Supercast

Superintendent:
Welcome to a Holly Jolly edition of the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is music that will make you smile and warm your heart. On this episode of the Supercast, we share some sweet Sounds of the Season performed by Jordan School District students. While you listen, just know we are wishing you the happiest of holidays and a safe prosperous year. Let's start with "Snow Carol", performed by South Hills Middle Schools advanced women's ensemble.

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Superintendent:
Now enjoy South Jordan Middle School's ninth grade Concert Choir performing "Sing We Now of Christmas".

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Superintendent:
Up next, Hidden Valley Middle School's percussion ensembles performing "On Thin Air" by John Wilmarth.

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Superintendent:
Now taking the stage is West Jordan Middle School's Combined Choirs performing "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" arranged by Carol Straumer.

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Superintendent:
We have Sunset Ridge Middle School Symphonic Orchestra with “Rock Ye Merry, Rest Ye Very” by Brian Beaumont.

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Superintendent:
Finally enjoy Ms. Madsen's sixth grade class at Eastlake Elementary School singing “Santa is the Man”.

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Superintendent:
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Supercast. Happy Holidays and have a wonderful break. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Have you ever wondered what's the very best way to cookie perfect steak? Some students in the ProStart Culinary Program say it's by using a cast iron skillet on this sizzling episode of the super cast. I head to Mountain Ridge High School with my brand new cast iron skillet in hand, ready for a cooking class like no other. I was inspired to learn the art of cast iron skillet, cooking by one student who appeared on a previous Supercast and said he was having "Steaks-giving" instead of Thanksgiving. Let's start in Ms. Anderson's classroom kitchen, where we prepare our skillet. Tell me about seasoning a skillet. Obviously yours is over 50 years old, so it's well seasoned. Tell us about that process.

Student:
For that process, what we do is we heat up the skillet with just some oil and to kind of rub oil all around the inside to make sure that the oil absorbs within the skillet a little bit and allows it to be more non-stick and it just allows food to cook better on it.

Superintendent:
So I asked Mike Anderson, our Associate Superintendent, who is here with us. Say hi to everybody.

Mike:
Hi everybody.

Superintendent:
He seasoned mine, it was pre-seasoned. And then he seasoned it at home because it needs another layer. So tell me why yours is so much blacker and shinier than any others I've seen.

Ms. Anderson:
My husband's cast iron skillet, I believe he got it from his grandparents, and it has just been used throughout the years. And it's just insanely smooth for cast iron, but you really have to use it in order for it to get that way.

Superintendent:
And we have a couple of students here with us as well. Tell us your names.

Student:
I'm Aaron Butterfield and I will be cooking the steaks for you today.

Superintendent:
What do we have set up here?

Student:
So it's basically getting all your recipe and all the equipment you'll need and the food you'll need. We've got our cast iron skillets, and then we'll preheat those in a minute. Then we have butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and the oil we will be cooking with. We have a thermometer to watch the temperature of our meat, so we don't over or under cook it. And then, just some other utensils that we will be using.

Superintendent:
Now, this really is a nice way to approach just about anything. You have everything right in front of you that you need so that you're not in the middle of trying to cook something on a particular timeline and then find yourself scrambling for what you're missing.

Student:
Yes, exactly.

Superintendent:
Tell me a little bit about the cut of steaks that we have here. They look absolutely gorgeous. I want to spray shellac on that and just put it on my desk because it looks so delicious.

Student:
All right. So we have some ribeye steaks. We opted for the boneless version and purchased them last night. We salted them and then put them in the fridge overnight, uncovered. It helps the moisture to kind of evaporate. You don't want any moisture when you sear them. And so if you leave them uncovered, it helps with that really nice crust. And then we just salted them, both sides and have just left them uncovered, refrigerated. We've just pulled them out so that they can get to room temp. So in about 10 minutes, we'll be ready to cook.

Superintendent:
Those are important tips. I love the attention to detail. So, the seasoning looks pretty sparse. There's not a lot required beyond that. Okay.

Student:
Yeah. Beef, I mean really good quality beef is going to have a great flavor. So you don't really want to mask that. We have decided to do a little bit of butter and Rosemary and garlic and salt and pepper. But honestly, that's really not necessary with a good steak. You could just do salt and pepper and it should taste absolutely amazing.

Superintendent:
Talk us through as we take the next steps. Are we doing a side dish as well?

Student:
Yeah, we're gonna do some caramelized honey Brussel sprouts for you today. I used to not be a big fan of Brussels sprouts, but I learned that because I just never had them cooked correctly. Once you cook them correctly, they're absolutely delicious. So we're going to do a caramelized honey pepper flake and vinegar glaze on some Brussels sprouts. We're going to roast them in the oven, I believe for about 20 minutes to 425 degrees. It's a really hot oven and they will be absolutely soft, but tangy, salty but hot. They're kind of everything.

Superintendent:
I'm excited to try it. The word you added in the mix before and after Brussel sprouts, I think are going to make me like them for the first time.

Student:
I honestly hope so.

Superintendent:
I am expecting good things. I think it's going to be awesome. So tell me some of the health and safety precautions that you teach students in the kitchen.

Ms. Anderson:
So here at Mountain Ridge High School, we have different levels of foods classes, and each year we usually add a little bit to their knowledge. Foods I actually offers the food handlers certificate. Students learn everything safety and sanitation wise that they need to know to be able to work in the restaurant workplace. From there we just add on a little bit of knowledge with Foods II, applying it more. Honestly, just practice makes perfect. And then in ProStart we actually run a restaurant at our school. We learn the applicable skills in our commercial kitchen and lab space.

Superintendent:
Walk us through.

Student:
So first, we're going to cut up this garlic real quick, just so it's ready. You're just smashing it, really putting your weight on it and leaning into it with the side of the knife you just crush it, and then you'll cut off the end of it because you don't really want that part. Then you just peel the garlic right off. That's the good stuff on the inside.

Superintendent:
Okay. And is this a career from what you aspire and wanting at this moment in time?

Student:
I'm not really sure what I want to go into quite yet, but it's definitely an option. Come over and we're going to start preheating the cast iron.

Superintendent:
When do you put the oil in?

Student:
Once the pan is hot.

Superintendent:
What do you watch for, how do you know?

Student:
As soon as the oil hits the pan, you want to start watching to see it smoking and then you're ready. It's hot enough.

Superintendent:
So you will look at the pan and you turn it up on the highest heat or do you pretty high, just enough to get the whole thing hot. Okay. Aaron, is there a preferred oil you use for a steak like this?

Student:
Different oils have different smoking points. So you want to use a canola oil or avocado oil, both with about the same smoking point. You know, it's up to temperature. I thought I detected notes of canola.

Student:
Yeah. Now the reason we're here, of course, is because of our Steaks-giving episode Thanksgiving episode, which I now remember as the Steaks-giving episode because of the term you introduced me to, how was your Steaks-giving?

Student:
Our family Steaks-giving was amazing. We had a really good time. And even though it was a smaller family gathering than normal, we had a really good time and the food was amazing.

Superintendent:
And remind me, what portion of the meal were you responsible for?

Student:
So I cook the steaks and I did roasted garlic roasted potatoes. I was in charge of the skewer member that did cook the steaks for everybody.

Superintendent:
Yes. Well, I hope to be able to, after I watch the master at work. That's going to start smoking now. It starts to smoke. He dropped the oil in. Okay. I just got goosebumps hearing a steak.

Student:
This is one of I think the easiest ways to make a steak. The one issue with it is that middle can be really rare still in. So we're trying to get it to medium rare.

Superintendent:
Okay. Now you're holding it on the side, searing the sides as well.

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
That is something that I have not done. Does that sear from the side as well?

Student:
Yeah. It just gives you an idea of how thick you are as well.

Superintendent:
Yeah, probably not immediate.

Student:
Yeah. If you were doing sirloin steak, it's probably already cooked all the way through.

Superintendent:
Stay with us. When we come back, it's time to be cooking a steak in our cast iron skillet, create a savory side dish down there.

Break:
Hello, I'm Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counseling Specialist for Jordan School District. Do you know all the ways or the school district counselors can help you and your students? School counselors play such an important role in our school. They provide parents with resources to help guide their children in academics. They provide support with the mental and social well-being of students in our schools. And if you were in the process of preparing a student for college or just beginning, the conversation of higher education now is the perfect time to reach out to your child's counselor. We can assist with college applications and college readiness. I encourage parents and guardians to schedule an appointment and get to know your student's counselor together. Counselors and parents can help develop plans and strategies for students to succeed long after they leave during school district. rReach out. We're always here to help. You can find us and learn more at counseling.jordandistrict.org.

Student:
We're going to go for 130 degrees internal temperature. Okay, 70 degrees. We've got a little ways to go. Ms. Anderson, take over. That one is a little bit thinner, so it might be done.

Superintendent:
So once we turn it, we turn it back down to a low heat, until we can get that internal temperature up to what did you say, 130 degrees?

Student:
Yes. It depends on what you're going for. If you're going for medium or well done.

Superintendent:
Okay. Well, while he continues to get the internal temperature up, tell us the range for rare, medium and well done.

Student:
Rare is about 120 to 125 degrees. A medium rare is more like 130 to 135 degrees, and you probably shouldn't cook your steak anything above that.

Okay. Now you sear both sides and then you sear the edges and now you turn the heat down just to bring that internal temperature up. Now we're going to add some butter to baste with the garlic rosemary, and a little extra salt finishing. And that'll just give it flavor and time to cook.

Superintendent:
What are some common mistakes, if you will, that people make when they're cooking this?

Student:
Probably the biggest mistake is just over cooking it. Occasionally under cooking it, right? It's really hard to get that perfect medium rare.

Superintendent:
The steaks. No dude. Before knowing the roasted garlic in butter and those are ingredients to a magic potion. Okay. Lexi's here from the yearbook. Am I right about that smell or what?

Lexi:
Oh, you're right about that.

Superintendent:
We're coming back to the Brussels sprout conversation here. Are you zesting right now?

Student:
Yeah. So I'm zesting a lemon and we've diagonally sliced some scallions or green onions. And this is going to be a little topping that we use on the Brussel sprouts. Once the steaks are resting, I'm going to start making my caramelized honey glaze. And then we'll just kind of toss that all together and we'll have a wonderful Brussel sprouts side dish.

Ms. Anderson
Aaron has made his famous mashed potatoes for you guys today.

Superintendent:
Oh, well, awesome.

Student:
There's two keys to making mashed potatoes. The first is using Yukon gold potatoes and the second is using a ricer in order to basically mash your potatoes. A ricer is a contraption where you basically squished potato through small holes and it leads to really smooth texture. But right now the Brussel sprouts are getting really nice and brown. They're still not quite ready. They're a little too greenstone. So we're going to leave them in for about five more minutes just to get them really nice and tender. That's always the tough part for me is knowing just by what they look like if they are ready or not.

Superintendent:
Now we came back from the Brussel sprouts and caught Aaron tasting the mashed potatoes. Oh, he's going to let me do the same. They look awesome. They're warming right now. They're still a little bit cold, but they're warming up. I'm going to give it a try. That is incredible. Those tastes so good.

Student:
How was your Thanksgiving?

Superintendent:
My Thanksgiving was great and I actually, emboldened by my conversation with you and the rest of your class, I actually did make mashed potatoes. But I'm going to tell you, they were nothing close to this. I was pretty proud of them. Those potatoes tastes so good and they look great. Wow. So these are Yukon gold mashed potatoes. What are the other ingredients you throw in here to make them a perfection?

Student:
Heavy whipping cream. And then we did some butter, a lot of salt. When you start the potatoes, you want to salt the water really well.

Superintendent:
So we're just going to do some mashed potatoes. Then the Brussel sprouts is out here, on fire.

Okay. Ms. Anderson, some people may be hesitant but interested. What would you say to those who are considering taking one of your foods classes?

Ms. Anderson:
I would say that foods is a really fun class to take. You learn both career skills as well as life skills. A lot of my students may not choose to be in the restaurant industry, but they do develop a lot of skills that they use in college and beyond. I've had some students tell me that my class really helped them be able to cook in their dorm room better. And so that's always kind of a rewarding thing to have some more skills so that you're not always necessarily eating out, but that you're able to make a nutritious meal at home. We have a lot of fun. We cook a lot of different foods. We try to have a huge variety so that students feel that they're able to have a lot of different skills across the board.

Superintendent:
They're trying to stake now. All right, here comes the crust. Oh, that is soft and delicious Aaron. This is a masterpiece. It turned out very good. Lexi, how do you like your meal?

Lexi:
Mashed potatoes are brilliant. I've never had Brussels sprouts before.

Superintendent:
These are amazing. This steak is so juicy and Brussel sprouts. I'm going to try them right now. Oh, you can taste the zest and the citrus. It's incredible.

Student:
And I saved the Yukon potatoes for last because I know it's like dessert. How are those Brussel sprouts?

Superintendent:
Wow. It was Brussels sprouts. First of all, they have kick, but it's an appropriate kick. I've never had them as good before.

Thanks again to Ms. Anderson, Aaron, to Lexi for being here from the yearbook to document and to Mike. Anderson for bringing his cast iron skillet and his skills to the kitchen as well. And I'm going to go back to the meal, but thank you so much for letting us join you as always.

Thanks for joining us on the Supercast. And remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out.

Superintendent:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It's one of the most prestigious academic achievement programs available for high school students. And it's coming back to Jordan School District. We're talking about the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, which will be located at West Jordan High School. On this episode of the Supercast, find out if your teen is a good candidate for IB and what the program can do for students determined to have a successful future during and after high school. Let's start by finding out what IB is all about with Chandler Bishop and Natalie Nielsen. I'm very excited that we have this program coming back to Jordan School District. And I'm just going to ask Chandler to tell us right out of the shoot. What is International Baccalaureate?

Chandler:
Well, thank you for having me. The International Baccalaureate Program is a diploma program. So it's a diploma that you get in addition to your high school diploma that is both nationally and internationally recognized. It's an extremely rigorous academic program that takes place over two years. So your entire junior year and entire senior year, you'll be part of the program. And in addition to the classes that you take, which are very similar to AP classes, although they take place over the two year period, you also have the core of the IB program, which includes an extended essay that you research on your own. Over the course of about a year and a half, you have the CAS Program, which involves what we might think of as extracurricular activities, as well as a service component. You will put together a service project and the Theory of Knowledge class, which you don't get college credit for if you take individually, but if you want the diploma, you have to take the Theory of Knowledge class, and it's sort of the secret sauce of IB. It's the class that ties all of the other components of IB together. And it's a class where you look at what is knowledge, how does knowledge relate to me? And how do I understand knowledge in all the other classes that I'm taking? And that's sort of a brief overview of the International Baccalaureate Program.

Superintendent:
In other words, a very rigorous academic program, but a well-rounded program that prepares students for all kinds of opportunities after they've completed that diploma.

Chandler:
Yes, absolutely. It's actually the program that best prepares students for life in college. So, just a statistic here for you, diploma students have a higher graduation rate of 80% at a four year college. Compare that to the national average of 40%. So a student coming out of the IB program is graduating college at almost twice the rate of the average college student. And it's because the preparation is so rigorous in their high school that they have no trouble transitioning to college.

Superintendent:
Natalie, tell us about your perspective on what does the International Baccalaureate Program bring to West Jordan High School and anyone who wishes to participate, because it's a districtwide program.

Natalie:
Well, I think the neatest part with the IB program is the emphasis on global mindedness. So, it's reaching out into the community and West Jordan is a very diverse school, so we always have embraced diversity here. And we have an amazing staff that really pushes students out of their comfort zone, getting them to take risks. And that's what this program is all about. And so it would just be really neat to get to that next level.

Superintendent:
Natalie, tell me your role with the International Baccalaureate Program.

Natalie:
So I am the CAS Coordinator at Western High School. I'm over the creativity activity and service. I am also a teacher in the IB Program, would be dance career.

Superintendent:
So it really has a well-rounded program, obviously with all those components and Chandler, what is your role?

Chandler:
I am the IB Coordinator. I take care of registering students with IB and making certain that everything in the program is moving smoothly, in terms of assessments and making certain all our teachers have the proper workshops and credentials. I also teach theTheory of Knowledge class, which is one of the most important classes, as I said earlier, that connects all the different classes together.

Superintendent:
I've always been fascinated with that title, The Theory of Knowledge, and it makes me really wants to take that class. So I may have to drop by one of these days. I've talked with students about it that have taken that course over the years. And it really is, like you said, at the heart of things. It's thinking about thinking, it's thinking about knowledge and looking at things at a deeper level that students haven't maybe experienced before. What is the relationship between West Jordan High school and the International Baccalaureate Program?

Chandler:
First of all, this is open to students throughout the district. So it's not a West Jordan High sSchool centric program, but it benefits the school as a whole as well. So IB's approach to education is great and it's that our school has been moving towards anyway. And I think that's why we felt like it was such a good fit for our school. You know, one example is the Theory of Knowledge class really focuses on how do we know something and what does that have to do with me? Right? So we always learn things in isolation. And I think that IB does such a good job of that. We want to see this permeate throughout our school, making the connection between the knowledge that's presented in class and what that has to do with each individual. How do I think about this and how does this affect the world that I live in, right? To make those connections. I think through IB and the IB training that all of our teachers are going to have, we'd like to see that mindset really permeate throughout every aspect of our school, whether it's an IB class or not.

Superintendent:
Stay with us after the break, we'll talk about what this program can do for students hoping to attend prestigious colleges and universities around the country, the advantages of having an IB diploma.

Advertisement:
Hello, I'm Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counseling Specialist for Jordan School District. Do you know all the ways during school that district counselors can help you and your student? School counselors play such an important role in our school. They provide parents with resources to help guide their children in academics. They provide support with the mental and social wellbeing of students in our schools. And if you were in the process of preparing a student for college, or just beginning the conversation of higher education, now is the perfect time to reach out to your child's counselor. We can assist with college applications and college readiness. I encourage parents and guardians to schedule an appointment and get to know your student's counselor together. Counselors and parents can help develop plans and strategies for students to succeed long after they leave during the school district. Reach out, we're always here to help. You can find us and learn more at counseling.jordandistrict.org.

Superintendent:
First of all, what can a student expect as part of the International Baccalaureate experience? And then we'll come back and talk about what results they might expect after high school for an International Baccalaureate. Chandler, what can they expect as part of the experience?

Chandler:
Yeah, that's a great question. So, you know, our high schools have a lot of different options for earning college credit. You have AP classes, you have concurrent classes and now we'll have the IB Program. I think what sets the IB Program apart is that you get an entirely well-rounded education. So in AP you kind of pick and choose, and maybe your strength is in science. And so you want to take an AP science class and that's great. But with IB, all of your classes are in depth, broad, rigorous classes. And so you can get a very well-rounded experience in the classroom. Then, if you're going to try and get the diploma, you also get the other parts of the IB, where you're getting theTheory of Knowledge class. You're doing the research paper, the essay, that's on your own. And the essay is a self guided. You pick the topic, you create the research question and then you research it and write it on your own. And it's structured where you have support through an advisor, but you are doing that on your own.

Superintendent:
Natalie, from your perspective in your role, what experience would an International Baccalaureate student expect?

Natalie:
You know, we always want teachers to emphasize authentic learning, and that is what the experience and project is all about. It produces the well-rounded students. So the neat part with the CAS program, if you are focused on creative pursuits, something that you want to have interest in, you can go out and take an art class or go to a paint night and that would fall into the creative pursuits. Then you also have activities which focuses on healthy lifestyle and building this healthy lifestyle. If you want to go rock climbing and try that, or if you want to participate in a sport at the school, that's highly encouraged where you can use some of your basketball experience on the team for the activity portion. My personal favorite is the community service aspect because you're finding an authentic need inside your immediate community and really speaking to that need. So students are getting out into the community, getting involved as well.

Superintendent:
I love that approach that involves educating the total student. Chandler, you mentioned before that the University of Utah and other in-state colleges accept International Baccalaureate and will grant 30 hours of credit. What impact does International Baccalaureate have on admissions to prestigious universities?

Chandler:
Yes, that's a great question. It's incredibly impactful. So certainly our State colleges all recognize it, but throughout the entire country, they recognize it. In fact, IB students are accepted at Ivy league colleges at a very high rate and other prestigious colleges that may not be Ivy league like NYU, for example, because they all recognize that not only is the rigor in the academic classes very high, but what you're asked to do outside of class is also very high, right?

So Natalie talked about the CAS Program. I've talked about the extended essay. But in addition, they all recognize that the skills these students come out with are incredibly important. The critical thinking skills are the biggest emphasis in any of these classes, right? This is not rote memorization. This is, can you discuss this in written form in an intelligent, critical way?

Natalie mentioned the time management skills, right? This is one of the things that I think is the hardest transition for students moving from high school to college in high school. We have these very long classes. The majority of your classwork is done in class. And then you go to college and it's the exact opposite. You sit through these lectures and then you're asked to do all this reading and this work outside of class. Some kids are able to make the transition, but some kids who really excelled in the high school model have a hard time transitioning to that college model. The kids don't because they've been asked to do all of this stuff outside. So they learned that time management skills. So I think that's one of the main reasons that colleges really recognize IB as important. Not only are you doing all this stuff in your community, but they recognize that you have all these skills and you've been through very rigorous classwork as well.

Superintendent:
What would you say to someone who's wondering whether this program would be a good match for them or for their children?

Chandler:
I think IB sometimes gets a bad reputation, that it's an elite program, right? And certainly students who are coming out of ALPS or coming out of honors classes, or maybe you've taken an AP class prior to the junior year, they're going to do well. The IB grades on a 1 - 7 scale. Only 1% of the students in the world get a seven, right? So there's a high ceiling to do well and to be challenged in IB. But you don't need to be an academic superstar to get the diploma, right? If you get straight fours on your exams, you get the diploma. I've looked at the rubrics and I've seen examples and a typical student can get a four. If they're willing to work hard to learn the skills that their teachers are teaching, you can get a four, right? So this is not necessarily an elite program. Regular students coming out of regular classes can definitely do well in IB. Having said that, elite students also will get a lot out of this. Like I mentioned, the time management skills, and there's a lot of skills beyond just your typical academic skills that IB offers.

Superintendent:
In other words, no one should count themselves out because of some preconceived notions about IB.

Chandler:
Yes, that's definitely right. Now, you will have to work hard. And there is a heavy workload in terms of the classes and in terms of the core requirements with the extended essay and the service and activity hours. But you can do it.

The program is the also encouraged students whose primary language is not English to get involved. They have tests in other languages. And so even if you're a secondary language learner, you still have the opportunity to thrive in an IB program.

Superintendent:
Natalie, tell me, what are some of the misconceptions about the International Baccalaureate?

Natalie:
There's a myth that you can't be as involved with the school because of the academic rigor of the program. And that's not true because again, it's focusing on the well-rounded students, so you can still do football or basketball.

One thing I think is kind of interesting is this is something that the military does now. They have a different term for it. They call it a cultural competency, right? So this idea is that you need to understand the world in order to excel in the world, whether that's in business, whether that's in government work, that is right. And it's not to diminish your own culture in any way. It's to understand your own culture and its place in the world. And to understand this idea that my culture can be right, but other cultures can also be right. Just understanding that. One of the fascinating things about one of the lessons I saw was, there are 30 foreign words that have no English translation, right? You would have to put together an entire sentence to explain what this word means in this other language. So that's one concern. I think people need not worry about is this idea of international mindedness. Really it is something that is a very positive thing. And it's no way meant to diminish our own culture, or have a skewed view of our own culture. It's just to understand our culture's place in a global world.

Superintendent:
If someone is interested in being part of the IB Program, how do they go about doing that?

Chandler:
You can go to ib.Jordandistrict.org for more information on how to contact the school. If you're outside of the West Jordan High School boundaries, there's also information there on how to permit into West Jordan for the IB Program.

Superintendent:
It's been great talking with Chandler and Natalie about the IB Program. It will begin pending final approval in the fall of 2021. And we're just really excited to bring this experience back. Chandler and Natalie, thank you so much for spending time with us.

Chandler:
Thank you very much.

Superintendent:
Thanks for joining us on the Supercast. And remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Superintendent:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Some students at Copper Hills High School are the best pals anyone could ask for. They participate in the Peer Tutoring program and CH Pals Club on today's program. We find out how peer tutors and CH Pals are changing lives, supporting students with special needs and making the lifelong friends in the process. Let's start with a visit to Jackie Sheppick's classroom at Copper Hills High School, where she teaches students with special needs. Just describe, first of all, what is this class? It's exciting to be here already. If I can tell a lots going on.

Jackie:
Thank you. Yeah. So I teach this severe Special education class here at Copper Hill High School. We're a life skills class, so I'm really focusing on the essential elements of math, reading, and science. We also have to do things like health history, social studies, social skills transition into adulthood and just basic life skills.

Superintendent:
So how much of a student's schedule is involved in this class?

Jackie:
Yeah, so they have a full schedule. My students are typically with me three days, three class periods, and then they go out to a mainstream.

Superintendent:
Okay, great. So three classes with you, one mainstream class.

Jackie:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
What are some of the other things that you cover? I heard today, you talking about job applications and thinking about the right job. What are some of the other life skills that you covered throughout the year?

Jackie:
We cover a lot. I mean, things that you and I just do out of common courtesy or just because we were raised with social skills, my students need explicit instruction. And so we're working on things like self-advocacy, what's an IEP, why do I have an IEP? Do I have a disability? We work on job skills, restaurant skills, theater skills, transportation. We actually go out and use UTA. And that's always a fun unit. They get to experience going on a bus and riding the TRAX for the first time. We do things like foods, unit housing, how to pay bills, how to find an apartment to live in.

Superintendent:
It sounds like the type of skills that a lot of people could use some help with.

Jackie:
It's a lot. My peer tutors say it's actually funny. You say that because they'll come to me, you know, we'll be working on our restaurant unit and one of them will say, thank you for teaching us how to leave a tip because I didn't know how to leave a tip. I say, you're welcome. So now when you go on a date, you know how to leave a tip.

Superintendent:
I think, especially lately, there are just a lot of things that we don't end up doing and we don't do for ourselves until we absolutely have to. And so these are great skills for everyone to learn, right?

Jackie:
It's just so fun for me to see them, you know, come in as a sophomore and realize, wow, I'm in high school. I have to be an adult here soon. And by the time they're a senior, they are ready. They're independent. They know how to do money. They know how to be adult and how to function in society. And that's my greatest reward is to see them move and get jobs.

Superintendent:
And you had a student last year get his driver's license, which was amazing. That's great. So, can you just see the self-efficacy or the self-confidence grow when they realize, I can do this? There's something I couldn't do and now I can do it. And not only that, it's something I'm going to need to be a successful adult.

Jackie:
Yes. Actually that's one of my most favorite things is transitioning them to realizing what can I do, functionally? What can I really do academically? And then what can I do out in the real world? How can I be a functional citizen that isn't just existing, but adding to our community and making it

Superintendent:
What is the role played by peer tutors in this class?

Jackie:
Couldn't do it without peer tutors. I started the Peer Tutor program and I really just needed help. My first year, I had a lot of students. I didn't have enough hands to help me. And so I started having peer tutors come in and they would just start assisting with the reading, the math, the life skills. And then they actually helped take my students out to their mainstream classes so that they're not alone. I don't necessarily feel good about sending them by themselves to a full class with a teacher who has to give their attention to 45 kids. My students really needs a little bit more assistance and instruction and preparation. So I send them with a peer tutor and they go and help them out in that class. And it's absolutely amazing. You should see. There is something special at Copper Hills High School. I don't know what it is. The student body here is just top-notch and everyone welcomes my students and wants to help them and wants to see them succeed and treat them just like everyone else. And I love that. So peer tutoring has been a huge aspect of not only my job, but their lives because they have friends and they see them in the hall, they wave to them, they're buddies. And it's just so fun for me to see actual relationships form.

Superintendent:
It's encouraging and exciting, but not surprising to hear that Copper Hills Grizzlies are treating each other really well and taking good care of each other.

Jackie:
It's truly amazing. Peer tutoring started some ideas in my head about a club. it's called CH Pals and I just was getting so sad cause my students would come and hear the morning announcements we have and say, "Well, I wish I could go to the basketball game". But they wouldn't be able to go do.  What other high school kid has their mom come and babysit them during the basketball game? So we started CH Pals, positively affecting lives. And my students are just able to go with their peer tutors. And we had around 240 kids in our club last year. And they would all just take my whole class to a basketball game, to a football game, just so they could experience high school life. They all took them to a dance. We took them to prom. It's just so fun to see my students really get involved. And you know, the first year with CH Pals, we really kind of had to say," Hey, we're going to do this. We're going to try this." And now I have clubs and the SBOs and teachers coming to me, "Hey, will CH Pals be a part of this assembly? Will CH Pals do this?" And it's just so cool for me to see my students really accepted here. Inclusion is working at Copper Hills and it's amazing.

And it's a lifelong learning experience for the peer tutors and for the students. They're learning that people with disabilities have personalities too. They have likes, they have dislikes. They're human. They're not just people I should look and be say, "Oh, there's that kid. I can get to know him and see who he really is and learn about him." And maybe we have common interests and this sparks relationships and it's just so fun. Hopefully this helps my peer tutors realize, even in the future, people with disabilities aren't to be feared. They're to be embraced and to really be accepted into whatever community there is.

Superintendent:
Very, very valuable lesson, especially to learn at this age. No, this is not like any other class.

Jackie:
I will have students come into my class and you say, "Oh, Ms. Sheppick, I just need to talk to you about this life situation." And it makes me feel good that they trust me to get help. But also that my class is teaching them principles that they need to problem solve.

Helping others always helps us learn more about ourselves. And I really see that with my peer tutors. They'll come to me and tell me, this happened. But I thought about when I did this with this kid and I knew I could try that for myself. I'm seeing them apply principles that I'm teaching my students. Our communications lesson, how to communicate with others. One of my teachers came to me and said, "A actually asked me on a date, face to face, not through text". And I was like, hurray! People together. You know, that's awesome.

The the change in students when they leave this room, because I think they realize, "Yes, everyone's got stuff. Those who have severe problems are the happiest. And I think it's kind of a shift in your own attitude when you're in my class because you see if they can be so happy and enjoy life to the fullest.

Superintendent:
Okay. That's pretty quick. Well, it's been a delight talking with you and I'm thrilled to have you here at Copper Hills doing the great work you're doing. Thank you. Stay with us up next.

We'll catch up with Megan Dean,President of the CH Pals club and find out how her labor of ove is impacting lives at Copper Hills.

Advertisement:
Hello. My name is Steven Hall. I'm the Director of the Jordan Education Foundation. Every year, the Jordan Education Foundation, together with magical volunteers, helps provide Christmas for students who might otherwise go without during the holiday season. While many things have changed since the pandemic, one thing does remain the same. That's our desire to help students in need this year. Three major donations for Larry H. Miller Charities, Discover Card, Kennecott Rio Tinto, and many other individuals, together with the support and the generosity of Wal-Mart in South Jordan. We will provide Christmas for at least 400 students in Jordan School District. We need your support. We need you to help actually go to Walmart and collect the gifts that the students have chosen online. This will allow us to offer a safe curbside delivery for kids and their families. Join us in bringing smiles and love to students in need. During this holiday season, please sign up to volunteer to shop for these students on December 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th, between the hours of 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The website to sign up is jefchristmasforkids.org. Be one of Santa's helpers this holiday season and provide Christmas for kids. Thank you so much from every one of us here at the Jordan Education Foundation.

Superintendent:
All right. I'm Anthony Godfrey. I'm the Superintendent. Tell me your name.

I'm Alex Mane. I'm with the CH Pals.

Superintendent:
Tell me about CH Pals, Alex.

Alex:
CH Pals is with with kids that have special disability.

Superintendent:
And what do you do?

Alex:
We do activities. We go different places. We have a party after school.

Superintendent:
What party do you have today?

Alex:
We have a Halloween Social Party after school.

Superintendent:
And do you sometimes go to school activities as well?

Alex:
Yeah, we do.

Superintendent:
What do you like about CH Pals?

Alex:
The one thing I like about it is that we get to hang out and talk to our friends.

Superintendent:
And you make a lot of friends in CH Pals?

Alex:
Yes, we do.

Superintendent:
What do you like most about being in high school? IsCH Pals one of those things?

Alex:
Yes. That's one of them. What else do you like about high school? I love high school because we get to go our classes. We do assignments. We get to listen to our teachers.

Superintendent:
What's your favorite class?

Alex:
Choir class.

Superintendent:
Very nice. What are you guys working on right now?

Alex:
We just did a performance on Tuesday and then we just did our worksheet today.

Superintendent:
It sounds like you got a lot of good things going. I see that you are an M and M today.

Alex:
That's right.

Superintendent:
All right. So at the Halloween party, we'll have M and M's for sure now.

Alex:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
And you're red. That is a good flavor.

Alex:
And my favorite color also.

Superintendent:
Oh, that works out very nicely. Are you looking forward to graduation?

Alex:
Yes. I'm looking forward to graduation.

Superintendent:
What are your plans after graduation?

Alex:
I may go to post school. It's called South Valley post school. I can go there first, then go to a college.

Superintendent:
Yeah, great South Valley's an awesome transition to the whatever's next after that.  And then stop by now and then just say hi to Ms. Sheppick, right?

Alex:
Yeah, that's right.

Superintendent:
Okay. Very good. All right. It's great. Talking to you. Go to the party and we'll come down and join you. We're here in the Tech Atrium at Copper Hills High School, where the CH Pals are setting up for the big Halloween Party. Ms. Sheppick will bring her students down shortly for the grand entry. We have all kinds of Halloween theme decorations, and everyone is in costume. It feels very festive, especially in a COVID year.

We're going to start making pumpkins. Megan, you are the President of CH Pals. Tell us a little bit about that.

Megan:
The CH Pals is the club where we take the students with severe disabilities and we involve them into the mainstream student life. We hold socials for them. We take them to a bunch of school events like football games, basketball games. This month, we're having a Special Needs Carnival. Most clubs at the school are going to come up with an activity, just for them. And it's going to be their own Halloween Party. I believe next week, we're having a Halloween Social where we have our club members come and celebrate Halloween with them and we'll have different activities. It's really just a way for them to get involved and make a ton of friends.

Superintendent:
It's really exciting that you're doing this. What got you involved in CH Pals and then Peer Tutoring.

Megan:
So I kind of found this class by accident a little bit. I dropped a class and I was just looking for a new one. So I went to my counselor and just asked him what was up and what I could take. And so he's reading off the list and he said I could do peer tutoring. And I'm like, what's that? So he explained it to me and I went on my first day of school and I fell in love with the kids and just the environment. So I've been doing this since my sophomore year and then my junior year. The end of my sophomore year, I applied to be an officer for CH Pals and I got that. So my junior year I became the Public Relations Officer. And now this year, I'm the President of it.

Superintendent:
What does it mean to you to be a peer tutor and to be involved with CH Pals?

Megan:
Well, honestly, it's just something, a very selfless thing. I've really raised above myself and met some of the most beautiful people on this earth. Just to meet them and become friends with them. It's meant the world to me. I know this isn't about me. It's really about them.

Superintendent:
What would you say to someone who's considering being a peer tutor or being part of CH Pals?

Megan:
I would tell them to 100% go for it because it's the most incredible experience. It's definitely made my high school career that much better. It's been amazing.

Superintendent:
Do you think it's made permanent changes in the way you view other people?

Megan:
Oh, for sure. I think it's helped me to realize that like everybody's beautiful in their own way. And even on the surface, you can't, you don't know they're struggling with something because you can't tell that all of these students have severe disabilities. And I think it was a good reminder that everybody is going through something and it was just a good realization that it's better to be kind to everybody and be friends with everybody. I know a lot of people can be freaked out, getting involved with this severe disabled people, but they're really some of the most beautiful people. You just got to get to know them.

Superintendent:
And the experience of working with students with disabilities has not just changed your outlook towards students with disabilities, but really toward everyone.

Megan:
Yeah. It's just really taught me to the importance of growing connections with everybody, because really, you can be best friends with everybody. If you just learn to love each other for who you are and not what you look like or who you associate yourself with. That was a big lesson for me, that being friends with everybody is possible.

Superintendent:
Well, you're doing great things. You're a great example. And it's really a pleasure to talk with you, Megan.

Thanks for joining us on the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see how.

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent, Anthony Godfrey. What will your Thanksgiving table look like this year? For some, it will be the traditional table with turkey and all the trimmings. For others, Thanksgiving 2020 will look a little different. On this episode of the Supercast, we talked with some students in the ProStart Culinary Program at Mountain Ridge High School. They share their ideas on how to re-imagine the Thanksgiving meal trading, the traditional turkey and the number of seats at the table for something else. Listen, as these talented students cooks and bakers share their culinary best. We start with a visit to Kyley Anderson's virtual classroom Zoomers.

Kyley Anderson:
Hey, how's it going Dr. Godfrey?

Superintendent:
Nice to see everyone. Thanks for letting me join your class this morning.

Kyley:
Thanks for being here.

Superintendent:
We're excited. You guys are interested in ProStart.  So tell me what's the assignment we talking about today?

Kyley:
We are basically re-imagining Thanksgiving. So, with COVID going on, most of our celebrations are much smaller this year. And so these students chose a protein, a couple sides, a roll, and one dessert, and just kept it super simple. And they're basically able to take it wherever they want. So it's kind of their dream Thanksgiving menu.

Superintendent:
There will be three people at my house for Thanksgiving this year. So that's exactly what we have to do is re-imagine Thanksgiving. Adrian, you just gave me two thumbs up. Let's hear about your re-imagined Thanksgiving.

Adrian:
Well, I've never really had a big Thanksgiving, but one of the difficulties I ran into this year was the fact that my dad has developed an allergy to salt. So he can't have that much without pretty much passing out. And then my step-mom is developing a sensitivity to gluten. So she can't have that either. I had to do some research on how to make Thanksgiving eatable so no one will get sick from whatever they eat. So I was able to find some recipes that have salt substitutes for turkey. It's in her butter turkey, and primarily uses rosemary to replace the smell because it brings in that good flavor. And then ,along with a gluten-free pumpkin pie. I wasn't sure how it would work, but actually it's pretty good.

Superintendent:
How did you make it gluten free pumpkin pie.

Adrian:
So pretty much, instead of using Graham crackers, you crush up some crackers and then added some seasonings along with that for the pie crust. And it turns out that in pumpkin pie filling there's really no gluten.

Superintendent:
Great. So you have made a custom meal for the allergies and difficulties that your family might experience if they ate traditional Thanksgiving fare. That's great. How about you, Aaron?

Aaron:
So normally I have a very like traditional Thanksgiving, whole family, big gathering, turkey, stuffing, everything. So I really had to rethink it because it's just going to be my immediate family that lives with me. So I did like a kind of Steaksgiving. Steak will be the main dish I am going to do.

Superintendent:
Uh, now Aaron here coined a term. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'm in love with that term. I want a shirt with that term on it. Will you say it again please?

Aaron:
Steaksgiving.

Superintendent:
Steaksgiving. I think I'm too late to make my Thanksgiving a Steaksgiving, but that is in my future. Okay, go ahead. Sorry. You just blew my mind.

Aaron:
Yeah, sounds really good. So I'm doing a rib-eye with a garlic butter. So cook that, and then, for my sides, I was gonna do garlic roasted potatoes and corn salsa to spice it up and then just some soft bread rolls. And I'm going to do a chocolate sheet cake with dessert with that chocolate ice.

Superintendent:
How many invitations have you had to Thanksgiving? I would imagine that the everyone who heard that menu would want that to be a part of their day.

Aaron:
Just immediate family.

Superintendent:
Okay. Well, they're in for a treat.

Aaron:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
Michael, how about you? What do you have planned?

Michael:
So, I did more of a classic Thanksgiving. We actually raised the turkey this year, so I just did a classic roast turkey with rosemary and garlic and onion with some lemon. And then, the garlic mashed potatoes with a fruit salad. My mom always called it fluff. It's like a creamy, fluff for a salad.

Superintendent:
I applaud you. I think that's really cool that you did it start to finish raise your own turkey. That's very cool. Where did you find all these studentsMs. Anderson? I'm only on the third student and I'm blown away by every single one of them.

Kyley:
They're very creative. They come up with a lot of great ideas. They're super dedicated. I know all of this makes me re-think my own menu plan.

Superintendent:
Moving on. Olivia, tell me about your Thanksgiving plans.

Olivia:
Well, I kept it pretty traditional. My family just loves turkey and we loved the leftover turkey sandwiches. So I did a traditional roasted turkey. And then for my side, we love mashed potatoes. So I paired that with some garlic and some chives. For my dessert I chose to do a key lime pie. Not all of my family likes the same kind of pie. I don't like apple. My sister doesn't like pumpkin. So I chose to spice it up and make something different.

Superintendent:
Do you like getting to control a little bit? What pie everyone's going to eat? Guess what? It's key lime everybody. It's kind of a surprise to them, but they're going to eat it anyway.

Olivia:
Yes, they will. And like it.

Superintendent:
Do you make gravy for your mashed potatoes?

Olivia:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
I'm imagining it right now and I just need to imagine what type of gravy you have there, if your gravy, is just the runoff.

Olivia:
Oh yeah, we just do super traditional at my house.

Superintendent:
Okay. Olivia, do you make a well, when you put the mashed potatoes on your plate? Do you form a well or a volcano of gravy in the center to hold the gravy in and then strategically break the wall on the side of it so that it can flow onto your plate at the appropriate time?

Olivia:
You can't do it otherwise. It's the way to do it.

Superintendent:
Thank you, Olivia, for backing me up on that. I feel very connected to all of you right now. Let me just say, food connects people. And I feel like I'm part of the group now because we're talking through it together. Tell me about your menu for Thanksgiving, Adrian.

Adrian:
The traditional, but with extra things. So for the turkey, classic turkey because we like to have leftovers, like Olivia said. And then for the stuffing, I decided to do a Durrito cornbread stuffing. So instead of the bread, it's a jalapeno corn bread and there's spicy Durritos in it. So it's not just one note. It's adds new flavor to Thanksgiving.

Superintendent:
That sounds awesome. I've never heard of half of these things that you're doing. Adrian, replacing salt with rosemary. I mean, right from the start I haven't heard of these things. There's a lot to learn. Okay.

Adrian:
For my other side dish, I did a kale and olive oil mashed potato.

Superintendent:
Kale is angry spinach in my mind. Any dessert?

Adrian:
Yes. I actually tried making this dessert already. It's a caramel apple cheesecake. My family loved it. It was super good.

Superintendent:
I think I've just got goosebumps. Caramel apple cheesecake. Okay. They all get an "A" right Ms. Anderson? I mean, this is a work even just thinking about the way they're describing it is a work.

Kyley:
They do a good job.

Superintendent:
Okay, Jordan, tell us about your menu.

Jordan:
We're going to be doing a smoked turkey and my sides will be a stuffing and mashed potatoes. And then I will have pumpkin bread and mini cheesecakes for dessert.

Superintendent:
Mini cheesecakes.

Jordan:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Like pop in my mouth mini cheesecake? I'm just trying to picture the size of the cheesecake. Are you solely responsible for this or is your mom or dad? Your sous chef?

Jordan:
My dad.

Superintendent:
Your dad is your sous chef. So does he execute pretty well? What you tell him to do? What do you have planned?

Ariana:
So every year for Thanksgiving, my family's pretty small. So we usually go over to someone else's house and we have Thanksgiving with them. I'm cooking Thanksgiving with my mother this year. We plan on having a bit of a blended Thanksgiving. So it's going to be some traditional recipes from Mexico, where she's from and some nutritional things from here that you would normally find. So we're going to have the normal oven baked turkey, but, I don't have much yet.  I know for sure we're going to do some dessert tamales,  and some desserts to my list.

Superintendent:
So dessert tamales. Now, wait a second. You don't mean like hot tamales, like Mike and Ike type stuff? So how else can a tamale be a dessert?

Ariana:
Started like this I guess, flour these breaded. It's difficult to describe.

Superintendent:
What's the filling?

Ariana:
Filling is typically one layer would be chicken and some sauce. But for a dessert one you would typically just put strawberries, pineapples, just sweet fruits.

Superintendent:
Yeah. I've had the regular, or as you would call it, the savory tamale. But I have not had the dessert tamale before. That's something else. Um, wow, that sounds fantastic. What are some of the other recipes from Mexico that you'll be using?

Ariana:
I'll probably be using a recipe to slowly a soup that is made in Mexico.

Superintendent:
I love the blended idea. An international Thanksgiving recipe list. That's awesome. Maddie, what's on your menu.

Maddie:
Also pretty traditional because my family likes to keep going. We do have a perfect turkey. And then for the first side dish we have cheese potatoes. They are covered with an onion crunch stuff at the top and lots more cheese, lots of cheese. For dessert, we're doing a hot fudge cake with a Vanilla Bean ice cream on it. And then it's going to be covered in blackberries and blueberries.

Superintendent:
You were very precise in the way you described your dessert. You did not say it was going to be Vanilla ice cream. You didn't say it was going to be Old Fashioned Vanilla. You didn't say it was going to be French Vanilla. You said it was going to be Vanilla Bean. Is that a conscious choice?

Maddie:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Why is it going to be Vanilla Bean?

Maddie:
I just has like a more rich flavor.

Superintendent:
That sounds wonderful. Bryce.

Bryce:
Sorry. I have a little nephew running around here.

Superintendent:
No problem, Bryce.

Bryce:
Thanksgiving will be actually nice. Let's see. So I don't really know a whole lot about what actually we're doing. I just saw that I'm in charge of a dish. Then the side that I am going to be making for my family's Thanksgiving is going to be a smoked mac and cheese with the smoked gouda and smoked cheddar. Hopefully I can put it on our smoker for a little bit. And then the other one I did was butter bread pull aparts. It's a recipe that I got from my aunt. Just get Rhodes rolls and put them into a little bundt pan drizzled with butter.

Superintendent:
I love when the name of food tells you what to do with it.

Bryce:
Exactly. These are pull aparts. This is what's happening. You will pull them apart.

Superintendent:
I can totally taste the smoked macaroni and cheese. You can make it and then put it in the smoker.

Bryce:
Yeah. So the way that I make it is me and my sister have done this Mac and cheese recipe. It's really easy. Then what you do at the end is you put breadcrumbs on the top and then toasted in the oven and then we throw it in our smoker. Our smoker has been starting up recently.

Superintendent:
Yeah. Let me just say that sounds fantastic. And I marvel at what every single one of you are doing.

Stay with us. When we come back, what is the ProStart Program and what does it do for students hoping to pursue a culinary career? We'll find out next.

Commercial:
Hello. My name is Steven Hall. I'm the Director of the Jordan Education Foundation. Every year, the Jordan Education Foundation, together with magical volunteers, helps provide Christmas for students who might otherwise go without during the holiday season. While many things have changed since the pandemic, one thing does remains the same. That's our desire to help students. Thanks this year to three major donations from Larry H. Miller Charities, Discover Card, Kennecott Rio Tinto, and many other individuals together with the support and the generosity of Walmart in South Jordan, we will provide Christmas for at least 400 students in Jordan school District. We need your support. We need you to help actually go to Walmart and collect the gifts that the students have chosen online. This will allow us to offer a safe curbside delivery for kids and their families. Join us in bringing smiles and love to students in need. During this holiday season, please sign up to volunteer to shop for these students on December 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th, between the hours of 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The website sign up is jefchristmasforkids.org. There you can sign up as a volunteer and you can choose a date to shop. Spread the word for others to sign up as well. Be one of Santa's helpers this holiday season and provide Christmas for kids. Thank you so much from every one of us here at the Jordan Education Foundation.

Superintendent:
I'm here with ProStart students from Mountain Ridge High School. Aaron, describe for listeners who may not be familiar with ProStart what it is.

Aaron:
Prostar is a foods class. It's the highest foods class that you can take in high school. So first you have to take foods one and two, and then you can take Prostart. ProStart is just a really great class. You get to learn a lot of new skills, get to meet new people. You get to compete in a few different competitions and it's a really fun class.

Superintendent:
Tell me about the competition. What does that look like?

Aaron:
Um, so basically you have a team with knives from the kitchen. It's not like that. It's a cooking challenge where you make a main dish and a side and a dessert, and then you compete against other ProStart schools. So we actually got fifth in State last year. That's pretty awesome for a brand new school, particularly in the first year.

Superintendent:
So I've watched a few cooking shows and some of them are more related to cooking and others are more related to a game show. What type of, what is your competition look like? I've heard a little bit about it. Do you get a recipe that you then have to execute or do you have to come up with your own? How does that look?

Aaron:
So we get to come up with our own recipe. We talk about as a team and there's usually, I think there were four of us with one person outside of the ring that kind of just talks us through it and helps us and has the recipe in his hand or her hand.

Superintendent:
So you go against other schools and just compete with them and see who has the best dish?  Is the person who's just reading the recipe, flipping out because they can't touch anything? I think that would be really hard. They can't touch anything so they can test taste.

Aaron:
So, say we like give them a spoon of something to try. They can test it, but they can not touch our food. We could get disqualified if they do.

Superintendent:
Okay. Do you learn about careers in ProStart related to food?

Aaron:
Yeah, there's a lot of different careers that we get to learn about. We get to learn about like restaurant creators and photos, careers to do with food. And there's a lot of opportunities in the food industry.

Superintendent:
Are you looking at any of those opportunities for yourself?

Aaron:
Um, I think it'd be pretty cool to work on a cruise ship and cook and get a trial. That would be nice in the future.

Superintendent:
Yeah, isn't really the way to go yet, but give it a little bit. By the time you're ready, the cruise industry will be ready for you.

Aaron:
Yup.

Superintendent:
Okay. Sounds great. Kezia, what made you want to take the ProStart class?

Kezia:
I just really like to cook and bake and I wanted to learn how to make more new things. I feel like I have expanded the list of thing I know how to make now.

Superintendent:
Had you been cooking much before you took the ProStart class?

Kezia:
I love to bake. I bake a lot. And also it's between baking and cooking. Once I get bored of one or the other, I can switch.

Superintendent:
Oh yeah. So what's your go-to, baking or cooking? If you were on Tik-Tok and it said baking on one side and cooking on the other, which direction would you walk?

Kezia:
Probably baking.

Superintendent:
The baking side. Okay. I got you. Um, what's your specialty? What's your go-to, your signature dish or signature creation?

Kezia:
I don't really have one. I like to make pies. That's one of my favorite things to make.

Superintendent:
Okay. Fantastic. Jordan, what made you want to take ProStart classes?

Jordan:
Uh, Kezia. She brought up the idea and then Ms. Anderson, I had her last year. So I thought it'd be fun to do it again.

Superintendent:
What do you like to make most to bake? Do you cook?

Jordan:
Um, I like cooking.

Superintendent:
Tell me, now there are certain terms I've heard earlier. We were talking about this. What are some of the things that you've learned in ProStart that you did not know how to do before?

Jordan:
Um, definitely the knife cuts. We have gone more into plating and need some flaws.

Superintendent:
The knife cuts.

Jordan:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Knife cuts sounds a little redundant. Tell me what are the knife cuts.

Jordan:
Um, it helps you measure your food so you can cook everything evenly. So when we get told to have our potatoes cubed, we know what size we should have.

Superintendent:
Jordan, you mentioned plating. What have you learned about plating?

Jordan:
Um, we've learned how the odd numbers look best and to keep it clean and simple. And there's many different ways you can have a certain food look good just by the way you plated it. Uh, there's the artistry to do drizzle stuff and that sort of thing.

Superintendent:
Okay. An odd number. You put an odd number because that feels good on the plate.

Jordan:
It just looks good and it just makes everything complete.

Superintendent:
Okay. Very nice. Um, now, as you've been learning art, is there something that you have wanted to make that you haven't made yet? Like your white whale, your Mount Everest? Aaron, tell me, what is your white whale?

Aaron:
Um, it's called a Baked Alaska and I've wanted to make it for awhile. I've just never gotten around to doing it. It's a kind of a complicated dish, a dessert dish, fire is involved. You get a light it on fire once you're done.

Superintendent:
Is that really the appeal? Anything that's set on fire?

Aaron:
Yeah, it's very pretty.

Superintendent:
Okay. So a Baked Alaska is in your future perhaps. And how appropriate that Alaska is your white whale. Okay. Um, let's see. Kezia what is your Mount Everest? What is the thing you want to cook that you haven't made yet?

Kezia:
Um, I would have to say I really want to make macaroons.

Superintendent:
Macaroons. I do love a good macaroon and it seems like it would be very difficult. The cookie has to be so light.

Kezia:
Yes. Yeah. I've heard it's difficult.

Superintendent:
But have you tried it at all?

Kezia:
No, I haven't tried to make it yet. I want to.

Superintendent:
I see Ms. Anderson writing a list of these goals. So perhaps I would like to be invited to that class when those come out. Baked Alaska to Macaroons, I'm all for that. Uh, Jordan,  what is your goal? What would you like to make that you haven't made yet?

Jordan:
Honestly, I'm down to make any pastries.

Superintendent:
So all desserts. Yeah. I did see pictures of each of you in your home kitchen and you're all smiling wide. When you're in your own kitchen, you all seem very happy. Is that kind of a happy place for you Jordan, to be in the kitchen?

Jordan:
Yeah. That's where I feel like I learned how to cook. Good memories.

Superintendent:
What do you have on the stove there in the picture? Do you know?

Jordan:
Right then we were making caramels. So it probably is something to do with carmels.

Superintendent:
Oh, very nice. Homemade caramels, my wife loves that. And Aaron, I saw you had a plate of chocolate chip cookies or a tray of chocolate chip cookies. Is that a specialty?

Aaron:
Uh, yeah, it's actually my great grandma's recipe. It's a really good cookie.

Superintendent:
Oh, wow. And what's the secret ingredient? That's okay. You don't have to. I understand. I understand. I'll just have to try them for myself sometime. And, uh, Kezia, we have a picture of you with a fantastic looking cake. Tell me about that.

Kezia:
Actually, that's my caramel apple cheesecake from my Thanksgiving project. I tried that out before Thanksgiving and it was really good.

Superintendent:
That sounds wonderful. The caramel apple cheesecake, and I love the dessert thing. That's kind of developed through our conversations. I definitely think I'm going to be indulging in something inferior to what you guys make, but whatever I can get my hands on because now I can't get my mind off the dessert side of Thanksgiving. Let's finish by just asking everybody what you're thankful for. Uh, let's start with you, Aaron, what are you thankful for?

Aaron:
Um, just being able to have my family around for Thanksgiving.

Jordan:
I'm really thankful for my family and my friends.

Kezia:
I would have to say my family and that I get to spend in quarantine with them.

Superintendent:
And Ms. Anderson, how about you?

Kyley:
I'm grateful for my family, food, and adventure.

Superintendent:
That's a great combination. Well, I'm thankful to have had the chance to talk with all of you. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I know your families will because they'll get to benefit from your skills.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Happy Thanksgiving. And remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We will see out there.