Introducing POB Perk

Middle and high school students at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District are receiving some exclusive on-the-job experience while offering a variety of delicious treats and beverages to students and staff with POB Perk. POB Perk, a pair of student-operated cafes at Howard B. Mattlin Middle School and Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, serves as an initiative blending education, work experience, and community building.

At the high school, POB Perk operates as a physical store located in Room 122. Open Monday through Friday during periods two through eight, the store offers an assortment of baked goods, snacks, and drinks, including gluten-free options, ensuring there’s something for everyone. During periods one and nine, students prepare the store for the day or clean up and restock for the next day’s operations. Through POB Perk, high school students gain valuable work experience through various activities. These include taking customer orders and ringing up sales using the cash register, preparing and serving drinks, packaging food items for the sales floor, and restocking merchandise while monitoring inventory.

In addition to these daily tasks, students develop essential functional skills, including managing money, reading expiration dates, and completing basic inventory checks. As the program expands, students will also be introduced to future job tasks such as basic accounting and marketing skills including creating flyers and using a Cricut machine for product branding.

At the middle school, POB Perk is open exclusively to staff members, offering both morning and afternoon service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during periods one, seven, and eight. Students play an integral role in the operation, performing tasks such as preparing drinks and food items collecting payments and providing change, taking inventory and restocking supplies and following set-up and clean-up procedures to ensure smooth operations.

Special Education teachers Ms. Christina Karayiannis and Ms. Susan Ham operate the program at the high school and middle school, respectively.

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pobschools.org. Exciting activities happening throughout the District and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pobschools/.