ECC turns lemons into learning experience

SUPER SERVERS: Among these ECC students who won jobs as servers were, in the bottom rom from left: Daylin Allen, Adrian Amaya, Lilyana Butler and Adeline Macomber. In the top row, from left to right, were: Sofia Colon, Madison Pinheiro, Farrah Cultrera, Kendall Duguay and Gia Vescera.

(Sun Rise photo by Pete Fontaine)

SUPER STAFF: Dominic Lacasse and Dominic Mastrangelo (top from left) landed the job of bartenders at Lessa’s Lemonade Stand while the bus people were Treasure Hall and Cayden Farpelha (below left) and the managers were Nolan Cahill and Mykhal Picon.

WARM WELCOME: Niah Ndukwe and Luca Sado served as hostess and host respectively during the Lessa’s Lemonade Stand opening last Friday at the early Childhood Center.

KITCHEN CREW: John Rawlinson got the job of student chef and is joined by ECC teacher-chef Karen Rooney at last Friday’s lemonade stand opening.

Johnston Sun Rise · Thursday, June 29, 2017 11:37 am

By Pete Fontaine

Peggy Lessa, one of the veteran teachers at Johnston’s Early Childhood Center, may just have the most unique end of the school year tradition in Rhode Island.

Each year around this time, Lessa opens her now famous and fun-filled lemonade stand that recently surfaced again for the 18th time in as many years.

“She’s absolutely amazing,” said ECC principal Julie-anne Zarrella. “Peggy comes up with something new every year and the lemonade stand is without question one of our parent’s favorite events.”

Lessa’s Lemonade Stand, though, is much more than a special ECC social.

“I’d call it a great educational experience, especially for children of such a young age,” said Arnie Vecchione, the Director of Public Works in Johnston who came to the ECC with his wife, Patti – a former teacher at Sarah Dyer Barnes Elementary School – to support his grandson and ECC student Cayden Frapelha. “The entire event was very, very well organized.”

So much so that the student based end of the year project required lots of work from the young girls and boys who wanted to participate in the opening of Lessa’s Lemonade Stand.

First, students had to fill out job applications then write a resume and even go on a job interview and the necessary criteria, which was well-defined on posters affixed to the call, ranged from having positive qualities to being a good cook and leader, being lovable, honest strong and compassionate.

“Mrs. Lessa then has the students train for all the jobs … from being a waiter to bartender to a chef and server,” said Kim Marshall, an ECC Art Teacher who helped with the flow of heavy customer foot traffic during the opening. “It’s quite a process.”

Then again, so is the décor that was featured during the jam-packed lemonade stand opening. Marshall then explained that the students create all the décor that transforms Mrs. Lessa’s room into a mini-café, replete with placemats, menus and decorations.

One of the many rewards for students is that they get to serve their families hot dogs and of course lemonade that student Lily Butler said was her favorite part of the entire event. Mrs. Lessa also held a soft opening to help students prepare for the real day. They served other students and at the end of the event all the students receive a paycheck for all their hard work.

As further proof that Mrs. Lessa does something new each and every year, this time a YELP review was added so families and friends could write a review.