Fridays Are Lunch Sale Days

By Tia Simone

Donna Waxler in line for mashed potato and topping sale.

Mashed potatoes, spaghetti, taco’s, and soup - oh my! These are the things that you can buy on Friday’s at Project Learn School (PLS). The eighth graders Ma’ayani GK, Kennedy AL, and Jim M, host weekly lunch sales in order to raise money for their trip to Costa Rica in April. These weekly sales have been going on for about four years. Going to Costa Rica requires a certain amount of money and these sales help provide that money.

      Food sale ideas are generated by the kids and when there’s one that everybody likes, then the sale is repeated. This years have been tested, with the help of the teachers, Liam Gallagher and Joan Fox. They all run smoothly. Last year, there were ten eighth graders and this year there are three, so it is a little bit easier to cook. However, since there are so few eighth graders, the seventh graders help serve.

      Joan is in charge of buying the ingredients. She uses some of the profit from the week before to purchase them. The teachers try to make it a goal to have a reasonable price for the sales, plus make enough profit that helps the cost for Costa Rica. The cost of each weekly meal is five dollars. The teachers make it a goal to not go over that price.

    Project Learn has recently gotten a new kitchen. Teachers and students have said that it’s a great help to the lunch sales, and using the kitchen in general, because it’s more spacious. The new stove, because it is a six burner, helps also because some of the meals require big pots. The old stove was too small, so the pots wouldn't always fit. Now that there is a bigger stove with six burners, cooking with bigger pots runs a lot smoother.

    “It’s kind of happier in there. More cheerful. The space just makes your spirits higher, you know, cooking is more fun in there. The sink also has been more helpful because it’s easier to wash dishes.” Joan says.

    Check out the weekly sale - it may just be the perfect meal!