In a way, the beans turned into coffee at Orange High School's coffee shop The Educated Roast are the school's magic beans - and they're being recognised state-wide.
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The truth of course is the people behind the beans are the magic, with a commendation for the 2020 Minister's and Secretary's Awards for Excellence handed down for the project, with the school receiving another three nods on top of that.
The Educated Roast opened in 2019 as the state's first experiment of its type open to the public, and OHS principal Chad Bliss said it had been a boon for the school.
"It's a training venue for a number of students to undertake a Cert II in food and beverage and it's morphed into NSW's only drive-thru cafe open to the public," he said.
"We've got three school-based trainers who roll over every year, a full-time barrista and access to the cafe as a training facility."
The partnership between the school's P&C and the Orange Roasting Company also provided benefits to students, with the company taking students on a "paddock to plate" journey to learn about how beans are grown, ground and turned into coffee.
"For students in year 11 and year 12 it's a venue they don't have to leave school to find their work placement, too," Mr Bliss said.
"The coffee is a side issue, our students while having access to great coffee and tea and hot chocolate, primarily we're selling it to the public but what it has done is giving our students especially in winter a warm beverage and is certainly utilised by our senior students at all times of the morning.
"It really is, it's an initiate which is a bit outside the box, it's something no-one else is doing and it's humbling to be recognised and to have great partners on-board in the P&C and Orange Roasting Company."
The two other awards went to a teacher and student, with Minister's Excellence in Teaching being given to Aaron Routh and a commendation for the Secretary's Award for Excellence in Student achievement given to Thomas Lloyd.
Business manager Nicholas Littlewood was also handed the Secretary's Award for Excellent Service.
"Nicholas takes care of everything in the school outside teaching and learning, so without Nick's expertise in the school we wouldn't be in the position to run programs like the Educated Roast," Mr Bliss said.
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Max Stainkamph
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
