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Canfield students take advantage of early class offerings
Canfield high school students put in some early hours
By ROBERT CONNELLY
CANFIELD
Twenty-eight high- school students are at Canfield High School before 7 a.m., earning more credits through “zero hour” classes.
These two classes, an advanced-placement psychology class and the student-run Cardinal Cafe, are populated by juniors and seniors at the school.
Business teacher Sherry Creighton runs the Cardinal Cafe program, which has 10 students, and Todd Muckleroy, psychology and government teacher, runs the AP psychology class. Both run about 6:50 to 7:20 a.m.
“With only having about 20 to 30 minutes, we touch on a few topics, and those topics we take outside of the classroom” for their work, Muckleroy said. “I think that I’ve found that the students are starting to come in a little bit earlier, so they’re getting in about 6:50 a.m. so it gives them a little bit more time to work on things.”
Cardinal Cafe, run out of the kitchenette formerly used for the teacher’s lounge, is run by 10 students. Creighton said that’s because the students in that class have to rely on their own transportation.
For junior Rick Salem, the class has been fun as he usually shows
up at the school at 6:10 or 6:15 a.m.
“I think it’s a really good program for young people because you can learn business and work ethic and have fun at it and get paid at the same time,” he said.
He added that he previously had been interested in business and noted his mother is self-employed. Salem has his eye on opening a fast-food restaurant franchise as a goal to work toward after working at the cafe.
Creighton detailed that the students sell stock to raise funds to purchase what they will sell, decide on products and recipes and then open up.
The cafe has been open for four to five years, Canfield schools director of curriculum John Tullio said. Creighton said Tullio spearheaded the project — he had been the high-school principal, but was promoted over the summer.
This year, one of the changes the cafe underwent was the use of Starbucks brand coffee.
“We were able to purchase Starbucks coffee and their coffee cups, and we went from selling five cups of coffee a day to over 40, just because of it being that brand, and kids are all about brands,” Creighton said.
Students will be receiving their first paychecks for class just in time for holiday shopping.
Cafe students are graded on performance with the cafe while students in Muckelroy’s class are given quizzes, tests and projects as well as prep for end of the year AP testing.
Muckleroy and Creighton differ on whether they would have signed up for such early classes when they were students themselves.
“I don’t think that I would’ve been able to handle this as a student. I mean, I worked hard in the classroom when I was a student. I probably maybe would’ve tried it, but these kids — they are pretty amazing when you think about how much they take on and how they produce in the classroom,” Muckleroy said.
Creighton said, “I would have been all about this, but I’ve always been a real hands-on learner, and that’s why I’ve loved business.”