Douglas High's Community Life Skills class spread holiday cheer at Gardnerville Rehabilitation Center
Submitted by paula on Wed, 12/18/2024 - 6:40pm
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - This spirit of the season brought joy, and some tears, to those at the Gardnerville Rehabilitation Center. The holiday cheer was thanks to the students in the Douglas High School Community Life Skills Class as they brought gift bags to the patients.
The students are part of the school's inclusive education curriculum, and they take math, English, and science, as well as the Community Life Skills Class (CLS). Teacher Amanda Simon-Koeppen said her students worked all month on the gift bag service project. They first started brainstorming on what a project would look like and who it would benefit.
Gardnerville Rehabilitation Center is a 45-bed facility that treats the elderly with physical issues. The CLS students wanted to figure out what they could do to bring some cheer to those staying at the center.
Once it was figured out that they'd make gift bags, Simon-Koeppen said the students had to make a budget, go shopping, put the bags together, make cards, and then deliver. Her classroom funds helped cover the cost.
Some of the families joined their students as the bags were delivered.
"I am so proud of them," said Simon-Koeppen. "They stepped out of their comfort zone."
The gift of giving was the CLS class focus this month. Research shows that community outreach projects are eye-opening to special needs children and young adults. They can see the world outside of themselves and see others in need.
The students in the CLS class include those with autism, traumatic brain injuries, and Down Syndrome.
Not only do the students learn about giving back, but they will also be learning how to write resumes, and other projects and community work. The next step after Douglas High School is the 18-22 program with the school district that gives the students job skills with a coffee cart.
Simon-Koeppen said Douglas County School District has an amazing curriculum for her students that includes book reports and oral presentations.