Great Beginnings!

We started our Nutrition Unit this week by discussing daily food choices and the importance of eating breakfast every morning.

The 6th grade students worked with a partner to plan a healthy breakfast menu that included food choices from at least three of the food groups. I was pleased to see how many students eat breakfast every day. Studies have shown that "students that eat breakfast do much better in school than the breakfast-skippers". I still need to encourage a few non-believers.

The 6th graders made Breakfast Banana Splits and the 7th graders made  Fast and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes for their lab this week.  The students did a fabulous job measuring, preparing, serving and cleaning up all in one day!

Sincerely,Mrs. J. Bretl

Manners Do Matter!

We discussed good manners and appropriate table etiquette this week in Consumer Education. The students seem to be well versed in this area. They did a nice job brainstorming the good manners that they use everyday. 

After viewing the Etiquette Hotline: Table Manners Video, the students were able to identify specific table manners to use when dining at a restaurant. I am sure that they practice these same good manners at home, too. 

Each class wrote quiz questions for fellow students based on the information they learned while viewing the Table Manners video. We were able to turn those questions into a quizizz.com assessment for each class. 

Successful cooking labs!

The first cooking lab for the 6th grade students went very well this week. The 6th grade students made Creamy Caramel Apple Dip. The students followed the recipe instructions quite well. Several kitchen labs completed clean up on time! I am sure the other groups will improve next week!

I was impressed with how well the students worked with their lab partners. It will take time for them to feel comfortable with all of the new lab procedures here at Lakeview, but I am sure they are up for the task.

The 7th grade students will be making individual Apple Crisps next week.

Have a nice weekend!

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Kitchen Equipment and Measuring Techniques

The 6th grade and 7th grade students were able to identify 30 pieces of kitchen equipment that they will be using in their Consumer Education foods' labs.  They watched a demonstration on proper measuring techniques and were able to  describe specific techniques needed to measure flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla and other liquids.

We played Kitchen Safety and Measuring Jeopardy as a review  for the Kitchen Safety, Measuring and Equipment quiz.

The first cooking lab for 6th grade students will be the week of February 15th and the first cooking lab for the 7th grade students will be the week of February 22nd..

Have a nice weekend.

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Kitchen Safety

The 6th grade students had a busy week. The students spent the week discovering how to prevent kitchen accidents. They learned the importance of kitchen safety as well as food safety and sanitation in Consumer Education class.

Each class made Kitchen Safety Booklets to illustrate safe procedures to follow. The students did a nice job illustrating ways to prevent cuts, burns, fires, spills, falls, and electrical shocks.

The 7th grade students completed a short review of kitchen safety and kitchen equipment this week. The review was especially beneficial to those students that were not in Consumer Education class last year.


Have a nice weekend.

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Building Laundry Skills and Building Friendships

After discussing clothing care and various laundry tips the sixth grade students were able to identify appropriate clothing care practices to follow at home. Most of the 6th graders told me that they do help out with laundry chores. The students also figured out how to sort clothes according to color, degree of soil and fabric construction. It was fun to see how excited the students were about doing laundry.  I hope they practice some of these laundry skills at home this weekend.

The seventh graders had a busy week, as well.  They are wrapping up their mini-unit on peer pressure and friendship. The students have begun writing their essays on the topic of friendship this week.  They will complete these essays next week.

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Getting to know all about you!

It has been great getting to know all of the sixth grade students. They are very energetic and raring to go. They have done a nice job in class this week. We spent time completing several "getting to know you" activities. We also discussed procedures and expectations for Consumer Education.

I am learning many interesting things about each student. It is quite evident that all of the sixth grade students are ready for a great semester. Their enthusiasm is very refreshing!

There was also time to get reacquainted with the seventh graders this past week.  They have begun their unit on communication.  We had a great discussion on all the types of nonverbal communication that people use in their everyday lives.

Have a nice weekend!

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl

Welcome to Consumer Education!

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Consumer Education!  My name is Judy Bretl.  I am the Consumer Education teacher here at Lakeview Junior High School.  This is my ninth year teaching at Lakeview and my fourteenth year teaching Consumer Education.  I graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor's degree in Home Economics and received my Master's degree and teaching certificate from Northern Illinois University.  I am delighted to be teaching here at Lakeview.

Consumer Education is a Family and Consumer Science course designed to help middle school students learn the life skills they need to be responsible, productive family and community members.  The primary objective of this program is to help students meet the challenges of daily living while providing laboratory experiences that foster leadership and group skills.

Most of our coursework will be done in class.  We will have very little homework due to the “hands-on” nature of our foods’ labs.  Your child will use the textbook Discovering Food and Nutrition in class.  If necessary, students may check out a textbook from me in order to make up work.  I am available before school each morning at 7:35 a.m. and during study hall “B”.

Students are expected to be respectful, listen and follow directions, report to class on time, and use all kitchen equipment safely and appropriately. If expectations are not met, students will receive a verbal warning.  If the behavior continues after the warning, consequences will be given based on the severity of the behavior. Students who demonstrate positive, on-task behavior may earn Spartan Stars for tangible rewards.

***There are many consumable materials used in Consumer Education class. To help defer the cost of the consumable material, a $20.00 lab fee is necessary.  Please pay the lab fee within the first week of class.  Checks may be made payable to District 66.  We prefer a check, but will accept cash.  For cash payment, please put money in an envelope with your child's name and class period on it.  Payments are due by Friday, January 29.

I am looking forward to an exciting semester working with your child.  If you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please feel free to contact me at 630-783-5034 or jbretl@ccsd66.org.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

This was quite a fun-filled week. All of the seventh grade students made Oreo Cookie Ice Cream in our Consumer Education Lab.  The students couldn't believe how easy it was to make the recipe. They were very proud of themselves. I must admit it did taste yummy. 

The seventh graders will be bringing their recipe packets home this week. I hope they continue to cook at home.

The 8th grade students shared their Family Meal Projects with fellow classmates.  I was very impressed with how well each student did on their project.  Nice job!

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl