The Culinary Arts and Fashion Design programs encourage students to work independently and collaboratively, using creative problem solving, decision-making and teamwork strategies. The curriculum embraces the newly designed MA CTE Frameworks, which have cross-curricular application to areas such as science, math, social science, geography, writing and reading comprehension:

• Strand 1: Safety and Health Knowledge and Skills

• Strand 2: Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Strand 3: Embedded Academic Knowledge and Skills

• Strand 4: Employability and Career Readiness Knowledge and Skills

• Strand 5: Management and Entrepreneurship Knowledge and Skills

• Strand 6: Technological Knowledge and Skills

In both branches of the Family and Consumer Sciences, students will become equipped to make connections to possible career opportunities and learn of the contributions they can make to their community.  Regardless of a student’s ultimate professional, occupational or educational pursuits, these courses are intended to enrich all.

Culinary Arts Course instruction emphasizes the techniques and skills needed to work in a commercial kitchen. The course introduces students to basic menu, nutrition, and food preparation. Students become proficient in the use of tools and equipment.  Students are tested on food production practices governed by changing federal and state regulations.Topics to be covered include prevention of food-borne illness through proper handling of potentially hazardous foods, HACCP procedures, legal guidelines, kitchen safety, facility sanitation, and guidelines for safe food preparation, storing, and reheating. Students will also take the National Restaurant Association ServSafe examination. The lab portion of the course covers the fundamentals of cooking and baking. It introduces students to the methods and procedures for producing a variety of food preparation and baked goods, including yeast products, quick-breads, fresh pasta, pizza, egg, chicken and meat  products, along with product development. Students follow a standard recipe, do basic conversions, apply the foundations of math and science as they pertain to the food service industry.

This course explores the theory and science of cooking and baking. Students will learn how different ingredients affect food and baked products. Students will explore the changes that take place during the cooking and baking process, using recipes and formulas as experiments, and will discuss these outcomes. The course begins with students learning kitchen safety. Students are tested on food production practices governed by changing federal and state regulations.Topics to be covered include prevention of food-borne illness through proper handling of potentially hazardous foods, HACCP procedures, legal guidelines, kitchen safety, facility sanitation, and guidelines for safe food preparation, storing, and reheating. Students will also take the National Restaurant Association ServSafe examination. 

 Fashion Design involves students in critical thinking through fashion, consumer awareness, sustainable fashion, garment construction, technology, and careers. The skills and techniques that are developed through hands-on application can be applied to many careers in today’s society.