Cafe brews up confidence in special needs kids

Students at The Ponds School are using the school’s newly opened cafe to learn hospitality vocation skills to help prepare them for life after school.

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Tuesdays are fast becoming the favourite day in the week for students at The Ponds School after the opening of a learning-based cafe.

The school for special needs students just unveiled it’s Tag Cafe last Tuesday and has already proved nothing can stand in its way, rain or shine.

“Today we used the staffroom due to the wet weather,” school principal Leonie Donaldson said.

The cafe simulates work experience in the school to help students gain the skills they need to be best prepared for life.

Kai is one of five students from Year 7 to 10 who help run the cafe with the Salvation Army’s Liam Holland.

“We’re always looking at where our students are going to be and what they’ll be doing in the next environment so this is a way to help them gain hospitality skills that are applicable in the workplace and everyday life too,” Mrs Donaldson said.

From 9am until 10am on Tuesdays, the smell of hot brewed coffee wafts its way across the school with the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods, which students prepare in class and supply to the cafe.

Mrs Donaldson said the new initiative was founded on collaborative efforts.

“A great school sponsor generously donated about $10,000, the Salvation Army have provide the coffee cart and Bunnings has supplied us with tables,” she said.

The Ponds School’s new cafe was a full house when it opened last week.

“It’s been an amazing community effort … we wanted to create a school that’s welcoming and is part of the community but also wanted the community to be part of the school and that’s finally coming to fruition.”

Parents, carers and assisted school transport drivers are all starting to enjoy the new addition to the school which will redirect any profits back in to school programs.

“The students are absolutely enjoying it … they’re making more eye contact, speaking more clearly and are able to communicate, follow instructions and routines better,” Mrs Donaldson said.

She added seeing the boost in students’ self-esteem and sensing their pride was priceless.