IN South Fayette Summer 2016 | Page 68

Ribbon Cutting outh Fayette SO U TH FAYE T TE TOWN S HI P S CH O OL D IS T RIC T NE WS South Fayette Students Learning ‘Hands-On’ Culinary Skills South Fayette students entered a chance to win an afternoon of nutritional education through trivia, etiquette, and culinary skills. Students Eric Milburn, Sam Miller, Nick Benson, Cayci Garland, Chaylise Oden, and Alexandra Townsend were selected to participate in a program designed by Director of Food Services Tricia Wood and CCAC’s Dietetic Intern, student Ben Obusek. Obusek’s projects included setting a formal dinner table, learning the proper daily requirements for sugar and sodium intake, and having the teams create their own culinary masterpieces from scratch. “I learned so many new things that I can carry into my adulthood in order to make healthier decisions,” said Cayci Garland. The students all commented about how much fun it was to be a part of this project. Students were presented with a pre-test and post-test. The post-test resulted in a 26% increase in the score of the topics. “It was exciting to show the students the difference between the daily amount of sugar and salt recommended compared to what people actually consume,” says Wood. Obusek is interested in working with students regarding diabetes by illustrating the amount of sugar in certain beverages; it really brought the project to life for the students. “We were able to show the link between a high-sodium diet, processed foods, and how they relate to overall health. This was a great project; doing this brightened everyone’s mood and this project should continue for others to experience. It was nice working in the kitchen and doing hands-on learning,” said Chaylise Oden. At the conclusion of the event, Team Milburn had earned the prize for the most points. Each member of the Milburn team was presented a $10 Panera gift card. Nick Benson was presented with a prize for the best pizza. 66 South Fayette The Digital Learning Studio at the South Fayette Middle School is the first of 65 being opened throughout the world. Through a joint effort between Digital Promise Global, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft, 65 schools will receive high-end, innovative and powerful technology equipment in an effort to reinvent the classroom and enable students from across the globe to collaborate on creative solutions to problems. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place during the District’s annual Celebration of Excellence on April 28, 2016. Students in Learning Studios will engage in activities to build their competencies in: n Empathy and Design Thinking n Visual Communication and Design n Invention Literacy and Maker Mindset n Three-Dimensional Design and Modeling n Digital Storytelling n Social Entrepreneurship “The next generation of students should be equipped with the skills they need not only to do well for themselves, but to do good for their communities and the world they inhabit. The activities in the Learning Studios will cultivate entrepreneurship skills in students, as well as the inclination to use these abilities to help society. Students will utilize all of the aforementioned skills, tools, and competencies to create innovative products and systems to serve their local and global communities,” said Dave Deramo, Middle School Principal. L-r: Katlynn Kyle, Ariel Radinovic, Rachel McAdams and Sara Teachout