49.0°,
Overcast Students’ cafe is open for business
Cafe 217, a student run program in the East Rockaway School District, opened its doors once again for fellow classmates and faculty to enjoy snacks.
Cafe 217 started in 2018 with the goal of teaching students in the Skills and Achievement class valuable life skills, including interpersonal communication, financial literacy, customer service, and problem solving through interaction with members of the school community. Named for the room number in East Rockaway Jr./Sr. High School in which the class meets, Cafe 217 sells lemonade, iced tea, chips, and cookies. In coordination with Autism Awareness Month, the cafe highlighted the different abilities in the East Rockaway School District last week.
“And we gave out passes to classes, or kids who came in and volunteered,” Kathleen Crowley, teacher of the Skills and Achievement class, said. “And so yesterday was the second time that we’ve done this.”
This year, the Café 217 students branched out and brought their treats to the district’s elementary schools and to the East Rockaway Senior Center where they served snacks to the public for the first time. Coinciding with Autism Awareness Month, this event, in the Student Center, was an opportunity for the Café 217 students to interact with their peers in a fun setting and use the skills and experience they acquired as part of this program.
The first time that the skills and achievement class hosted this event to students, from only serving staff, was on March 7. Students participated in this event to promote awareness of the student center as well as encourage social interaction. The Skills and Achievement students were able to practice their vocational skills by greeting their peers, taking orders, and serving drinks and snacks.
Crowley said that the March 7 and April 18 event was a learning experience for the students where it also promoted inclusivity, social skills, and language skills.
This particular event started early last week where the skilled and achievement class hosted crafts, cupcake decorating, and more activities. The main goal of this was to promote inclusion of students with all abilities. Students who were part of this “spa” event, as Crowley called it, received a ticket to enjoy a nice treat at the main Cafe 217 event last Thursday.
“On Monday, during my fourth period lunch, I participated in the program with room 217,” Sean Smith, sophomore at East Rockaway Jr./St. High School, said. “And when I went, I started by sitting around the table with some of the students that are in that classroom, just talking, interacting with them.”
Smith explained that through the crafts and cupcake making, his mission was to make the students, some who have disabilities, feel included and have a fun time.
Claire Harvey, eighth grader at East Rockaway Jr./Sr. High School, said that she spent her lunch last Wednesday making butterflies out of coffee filters with the students in class 217. She then worked with the students to color the butterflies. She finished her period by making cupcakes with the students.
“We iced the cupcakes, decorated them, and then had a lot of fun eating them,” Harvey said.
Madyson Martinez, an eighth grader at East Rockaway Jr./Sr. High School, was the volunteer supervisor at the event. Crowley said that this was important because it made students practice their vocational skills with faces other than their teacher.
“I believe that this event is so important because one of my biggest beliefs is that everyone deserves the same amount of respect that you do, no matter who they are,” Smith said.
Smith said that being inclusive with these students will help them with their situational awareness when it comes to the real world. He noted that these kids were able to learn different skills that they wouldn’t have learned in any other classroom. He also said that he learned valuable lessons about inclusivity that he will take with him as he continues high school.
