CHS Life Skills Class Completes Unique Learning Experience

By: Gracie Stains, Contributing Writer

​Throughout this school year, CHS Life Skills instructors Mrs. Jill Angell and Miss Rebecca Schemmer have been brainstorming project ideas to prepare their students for real world situations.

 This year they were hoping to add a different project that brought new learning experiences to the class.  The students prepared, packaged and delivered homemade dog treats to the schools, board office and bus drivers. 

Mrs. Jill Angell got the recipe from a teacher friend and thought it would be a great addition to the class. Angell and Schemmer created order forms and emailed them to the staff of the school district. Through email and by word of mouth, the class made and sold 67 dozen (804) dog treats! 

The students had to measure the flour, peanut butter and oats. Other members of the group peeled bananas, ran them through the mixer to mash them and broke the eggs. They mixed all the ingredients, rolled them out and cut them in the shape of a dog bone or dog paw. The treats baked for 20 minutes, and then students packaged them one dozen per bag.  Lastly, ingredients were stapled to the bag so customers knew what was in the treats. Schemmer, Angell and students then delivered the treats to the community. 

Students had a lot of fun with this project. Jon Gronefeld said, “I liked peeling bananas.” Justin McCann enjoyed making dough and Grace Benson‘s favorite part was dividing the dog treats in the bags. 

The profit made from the treats is used to pay for the cost of ingredients, and to take the students out to eat. When the class goes out to eat, they practice ordering their food and calculating the cost of their meal plus a tip. This whole experience taught the students cooking, cleaning, social skills, work experience, money concepts, teamwork and communication.  

This project has been great for the kids to participate in. “It really showed that some kids are self starters and could take over when someone left their job,” Angell said