Sanger High School unveils new culinary arts classroom

SANGER, Calif. (KFSN) — Over the summer, Sanger High School “cooked up” a new space for students to get hands-on culinary training.

From the pots and pans to the aprons, the room feels like a working kitchen.

The head chef, also known as the culinary instructor, is Desiree Domenici.

Having worked red carpet events, including the Grammys and Oscars, she knows the makeup of a real-world kitchen.

“So it, generally, is very real, from the three-compartment scenes to the very small lab stations,” Domenici said.

The room hasn’t always looked like this.

Over the summer, major upgrades were made.

Just ask Senior Makayla Martin.

“A whole 360. Completely different,” Makayla said.

Administrators say other than the cooking stations, just about everything else is brand new.

Previously, students sat at desks.

Now, they’re at prep stations.

A live camera provides a birds-eye-view for students as Domenici works at the front.

Makayla took two years of culinary courses and now works as a teacher’s assistant in Domenici’s class.

She says the updates give the room more of a realistic feel.

“Now, it’s like you’re actually in the industry, in a restaurant, which is really good for the students who especially want to go into the restaurant state or the culinary industry,” Domenici said.

Sanger Unified Area Superintendent Kirstin Coronado says the district worked with Valley ROP to secure a grant for the upgrades.

Then, the district maintenance crews worked throughout the summer to bring it to life.

Coronado says these spaces are needed to prepare students for their future careers.

“We like to pride ourselves in providing multifaceted types of opportunities for all students, because we want students to be able to go into the world, into the job force with a variety of different backgrounds,” Coronado said.

The Superintendent for Valley ROP Fabrizio Lofaro says the goal is to give students the opportunity for workplace learning from industry professionals.

“So all of that sets them apart, because they know what the industry wants, what the standards are, how to, you know, conduct yourself, how to train, how to do all of that stuff,” Lofaro said.

Domenici says while some students come in only knowing how to make cereal and milk, by the time they leave, they have substantial kitchen knowledge and are ready to kick off their career in culinary arts.

“They know how to clean, they know about sanitation, knife safety, knife handling,” Domenici said. “By the end of the year, and if they take this class my second year for advanced, they’re like, 100% ready for industry.”

Students get to showcase what they learned in the classroom at skills competitions.

Makayla has four different competitions coming up this year.

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