We are actually doing it hands on, it’s a better situation, that’s what they learn from,” Life Skills teacher Jeanne Schmidt said when describing how cleaning up tables after lunch and taking out recycling benefits the students she works with.

Over the past years, the Life Skills classroom has been working to help the school by taking out recycling and helping the janitorial staff after lunch by wiping down tables, sweeping floors and folding the tables up. The program is focused in teaching career skills to the students in hopes that they will one day carry a job in the community.

“We focus on building a base on pre-vocational skills,” Schmidt said, “It’s teaching the skills to the kids: being thorough, polite, and talking to their fellow classmates nicely.”

While this program is great for these skills, not all the kids love it. But they know that it will help them in the long run, especially since teamwork is an important aspect to carrying a job after high school.

“Some like it, some don’t, but there’s a lot of things in life we don’t like to do,” Schmidt said.

This is true for freshman Campbell Wyman, but even though he may not like certain parts of the job, he does enjoy sweeping the lunchroom, as it helps him continue to do chores at home.  In fact, Wyman is taking a Culinary Art class in addition to the Life Skills, and he just got his Food Handlers License, as he hopes it will help him land a job at Second Avenue Pizza.

The skills of this program help many graduates from the program in getting a job, and has made the transition from high school to the work life easier.

“So many of these kids are the most reliable employees because you work it into their routine, they’re there [at work] every day,  they’re going to be doing the same job everyday ,” Schmidt said, “and they’re content with that.”

Schmidt says that parents appreciate the skills that their children learned as it keeps a routine going for the kids, which is one of the most important elements, according to Schmidt.

“We write the program for what is best for them, to make them as functional as possible. “ Schmidt said. Upon graduation from the Life Skills program, students can go in any direction they want, but no matter what Schmidt is happy with what she is doing for the kids.

“This population is so fun to work with,” Schmidt said.