The BT Wilson cafeteria was decked with autumnal decor and homemade Thanksgiving dishes, thanks to the high school students of the KISD Special Education program.
The second annual Special Education Thanksgiving Lunch was held in the BT Wilson cafeteria on Friday, November 21. Students spent the entire week preparing for the event, from gathering the ingredients, cooking, and even decorating the table settings for the holiday. Senior Director of Special Education at KISD Lynn Paulo formed the group of amateur chefs from the Tivy Treasures program last year.
“Our vocational program, Tivy Treasures, has their workshop in BT Wilson, where they come every day to make t-shirts for homecoming games or other activities. Since they are here all of the time, we thought about getting the families involved during the holiday season,” said Paulo.
Tivy Treasures is a vocational work program for students with special needs that teaches life-skills for success after graduation. Paulo recently gave a presentation at the KISD School Board meeting, explaining the Special Education program’s growth due to new guidelines.
For example, revisions to guidelines for students with dyslexia, speech or language concerns, autism, or emotional/behavioral needs has qualified new students to participate in the special education program. In 2016, there were 380 students provided with special education services in the district, now KISD serves 710 students.
With an expanding program, activities that foster healthy life-skills will continue to serve these students even when they graduate from the program. At the Thanksgiving lunch, students displayed independence, problem-solving, and teamwork through their participation in the meal preparation.
“They spent the whole week setting it up and decorating, and then every student participated in making a different dish, all from scratch,” said Paulo.
Special Education teacher Danielle Alonzo assisted the students in creating the meal, witnessing the effort her students were putting in at every step.
“The kids did everything from start to finish. They crafted a menu, made the grocery lists, and learned how to shop and budget. Then they cooked everything, each student specializing in a specific food or dish,” said Alonzo.
One student who put in the hard work in the kitchen is Aracely Aguilar, responsible for preparing the stuffing with her classmates Brenda Lopez and Josh Meza.
“It was so fun helping make the turkey; it took so long to cook! This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for my friends, family and my boyfriend,” said Aguilar.
For more information regarding the Tivy Treasures program, visit KISD’s website at https://tivy.kerrvilleisd.net/activities/tivy-treasures.