Cooking on a Budget Class Serves Up Kindness

Students in Mr. Reina’s Cooking on a Budget class at Frankfort-Schuyler Jr./Sr. High School are discovering that kindness can be shared one homemade treat at a time. As part of the Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District’s ongoing RAK ’Em Up initiative, which encourages students and staff to perform random acts of kindness, the class has found creative (and delicious!) ways to give back to the school community.

Each week – and sometimes even twice per week – students in the class prepare baked goods or other treats to surprise teachers and staff. From a “Muffin Monday” pick-me-up to an end-of-week treat, these student-made deliveries are bringing smiles to staff throughout the building. Mr. Reina encourages students to think about staff members who have had a daily impact on their education, or helped them out during a tough period, or someone they believe is an unsung hero behind the scenes who deserves more recognition for their hard work.

Students in the class have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the process of making their own food from scratch, according to Mr. Reina, as well as seeing the joy on people’s faces when students hand-deliver a treat to brighten their day. For the staff who are receiving the sweet treats, although they’re enjoying the delicious pick-me-ups, the real joy of the experience is getting an unexpected visit from a current or former student and the recognition for the impact they’ve made.

“Teaching this course has been a fun experience for myself as I get to see a different side of the students,” Mr. Reina said. Since the course doesn’t have state standards or an AP or Regents exam, they have the flexibility and ability to explore the different culinary options that students would like to learn how to make. From learning to prepare food safely, to cooking an egg the right way, and even learning to cook an entire chicken, students have been obtaining valuable life lessons through a very hands-on approach to learning.

“The students and I are able to build better relationships with one another and staff as we get to share the joy of cooking (and eating) with our school community,” Mr. Reina said. “The students have embraced the ‘life lesson’ learning model I have established in the course and really do love sharing their homemade creations with other students and staff. We understand that small random acts of kindness can really make a person's day.”

Frankfort-Schuyler student Race Bugeya, who is in Mr. Reina’s Cooking on a Budget class, sees the course as “an immersive and valuable class to have on anyone’s schedule.”

“Mr. Reina teaches his students a variety of recipes that will be used in our future to make delicious food and save money while doing so,” Bugeya said. “Our class contributes to Frankfort-Schuyler’s random acts of kindness initiative by delivering some of the food we make to teachers around the school, out of pure kindness to hopefully make someone’s day with a delicious empanada, or a warm cookie.”

The students in the class are proving that kindness doesn’t have to be complicated – it can be as simple as a homemade treat and the desire to brighten someone’s day.

“I would recommend this course to others because it has a good teacher,” Bugeya said, “[and] a fun, useful style, with the benefit of feeling good about yourself after committing a random act of kindness.”

As students continue to spread joy throughout the school with their delicious creations, their efforts serve as a reminder that kindness is both contagious and transformative. The Frankfort-Schuyler community is encouraged to join in the spirit of RAK 'Em Up by finding their own simple ways, big or small, to make someone’s day a little brighter. Every random act of kindness helps to build a stronger, more caring school community.

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