Foothills Sentry April 2022

Page 9 Foothills Sentry April 2022 El Rancho Home Ec hosts annual “cakewalk” By Andie Mills It is not the traditional cake- walk game, but a constant line of students and parents trooping through the Home Ec rooms at El Rancho Charter Middle School to view an array of amazing cakes, and vote on their favorite. Each year before the school’s open house, Home Ec teacher Marcy Hail’s students are as- signed a party event theme, and must create and organize an ap- propriate event and decorate a cake accordingly. The results are towering confections that are cre- ative, colorful, and astounding works of art, with themes ranging from an “Up” 50th Anniversary, Mad Scientist Halloween, Cir- cus Birthday, a Tiki Room Car- nival, Fairy Garden Birthday, Tie Dye Festival, Diwali Festival of Lights, The cakes incorporate Pe- ter Pan, Antarctica, ancient Rome, monsters, super-heroes, pirates, unicorns, Cobra Kai, even Disney Villians. An elephant wears a tiny bridal veil for a jungle-themed Rainforest Wedding event. Though the cakes were the big draw, numerous other life skills projects were on display. The Flour Babies, 10-pound bags of flour made into “babies” that stu- dents must carry and tend to, like real children; such handicrafts as pillowcases, clothing, crocheted and knitted items. Students creat- ed detailed dioramas, using color, proportion, and other design ele- ments, to show what their ideal space would look like, replete with tiny paintings, stuffed ani- mals, even a disco ball. A special appearance was made by former student Delilah Flores, who was in the eighth-grade class last year, and went on to compete on the show “Top Chef Junior,” and won. Outside the classroom, the Smile Squad, a philanthropic group, headed by Hail, was sell- ing baked goods, with the pro- ceeds designated for the purchase of a new fridge and supplies at Help for Brain Injured Children, a special needs school. Hail has been teaching the class for 10 years, following in the steps of her mother, who taught in that classroom for 17 years. She has modernized the program, creating instructional videos and updating the curriculum to reflect modern tastes, supplementing her classroom by winning over $15,000 in grants for equipment and supplies. Parents are supportive of this popular life skills program, and anticipate enrollment slots filling rapidly for the next school year. Lucy Hail views the winning cake, "Ratatouille Restaurant Grand Opening." Teacher Marcy Hail among the cakes, ready for the cakewalk. Chapman’s Bateman Competition Team hosted a dodgeball event to raise awareness about lymphoma in young adults. Ten teams, comprised of Chapman clubs, sports teams, and Greek life organizations, signed up to go head-to-head for a prize of a trophy and $10 Blaze Pizza gift cards. Throughout the March 4 event, the Bateman team collaborated with Bruxie, the restaurant across the street, to enable a portion of food sales to go to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. VPWL to cultivate creativity Villa Park Women’s League membersmay tap into their artistic sides at the April 21 general meeting, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at a private residence. Following the business meeting, when new officers for the 2022-23 program year will be elected, members may create their own masterpiece, with painting materials and step- by-step directions provided by Brushstrokes. The cost to paint is $40; nonpainters are welcome to socialize and provide encouragement. An evite will be sent to all members; for membership information, see vpwl.org .