Course Syllabus

Food and Nutrition 1 Course Syllabus 

Ms. Kyaundra Ellis (Ms. Ellis or Ms. K) 

Room 1620 

Room 1612 on Cooking Lab days 



Contact Information 

Smart Lunch Days 

(Students must actively be working on assignments to receive credit) Students should attend SMART Lunch to remediate low major grades, to make up missed assignments, tests, and quizzes, to work on in class assignments that could not be completed during class time, or to seek help from the teacher.  Students will be assigned to SMART Lunch if they are at risk of failing the course, having missing assignments or assessments that need to be made up, or if they need to clean their kitchens due to poor cleaning, sanitizing, and organizing on lab days. 

Email: kellis7@wcpss.net 

Monday’s Both Halves (if I don’t have a meeting) 

Wednesday & Friday (Both Halves) 

 

Welcome to Foods and Nutrition! I am thrilled to embark on this course with you as an integrative nutritionist holding a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition. Before we start cooking, it is mandatory for students in Foods 1 to complete the ServSafe Food Handlers Exam. Throughout this course, we will explore and examine the nutritional needs of the individual. We will focus on the fundamentals of food production, kitchen and meal management, food groups and their preparation, as well as time and resource management. English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are reinforced.  Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competitive events, community service, and leadership activities provide the opportunity to apply essential standards and workplace readiness skills through authentic experiences. 

 

Course Outline:

Unit 1 - Relationship between Food Choices & Health

Unit 2 - Kitchen Safety, Food Safety & Sanitation, Equipment and Procedures, Recipes, and Teamwork

Unit 3 – My Plate & Cooking Methods of Fruits/Vegetables, Dairy, Grains, Protein

Unit 4 - Baking Methods of Quick Breads, Yeast Breads, Cakes/Frostings

Unit 5 - Meal Service and Etiquette

Unit 6 - Meal Planning and Preparation

 

Format of instruction & assessment: 

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of taught vocabulary, concepts, & course objectives through projects, tests/quizzes, demonstrations, discussions, weekly cooking labs, interactive activities, homework, self-reflections/evaluations, and reading and writing activities.  

Food Safety Credential Exam

Students  in this course will take the ServSafe industry recognized credential certification exam after the completion of the ServSafe food Safety program. Students are not allowed to begin food labs until they’ve passed their food safety certification exam. 

Grading: 

The North Carolina grading policy will be configured on the following scale:

             

A 

90 - 100 

B

80 - 89

C

70 - 79

D

60 - 69

F

0 - 58

 

The grade for this class will be broken down into the following categories:

 Major Assignments (tests, projects)                 

 Minor Assignments  (labs, assignments, quizzes, homework)

 Your Semester grade is calculated as follows: 

Quarter __     = 40 %

Quarter ___   = 40 % 

Final Exam =   20% of total semester grade          

*** ALL food and nutrition students are required to take the state-made final exam for this course. There are no CTE final exam exemptions.

 

Missing/Late Minor Assessments (food labs, class assignments, occasional homework, quizzes)

Minor assessments submitted after the due date will receive a 5-points per day deduction for late work up to 30 points resulting in a maximum possible grade of 70%.  Minor assessment grades are final.   Remediation and reassessment for a grade change are not offered for minor assignments, however, students may want to complete corrections on some minor assignments with scores below a 70% to improve their performance on upcoming major assessments. 

Lab Make ups: Students are required to prepare a recipe at home for missed labs.  Make up lab directions can be accessed in the Food Labs module on Canvas.  Pictures or a video showing you preparing, cooking, and cleaning up for the recipe, as well as completing/submitting an associated worksheet when absent from class on lab days are mandatory. If the student has a valid reason for being unable to complete the cooking lab make up, he/she may see the teacher to discuss a possible alternative make up assignment.

 

Major Assessments Remediation (tests, in class/occasional home projects)

Major assessments may be made up or remediated up to 1 week before the end of each quarter

Quarter 1: Friday October 25, 2024

Quarter 2:  Friday  January 10, 2024 

Quarter 3: Friday March  21, 2025

Quarter 4: Friday May 30, 2025 

 

Students who would like to improve a major assessment score must complete remediation

BEFORE they can work on and submit the major assessment again. Reassessment grades will be replaced with the average of the original and new grade.  If the average grade is lower than a 70%, the higher of the 2 scores will be the new grade.  If the 2nd attempt score is lower than the first attempt, the original grade will remain as the grade in Powerschool.  Students who score below a 60 % on tests  are required to retake that test. 

Missing Major Assessments

5 points will be deducted for late projects or other major grades for up to 30 points for a maximum grade of 70%.  All missed tests and quizzes must be made up during  SMART lunch. Missed tests and quizzes will not receive late points.  Students who score a 69 % or lower may remediate their work to increase their grade for no higher than a 70 %. If students do not score a 70 %, the higher grade will be given.  

 

Required Materials:

  • Binder or folder for notes and some paper assignments (assignments will vary between online and paper)
  • writing utensil including pens, pencils, and highlighters 
  • Food Lab Supplies :  The WCPSS board policy #6820 explains that students must provide supplies for projects which are kept for personal use. In this course, those supplies include: 
  • 1 box of sandwich bags 
  • 1 box of gallon bags  
  • Paper plates, paper bowls, and plasticware must be donated if you don't want to use the real dishes in the classroom. These supplies are not supplied by the school.
  • Food lab ingredients: Students will provide ingredients for some labs throughout the semester to increase the number of cooking opportunities.  Ms. Ellis will let you know when students will be asked to provide these food supplies.  Students who need assistance with supplies must have their parents/guardians contact me through the parent letter or my email (kellis7@wcpss.net). I am more than happy to help, but please realize there is a deadline associated with supplies. I need to know by the second week of school if you are going to need supplies so I can make arrangements.
  • Lab days Attire: Students will cook once to sometimes twice a week beginning after the first 2 weeks of the semester. Labs will end 2 weeks before the semester ends. Students will have prior notice of lab days. Students are required to be dressed for labs before entering the classroom. 

Lab day attire includes:

  • no jewelry (students may store jewelry in their backpacks during labs)
  • clean clothing – no loose clothing (to prevent burns)
  • cuts on hands bandaged. Wear single use gloves.
  • closed toe shoes
  • have hair restrained with a hair tie for shoulder length hair or longer. 
  • Students are recommended to maintain short and filed nails with no nail polish. Student's are highly encouraged to not wear false nails during this semester. Gloves will be available if needed. 

 

Attendance Policy:

 In observance of Panther Creek HS’s attendance policy, I will reach out to parents via phone or email concerning attendance when students have missed 3 or more days of class.

  • TARDY POLICY:  
    • First 3 tardies- Teacher Warning & parent/guardian contact
    • 6th tardy – Referral to administration, parents/guardians contacted 
    • 5th and beyond  tardy – Administrative referral, Parent contact.  Note, further action may be taken by administration including Lunch detention, revocation of Lunch passes, etc. 

 

Missed work due to absence: Students have ONE day for EACH day absent to make up missed work to receive full credit. Students absent 3 consecutive days will be given 2 days for each missed day to turn in make-up work.  Absent students are required to see the weekly assignments for each week to determine what work has been missed BEFORE asking Ms. Tanner questions. 

Classroom Expectations

  • RESPECT - Treat every person in the classroom with dignity, kindness and respect at all times. As a professional, even if you do not always get along with your team, it is the expectation that you still act in a kind and professional manner and collaboratively solve problems.
  • Speak Professionally & Respectfully - Students are required to speak to one another and the teacher and about others in respectful ways (no swearing, sexual statements, disparaging remarks, gossip, etc). This creates an environment that is safe and comfortable for all people in our room. 
  • SAFETY and SANITATION- procedures must be followed at all times to maintain a clean, safe, and organized environment that is free from pests, hazards, and foodborne illness. Students must have a signed safety and sanitation contract by a parent/guardian AND demonstrate their understanding of safety and sanitation before they will be allowed to participate in cooking labs.
  • ILLNESS - Students who are ill on lab days need to report this to the instructor. They will be given jobs unrelated to food production, determined by Ms. Tanner and guidelines given by the local health department.
  • EQUIPMENT - breakage or damage must be reported immediately. The tools we use in class are not toys. You will treat them with respect and use them only for their intended use.
  • NO FOOD OR DRINKS -other than water in capped containers (with the exception of food lab days). If you bring anything other than water into the classroom, you will be asked to throw it away before entering the classroom.  Plenty of time is given during Lunch to eat!
  • CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. Keep the classroom clean each day.  Follow cleaning procedures for cooking labs. Put trash in trash cans and paper in recycling.  Bottles go in the blue bin. 
  • Bathroom breaks.  Students may not go to the restroom during direct instructional times.  Students may only use the restrooms on the first floor located in the 1600 wing. If students are gone for longer than expected, the front office will be called to check on/locate the student.
  • TECHNOLOGY –Devices may only be used for the assignment we are working on in class when permission is given by the teacher. Students must have cell phones, laptops, earbuds, or other technical devices closed or put away when they are not needed for instructional purposes. Devices must be stored in backpacks during labs. If you are on your phone, Ms. Ellis will ask you to put it on her desk for the remainder of the class period. 
  • PCHS - Panther Creek High School rules and policies apply in this course. Please see the Student Handbook.

Plagiarism: 

Plagiarism or the copying of another student’s or individual’s words, ideas or test answers is not allowed.  Online quotes or other sources must be cited.   If a student is found to have plagiarized, the teacher will report the student to administration. The student may receive a zero on the assignment, and a parent/guardian will be contacted. Students will be required to complete a DIFFERENT assignment in the event that plagiarism has occurred. 

 

*This syllabus is subject to change based upon PLC discretion.