Payton Ruff, Josiah Jochems, Ashley Hodges, Shean Hatfield, and Logan Glaze
A fairly new program in Sheridan County School District #1 is life skills classes for special education students. One of the classes is baking. Sheri Tremain, a special education teacher, spoke about the program at Tongue River High School. There are five students in the TRHS class.
Tremain said this is a fairly new program for District #1, they have only been doing it for two years. Last year, Tongue River students were bused to the Bighorn campus, but this year they are teaching the class at TRHS.
Students range in age from freshman to grade 12, and if the students and parents so choose, the student may remain in the class until they are 21 years old.
Laurel Main, director of special education for District 1, said 12 to 14 children are participating between Tongue River and Big Horn schools.
He mentioned that they have seen success in the program when the students graduate
He said that in Big Horn the program is for students in grades six through twelve. Main said it was easier in Big Horn because of how close the campuses are. At Tongue River it’s a bit more challenging, and currently it’s only for high school students.
Cooking is a pretty basic skill. Everyone needs to eat. One of the classes is baking. A student Payton Ruff. He said that he likes to measure things, that it is a way to learn mathematics and work in a team. Student Shean Hatfield said he enjoys
Andreas Irion, a special education paraprofessional and 1988 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who worked in the food industry for more than 30 years, now works at SCSD#1.
He said this about the life skills program.
The Tongue River cooking class also runs a bakery business, called Eagle Nest Bakery, which also helps students learn some business skills.
Every week the bakery offers banana chocolate chip muffins, and during the school year they bake special muffins. Irions said they average about 125 to 150 muffins a week. Irions talked about what students learn in class.
This week’s bagel is Pumpkin Pumpkin Cream Cheese. The rolls are available at Gallery on Main in Dayton, as well as being available for people to order. The class will deliver them to the immediate area. The money raised goes back to the supply program.
Main added this about the program
By teaching the life skills needed to live independently, the class helps give students a head start when they leave SCSD#1.
48