Life Skills class thinks outside the box

For the Palmerton High School Life Skills class, which includes students in grades 9-12 and transition age (18-21 years old), the 2020-21 school year has afforded the opportunity to think outside of the box with normal curricular programing.

The class has been reading The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob, by Katherine Applegate, books that are set in a circus and a zoo. In conjunction with these books, coupled with the fact that in-person field trips are on hold, the students have participated in virtual field trips with local environmental organizations. In November, the Carbon County Environmental Education Center did a program for the Life SKills classes at Palmerton and Towamensing Elementary School. Students had the opportunity to virtually meet a baby mouse, a bat, an opossum, a ferret and a painted turtle. This spring, the class looks forward to presentations from the Lehigh Valley Zoo featuring an armadillo, a barn owl and a sloth, as well as a presentation about black bears by the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Center.

Once a month on virtual Fridays, the students cook at home along with their teacher, Miss Mandy Cappella. The recipe is always something simple with easy-to-find ingredients. Daily movement breaks encourage students to take a break from the screen and move around. Activities include chair yoga, dance cardio fitness, meditation, simple art projects and socially distanced games.

The class explored important historical events that have taken place in this country over the past 100 years, from the 1918 flu pandemic to today. They’ve also delved into Palmerton history, exploring the important buildings, individuals and landmarks that have shaped the local community. Students researched the meanings behind the paintings on the new “Welcome to Palmerton” sign and “Patches,” the Palmerton mule.

In February, they created Valentine’s Day or Winter cards to send to Palmerton’s virtual learners. The in-school students selected a secret pen pal and made a card for them. Cards were sent home to the virtual learners, along with stickers, sparkles and other seasonal decorations that they could use to create a card, as well as pre-stamped envelopes to send return greetings to their in-person classmates at school. Every marking period, the virtual students are provided with the materials to participate in hands-on activities related to art, measurement or science, allowing them to complete the same activities at home as the in-person students. Following health and safety guidelines, the class was unable to do the typical timesheet, budget and classroom store this year, but educators are grateful to local businesses for donating certificates to the students who demonstrated patience, flexibility, responsibility and problem-solving over the course of each marking period.

This school year has been like no other, but the Palmerton Area Senior High School’s Life Skills class has discovered innovative ways to learn and grow that will benefit them throughout their adult lives.