In addition to Manual’s magnet classes that are geared toward specific careers, the school has career-oriented classes that aren’t magnet-specific.

by Max Meyer and Deja McClendon

As many know, Manual has five unique magnets. Each of these caters to different students’ needs based on their career interests. This has attracted a great deal of attention to the school because it makes Manual more accessible to students throughout the county than other schools. As highly acclaimed as Manual is for encompassing the magnet program, there are also classes that are not associated with a specific magnet. These classes are less recognized, but are also suited for students’ hobbies and even future careers.

Since the days when Manual was known as The Louisville Girls School there have been classrooms designed to house the five consumer sciences classes: foods, life skills, fashion, fashion merchandising and relationships. All of these classes are taught by Manual alumni Ms. Robin Cash and Ms. Laura Spiegelhalter.

“As far as I know,” explained Ms. Cash, “when the building was being built these rooms were added in just for these classes. In Ms. Spiegelhalter’s room there are even shelves built to perfectly fit patterns for the fashion class.”

Instead of the conventional high school curriculum that most classes have, the consumer sciences classes teach more household and lifestyle lessons. For example, Ms. Spiegelhalter’s Relationship class teaches about the realities of parenthood with activities like caring for sophisticated baby dolls that electronically record the quality of their care.

Many people look at these classes and see them as an easy-A elective, but they are much more than that. Students don’t realize that these are all useful skills to be learned. Whether it’s learning how to sew or cook or learning how to care for a child, the lessons are something that can be used in their lives in some way. Consumer science classes provide skills that last a lifetime.