There is something brewing at Old Rochester Regional High School, and it doesn’t just stop at coffee and cocoa. The new Bulldog Brew Café is serving up more than hot beverages and snacks to the staff at ORR; it is also providing students in the school’s new Transition Special Education Program with real life skills, confidence, and a new way to espresso themselves.
OK, perhaps espresso isn’t yet on the menu, but coffee, tea, cocoa, and cold brew coffee are – and the addition of the Bulldog Café has been a welcome addition to the school for faculty members like Diana Setera who dropped by for a hot cup of cinnamon apple spice tea on December.
“May I help you please?” barista-in-training Chris Hathaway asked with a smile from behind a large wooden café cart. Taking the dollar bill from Setera’s hand, Hathaway replaced the money with a paper cup of hot tea and another big smile.
Fellow students Dennis Reynolds and Grace Costa-Medeiros were on-hand with smiles of their own, eager to assist Hathaway with the transaction.
Each student offers up their own expertise, with Costa-Medeiros using her design skills to create flyers with weekly specials, as well as the menu typed to perfection and hung with care.
It was the brainchild of teacher Mark Pereira, or “Mr. P” as he is known in certain circles, and it is Pereira’s snack cart that is the centerpiece of the café (aside from the students’ smiles, of course). He had it lying around in his garage and thought it would be the perfect addition to create that real café feeling.
“We would really like this program to be something that lasts,” Pereira said. The skills of measuring out ingredients, counting change, as well as making the coffee are real-life work skills the students can use when they transition out of high school and into adulthood. “And just that social piece of communicating with others,” added Pereira.
In charge of the pilot transition program is Rebecca Okolita, an ORR graduate from the year 1998. She is running the new special education program.
“We’re really trying to be a part of the community and keep covering basic skills that will last into the rest of their lives,” Okolita said. “I think we’re doing great becoming a part of the community as a whole.”
The transitional program incorporates many pre-vocational, language, and community/social skills, Okolita said.
“My students have really improved on communicating with one another and new people and customers,” Okolita said. “One of my students that uses an AAC (communication device) has learned to navigate his AAC to speak directly to customers.”
The students count all their earnings for the day as profits and all of it goes to a student account to help fund outings into the community.
“I want my students to associate hard work with rewarding activities,” said Okolita.
In addition to the café, students travel outside school for community outings to help out at local charities like Gifts to Give, go shopping, and equip themselves with essentials such as personal identification cards from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The students even got the chance to sneak in a visit with Santa Claus at the mall recently, which delighted Hathaway who bellowed out a laugh when he looked at the picture of him posing with Santa.
“There’s always a reason for the place we go and the skills needed,” said Pereira. “Becky’s got a lot of ideas and a lot of vision for what she wants to see these kids become.”
The students are currently raising funds for a school garden for next year by returning bottles and cans for recycling, which they welcome from the community. Okolita has also started up a GoFundMe page, which will help, hopefully, along with a $500 grant.
“I am very blessed to have a talented group of students that are eager to help and try new things,” said Okolita. “We are excited about learning new skills and giving back to our community.”
Pereira can vouch for Okolita’s enthusiasm.
“Big dreams,” said Pereira. “That’s what she has.”
Pereira loves his job at the school working with the transition program, he said.
“It’s so rewarding. It’s very rewarding to me,’ said Pereira. “It’s a great program and they have a lot to offer … and it’s going to grow.”
For donations of cans, bottles, or to contribute to the garden fund, Rebecca Okolita can be reached at rebeccaokolita@oldrochester.org.
By Jean Perry
