They wait in the cafeteria at the administration building anxiously. Walking around making sure everything is ready to go, they watch as time goes by.

Twice a month the life skills students prepare and serve to the administration. On Nov. 15, they served baked potatoes, salad and cookies.

Each student was designated to a certain area during the lunch.

Senior Shaina Beavers’ job included handing the administrators the menu and saying, ‘Welcome’.

“I think they learn the importance of customer service,” life skills teacher Brandy Mayfield said. “I was super excited to see how they would handle the situation. We practiced in class and then they did perfect when we got over there.”

After Shaina welcomed them, senior Kassie Howard directed the guests to their seats.

“Come this way,” Kassie said.

After they took a seat, one of three students take their order: freshman Wesley Young, sophomore Bo Carr or senior Austin Jones.

“What do you want to drink?” Bo said.

With the choice of tea or water, Bo went to fill their drink. Then the administrators fill out the menus made by the class.

Then Austin or Wesley, whichever wasn’t taking another order, took the menus to the kitchen and put the trays together with the help of Mayfield.

“They learn to really focus on listening skills,” Mayfield said, “by having to listen to the order, then go back to the kitchen and prepare the order on how they heard it.”

Also in the kitchen helping prepare is senior Maria Torres. Hiding behind the scenes, she placed all the potato toppings and salad dressings on the trays.

The waiters take the potato and open it on the tray; then Mayfield  adds some lettuce on the side. Next, they go to Maria and tell her all the toppings they wanted. They finish by placing a packet of two red velvet cookies on the tray. One will deliver the tray to the correct administrator; then they move on to the next customer.

“My favorite part is serving the food,” Austin said. “I like talking to them and it felt good to serve people.”

As more administrators fill empty seats, the waiters and waitresses walk around table to table making sure everything is good and refilling their drinks.

“It’s good for us to learn how to serve,” Wesley said. “I like to do it and it’s fun.”

As they walk around to pick up trash or refill drinks, administrators appreciate the hard work the class puts into the lunches.

“I love it,” PPCD teacher Kristin Mathis said. “They’re learning great skills and they’re meeting more people in the community. They get to work toward a goal.”

Mathis and PPCD teacher Shauna Paque teach life skills to three and four years old.

“I love it,” Paque said. “I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s great for them, it’s great for us, it’s beneficial for everybody.”

Paque taught some from this group years ago. She enjoys seeing them come into the community and a part of something where others can see the work they put into each and every day.

“Getting to be around these kind of kids is a different dimension,” she said. “They are so polite and it’s great to interact with them. I’m glad to see them out and a part of the community.”

Administration only sees the end product. The waitors, waitresses, cooks and greeters take time beforehand to prepare the meal.

“I washed the potatoes and wrapped them in foil,” Bo said.

While Bo washed potatoes, Kassie helped Priscilla Lingle, life skills aid make cookies.

“I put eggs [in the mix],” Kassie said. “I put them in the oven.”

Substitute teacher Amanda Donahue helped the class during the lunch by marking off names and taking the money.

“My favorite part is watching them have teamwork,” Donahue said.

With few administrators still eating, all six workers begin to clean up.

“They are learning lots of responsibility with the public,” curriculum secretary Nancy Pulse said.

District test coordinator Melinda Woods agrees with Pulse.

“It’s an opportunity for them to learn social skills,” Woods said. “It’s very nice and a great idea they thought of doing this.”

Before they wipe off the tables and pack up the bus, they sit and talk about different life skills they learned and what they want to do with these lessons.

“I want to be a waiter at Sweetie Pies,” Bo said.

Mayfield feels as if the life skills are her own personal kids. This event is one of many ways she helps them learn life lessons to improve their living skills independently.

“It surprises me the things they pick up on and how they relate it to their life,” Mayfield said. “They take what we learn here and take the job skills into the real world. They always come up with a way to accomplish things.”