Students enrolled in the 12 Plus program in the Extended School Year or ESY program are having fun and learning new skills at The Calais School.

The 12 Plus students participate in the club activities, special events, math, STEM, art, ELA, physical fitness and home room activities and learn new skills.

“Our 12 Plus students are completing work-based learning where they are assisting with upgrading our technology in the building,” said Calais Assistant Principal Theresa Fritzky, who oversees the ESY Program. “Our 12 Plus students are also preparing old technology for recycling and are maintaining our school garden and creating bulletin boards throughout the building.”

On a recent day, Calais Special Education Teacher Bryan Amaya showed students how to prepare bulletin boards for posting photos and student artwork. Students took turns stapling construction paper to the boards.

Upstairs, students Avery and Edward worked together to reset the Calais School Chromebooks. “We are learning to work with different technology,” Ed said.

Calais Technology Integrator Kim Goldberg said the 12 Plus students are clearing data from old Chromebooks to prepare them for recycling. “This will help prepare students for entry level jobs in computer repair as well as entry level computer technician jobs,” she said.

Paraprofessional Brian Kraus said he works with a team of five students in the 12 Plus program in work-based learning. “It’s been an amazing experience delegating and leading them like a real-world work environment,” he said. “My team has been handling and processing technology including computer towers, iPads, Chromebooks, old laptops, keyboards, speakers and mouses.”

The students determine whether the equipment can be used or needs to be recycled, he said. If they are obsolete, then the students prepare them for recycling, Mr. Kraus said.

The students are learning important communication skills, organization skills and appropriate safety measures. With the direction of Mr. Amaya, the students also learn to work efficiently and be flexible – many things they would need to learn for a real-life work environment, Mr. Kraus said.

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