If you are over a certain age, you probably took Home Ec in high school. Home Ec stood for
Home Economics, classes that were sometimes called domestic science or family and consumer
sciences. Many years ago, these classes were designed for young women to prepare them for
roles as homemakers.
Today, at Weston Middle School, all students are required to take Home Ec classes. They take
nine weeks of sewing and nine weeks of cooking. All are taught by Karen Moore, who enjoys
helping students learn new skills that will benefit them as they enter adulthood. “These classes
give them practical experience and are usually challenging because very few students have
experience in running a sewing machine or following a recipe from start to finish,” Moore said.
Some students are really enthusiastic about what they get to create. Seventh graders make a
quilt square, a pillowcase and a crocheted hat. Eighth graders make pajama bottoms, a hot pad
and a backpack.
In the cooking classes, students must work on meal planning, cooking skills, working as a team
and following a recipe correctly. Seventh graders complete the Umatilla County Health
Department food handlers license, and eighth graders do research on a chef and design a food
truck menu.
In a recent class, seventh graders were working on their pillowcases, using material they chose.
Colton was working with orange and black, Oregon State University-themed fabric and said he
has learned a lot about different stitches on the machine. Another seventh grader, Brayden,
said learning to sew makes him think he could repair his own clothing as an adult. Brooke was
sewing with fabric printed with horses. She has grown up on a ranch and rides horses and said
her stepmom made a lot of clothes for Brooke because she tended to wear them out. “Sewing
is not easy, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said.
Deb Glover was a teacher at AWSD for more than 30 years and taught Home Ec and Math. Now
retired, she volunteers in the Home Ec classes because she loves helping students create and
seeing their excitement when they complete their project. “What I also like is that kids who
may struggle academically may shine in here, because they excel at something more
mechanical like using a sewing machine,” Glover said.
Moore said that sometimes the Home Ec projects allow students to connect with a parent or
grandparent who can share their skills. “It’s all about connections and engaging with someone
they can have an interaction with,” Moore said.