Ossining Students Develop Valuable Skills, Serve Community in Life Skills Program

Six Ossining High School students got right to work right away when they entered the stockroom at T.J.Maxx in Hartsdale in late July. Gregory pulled designer pocketbooks out of an oversized cardboard box, ripped off clear plastic bags and removed wrapping from around the straps.

Ryan, 17, pulled pants, shirts and sweaters out of boxes, unwrapped and unfolded them, and placed them in a pile. Other students unpacked clothes and sorted hangers, all under the watch of Ossining teacher Susan Cable and three teaching assistants.

T.J.Maxx is one of three sites where the OHS Life Skills class works during the school year and for most of the summer. The other locations are the Food Bank for Westchester in Elmsford and the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Council in Pleasantville. Seven students are in the summer Life Skills program, and there will be nine in the class for the upcoming school year.

Gregory, also 17, said he has good friends in his class and enjoys the work they do. At the Girl Scouts headquarters, they perform tasks like assembling mouth-to-mouth CPR kits and pricing items in the gift store. At the Food Bank for Westchester, they put together bags of food for the BackPack Program, among other jobs.

“It’s nice to work at jobs. I like all the job sites,” he said. “I work so hard and I get my job done. It makes me feel happy.”

Michael, 20, said T.J.Maxx is his favorite work site. “I work hard and unpack clothes,” he said. “There are nice people there.”

At T.J.Maxx, the students get a thrill out of seeing clothes on the display racks that they unpacked and unfolded.

“Basically everything that’s out on the floor of T.J.Maxx starts with this group by their getting it ready to go out on the floor,” said Ms. Cable, who is retiring this month after 28 years with the Ossining School District.

The Life Skills Program is focused on vocational training, boosting independence, and developing job, work and social skills, she said. They work side-by-side with staff at the sites – an important component of the program – and have “developed really beautiful relationships” with employees over the years.

“What we have done since the program began is to look for job sites that will allow the class to work on a regular basis to improve and develop their daily living skills, employability and opportunities so they can move forward into their adult lives,” Ms. Cable said.

The Rotary Club of Ossining gives the program a monetary award each year. The money has been used over the years to provide various opportunities for students in the Life Skills program.

One morning in late July, several students made Girl Scout badge packs at the Girl Scout offices in Pleasantville, counting “I can’t wait to…” patches for individual troops. The others assembled CPR kits, placing face shields, rubber gloves and alcohol wipes in re-sealable plastic bags.

Ms. Cable asked the class what they should do if they’re not sure of something. “You ask an adult,” one student replied. She also explained to the students the importance of finishing one task before starting a new one.

While they were working, the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Council’s product sales manager stopped by to greet them. “We’re so proud of you and so thankful that you come every Tuesday to work and to help us,” Aurora Orozco said. “You are our stars. We really do appreciate everything you do for us.”

At T.J.Maxx, Ashley, 17, became tired of sorting and hanging hangers and asked for another job. Twenty-year-old Marcus volunteered, and Ms. Cable asked Ashley to guide him as he learned the new task.

“Exactly right. You’ve got it Marcus,” Ashley said when he put a hanger on the correct rod. When he hung up the next one in the right spot, she repeated, “You’ve got it Marcus.”

Before returning to the students who were unpacking clothes, Ms. Cable told Marcus to ask Ashley if he had any questions. “I’m here for you,” Ashley said to him.

The students feel very proud of the work they do, and they also provide a tremendous service that T.J.Maxx, the Girl Scouts and the Food Bank rely on, Ms. Cable said.

“It’s a wonderful learning experience for them. They develop the skills that years ago I hoped they would develop,” she added. “And in addition to that, they’ve really made their mark on these places. They’ve become so valued and so appreciated, so it’s a win-win situation all around.”