In new middle school class, it's cookies with a side of budgeting

LACONIA — There’s mathematics, nutrition, applied science, teamwork, budgeting, problem solving and hygiene — and if they’re lucky, the students in Tiffany Dube’s class will also get a tasty batch of cookies. All of the above are on offer in her Family and Consumer Science class, taught at Laconia Middle School for the first time since the building opened in 2008.

Budgetary pressures kept the class from appearing on student schedules until this year, when a convergence of factors created an opening. The middle school was unable to fill a couple of exploratory teaching positions, which left some extra money on the table for salaries. Dube, an experienced teacher who has a passion for family and consumer science, reached out to Principal Aaron Hayward, who was receptive to the idea. He found an equally enthusiastic response from Superintendent Bob Champlin and the school board.

“When I applied, I really just threw it out there. I wasn’t thinking it was going to work,” Dube said. Instead, she was hired mid-year, developed a curriculum that blends personal finance with cooking and kitchen safety, and career exploration. She’s hoping to add sewing and other practical skills in the future.

While family and consumer science might have been seen in a previous generation as appropriate for future homemakers, Dube said the skills learned in the class would be useful to any future adult.

“I think all students should take the class. It doesn’t matter what family you come from, these are just life skills,” Dube said. She grew up with “great parents,” she said, but her mother was often working when Dube was young, so there was a limit to how much she was able to learn from her. Many of her students today are in a similar situation. “Nowadays, people are working so much that they might not have time to learn these skills.”

In her class, she teaches them how to make nutritious smoothies, pizza with homemade dough, and macaroni and cheese from scratch. With each recipe come important life skills, such as safe handling of food, the proper use of kitchen tools and appliances, and how to tweak recipes to fit within a budget.

The FACS room has four “kitchens” — work spaces with their own counters, sinks and ovens — and students are divided into groups for their cooking projects, so they also need to learn effective communication and how to work with other classmates, whether they’re friends or not.

‘It’s fun’

Hayward said it made sense for several reasons to take Dube up on her offer to teach FACS. The class creates an environment where students can engage in collaborative and hands-on projects. It exposes students to skills they’ll use when they are running their own household, or maybe even sooner.

“We do have a lot of students who are caring for younger siblings, or parents who work late,” Hayward said, and things like safe food handling and proper stove operation are important for those students to know.

Many of the skills taught in FACS will translate directly into the culinary programs offered through the Huot Career and Technical Center, or indirectly in any of the disciplines which require collaboration.

“Kids get bit by the bug here, and can continue that learning at the Huot,” he said.

Lastly, “it’s fun,” Hayward said. “Sometimes when you are working on these different learning skills, you want kids to have fun.”

Champlin was part of the committee that designed the middle school and said the room was always intended for FACS, but various pressures on the district kept them from starting the class until now. Better late than never, he said.

“Incorporating it has been big time,” Champlin said.

On Thursday, students in Dube’s class were baking cookies from dough they made earlier in the week.

Xavior Cox is enjoying the opportunity to learn how to be more comfortable in the kitchen, and would like to learn how to cook a steak and bake bread someday.

“Sometimes my mother isn’t there because she’s at work, and I can make my own food,” Cox said.

Abrie Sargent said she’s having fun in the class, though, “I didn’t think I’d be doing anything like this.” She has soaked up Dube’s budgeting tips, and hopes to learn how to make pasta dishes.

“You learn a lot about life skills,” said Eleanor Freeborn.

Jeremiah Ramirez cited lessons about safety and cooking, then said, “They look like pancakes,” when group member Makayla Clark pulled their pan of cookies out of the oven.

“They look bad, but they taste really good,” Clark assured Ramirez.

Amberly Dinardo plans to employ the budgeting lessons she has learned from the class, like how to spend carefully on small things so she can save for big things.

“I’ve learned how to save money,” Dinardo said. “I want to save money for college, then when I’m older, I want to save money or for a car.”

The group of Kashya Patel, Ryan White and Marian Okinado made vegetarian cookies, using unsweetened applesauce instead of eggs.

Okinado said the week’s lesson was right up her alley. “I’d like to learn how to make cookies, like what we’re doing now.”

At the next station, Payten Blais said she’s been having fun in the class.

“The opportunity to have something like this in middle school is really great,” Blais said. Baking is her hobby, she said, but she’s still learning new skills, such as how to use a blender. “I was always afraid to use one because of the blades. Now I know how.”

Jaylynn McClellan added, “This is a good opportunity. Not a lot of schools have this.”