OUR KITCHEN
John B. Connally High School Culinary Arts Department is- Home of the IRON COUGARS and Cougar Cafe. It was the vision of the PISD Board of Trustees, Superintendent, Connally Principal, CTE Director and many other people in the District. Their goal was to bring this very important career path oppportunity and life skill, cooking to the PISD children. In our first two years as a class and career pathway we have had our students compete and place in the top five cooks in the State, created a culinary library named after cookbook author and food editor Mrs. Kate Heyhoe, started planning on our 2012 first of its kind high school cooking show called "Cooking With Connally - Where You Become the Chef!", and laid the ground work for opening Cougar Cafe to host a monthly three course gourmet meal exploring the cuisines of the World that our students represent. Connally was also recently honored by recieving the Les Dames Escofffier Austin Chapter Green Tables grant to create an organic Culinary Teaching Garden.We also created the IRON COUGARS competition team that is a volunteer group and culinary arts club to help with various catering events around the school.
OUR INSTRUCTOR
Mike Erickson is an Austin native and Travis High/AISD School graduate. He is a culinary arts graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park,New York and received his Bachelors degree in Food Entrepreneurship from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Sum Cum Laude.
Upon returning to Austin after an eight year culinary quest in New England he went to work for The Driskill Grill. He has worked for many Austin notables including The Driskill Grill, Star Canyon, Demi Epicurious, Whole Foods, Shady Grove and Tres Amigos. He is a past Chef Instructor at Austin Community College and the Texas Culinary Academy a Le Cordon Bleu School where he taught Restaurant 401 the student run restaurant practical class. He has also taught Garde Manager, Culinary Arts, Restaurant Management and Wine. He is the founder of a high school baking competition called the High School Cupcake Battle now offered State wide by HEAT. He was also named Teacher of the Year - 2012 at John B. Connally High School and his student was 2012 Skills USA State Champion and placed 7th in the Nation.
A member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, as well as a Certified Food service Management Professional, F.M.P. , Certified Hospitality Educator, CHE, Certified Dining Room Professional, CDP , and Certified Level 1 Wine Steward through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He also serves as a current Board Member for the Hospitality Educators Association of Texas - HEAT, Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation - TRAEF, and is President of the Central Texas HEAT Chapter.
OUR HIGH SCHOOL
John B. Connally High School was established in 1996 as the third high school in Pflugerville ISD. The high school is the only Small Learning Communtiy (SLC) in the District and is currently the model for Academies across the District at each high school. The school is made up of four Academies -
The Academy of Natural Sciences and Medicine - Natural Sciences and Mathmatics, Health Sciences, Biotechnology, Research and Design
The Academy of Arts, Education, And Service - Fine Arts and Communcation, Hospitality and Consumer Service, and Education. Early Childhood Development
The Academy of Business Information and Technology - Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, and Information Technology
The Academy of Engineering and Technical Systems - Electronics, Engineering, and Technical Systems
The Academy of Natural Sciences and Medicine - Natural Sciences and Mathmatics, Health Sciences, Biotechnology, Research and Design
The Academy of Arts, Education, And Service - Fine Arts and Communcation, Hospitality and Consumer Service, and Education. Early Childhood Development
The Academy of Business Information and Technology - Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, and Information Technology
The Academy of Engineering and Technical Systems - Electronics, Engineering, and Technical Systems
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT
Pflugerville Independent School District, founded in 1902, is a fast-growth district located in Northeast Travis County. The District encompasses approximately ninety-five square miles and includes all or part of six municipalities including Pflugerville, Austin, Coupland, Hutto, Manor and Round Rock.
The mission of the Pflugerville Independent School District is to provide a quality education with a commitment to excellence by facilitating learning in a safe and nurturing environment.
Each Child, Their Future, Our World!
The mission of the Pflugerville Independent School District is to provide a quality education with a commitment to excellence by facilitating learning in a safe and nurturing environment.
Each Child, Their Future, Our World!