Students in the Super Senior program work on developing strong social skills to help promote meaningful relationships, increase independence, and improve long-term outcomes in adult life. The students must be able to communicate effectively, follow directions, work cooperatively with others, advocate for their needs, and demonstrate appropriate behavior in the workplace and in public settings. The Super Seniors in Room 512 practice these skills throughout the day in a variety of settings.
In the classroom, students practice skills that encourage self-expression such as stating the favorite part of their day and are encouraged to express their opinions during group discussions. To support success in both classroom and workplace settings, the students are learning to ask for help or to clarify job directions. They are also encouraged to negotiate various job responsibilities with team members. Asking and answering peer questions in social settings such as when sharing weekend news helps to foster communication and relationship building. Together, these skills help students navigate school, work, and community environments with greater independence and confidence.
The students use social skills in job and community settings as well. In the workplace, this includes greeting supervisors and coworkers, following directions to complete the job, asking for help when needed, accepting feedback, and working as part of a team. In the school community, students use social skills when completing team jobs such as collecting attendance or helping collect money for special events such as Hoops for Hearts.
In the weekly Social Skills group, all three Super Senior classes get together to practice their skills in a large group setting while participating in a variety of games and activities.The weekly social skills group provides structured, supportive opportunities for students to strengthen communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities through engaging, hands-on activities. Games such as Would You Rather, Social Skills Bingo, and Conversation Dice help students practice expressing opinions, active listening, flexibility, and following multi-step directions. Collaborative projects like creating large posters for the hallway promote cooperation and shared responsibility. In addition, manners-based activities such as role-playing reinforce respectful behavior. Together, these experiences build confidence and support students in generalizing appropriate social behaviors across classroom, workplace, and community settings.