Welcome Sixth Graders!

I am including a copy of the parent letter that I handed out on Monday. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Dear Parents,

I am the Consumer Education teacher here at Lakeview Junior High School. This is my eighth 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.

Mrs. Judy Bretl
Consumer Education Teacher
Phone: (630) 783-5034
Email: jbretl@ccsd66.org

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 units of study for your sixth grader include:
Nutrition
Kitchen Safety and Sanitation
Food Preparation
Consumer Awareness
Babysitting Safety
Clothing Care and Laundry Tips
Sewing Skills

Most of our coursework will be done in class. We will have very little homework due to the “hands-on” nature of our 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”.

There are many consumable materials used in this 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 in an envelope with your child's name on it.

Lab fee due date: Tuesday, November 29.

I am looking forward to an exciting trimester working with your child.

Sincerely,

Mrs. J. Bretl

Value Shopping

The last week of the trimester was quite busy. The 8th grade students became familiar with several small appliances that are used in food preparation every day. They examined the crock pot, bread maker, waffle maker, and blender. Students were able to determine how to use the appliances, how to clean them and why consumers choose to use these appliances.

Students also learned about shopping for value. What do you buy most in a grocery store? It's not just food. Most of your dollars are spent for slicing, dicing, portioning, and packaging. We watched a video which illustrated how much "extra" we pay when we buy processed foods. The 8th grade students were able to share strategies to use to avoid many pitfalls when shopping for food.

This has been a great trimester with the 8th grade students! I will miss you!

Have a nice weekend.

Sincerely,
Mrs. J. Bretl