When my kids were in high school, they would meet up with their friends for an ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery near Cypress Bay High School in Weston, FL. They used their own ATM cards which had money from either part time jobs or their allowance for weekly chores. Checking their receipts for accuracy or understanding the concept of sales tax was taken for granted by them as well as by me.

The students in this year’s BRIDGES class, funded by the HDS Foundation, work on these specific skills on a constant basis. Their accounts are funded by the foundation to make it possible for the students to go off campus to work on their socialization, communication, and life skills. On November 1, 2017, the students in this program boarded the bus for a field trip to Cold Stones for ice cream. Each student ordered his ice cream and paid for it with his individual debit card.

Prior to the trip, the teachers of the personal skills class provided lessons and discussion to maximize the success of the off-campus lesson. While at Cold Stones, the students only required minimal prompting to stay on task. The class as a whole did a reflection about the group’s success after the trip. Once back at Cypress Bay High School, the students also continued to work on tax computation, check the accuracy of their receipts, and furthered their understanding of the concept of sales tax.

Next time you take your child to go buy an ice cream, think about how some individuals actually need to learn many soft and hard skills to do just that. From the communication skills to the math skills, buying an ice cream can be a bit taxing for a student with a developmental disability or a social skills deficit.

For the students in the BRIDGES Personal Skills class, learning takes place off campus more than it does on campus. On October 18th, the students engaged in a number of team building activities, where they had to ask and answer questions about their classmates. According to the teachers the most challenging activity was finding out the name of the classmate posted on their back. They were given four descriptive clues from their fellow classmates in order for them to guess who it was. Many of the clues made it easy for them to determine who was posted on their backs. Others were more challenging but encouraged them to work together to be able to figure it out. Prior to the field trip to Regional Park, the teachers provided instructions on the task that was ahead. This helped insure minimal prompting to stay on task during the trip and reflecting about the group’s success after the trip. The students brought their lunches to the park and had the opportunity to engage in conversations with classmates while enjoying a picnic lunch at the park. These types of opportunities to develop communication skills and team building skills are what sets Building BRIDGES at the Bay apart from other high school programs for students with social skills deficits. Their next exciting trip the students are looking forward to is their Halloween dinner party at Tarantella Ristorante.

When CBHS students who participate in the personal skills class through the HDS Foundation BRIDGES grant ate lunch this past Thursday at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, it was so much more than just lunch. To the average observer, it may seem like a treat that these students have the opportunity to go off campus to dine and socialize. Truth be told, there was a lot of thought and planning that went into this off campus activity: the students were working on their budgeting and communication skills.

One of the recommendations for teaching money management skills to a teen with special needs, such as those who participate in the BRIDGES program, is to give the student a budget and go out into the community. Each student had to order his own lunch from the menu. At the end of the meal, they each had to compute the tip as well. In order to meet with success on this task in the area of budgeting, the teachers provided in class practice and discussion prior to the field trip.

According to best practices for teachers working with this population of students, communication skills are complicated because of the different components involved. The students had to engage in socially appropriate conversations with not only their teachers, but also with their peers and the restaurant staff. The teachers in this program make a conscious effort to work on the skills of initiating conversation and maintaining appropriate interactions, skills that most people take for granted.

Because of funding by the HDS Foundation, CBHS students in the personal skills class are given these opportunities to work on budgeting, communication, and so much more such as community resources, independent functioning skills, and social skills. While the students are learning these skills, the teachers provide prompting as needed to stay on task and reflect about the group’s success after the field trip to Anthony’s.

When we say we are “Building BRIDGES at the Bay”, the teachers in charge of the BRIDGES program at Cypress Bay High School (CBHS) really mean it. This school year’s kick off activity was filled with team building tasks as well as enjoying lunch together at a community gazebo across the street from the school’s campus. The team building activities allowed this new group of students in the 2017-2018 BRIDGES program to get to know one another in a setting outside of the classroom.

While the main goal of the event was designed to get the classmates to work together toward a common goal, the teachers never lost sight of making sure the students also had fun. The team building activities were designed to boost skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, interpersonal, listening, and social. By participating in the event, the students had to work cooperatively together for each of the activities: none could be done alone! The purpose of the BRIDGES grant at CBHS is to give these young adults in high school many more opportunities to develop and build skills that typical students usually don’t require to be taught explicitly.

The students in the program, for example, participated in a “Trust Walk” as one of their team building activities. Extra challenges were added in such as taking their shoes off. Of course you can imagine how hesitant and uncomfortable the students were in the beginning, but with the support of the teachers and the feedback the students were given, activities such as these only increased a sense of teamwork between everyone.

A great aspect of these team building activities is the corrective feedback from the teachers to their students. As each task was completed, the teachers would make specific suggestions, model the recommendations, and discuss the successes accomplished during the activities. Every accomplishment was mentioned, no matter how big or small, which gave students a positive outlook and make them feel good.

Once the team building activities ended, the students enjoyed lunch together, eating and conversing about the activities they had just worked on together. As the students in the BRIDGES program walked back to campus, each one felt accomplished and closer to their classmates. This is just the beginning of giving these students the tools they need to be successful in our community, in the school, and throughout the rest of their lives.