From left to right: Sheila DeJesus-Pineda, Allison Johnson and Chef Peter Desmond
Catskill Academy recently hosted a special visit by Chef Peter Desmond and students from his Culinary Arts program at Questar III’s Columbia-Greene Educational Center in Hudson.
Desmond, along with seniors Sheila DeJesus-Pineda (Hudson) and Allison Johnson (Catskill), visited middle school students to demonstrate proper dinner etiquette, including how to set a table.
When introducing the activity Desmond stressed the importance of the dinner table in our daily lives.
“The table is a place to gather with family and friends, to share our stories as well as to respect and appreciate our differences. We do this when we celebrate holidays, birthdays, and daily dinner,” said Desmond.
DeJesus-Pineda and Johnson showed students how to set dinnerware and utensils. Each student was then given a cloth napkin to use, following along as DeJesus-Pineda showed them how to properly fold and place the napkin.
Johnson said she had a nice time with the students.
“It was a great experience. The most memorable part was giving them the tricks about knowing where the silverware goes. Knowing that there are four letters in left and there are four letters in folk, the fork goes on the left. There are five letters in right and five letters in spoon and knife, so the spoon and knife goes on the right,” she said.
Catskill Academy Principal Heather Lansing invited Desmond and the students in an effort to encourage collaboration between Questar III’s special education and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Lansing previously served as co-principal at Columbia-Greene Educational Center, where she worked with Desmond.
“Many of our students attend half-day at Catskill Academy and half-day at Columbia-Greene Educational Center. I feel both centers working together is a benefit for our students. The ‘art’ of proper etiquette seems to be getting lost in our culture and I think it is valuable for our students to be exposed to proper etiquette,” said Lansing.
Lansing and Desmond said they look forward to collaborating again in the future.
The hands-on learning experience ended with Catskill Academy students receiving cookies baked by Questar III’s Culinary Arts students.
Questar III’s two-year Culinary Arts program teaches students the culinary and management skills needed for a career in the hospital industry. This includes classroom study, lab work, mentored work experiences and the opportunity to test their skills at hands-on competitions and events.
DeJesus-Pineda and Johnson will graduate in June with more than just hands-on experience and knowledge. They will also leave with two industry-recognized certificates from ProStart and ServSafe.
