The CBHS students enjoyed the comfort and ambiance of Chili’s as they ate and celebrated the holidays this week. The HDS Foundation group, including Cristina Miranda Gilson, Carla Otiniano, Hannah Miller and Dr. Sandy Rizzo Weiner joined the class and both teachers of it for this fun and successful gathering. For the past weeks, the students had the opportunity to take part in a “Secret Elf” event. One of their field trips was to AC Moore, where each of them had a specific budget and had to plan out exactly which gift they wanted to purchase, what they wanted to write in their card, how to wrap the gift, and, most importantly, how to keep the secret to themselves. Each task this event demanded of the students proved to be great accomplishments for each of them.

Arriving at Chili’s gift in hand, the students were visibly excited for what was going to be a very special and engaging day. Upon sitting down, each was responsible for ordering their food; at the close of the meal, the students paid for their own meals (including tip). These specific parts of the event aided greatly in teaching and reinforcing these small but vital life skills. Thanks to Chili’s at Weston Road for being gracious and doing individual bills for our students.

Socialization and Communication are areas of focus for this class, and engaging the students in a restaurant outing is a great opportunity for them to utilize and understand what they are learning at school. We have been very impressed how the students in this group are ‘coming out of their shells’ and beginning to interact with each other on a comfortable and personal level. They laugh, tell jokes, and are truly interested in what each other has to say. And, the fact that each took the time to read the special message their classmate had written and were sincerely appreciative of the gifts was a pleasant addition. We can’t wait to see what the coming year will bring.

Last week, Ms. Donna Mansolillo’s class had the opportunity to learn about and play golf at Cypress Bay High School. Part of an intro to the First Tee of Broward’s Golf Program, students were treated to a preview of the Golf Program that is starting in January, learning the basics of swings and the greater game of golf in general.

Ms. Donna Mansolillo and Ms. Kathy Gard are co-teachers in a Life Skills class for students on the Autism Spectrum. Each week, students partake in various life skills and social skills activities. These have included: learning about banking and shopping and how to carry out these activities; going on field trips to community locations; paying for meals; and, engaging in activities that allow the class to build larger social and supportive groups. All the events have been seen by all involved to be absolutely crucial in successful skill-building for the students. The First Tee of Broward’s Golf Program, which is one of the newer activity additions, has thus far been no exception to the prior observation.

Although the weather was not particularly cooperative that week, the pros came out nonetheless and the students had a great time. And, not only was it a blast, but the participants were successful in their endeavors, swinging the clubs and hitting the golf balls quite well.  Many muddy shoes and wet socks made their way across the field and into the school at the event’s end, but the smiles and laughter seemed to make it undoubtedly worth it to the students. Several of them appeared to have a natural ability for the game, and hopefully we will see them out on the range soon.

The Open House will take place at the Weston Hills Country Club on December 12th at 2:30 pm. For more information, please contact Carla.otiniano@hdsoftware.com

Dressing up and going to a party are typical activities high school students partake in on Halloween. This year, the Cypress Bay Social Skills class organized a party of its own. The event was scheduled at Tarantella’s Ristorante at Weston Town Center on Halloween night. Although some of the students were hesitant to participate at first, the planned activity was structured to have them practice both social skills and money management. The students were tasked with coming to the event in a full costume, ordering and paying for their individual dinners, and socializing amongst each other. As a result of these tasks, the students were given practice with various facets of socializing and managing themselves. The choice of which costume to wear gave them a sense of individuality and preference. Ordering and paying for their own meals taught them about independence and managing money, both of which are key components of successful adult living. And, socializing proved to be great practice in conversing and getting to know people, both of which are large aims of the class they all are in.

The students seemed to greatly enjoy this outing with their classmates, teachers, and the HDS Foundation staff.  The creativity and effort that went into the costumes was truly remarkable, with Mario, Anna from Frozen, magicians, gangsters, zombies, and many other characters showing up. Some of the students had such an enjoyable time that they continued their evening together around Weston after the dinner.

Thank you to John and our server who facilitated this event and kindly helped us out, creating individual bills and servicing the group so nicely. As a result of the kindness put forth by the Tarantella staff, the students had the opportunity to develop some common life skills, all of which are key to their success. It was really a fun and successful night, with delicious food and Halloween cheer.