Winston Pre-K Students Learn About Food and Creativity During Domino’s Pizza School

WINSTON, Ore. — Class was in session at the Domino’s in Winston on Jan. 28, but instead of desks and worksheets, pre-kindergarten students from Looking Glass Elementary learned through hands-on experiences, teamwork, and pizza dough.

Angelique Martinez, the local owner of the Winston Domino’s, hosted a free “pizza school” for the students, offering them an inside look at how food moves from ingredients to finished meals. The visit introduced students to food sources, basic store operations, preparation practices, and the opportunity to make their own personal pizzas.

Martinez regularly hosts pizza school sessions for students of various ages throughout the year. Her goal is to teach kids about food while encouraging them to explore their interests and understand that there are many different paths to a meaningful and successful life.

“Feeding people is truly a blessing, and being able to give back and inspire kids is incredibly rewarding,” Martinez said during the event.

The idea for pizza school took shape after Martinez discussed the concept with her sister, a preschool teacher. Together, they saw an opportunity to combine education with hands-on learning in a familiar, welcoming environment. What started as an idea quickly became a recurring community program.

During the visit, students were divided into three groups and rotated through stations designed to encourage sensory learning and participation.

The first stop was a guided store tour, where students explored the dry storage area and learned where ingredients come from and how the store operates day to day. Children were able to touch sealed product packaging, see behind-the-scenes areas, and hear a brief introduction to the history of Domino’s.

The second station featured a playful activity called “Avoid the Noid Dough Toss,” a game created by Martinez that allowed students to toss unusable dough at the brand’s longtime cartoon rival, the Noid. The activity focused on coordination, movement, and fun while reinforcing that mistakes and leftover materials can still have a purpose.

The final station centered on pizza making. Before starting, students lined up to wash their hands and learned basic food safety practices. Each child then moved to an individual workstation with a prepared dough patty waiting for them. Martinez demonstrated dough stretching techniques and explained how to add sauce and toppings.

She encouraged creativity and individuality, reminding students that different approaches can still lead to great results. Each pizza reflected the child who made it, ranging from carefully arranged toppings to imaginative designs.

After completing all three stations, the students gathered in the lobby, where Martinez presented each child with a goody bag. The bags included Domino’s branded items, a Junior Pizza Maker Certificate, and gift certificates. Each student received vouchers for one small one-topping pizza and a 16-piece order of Bread Bites, along with a separate certificate for their parents or guardians for one large two-topping pizza.

Martinez’s connection to Domino’s began in 2016 when she started working two days a week as a store opener in Sutherlin. At the time, she was a single mother commuting by bicycle. Through years of dedication and advancement within the company, she eventually became a franchise owner and now operates the Winston location.

Today, Martinez says giving back through programs like pizza school is an important part of her role in the community. By opening her store to students and families, she hopes to show young people that curiosity, effort, and passion can lead to many different opportunities.

For Martinez, pizza school is about more than food. It is about creating a safe place to learn, explore, and imagine what the future could hold.