Grade 6 students at St. John Catholic School in Guelph have been exploring their culinary talents through remote learning.
Taking full advantage of having an ‘in class kitchen’ due to remote learning, Grade 6 teacher Chantal McAlpine has been incorporating healthy eating and life skills into her lessons through a weekly baking session.
“I was looking for some ideas on teaching healthy eating for my grade 6 students,” shared McAlpine. “So... I decided that I would do a no-bake optional cooking class with my students every Tuesday. ‘Tuesday Treats’ I call it. I send a list of simple ingredients and tools needed to the parents the Friday before, and then we create it on Tuesday.”
During Tuesday Treats, students will follow along with the class to create a recipe that has been sent out to parents ahead of time. This week the students tried their hand at Peanut Butter Energy balls.
“They were delicious! I wanted a no-bake option that students could make on their own without worry of injury. I also wanted something that kids would like the taste of so that they would want to make more! Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate? But we also talked about the benefits of each ingredient to your overall health,” she shared.
The response to the new initiative has been overwhelmingly positive from both students and parents who get to enjoy the tasty treats. Although not all students participated in the inaugural Tuesday Treats, everyone was engaged in the process online.
“Many of them were asking what we were making the following week. Some of them told me today (Friday) that their family gobbled them up so they had to make more. I've had a few parents email me to say they thought it was a great idea as well,” she said.
While this has been a challenging time for teachers and students alike, McAlpine encourages teachers to try new things to keep students engaged.
“I'm trying to find projects and activities that are engaging, such as the students creating their own podcasts, doing scavenger hunts, and obviously baking. It's all a bit out of my comfort zone, but so far the risks seem to be paying off! Fingers crossed!”
As for the weekly baking session, students tried out snicker banana bites and will be making strawberry coconut bowls on the near horizon.
For more on initiatives at St. John Catholic School in Guelph, visit their website or follow along on Twitter!