BACK IN-PERSON LEARNING

Story by: Ryan Gambleton

If you said the words, ``ïn-person¨ or ``virtual learning” to a student two years ago, they might have no idea what you meant. But after 18 months of virtual learning, not only does everyone now know what those words mean, but in-person learning has new meaning. Some students like Sydnee Jackson prefer virtual learning, but most people are happy to be back in person. Junior Niya Vaughn says, ``I'm glad to be back in person because I get a better learning experience.” Students also get positive social interaction with their peers and teachers, something that was lacking for the last 18 months. Virtual learning did have its benefits. For example, with virtual learning, you could wake up right before class and if you missed a class, the work was always accessible and many teachers were more flexible about deadlines. But like students, most teachers like Mr. Iorio, prefer in-person learning, “I much prefer the one-on-one relationship with students. You don’t have that teaching virtually.”

There's a new exciting class at CPA - Culinary Arts! The culinary teacher Ms. Lewis is already having a tremendous impact at CPA. Senior Tamijah Mitchell says, “I can finally be helpful around the house because I now know how to cook.” Students not only learn how to cook but actually cook in Ms. Lewis' Class. The ingredients are provided by the teachers or whoever made the program. Students learn how to cook things they never thought they could cook before like how to cook steaks as the temperature matters and you can even broil them Seniors Jamaya Vantreece and Tamijah Mitchell both think that Ms. Lewis' class has had a great impact on them and that the class has been very beneficial. Tamijah feels as now she can prepare meals for her siblings and save money from not having to order out all the time. She says, “This class has really been beneficial to me because I get to cook for my siblings when my mom has work.” Jamaya says it's beneficial for her because she does not like the food that the school provided. She says, “Everytime I eat the school food I feel bad afterward so her class feeds me at school.” Even though school has only been in session for three months and even though the classroom hasn’t been made ready for cooking, students have already made a lot of good foods chicken quesadillas, fruit sandwiches, and microwave Rotel. Principal Dayle Burgdorf says they added the culinary class after conducting a student survey last year, “More than 60% of the students that filled out the survey wanted to add a cooking or baking course. Also, Mr. Cook met with St. Louis Community College and their program will take the cooking courses we are doing here as an initial credit. This allows students who want to pursue culinary arts as a career the option to have some classes already completed before they go to college.”