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Family & Consumer Sciences
Mission Statement
The mission of the Mount Carmel Academy Family and Consumer Sciences Department is to educate young women in life skills so that they will be able to function and prosper socially, economically, physically and mentally in their daily lives.
The Family and Consumer Sciences Department consists of three faculty members. A half-credit course is required for all students attending Mount Carmel Academy. Two teachers teach the half-credit course and all three teachers each teach one of the electives. The basic half-credit course covers three areas of study: Food and Nutrition and Interior Design. Elective courses are offered in Child Development, Food and Nutrition and Interior Design.
The success of a Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum in a college preparatory environment is due largely to the support of the administration, faculty, staff, parents and students in believing that we must educate our students for all of life. The courses we offer enable students to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically.
The curriculum, geared to life from early childhood through adulthood, is a requirement for graduation. Catholic values and spirituality are incorporated throughout the classes. The curriculum enables the students to develop skills that add confidence in their ability to function independently in everyday life. By developing management skills in the areas of food, interior design and child development, our department believes that the students will have the foundation to become wise consumers as they approach adulthood.
We believe that relevancy is the key to successful learning. An important component of our courses, therefore, is a hands-on approach to activities. Students participate in food preparation, interior design CAD programs and child observation labs. Because New Orleans is known for its rich cultural heritage, our students are afforded the opportunity to take field trips to various places of architectural interest. In addition, renowned locally based chefs come to share their expertise and conduct onsite cooking demonstrations.
We utilize computer software to heighten student awareness of their own eating habits by recording and analyzing their personal nutritional intake. By using the internet, students are able to investigate cooking techniques, nutrition and health related issues, recipes, designing, decorating and furnishing floor plans.
Our department is proud to be ahead of the curve on Standards Based Education. We have historically incorporated the use of pre-, formative, post-, and summative assessments, as well as the utilization of rubrics and various methods of evaluation.
Much of what is accomplished in our courses reinforces what is taught across the curriculum. For example, basic math skills are reinforced through drawing furniture to scale, converting recipes, measurements and equivalents. Chemistry and physics are better understood through the study of food science and safety. The study of architecture and food development all have relevance to the social studies curriculum. Biology, psychology and theology and incorporated into the child development curriculum.
The nature of our curriculum mandates that we keep abreast of the many changes that are occurring in nutrition and wellness. Professional health journals, nutrition newsletters and governmental publications enable us to be knowledgeable of changes and new discoveries that occur.
We put forth every effort to tailor our courses to meet the needs of the students that attend our school. Although we help our students function independently, we also encourage our students to be an integral part of the family unit, as family values are a cornerstone of our school.
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