February is Career and Technical Education Month! Career Technical Education (CTE) bridges the gap between high school and postsecondary plans. In CTE classes students learn career skills that help them prepare for college or work. At Richmond High School, CTE curriculum not only focuses on academics but employability and technical skills used in specific occupations.
The Family and Consumer Sciences field of study is one of the many CTE programs offered at Richmond Senior High School. Family Consumer Science, previously known as Home Economics has evolved since its inception in the early 19th century. The discipline is comprised of five different subjects including interiors & housing, child development & parenting, consumerism & home economic decisions, fashion design & clothing, and foods & nutrition. Family Consumer Sciences is taught in public schools across the United States typically at the middle and high school levels.
There are some wonderful learning experiences happening in the Family and Consumer Sciences classrooms at Richmond Senior High School! This year a new curriculum was introduced to Richmond High School’s CTE program, Early Childhood Education. Ms. Carla Rankin is the Early Childhood Education(ECE) teacher. She has shared that, “Early Childhood Education allows students to learn about key leaders in the history of early childhood education. Students also learn skills, responsibilities, and character traits of early childhood professionals. ECE students learn and create developmentally appropriate practices for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. We explore different careers and trends within the early childhood education pathway. Students learn how to create lesson plans and use proper observation methods in an early childhood setting. After students have learned curriculum, they complete an internship within the elementary schools. Students receive 2 high school graduation credits with this course.”
Ms. Christina Eller teaches Culinary Arts at Richmond Senior High School. Students in her classes are learning, hands-on, various culinary skills. Her Culinary 1 class is demonstrating classical cuts including julienne, batonnet, dice, rondelle, as well as a few others while reviewing knife safety, sanitation, and storage. The students are also learning to garnish, including making apple birds, a common garnish. Students in Ms. Eller’s Culinary 2 class are developing their culinary skills in the area of food preparation. She shares, “this week, the students are preparing homemade chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies for some faculty members. This will allow them to demonstrate their skills of preparation as well as service to others. They will practice problem solving skills, communication, and interpersonal relations within a work environment".
Let’s celebrate all of the great learning opportunities for our students offered through Career Technical Education Classes!
