Pubdate: Sat, 30 Apr 2005
Source: York Daily Record (PA)
Copyright: 2005 The York Daily Record
Contact:  http://www.ydr.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/512
Author: Jennifer Gish, Daily Record/Sunday News

A CUP BEFORE CLASS

Red Land High's Coffee Bar Offers An Eye-Opener And A Chance To Interact

The teenagers walked into the high school lobby still rubbing the
sleep from their eyes. They shook off the morning fog long enough to
set two quarters on the coffee bar and order a hot chocolate or cappuccino.

Red Land High School Principal Ed Novosel grabbed a Styrofoam cup with
sweet powder in the bottom and added hot water. A parent volunteer
stirred. An assistant principal snapped on the lid, and students
grabbed their drinks and shuffled off, gabbing with friends before the
bell that signals the start of school rang.

The makeshift wooden coffee bar -- named Pates' Place (Red Land's
school mascot is a Patriot) -- was a fossil from post-prom parties of
years past that just took up storage space and no longer served any
purpose. About two years ago, when Novosel started talking to parents
about ways to provide drug-free after-school and before-school
opportunities for kids, it found a new purpose.

Now, the principal serves the coffee on Friday mornings starting at
6:30 and lasting until school starts about an hour later. On Thursday
mornings, parents make smoothies for the students.

Parent volunteers also operate the coffee bar after school three days
a week until business slows in the late spring. Sometimes, the school
hosts live music nights there on Friday evenings.

Parent volunteer and West Shore School District school board member
Shelley Keebaugh said she enjoys listening to Novosel talk with the
students as he takes drink orders. He'll catch up with them about last
night's wrestling match or the basketball game, or he'll check in with
students who were struggling with some sort of problem to see how
they're doing.

The coffee bar also gives Novosel a chance to connect with the quiet
kids, the ones who he may not see through sports or school activities
but are seeking a little pick-me-up in the mornings.

Junior Emily Frischkorn regularly grabs a cappuccino or coffee, which
she says is much cheaper at school than at a local cafe or convenience
store and starts her day out right. And, she said, it's nice to see
her principal, who, in a school of 1,250 students, she may not see
much otherwise.

On busy days, usually in the winter, they'll serve up as many as 80
cups. As the weather warms, Novosel said the coffee bar sees between
40 and 60 customers.

Nutritional information is listed on the wall behind the bar. The
school got on a health kick this fall after receiving a $98,000
federal grant to serve fresh fruits and vegetables. Novosel said the
fruit and vegetable trays set out when the coffee bar opens after
school have introduced kids to things they might not try otherwise,
such as asparagus and kumquats.

It's also allowed the coffee bar to offer smoothies on Thursday
mornings.

"We're going to go through withdrawal when (the grant) stops," he
said. "We're hoping it gets renewed."

Regardless, Novosel will keep the coffee brewing.

Quick Cup

Red Land High School's coffee bar is sponsored by the school's chapter
of Students Against Destructive Decisions. The coffee bar is
self-supporting with its 50-cent-a-cup fee for coffee, cappuccino, hot
chocolate, cafe mochas, tea and a new drink Principal Ed Novosel seems
quite proud of: a warm, spiced-apple beverage.

SADD gets whatever money is left after expenses. The front of the
coffee bar and all the cups are covered with anti-drug and
anti-alcohol messages.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin