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It was back to class for many members of the Rotary Club of Fonthill recently as they found themselves exploring the halls and classrooms of their local secondary school, E.L. Crossley (Crossley).
Thanks to some amazing renovations and teaching and learning transformations at the school, the Fonthill club was able to hold their breakfast meeting at Crossley.
Club members were welcomed by Principal Monika Pries-Klassen and Vice Principal Katie Allen, with Monika providing an update on the renovations occurring at the school and the work being done to make improvements. Since Crossley also holds a very active Interact Club, a trio of Interact Advisors – Ethan Yando, Bronwyn White and Mark Dickinson – were present, with Bronwyn providing an update on upcoming Interact events for the spring. This includes the potential for a joint Rotary/Interact tree planting on the school property.
After some significant renovations work, the stunning new facility for Crossley’s state-of-the-art culinary and baking program is officially complete, allowing the Rotarians to partake in hot food items and freshly baked goodies, including gluten-free options, for a very reasonable price. The entire breakfast was prepared and set up by the students in the new Culinary Arts Food Technology program.
Outfitted with all new equipment, the latest in-house culinary and baking program of the District School Board of Niagara now teaches over 250 students how to prepare and cook nutritious foods, the art of baking, and the opportunity to explore all kinds of cuisine around the world. Crossley’s program also offers a student-run cafeteria during lunch; bringing the program in-house has made lunches much more affordable and accessible for all attendees.
“Not only are students practising hands-on learning, they’re also taking classes that focus on important and valuable lifelong skills. We were excited to see the renovations and experience the program for ourselves.” Collins Acheampong – Rotary Club President
Following the breakfast, the members of the Rotary Club of Fonthill were provided with a tour of the new facility and had the opportunity to see the extensive renovation. The passion of the lead teacher, Andy Robertson, was encouraging.
