Living skills for students

It takes a community to raise a child, and LMCS instructors Tiffany Kesler and Megan Steele are looking to both the LMCS community and greater Lake Mills Community to help them with their new endeavor, Everyday Learning Class, or ELC. ELC is new to LMCS this year, and currently helps four high school students, obtain skills they will need out in the world when their high school careers are over.
The program is for students who are on Individual Educational Plans (IEPs), and is designed to bolster their ability to perform daily tasks. “They need these independent living skills . . . things we take for granted,” Kesler said. Among these skills are communication, wroking in the kitchen, working with household tools, giving back to the community, among others.
Kesler and Steele said that the group has worked on one big project this year, that had touched on many of these areas: cleaning and rejuvinating the outdoor classroom area.
“It has been going on most of the year,” they said of the outdoor classroom project. “They just have not been maintained at all.” The class is looking to ake the area nicer, so that it can be utilized by all classes and students. Kesler noted that, as with most of their undertakings, they try to tie their work in to something else happening at LMCS.
 “First  grade does a pumpkin unit, so we had a pumpkin patch planted last spring,” she said. “They liked that they did not have to go out of school (to get their pumpkins), so that was cool. We are trying to think of things to get every classrooom connected.”
It is not just confined to LMCS, as the paid envision to community and business sector becoming more involved, as well.
“We have already had help from the community, citing Rognes Brothers and the City for supplying dirt, and many materials and expertise supplied by Three Oaks Greenhouse and Floral.” The class will make the commuity aware of future needs in terms of material and upcmoing proejcts so that they may be a part of future projects through updates here in the Graphic. “Our next big project is compost boxes, we are going to make compost,” Kesler explained. “That will be a school-wide thing.” She added that the class will list breakfast and lunch items can be placed in compost buckets in the lunchroom so that kids can get involved and thrown those items in the buckets. The bins will be built by students in woodworking classes at LMHS.
While learning about life skills tht many of us take for granted, Kesler and Steele said that the students in the class and those around school are also having fun. “The students really enjoy what we have been doing, and we have been able to recruit help for projects that take a little more muscle.” She added, “Some students, it is tough to get them to work in here, but they will stay after hours to help.”
Depending on the needs, the class could be expanded next year to include some middle school students. The class meets every day of the school week.
People wishing to learn more about the class, or willing to donate items for upcoming projects, are encouraged to contact Kesler or Steele for any questions.
“The list keeps getting longer,” Kesler said when asked about specific needs, although she is sure the class would welcome jars (pint or quart), spray paint, yarn and other materials.
“The response from staff and students has been great,” they concluded.