Business: The third class of the students’ core rotation is a business class taught by Bernard Kaufman. During two semesters of the class students learn about personal finance, stocks, marketing, and much more. The next two semesters consist of running a business and the career options within being an entrepreneur.
Culinary Arts I: Culinary Arts I is a year long course that is offered to grades 11 and 12. It is designed to meet the demand for trained workers in the food service industry. Through the course of the school year, the students will learn how to prepare food in a professional setting, much like a culinary academy. The students will learn in an industrial kitchen to better understand the environment his/her future in the food service may hold. In addition, these students also prepare food for school and community functions and events.
Culinary Arts II: This is a one-year course offered to 12th grade only. The students prepare a variety of foods, take extensive notes, and write evaluative responses that show their understanding of the culinary arts. The areas of study include: background and theory, techniques and procedures, safety and sanitation, nutrition, food evaluation, principles of baking and cooking, and lastly good customer service.
Baking and Pastry: Baking and pastry is available to seniors only with the prerequisite of completing Culinary Arts I. All of the students enrolled in this course will prepare and gain knowledge of baking and pastry items both sweet and savory, the students will conduct research on the history of baked goods, write responses, as well as presentation of food to their peers. This course’s main focus is to develop a critical palate, prepare quality products, research and evaluate, and lastly develop teamwork in the kitchen and the classroom.
Viticulture: A viticulture focus can be chosen as a junior or senior project for students in the Vineyard Academy. Vineyard Academy has had the privilege of collaborating with Taft Street Winery in order to create their own wine. The students pick the grapes, prune the grapes, put posts in for the plants, and maintain it throughout the school year. When the grapes are picked they are sent over to Taft Street Winery where the grapes are made into wine and packaged into wine bottles with the student made label. With every wine sale from Taft Street, 90% of the sales goes directly back into the Vineyard Academy budget.