Students and parents eagerly wait to be seated at the PreK and Kindergarten’s “Everything Restaurant” during PDS’s Spring Learning Expo.
The PreK and Kindergarten’s agriculture-centered curriculum provides a year-round abundance of opportunity for learning that is both tangible and experiential. Whether it be through lessons and activities with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) or trips to local farms, supermarkets, and gardens, our youngest students are constantly engaged in active, hands-on education. At this year’s Spring Learning Expo, though, the class took it to the next level by hosting a full-service restaurant right in their own classroom, and the line was out the door.
Since they first connected with the Culinary Institute at the beginning of the year, our PreK and K have had the idea of making and serving their own food alongside the CIA. According to PreK and Kindergarten teacher Andrea Istel, “We came up with the idea for the restaurant early in the year and presented it to the CIA students, who were interested in collaborating with our class. The children had a great time playing ‘restaurant’ during choice time and outside, which inspired the idea for our end-of-the-year project. When the CIA students agreed to work with us, we collaborated to bring the idea to life.”
Andrea held meetings with CIA professors Dr. Taylor Reid and Dr. Maureen Costura, their students, and her own class to discuss the project and plan out how it would all come together. Our PreK and Kindergarteners decided on a menu of chicken nuggets, salad, macaroni and cheese, pizza, brownies, and cake, as well as the appropriate name of “The Everything Restaurant” for their new food spot. They also developed a beverage menu of water, fruit smoothies, and soft drinks. CIA students handled all the recipes and figuring out necessary ingredients. After the menu was complete, the PreK and K each hand-drew their own artistic interpretation of the items, which were to be displayed on opening day at the PDS Spring Learning Expo.
Entree and dessert menu drawn by Henry (Kindergarten).
In the days leading up to the Expo, our youngest learners harvested ingredients such as lettuce and garlic for the salad, and assisted Culinary Institute students in cooking the pizza sauce, chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese in the PDS Cozy Kitchen. They also baked and decorated some delicious cake and brownies. Back in their classroom, the children arranged flowers, set the tables, and even created hand-drawn signs advertising the restaurant.
Sign for the Everything Restaurant posted on the wall outside of the PreK and Kindergarten classroom, with only 2½ artists credited.
When the Spring Learning Expo came around at the very end of May, the PreK and Kindergarten class was fully prepared for a grand opening. Students took their positions and opened their classroom doors to a sea of parents, teachers, and students eager to try their food. The line was quite literally out the door, and it was not immediately certain if everyone could even fit in the room. Kindergarten student Zoe had the important extra job of being the hostess that welcomed everybody and showed them to their seats.
A crowd waits for their turn to be admitted into the Everything Restaurant.
Hostess Zoe gathers beverage menus for patrons.
Once everyone was seated (which required extra chairs from nearby classrooms, and some customers having to eat without a table), the Everything Restaurant’s operations were quickly in full swing. Each PreK and Kindergartener (server) went around to take orders from customers at the room’s several tables. These would be reported back to Culinary Institute students (kitchen staff) who would pour the drinks and fix the plates, and then direct available servers to the correct table and patron for the items to be delivered to.
A member of the kitchen staff gives server Holden (Kindergarten) two beverages to deliver.
Server Carter (PreK) delivers cake to a satisfied patron.
CIA kitchen staff works hard to provide food for customers as quickly as possible.
Per standard restaurant operations, drinks came out first. Then came entrees, and then desserts. The PreK and Kindergarten servers worked very hard alongside their Culinary Institute kitchen staff, efficiently taking orders and running food to the correct tables, delivering it with care. They also took away empty/dirty plates, accommodated customers who wanted second servings, and made sure to wash their hands. Meanwhile, everyone was loving their food.
Happy customers. Thor (Grade 4, left) ordered a fruit smoothie and Alby (Grade 5, right) had macaroni and cheese with chicken nuggets.
Annabelle (Grade 2) digs into a slice of cake.
Once everyone was finished, and had moved on to other classroom exhibitions, a huge mess was left behind. Luckily, the PreK and Kindergarten got right on it, cleaning up all of the now empty dishes and tables, and restoring the room back to its pre-restaurant state.
Hostess Zoe washing dishes in the PreK/K classroom sink.
In the end, it was clear that the Everything Restaurant was a unanimous smash hit. Everything from the service, to the atmosphere, to the food thoroughly impressed every customer fortunate enough to get a seat. It was also an incredible learning experience for the PreK and K. Since the beginning of the year, they have been studying agriculture and food systems through participating in each step of the process first-hand, from laying soil, to planting seeds, to growing, to harvesting, to cooking (and eating). With the Everything Restaurant, they got to experience serving, too, ending the year with a complete, thorough understanding of their main topics of study.
Huge thank-you to Professor Taylor Reid, Professor Maureen Costura, and the Culinary Institute of America for this amazing opportunity!