also a cooking final that is worth 150 points. 

World Foods the students presented information found on a country and then we cooked 4 different recipes from that country.  The object of this class is to learn world culture and experience some food from a number of different countries. 

Independent Living is a class where we briefly focus on financial topics that students will someday address after moving out on their own or even as soon as college.  Next semester we will talk more about nutritious menus and what foods can be made that is good for both you and the wallet.