The Pacific Grove Unified School District board meeting on April 3 included two community presentations: an elementary orchestra showcase and a report from the high‑school culinary arts program following the ProStart competition.

Elementary music: Nathan Cohen, the district’s fourth‑ and fifth‑grade band and orchestra teacher, introduced a short video and invited several students to speak about learning instruments for the first time. Fourth‑grader Hila Costa described percussion as “pretty fun” and said her teacher was “really patient.” Fifth‑grader Mac Rolstad spoke for the string players: “I play cello because it sounds beautiful,” he said, adding that learning new notes and songs was the most enjoyable part of orchestra.

Culinary arts and ProStart: Imogen Erickson, culinary instructor at Pacific Grove High School, summarized the year‑long work that led teams to the national ProStart competition in Los Angeles. Student captains described their experiences under competition conditions: Destiny Craft said teams had 30 minutes to prep and one hour to cook two identical fine‑dining plates, working on portable burners and under time pressure; her team placed sixth of 31 teams. Zach Fernandez, captain of a management team, described building Cruisin Coffee Company, a Latin‑inspired mobile coffee concept, and said the program teaches “basic life skills such as problem solving, working under pressure, teamwork, and most importantly, building a family.” Other students described menu items they prepared (mole‑rubbed rack of lamb, tres leches chiffon cake) and the networking they did at the event.

Why it matters: Board members and the superintendent praised both programs for giving students practical skill and sustained opportunities to perform and compete. The culinary presentation emphasized career and entrepreneurship pathways, while the orchestra showcase highlighted early‑instrument learning and cross‑site collaboration between Forest Grove and Robert Down elementary schools.

Taper: The board presented certificates to the student performers and culinary team and recognized teachers Nathan Cohen and Imogen Erickson for program leadership.