JCHS Culinary Students Shine in Summer School

USD 475 release

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Ten Junction City High School culinary students were recently awarded ServSafe® Food Handler Certification for their work in the classroom during the month of June.“I am so grateful that the district allowed me the opportunity to provide an elective course for our students this summer. The students enrolled came in each day focused and excited to learn,” said Lauren Simmons, JCHS family and consumer sciences culinary teacher. To earn certification as a food handler, JCHS students had to receive a 75% or higher on their ServSafe® Food Handler Examination. That's a national certification program designed to teach safe handling practices to foodservice employees and others who handle and serve food to the public.

In addition, Junction City High School also had 10 students receive a certifying score for the YouScience Culinary I Exam. The Culinary I course is the second step in the Culinary Arts Pathway. Students learn about food safety and sanitation, careers, knife skills and cooking techniques, and basic culinary skills related to stocks, sauces, and yeast breads.

There is also a focus on career readiness.“The culinary courses tend to be difficult to schedule for students involved in fine arts and honors courses and we have a very long wait list every year. This allowed students the ability to earn a credit during the summertime when it may have been difficult to get into the class during the school year. We were busy from start to finish each day and were in the lab working almost every day of the short semester.

The following students received certification or a certifying score for the YouScience Culinary I Exam.ServSafe® Food Handler

Emalie Burland - Junior

Joy Davis - Sophomore

Kiannah Erazo - Sophomore

Elizabeth McMahan - Sophomore

Peyton Mitchell - Sophomore

Daniella Nzinga - Sophomore

Joham Ortiz - Sophomore

Olivia Penick - Sophomore

Kaitlyn Principe - Sophomore

Landyn Ronsse - Freshmen

YouScience Culinary 1

Oliver Benitze Santiago - Junior