JAY – Businesses in a volunteer program to help disabled students learn job skills and attend post-secondary school were recognized Friday.
Jay High School special services teacher Cyndy Paradis, who oversees the work experience program at the high school, was also recognized during an awards ceremony at LaFleur’s Restaurant in Jay for her commitment to helping students.
“Cyndy has done a great job of coordinating various students with the local employees,” Jay High School Principal Peter Brown said Friday. “She visits them regularly and is right on top of things if there are concerns.”
Mary Redmond-Luce, regional coordinator of Region V Advisory Council on Transition and Jay School Committee vice chairwoman, hosted the recognition breakfast along with Paradis.
Redmond-Luce coordinates the programs in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties to promote best practices in transition planning for ages 14 to 24 with disabilities, she said. Jay is one of 20 high schools participating.
The council advises parents, students and special educators in special education on adult services, Redmond-Luce said Friday.
The recognition breakfast is held because “it really does take a community to raise all children, and employees who are willing to open their doors and provide hands-on work experience really need to be recognized and appreciated.”
Shelly Given, manager of McDonald’s in Jay, said it was the first year the restaurant participated in the program.
“It went well,” Given said. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Cheryl Rand, who co-owns Rand’s Machine Shop in Wilton with her husband, Denney, said Friday that Mark Given, a 2005 graduate of Jay, did really well at their business and learned how to operate a variety of machines including a lathe and press.
He’ll continue working at the shop this summer.
“I love it. It’s awesome. It’s fun,” Given said Friday. “I never get bored. It’s pretty fast-paced and that’s what I like. I’ve learned more I think up there than I’ve learned in shop class at school. It’s more hands-on. It’s one-on-one.”
Given said he plans to take a welding course through MaineOxy. Becky Viotto, a 2005 Jay graduate, said she enjoyed working with Jeanie Rackliff at the Jay Elementary School.
“Oh, yeah, it was fun,” Viotto said Friday.
Viotto is going to the Sylvan Learning Center to gain more math skills to pass the entrance exam to Central Maine Community College in Auburn.
“I’m going into early education and hopefully, if I can stand more college, I’m going to go on to be an education technician III,” Viotto said.
The work experience program is to prepare students to go from school to wherever they’re going after, and sometimes that’s employment or college, Paradis said.
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