Teaching Independence: Life Skills Class at SCSD#1

Payton Ruff, Josiah Jochems, Ashley Hodges, Shean Hatfield and Logan Glaze

A fairly new program at Sheridan County School District #1 is the life skills classes for the special ed students. One of the classes is baking. Sheri Tremain, Special Ed teacher, talked about the program at Tongue River High School. There are five students in the TRHS class.

Tremain said that this is a fairly new program for District #1, they have only been doing it for two years. Last year, the Tongue River students were bused to the Bighorn campus, but this year they are teaching the class at TRHS.

The students range in age from freshmen through 12th grade, and if the students and the parents choose to, the student can stay in the class until they are 21.

Laurel Main, Special Ed Director for District 1 said that from 12 to 14 kids participate between the Tongue River and Big Horn Schools.

She mentioned that they have seen success in the program when the students graduate

She said at Big Horn the program is for students six through 12th grades. Main said it was easier in Big Horn due to how close the campuses. At Tongue River it is a little more challenging, and at the present time it is just for high school students.

Cooking is a pretty basic skill. Everyone needs to eat. One of the classes is baking. One student Payton Ruff. said he likes measuring things, which is a way to learn math skills and teamwork. Student Shean Hatfield said he enjoys

Andreas Irion, Special Education Paraprofessional and a 1988 graduate of Culinary Institute of America who was been working in the food industry for over 30 years, is now working at SCSD#1.

He said this about the life skills program.

The Tongue River cooking class also has a bakery business, named the Eagle Nest Bakery, which helps the students learn some business skills as well.

Every week the bakery offers banana and banana chocolate chip muffins, and throughout the school year they bake specialty muffins. Irions said they average around 125 to 150 muffins a week. Irions talked about what the students learn in the class.

This week’s muffin is pumpkin cream cheese and pumpkin. The muffins are available at the Gallery on Main in Dayton, as well as being available for people to order. The class will deliver them in the immediate area. The money raised goes back into the program for supplies.

Main added this about the program

By teaching the life skills needed for living independently, the class helps to give the students a headstart when they leave SCSD#1.