Plains kids spend summer learning

Kids at Plains School finished their "Summer Program" last week with a special dessert social and water games on the school football field.

For nearly the entire month of July, more than 60 kids from kindergarten to eighth grade participated in several activities, such as sports, safety, community awareness, technology and cooking. Cooking was the specialty for Debbie Brown, coordinator of the four-week program, the result of a $7,500 grant from the Headwaters Foundation in Missoula.

The other instructors included Holly Blood, who taught technology; Nicole Burrows, who taught STEM - science, technology, engineering and math; Cindy Gumm, who instructed students from kindergarten to second grade; and Dani Crowe, who handled the sports activities and organized Thursday's water games. Superintendent Thom Chisholm and Ryon Nolan, the new high school principal, helped with Thursday's games. During the Summer Program, the kids had a basketball camp, along with other sporting activities, a community week, gardening week, a scavenger hunt and safety education with Chief of Police Shawn Emmett and Fire Chief Anthony Young.

The Summer Program ran four days a week, eight hours a day. Brown said the number of students fluctuated each day, but the highest was 63. Her cooking class played an integral part of the program by preparing a meal for the other classmates every day, but with no quick and easy microwave meals. "We're trying to teach them to cook the old fashioned way, not from boxes," said Brown, who's been with the school for 32 years as a Title 1 and Montana Digital Academy instructor.

The 17 girls and five boys in her cooking class used 28 recipes from the internet and from Brown's own collection. However, she said they had to tweak some of the internet recipes. Brown put the recipes in a packet for the students to take home. The class made homemade meatballs, omelet cups, breakfast quesadillas, egg rolls and a broccoli-cauliflower salad. "It was fun because you had full control over the kitchen," said 11-year-old Wyatt Miller, one of Brown's chefs. "It was a great experience for the staff and the kids," Brown added.

"I think the program is absolutely wonderful," said Chisholm. "It is education in its purest form because lessons were learned based on strong relationships developed between the kids and instructors. Thanks to those who made this possible," said Chisholm, who also noted that he'd like to have the program again next year, even if they don't get grant funds.

Brown's cooking staff also made their own gravy and barbecue sauce, along with more than a dozen desserts, such as banana muffins, zucchini bread, shortbread chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake, to name a few. The students had different roles to play and made different foods, but they also learned proper procedures in following recipes, table manners, hosting an event and the importance of cleanup, said Brown.

"I wanted them to go big or go home," Brown said humorously. Her daughter, Mandy Fausett and Trista Feist, both 2004 graduates, came in last week to teach the kids cupcake decorating. Kenna Miller, 11, made Oreo cupcakes, Hailey Dimond, 9, made carrot cake cupcakes, and Mason Goodwin, 9, made chocolate cupcakes. The decorating squad included Annika Ercanbrack, 11, Zoey Holden, 9, along with Dimond and Miller.

Brown said some of the students had a little cooking or baking experience, but most were total beginners who didn't know how to turn on a stove. Brown said the students started out a bit nervous, but by the last week they were very comfortable in the kitchen. "I can't think of one failure that couldn't be fixed," said Brown. "They did a great job all month."

The program ended Thursday with the special dessert event and five water game team competitions - Water Balloon Toss, Hula Hoop Run, Volcanoes and Ice Cream, Water Cup Relay, and Sponge Run. After the 50 minutes at the games, the kids had a large group dance.