After almost five months of renovation, the Arts wing is just about ready for students. Renovations started mid-April 2024 and have caused the arts faculty to make major adjustments to their teaching. Students and teachers are thrilled to return to their new and improved classrooms and begin creating again in the updated environments.
While the Chefs had previously estimated that the kitchen would be ready around Thanksgiving, Chef Rob and Chef Del were pleasantly surprised to find out that the big reveal will be in early October.
“Certain factors are out of our control, but we have been in the kitchen preparing all equipment for the students to use,” Chef Rob said. “All the equipment is brand new, so it must be cleaned and sanitized prior to use.”
North Caldwell officials have been conducting their regular inspections to ensure the kitchen meets local guidelines and laws. Once this is finished and both chefs have completed setup, they will be ready to go.
Both Chef Rob and Chef Del have been working around these renovations in order to give their culinary students the best possible experience. When the weather was warm, the Chefs transitioned classes out to the courtyard and set up a barbecue unit using Chef Rob’s blackstone from home. However, for the start of the 24-25 school year, the culinary classes are spread into five different classrooms. While this is a challenge, the Chefs have adjusted well and ensured their students are learning as much as they can before entering the kitchen.
“Even with all the setbacks, we couldn’t be more thankful,” Chef Del said. “It might be a little inconvenient, but at the end of the day, when this does open up, it’s going be great. We will get there when we get there.”
As the Chefs await their new classroom, Chef Rob has decided to prioritize the traditionally academic areas of teaching culinary. By showing videos, creating slideshows, discussing kitchen etiquette, he ensures they will be able to thrive through constant changes of a busy kitchen.
“In the academic setting, we are able to go over different scenarios and make sure we are prepared for them when we begin cooking, ” Chef Rob said. “If anyone pursues a career in culinary, there’s always gonna be a surprise. You’re always on your toes. If you burn something, do you have extra? If a refrigerator goes down, do you have backup food? We discuss how to be a problem-solver.”
In order to give parents a glimpse of the new facilities, the equipment was temporarily set up on back to school night. Getting a preview of what the kitchen will look like, Chef Del and Rob were overwhelmed with excitement for the future. The renovated kitchen is incomparable to the past kitchen in terms of technology and setup. The brand new appliances will allow for more efficient use of class time, improving the culinary course for future students. The administration allowed the Chefs to have some input in the renovation, and it exceeded their expectations beyond belief.
“Visualizing something on paper, the way it’s going to be laid out, it’s really exciting,” Chef Rob said. “But walking in and actually seeing the environments that we’re all going to be working in was more than we ever anticipated,” Chef Rob said.
