Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork
Building a team and emphasizing collaboration is essential to BRIDGING the differences and getting everyone to work as one unit. A big component of team building is problem-solving which falls under “Development” in B.R.I.D.G.E.S. The first activity the class participated in was a guessing game. The teachers gave each student an emotion they had to depict in a picture and show in front of the class. While one student explained their picture, the rest of the class came together to guess and solve which emotion was being portrayed. This activity allowed the students to build creativity, communication and problem-solving skills.
The next activity the class participated in was geared more towards the “Social” and communication skills. The teacher asked the class if they had participated in certain experiences which then created a conversation amongst the students allowing them to practice their skills. This was a fun way to learn more about each other by using communication.
The last and final activity was a partnered competition. This excited and motivated the students to fully engage in the collaboration aspect. Two partnered teams competed against each other to see how many balled up pieces of paper they could get in their bucket under a certain amount of time. Keep in mind, they only had two hands between the two of them. This was a challenge, because while one partner had to hold the notebook, the other one had to tear the pages, ball the paper, and throw it in the bucket. The activity was successful in showing the students that they had to come together in order to find the best solution. The students also realized that they had to take on different roles, even if it wasn’t what they wanted to do initially.
All in all, it was a wonderful day filled with enjoyable games and activities for the Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program. Having these types of CBI trips and opportunities to further develop their skills are what sets B.R.I.D.G.E.S. apart from other high school programs for students with disabilities. Stay tuned to see what’s in store for the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class at their next CBI trip!
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Supports Mission BBQ While Budgeting
HDS Companies Annual Spook-tacular Halloween
Who said Halloween was just for children?? Here at HDS Companies, we take Halloween to the next level. From rollercoaster rides and Disney movies to actual “DEATH”, we love coming together and dressing for the occasion. This year, we started our Halloween festivities with a fang-tastic breakfast from Chik-Fil-A. Following the breakfast, we had our exciting costume contest. Everyone gathered around the main conference room area and showed off their spook-tacular costumes for the judges. There were four categories to compete in: Most Creative, Funniest, Scariest, and the HDS Grand Award. The winners of this year’s contest were:
- Most Creative – Natalie Stevenson as Darla from Finding Nemo
- Funniest – Mario Rumasuglia as The Cat in the Hat
- Scariest – Aura Valerio as Grim Reaper “Death”
- HDS Grand Award – eHousingPlus for their Roller Coaster Ride
Each year the costumes get better and better, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year’s Halloween. HDS Companies hopes everyone had a ghoulishly delightful Halloween yesterday.
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Enjoys Budgeting Lunch at Weston Diner
There’s something about spending an afternoon eating a great meal with our friends that just can’t be replaced! The Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program got to enjoy their lunch with friends at the Weston Diner yesterday. The class took their Community Based Instruction (CBI) trip to a restaurant this time in order to practice their money management skills. This was a great experience giving each student the responsibility to order their own lunch, receive their individual bill, and calculate the tax along with tips for their order. The teachers, Ms. Donna Mansolillo and Ms. Kathy Gormin-Gard, emphasized at this outing how important it is to budget their money so that the students have enough funds in their accounts to cover what they ordered. By giving these students a firsthand experience to manage their money, they gain a whole new perspective of what it can be like living independently, especially dining. This outing not only allowed them to practice their budgeting skills, but also gave them the opportunity to use their problem-solving skills when having to split their check with alternative payment methods. The HDS Contenders helped the students find a solution and taught them how to calculate the payment using both their ATM card and cash. It is amazing to see the growth in these students each time we meet! The HDS Foundation loves following the journey of these bright and passionate students as they become independent young adults.
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Class Visits the Bank of America
Budgeting. A topic that Ms. Donna Mansolillo and Ms. Kathy Gormin-Gard have been teaching the students in the Social Living Skills class at Cypress Bay High School. Students are currently learning how to be responsible – especially with money. Bank of America is helping with this important lesson.
Two weeks ago, Bank of America representatives came to Cypress Bay High School to help students set up their very own bank account. In order to support the development of school-based social and community life activities, the HDS Foundation issued checks to each student to deposit in their account.
To follow up with this event, the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class attended the second part of their banking and budgeting project on a Community Based Instruction (CBI) trip to the Bank of America at the Weston Commons. The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program has been organizing these banking events for several years now which in turn have created close relationships with the staff at this local branch.
Upon visiting the branch, the students had the chance to meet the staff, learn about different transaction processes, and deposit their own checks in an ATM. Many might think this is an easy task, however, for these students, this process can be overwhelming. This is one of the many reasons why the HDS Foundation and B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program give students a firsthand experience at the bank.
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