St. John Neumann Regional School in Palmerton got some special help from Joey B’s for their Monday afternoon Dinner Club, which focused on making the perfect pizza pie this week.

“We thought for Lent, since we all eat a lot of pizza, we’d learn how to make pizza, and Chip was very happy to donate his time and his staff to help us,” Dinner Club coordinator Jennifer Bates said.The weekly Dinner Club, which is in its seventh year, consists of students who meet each Monday to prepare a special meal that comes in at 500 calories or less, which they can take home and share with their families.“Jennifer approached me as a representative of the school and asked if we would send our chefs over and show the kids how to make pizza,” Joey B’s owner Chip Solt said. “She then asked us the price of everything. I said if it’s for the kids, I would make sure it was donated.”Chef Tommy George led the lesson, along with assistant chef Mac Allen. After doling out pans of dough and dusting table surfaces with flour, students and staff stretched out their crusts, ladled on some sauce, and topped it all off with a hearty helping of cheese.“I think I did well. It was a lot of fun. My dad makes it at home. I normally don’t do the dough part, but I do help with the toppings,” Lydia Gowen, 13, said, adding that she plans to help her father with the whole process the next time they have pizza.The kids were encouraged to bring toppings to the class, and Joey B’s staff brought some along themselves. Pepperoni was a favorite choice, but plenty of kids got creative with their pies.“I’m starting to see more and more what I really like. All the meats, the vegetables, the spinach, I like that one,” George said, pointing out a pie waiting to hit the oven.The staff of Joey B’s was happy to pitch in, helping to educate kids on the craft of cooking.“It was really nice. I’m happy to see kids who are interested in food. It’s good to see them having a good time. It’s an easy food to make, but everyone loves pizza,” Allen said.Students and staff alike were all smiles throughout the process, even when there were some struggles with dough stretching and loading pies on the paddle.“It was really fun. Usually we make meals that are different, that we don’t really know about. Now, we can make pizza without the help of our parents,” Shannon Dougherty, 12, said.George and the Joey B’s crew were very pleased with the results of the class, and quite happy to pass on a love for the culinary world to the next generation.“Oh my goodness, I’m ready to hire half of them right now,” George said as he loaded pies into the oven. “They did much better than I would have expected, all the age groups did great.”