West Newsmagazine 3-6-24

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March 6, 2024
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I SCHOOLS I 23
money for charities for the past seven years.
Her goal is to complete in all six of the
World Marathon Majors – London will be
her fourth world major and seventh overall
marathon. She plans to wear one of Mira’s
bracelets when she competes in April.
“Autism is so misunderstood. Just to
bring more awareness, understanding,
kindness and inclusion is our whole point
of doing this,” she said.
Cooking up something good
Food. It’s both a basic need and a creative
outlet – one that can have career potential.
In Culinary Arts 2, students gain valuable
restaurant and food service skills
through academic and workplace experiences.
But they also learn a thing or two
about budgeting, meal planning and how to
make really delicious food.
“One of the biggest questions among
college kids is, ‘How am I going to feed
myself? How am I going to budget my
already slim wallet for whatever meals I
plan?’” said senior Christopher Songco.
“This class teaches you how to budget so
you can figure out a bunch of meals in a row,
not just one. If you spend money on something
you could split into a bunch of meals,
it will save you a lot in the long run. You can
also come up with a lot of recipes knowing
a lot of the different ingredient functions.”
Through her culinary experiences at
Lafayette High, senior Maddie Johnson
has collected enough recipes to fill a cookbook,
including one for Philly Cheesesteak,
which remains a favorite.
“I made it like three years ago, but I keep
making it at home and it still is so good,”
said Johnson. “I’d never had one before,
then I made it here and loved it. A lot of kids,
honestly, don’t even know how to cook.”
Johnson said her culinary classes have
taught her how to properly make chicken
stock and apple pie, as well as bread from
scratch.
“It’s nice to know I have a solid group of
recipes to use,” she said.
Students learn and build on their culinary
skills throughout courses such as Food
Fundamentals, Baking and Pastry Arts and
Regional and World Cuisine so that, by the
time they reach Culinary Arts 1 and 2, they
have more freedom to experiment with
dishes.
They also gain experience with teamwork
and communication through classwork and
special projects.
Spreading love and smiles
Students from Parkway’s Southwest and
Central middle schools handmade over 300
Valentine’s Day cards for seniors in nursing
homes and assisted living facilities last
month. The cards were distributed through
a partnership with Y98’s Bret Mega Show,
representatives of which stopped by both
schools to collect the cards and thank the
students.
Teachers Janet Gutierrez, Southwest
Middle, and Cara Donze, Central Middle,
were the brains behind the project.
Dancing for a cause
Last month, Central High students raised
$34,419 for children with pediatric illnesses
at the school’s annual Dance Marathon
and, in celebration of exceeding their
goal, shaved the head of school principal
Dr. Tim McCarthy.
An offshoot of the Miracle Network
Dance Marathon, all money raised is
donated to the local branch of the Children’s
Miracle Network. In turn, those
funds help to cover the cost of programs
that are essential but not covered by insurance,
such as music and art therapy.
Since its inception in 1991, the national
program has raised more than $300 million.
Parkway Central’s event, which began in
February 2020, has raised over $100,000
for local children.
Inspired by ‘The Bard’
Principia junior Olive Meara has been
recognized by the English-Speaking Union
(ESU) National Shakespeare Competition
for her performance of Lady MacBeth.
This is the second time Meara has received
recognition from the ESU program, which
is designed to help students develop their
speaking and critical thinking skills by
exploring the timeless themes of Shakespeare’s
works. In three progressive
competition levels, students memorize,
interpret and perform monologues and sonnets
in their own schools, at ESU Branchsponsored
community competitions and at
the national competition.
• • •
Students from De Smet Jesuit High
brought to life the antics of the Bottom
brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to
find success in the theatrical world as they
compete with the wild popularity of their
contemporary William Shakespeare. The
result was “Something Rotten!,” a musical
by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick,
which the students performed in the Hunter
Theater the last weekend in February.
Artists among us
Westminster Christian High’s Fashion
Club recently completed an impressive
dress made from newspaper and trash bags.
See BULLETIN BOARD, page 24
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