At the beginning of the 2022 school year, many high school students were disappointed to find they did not get into a foods class. This dismay stemmed from a vision of cooking and baking with friends, and messing around with ingredients and recipes. However, while those lucky students who are in Mrs. DeLuca’s Culinary Arts and Fabric Arts classes are having fun, they are also learning skills that will aid them for the rest of their lives.

Mrs. DeLuca is a first year teacher at NPHS. She teaches two Fabric Arts classes and four Culinary Arts classes. Although this is her first time “formally” teaching, DeLuca has been involved with the town and its residents for a long time, as a Girl Scout leader for 11 years, a den leader for 2 years, a CCD teacher, a soccer coach, a room parent, and on various committees. Currently, she is Vice President of the High School PTSA, a trustee for the New Providence Historical Society, sixth grade committee co-chair, and a board member for the Brooke Healey Foundation. Last year, DeLuca planned the art festival, where she was introduced to several of her coworkers. This event showcased DeLuca’s artistic background, and led her to join the faculty.

DeLuca manages to balance everything on this impressive resume with teaching: “I’m excited to teach high school.  They are ready and able to process the things that I want to teach in here.”

While there are many courses in place to prepare students for life out in the world, Mrs. DeLuca’s classes offer a unique approach that covers vital topics. Students learn life skills like cooking, budgeting, global awareness, and resourcefulness.

DeLuca also finds that a lot of students lack basic knowledge regarding their nutrition, such as kitchen safety, being removed from their food sources, or not knowing how to perform basic kitchen tasks, like how to properly crack an egg.

Students learn all of these significant skills in a fun and engaging environment. For example, students made biscuits, which was an enjoyable activity. At the same time, they were learning cultural awareness, as Mrs. DeLuca explained that every other country refers to this dish as a cookie. Mrs. DeLuca incorporates small things like this into her lessons that will contribute to a better understanding of the world.

“I feel that they’re learning really useful things now that they’re about to take their journey into college. I think this is the right moment to teach these things when you’re learning your independence,” she said.

Independence is a common theme in Mrs. DeLuca’s class. She wants her students to be able to make conscious decisions regarding their well-being.

Part of this is recognizing the impact of current events: “If there’s a wheat shortage in Ukraine that’s going to affect the food industry, but it may also affect the textile industry. So what’s going on in the world will affect both classes.”

DeLuca is passionate about her students and their education.

“I think these classes are relevant to everybody,” she said. “I like this to be a place for kids to explore and learn.”