Melbourne High

More Room for Activities by Kyle McLaren

Building 5 was home to the culinary lab, which over the summer, received a long-awaited renovation. The building was constructed in the late 1960s and was one of the few remaining buildings from the Mid-Century Modern campus design. The renovations included new flooring, updated lighting, better storage solutions, and a refreshed layout. “[The] students seem to appreciate it. Lighting is much better with the new LED flat panels in the classroom, and new storage areas were added,” said Assistant Principal Mr. Jim Meegan. "The classroom/dining room has truly been rejuvenated as well as renovated. The area is bright, inviting and comfortable,” said Chef Michael Ferguson.

Building 5 was originally the school’s Home Economics building. Chef Ferguson graduated from Melbourne High in 1980 and recalls the lab’s past. “When I was a Melbourne High School student there was a home economics/child care program that occupied the space we are presently in. I did not take any of those classes. Our present commercial kitchen housed a vintage setup with multiple home style cabinetry and kitchen equipment; the classroom dining area housed the childcare facility. The conversion to our present configuration was rather extensive,” said Chef Ferguson.

Chef Ferguson began teaching the culinary program in 2001, which was also when the building was repurposed.  “This facility has been a wonderful place for several thousand students since 2001 to learn and experience hands-on culinary arts training. The classroom/dining room storage area was always tight and limited, we worked with what we had and managed as needed. Over the past 24 years the area has been utilized to the fullest and was ready for some needed love and attention,” Chef Ferguson said.

For students, the renovated lab was more than just a refreshed space. It represented a better opportunity to learn and practice their cooking skills. Junior Kerollen Mendes Ferreira Dos Santos was on her second year of the program and had the opportunity to compare the two layouts. "It’s way better. The old lab was kind of outdated, but the new one feels fresh and easier to work in,” Mendes Ferreira Dos Santos said. “It’s easier to store stuff and it’s sorted out better. There's a brand-new storage room with shelving,” said senior Adrian Perdomo.

Despite the kitchen portion of the room not receiving a full makeover, the classroom area allowed students to feel more professional. “It feels more like a real kitchen now, so it makes us take it more seriously,” said Mendes Ferreira Dos Santos. “It makes me feel that I have more freedom in creating my recipes and dishes, as well as teaching me skills that I could use in a real kitchen setting,”  Perdomo said.

Culinary was one of the many CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs offered at the school and taught students different techniques in food preparation and catering. “The most interesting thing I have learned in the program was the techniques of cutting ingredients and how the different cuts not just change the appearance and how the food cooks,” said Perdomo. “I’ve always liked cooking, and I thought it would be fun to actually learn real skills instead of just messing around at home,” Mendes Ferreira Dos Santos said. With Building 5’s renovation completed, the campus was ready to inspire a new generation of chefs and cooks.

Caption:

Everything Has A Place: Junior Kerollen Mendes Ferreira Dos Santos packs away glassware in the new culinary storage closet. The new closet was one of the items added to the culinary lab during the summer renovation, and with metal shelving and new LED lights, students could easily retrieve items from the storage room. “[The closet] feels more like a real kitchen now, so it makes us take it more seriously,” said Mendes Ferreira Dos Santos. Previously, the culinary lab had cabinets to store equipment and glassware in, which made working difficult. “With the new and redesigned classroom/dining room floor plan and dedicated storage area, we are better organized and able to practice and operate with the same standards as the food-service industry,” Chef Michael Ferguson said.

Photo by Kyle McLaren