Helping hands is a class offered only to juniors for first and second hour on maroon block days and is taught by Michelle Thacker and Mrs. Karlin, it teaches students how to function in the real world by teaching them to work in a bakery and car cleaning service.

“I learn how sportsmanship and working together is good,” junior Demetria McCoy said. “It’s a good experience of being in a business and working together.”

Students like how the class prepares them for working in the real world and running their own business while making them to work together.

“I like missing two class periods it gives us more time to bake our cookies, bread and popcorn balls,” junior Korryn Asuncion said.

While students miss class they will split into two working groups the bakery group and the vehicle group. Students will be in charge of taking voice mails, deliveries, baking and cleaning.

On average the bakery makes about 20 popcorn balls and 20 dozen cookies, everything they make from the frosting to the dough, excluding the pies, is made from scratch.

“I love being able to leave school and go to a different location to work, it makes it feel like I’m not at school as much as if we stayed here and worked,” Asuncion said.

Students board a bus which takes them to the old high school for more space to work, and there they work for two hours trying to take care of orders.

“I like that at the end of the year that you get to go on a trip with all of the funds you’ve earned over the school year,” junior Nathanial Laporte said.

At the end of the year students, pick a place they can visit and then vote on activities they will do once there. This year the Helping Hands class will be in Denver.

Currently, the students are working on graduation orders and making cookies for academic and sports awards. Cookie prices per dozen and popcorn balls are $6, breads are $8 per loaf, while cleanings the exterior and interior of a vehicle range from $50-$75.

“It’s a gift to see hands on learning and to provide hands on experience to students,” Bakery group supervisor Michelle Thacker said. “I feel like I’ve also gained and learned.”

16jschaffer@usd489.com