School Store Provides On-the-Job Training to Students
W
hen Anthony Greece
interviewed for his current
position as a Special Education
Life Skills-Support Teacher in 2016, one
of his biggest goals was to provide his
research and examples from other school
is able to practice and apply good
stores, a business plan was set into place.
customer service through these types
The school store provides the high
of interactions with classmates. Tenth
school faculty and student body with
grader, Caleb Fullard, likes gaining real
school supplies, snacks, drinks, and
work experience. Because he is learning
Greensburg Salem apparel.
authentic job skills and receiving actual
More importantly, the Lion
training, he will be able to transfer his
Shoppe, now in its 4th year
high school job in the Shoppe into a real
of operation, continues to
job after graduating high school. Tenth
be an integral part of the
grader, Landon Iannuzzo, discovered that
Life Skills curriculum. The
he likes stocking shelves and counting
impact on the students in
inventory while ninth grader, Billy Clark,
the Life Skills classroom is
has sharpened his sales skills by selling
invaluable.
drinks and greeting customers.
The students are taught
The proceeds are used for purchasing
real and usable math
items for the classroom like headphones
and communications
that allow them to listen to a lesson that
skills. Video modeling,
may be difficult to read. Additionally,
task analysis steps, and
money raised is also given to the students
authentic practice through
to use during a mall shopping trip.
role playing are used
During the excursion to Westmoreland
to train and educate
students.
Putting skills to work greeting customers and making change.
Students learn:
students with authentic on the job skills
• About cost and profit.
training experiences to help prepare
• Customer service by waiting on
them for post-secondary life. That goal
customers.
materialized into the Lion Shoppe, a
• How to make change.
school store that provides products
• To inventory merchandise.
to customers, but more importantly
• Accounting by working on real
provides real life training to the students
records.
who work in it each school day.
The students are also learning
The Lion Shoppe was funded originally
and developing their soft skills
through a grant from the Greensburg
which include leadership, teamwork,
Students meet Santa during their excursion to
Westmoreland Mall.
Salem Education Foundation and through communication, problem solving,
staff leadership and collaboration with
work ethic, flexibility, adaptability, and
the Life Skills teaching team. Greece
interpersonal skills. Working in the store
Mall, students explore jobs of interest,
and his team worked with the building
also allows them to develop relationships
ask employees about what they do, and
principal, Mr. David Zilli, to develop a
with GSHS staff. Jawaan Parms-Rogers
collect business cards. They also practice
schedule, the business manager to set up
loves that he gets to work with his
using money and receiving change when
an activity fund account and the cafeteria
teachers.
they order food for lunch. The whole
director to ensure that the Shoppe
Senior, Bethani Liotta, loves to greet
experience helps them to improve how
abided by the Smart Schools Snacks
people and give them merchandise when they work in the Lion Shoppe.
Policy. Applying what they learned from
she is working in the Shoppe. Bethani
Student Council Association
Spreads Good Cheer
T
he GSHS Student Council Association volunteered at
Operation Santa Claus to sort and pack food for distribution.
SCA members delivered a $1,200 donation raised through
their annual Powderpuff football game this past November and
approximately 1,000 food items donated through their food drive
to the Westmoreland County Food Bank.
28
GREENSBURG SALEM