East Stroudsburg South unveils life skills classroom
East Stroudsburg High School South staff and students welcomed U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D-7) on Monday to show off the school’s latest addition to the special education program: an apartment-style classroom set up for students to learn life skills.
Students can plan and cook meals, clean up, do laundry, practice making a bed and hone their social skills in a lounge area.
“We go out on our shopping trip, usually to Walmart, we make our shopping list, figure out how much of each thing we’ll need for our class, look at comparing prices to see what’s the better deal. Then once a week we come in and as a class we’ll make our menu,” said Amanda Kerdzaliev, the life skills teacher.
Past meals have include hot dogs, pancakes and grilled cheese, Kerdzaliev said — “things that they’ll be able to do on their own, independently at home.”
The kitchen is complete with a stove, pots and pans, a microwave, even an air fryer. Once the meal is prepared, “we eat family style,” Kerdzaliev said.
“Is this apartment unique, in terms of schools having this kind of thing?” Wild asked. It is, school officials told her. “I’ve never seen one of these. That’s wonderful.”
The school was able to establish the program because of federal funds from the School-Based ACCESS Program, said Matthew Krauss, who manages that money.
Five students are in the life skills class, which is being offered for the first time this semester. Brian Baddick, assistant superintendent for pupil services, has been “extremely supportive and passionate about providing transition activities for our special education students,” said Assistant Principal Amy Polmounter.
Wild also stopped by the Core Cafe, where students gain work skills by serving up coffee.
“It looks like a Wawa, practically, with all these different options,” Wild said.
Students deliver coffee orders around the building — Michael Healey’s order reliably arrives in his classroom at 7:30 each morning, he said — and fulfill orders at the counter.
“If you were here every day, they’d know your order,” Kerdzaliev said. “You would just walk in and they would just know what you want right away.”
Wild ended her tour at the Purple Pantry, which began as a way to provide food to students who need assistance but has since expanded to help with menstrual products and other hygiene items.
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Four students — Tommy Ruiz, Leeangie Marte, Michael Patterson and Hayden Williams —accompanied Wild and school staff on the tour, presenting her with purple and white South gear and a painting of the Delaware Water Gap by Pocono artist Elaine Madere. They also shared about their involvement in unified track and field, which combines special and general education students on one team, and in fundraising for the Special Olympics.
“I just think it’s great you guys are doing this. It’s really, really important volunteer work, and it just says a lot about your personalities and your character,” Wild told them.
The activity goes beyond volunteering to building real friendships, Ruiz said.
“They know your name, you know their names, they ask ‘Hey, what’s up, how you doing?’ So it’s super nice,” Ruiz said.
Kathryne Rubright is a reporter covering the environment, northeast Pa. politics, and local news. She is based at the Pocono Record. Reach her at krubright@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Rep. Wild pays visit to East Stroudsburg South
