Wooden pumpkins, t-shirts, cards, mugs, pillowcases, bracelets and so many more items handmade by high school students in the self-contained learning support and autistic support programs were sold at lunches last week. Mrs. Amanda Montell said that “the best selling items were the bracelets and large wooden pumpkins.”

 This boutique started last year to create work opportunities for the learning support kids. They are picking up a variety of abilities (computer, communication, money, life, work, and business skills) through this process that will help them in their future endeavors. The money in the account is then used to run the Spartan Transition Center, a secure environment for the children to practice independent living and career preparedness inside our district. It allows teachers to buy more supplies to create crafts for the following sale. In total, the boutique made $699 in profit. 

Members of the Caring Hands Club and staff help the students welcome customers, gather supplies to fill orders, make payments using cash or checks, and give the right change using a cash register and Square Software. All of the students helped to make the fall shirts and pillows. A few ninth grade girls made fall pens also! One of the ninth graders, Adriauna Trabucco, says that her favorite part of the Boutique is “making the crafts to sell.”

Mr. Helfrich enjoys “seeing how far each kid has progressed since starting school and how they are now getting ready to advance their abilities.”

Mrs. Huth delights in witnessing the students’ progress in terms of their social, job-readiness, and financial skills. She says it is “amazing to see these young people in action!” 

The group is anticipating and preparing for a second holiday sale, which will take place during lunches from Tuesday, November 28, through Friday, December 1, 2023. Additionally, although the time has not been decided yet, the Hillview Bowling Alley will also have a community sale that week. They intend to hold a spring sale as well as well as a few pop-up sales during neighborhood gatherings.