BVHS students learning life lessons in Poppe’s CTE classes

When it comes to prepareing Brandon Valley High School students ready for the real world, Naome Poppe plays a critical role.

Poppe teaches CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses in Family Consumer Sciences at the high school where she focuses on Advanced Foods, Human Development, Interior Design, Interpersonal Relationships, Nutrition and Wellness.

Poppe said she’s doing exactly what she had hoped her career would be. She received a degree in Family Consumer Science at South Dakota State University and said it was always her plan to teach life skills.

“Absolutely. 100 percent,” she said when asked if she has fun at her job. “It’s fun to watch kids go from not being able to cook, to being able to make sustainable meals. When some get to my class, they can make a bowl of cereal and that’s about it. But they can learn to make soups and casseroles and they can make their own omelets and breakfast pizza. I tell them that they don’t have to eat frozen meals for the rest of their life.”

Family Consumer Sciences is essentially a ramped-up version of the home economics classes of yesteryear. The difference, Poppe said, is during traditional home ec classes, everything was taught at a certain level. 

“For example, as a freshman you learned how to sew on a button, you talked a little bit about food, or a little bit about relationships,” she said. “Now, we’ve broken them out into individual courses, so a little more in depth in each area.”

Part of Poppe’s draw is her extensive list of recipes that can be found on the school district’s website. 

“Everyone wants a copy of my recipes after I cook for a group,” she said with a chuckle.

But all kidding aside, Poppe said the CTE classes at the high school are important to teach life skills.

“Things that they have to know, how to be able to grow up as life continues on and the things you have to learn through experience, but sometimes we know experiences change from years to years,” she said. “When we were little, your curfew was when the streetlights came on – that’s when you went home. Now, things are completely different and we’re trying to teach kids how to work through social media. How do you protect kids in that way?”

Now in her 15th year at Brandon Valley, Poppe said she knows her work is making a difference. She said she’s had many students over the years contact her about how they’ve thought about her class when dealing with issues as an adult.

She said she’s received several messages like: ‘Oh my gosh, what you taught me in class I didn’t ever think I’d remember, but sure enough I’m in labor and delivery and you’re the first person I’m thinking of.’

She said she’s had several proud moments in her 15 years at Brandon Valley, but one in particular stands out.

A former student was dealing with an infant suffering from jaundice. The student was wading through difficult waters as her mother passed away at a young age. One late night, she called Poppe looking for help.

Thankfully, Poppe said, she had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the following morning.

“She didn’t know what to do and she didn’t know who else to call,” Poppe said. “We walked through all the possibilities. I told her to put the baby in the window to get some sunlight in the morning until you get to the doctor. I told her to tell the doctor everything and to get the baby tested.”

“That puts a lump in your throat,” Poppe said. “I’m glad I was there for her.”