WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Not only are students at Feagin Mill Middle School preparing for their lives and future careers, but they're also getting recognized for their leadership skills and talents!
"A lot of the times, they don't know the opportunities that are available," Lisa Duke said. "It's our privilege to watch them, to share those things with them, and to watch them grow, and to watch their eyes open up."
Duke teaches the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America class at Feagin Middle.
You may recognize FCCLA by its old name, home economics, but Duke said her students learn much more than the traditional class.
Eighth graders Shelby Manley and Akasha Martin said the projects they get to do mirror activities taught in home economics classes.
"We take sewing classes in here," Akasha said.
"We also do like a week of learning about the development of child life care," Shelby said. "How to burp them, change their diaper, hold them properly."
Duke says it's a lot more than that, though.
"I have two classes of sixth, two classes of seventh and two classes of eighth," Duke said.
Currently, there are 180 students under Duke's reign.
They're taking a lot of hardware at leadership competitions!
So far this school year, Akasha and Shelby have competed at Covington, Camp John, and the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry.
At the Fall Leadership Award, Duke said her student Dana McIntyre won first in Membership Recruitment, and her class won first in the Georgia Organics Social Media Contest.
Akasha also took home first place for cupcake decorating!
At the Fair Superior Reserve Chapter, Duke said her student Charlie Freeman won fourth for Brochure, and Morgan Davis won third for Themed Speech. Her students, including Manley, Arav Patel, Dana McIntyre and Madilyn Taylor, won second place for their Booth Team Design. Duke's class also took away second for Georgia Organics, and her student Olivia Grant took away first place for Peanut Recipe.
Duke was FCCLA Advisor of the Year for the 2020-2021 school year and the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year at Feagin Mill Middle School.
Right now, Duke said her class is up for four state leadership awards.
"We do a lot of employability skills," Duke explained. We prepare kids for life; we talk about different careers."
The FCCLA teacher said her goal is "Ultimately, we are raising kids to be successful members of society, and, bottom line, to think outside themselves, and to think of others."
Principal Mark Sams said he's proud of his Feagin Mill Middle School students.
"It's a great honor for them to hear that recognition," Sams said. "It's just a great opportunity for students to be a part of something."
Congratulations, Feagin Mill Middle School, on being 13WMAZ's School of the Week!