Seventh grade students at Clarendon Hills Middle School (CHMS) recently concluded their cooking unit with a culinary competition modeled after the television show “Chopped.” Teams of students were given mystery baskets containing unknown ingredients and tasked with creating original dishes within a 30-minute time frame.
The event was judged by teachers, administrators, and staff who evaluated the teams’ dishes on taste, creativity, teamwork, and adherence to kitchen safety standards. The judges expressed their appreciation for the students’ inventive approaches to the challenge and commended their ability to collaborate effectively under pressure.
“The judges were thoroughly impressed, praising the teams not only for their inventive and flavorful dishes but also for their excellent collaboration, problem-solving under pressure, and commitment to kitchen safety and sanitation.”
Sarah Adams, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at CHMS, oversaw the competition. The activity was designed as a culminating experience for the unit to highlight student growth in confidence and culinary skills.
Clarendon Hills Middle School is part of Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181. The district covers both DuPage and Cook counties in Illinois. Other schools in District 181 include Elm Elementary School, Hinsdale Middle School, Madison Elementary School, Monroe Elementary School, Oak Elementary School, Prospect Elementary School, The Lane Elementary School, and Walker School. More information about these schools can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
District 181 employs 282 teachers who earn an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions; women make up 90 percent of the teaching staff while men comprise 10 percent. According to state data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), no teachers in this district have more than ten absences during a school year. Further details are available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
Demographically, District 181’s student body is approximately 69.8 percent White, 1.1 percent Black, 6.8 percent Hispanic, and 15.4 percent Asian according to ISBE figures (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In fiscal year 2020 the district spent $31,308 per student with total expenditures reaching $117 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The “Chopped” competition provided students with an opportunity to apply what they learned throughout their foods curriculum in a practical setting.
