Last year we started a school store, and our Transitional Learning students have been managing every aspect of it! All the proceeds from school store sales are being put into a bank account to give them additional practice managing money—and they are saving up for a special class trip!

Our school trip to LifeTown in Livingston, NJ, was one of the highlights of our year. In addition to inclusive programs and classes for children, teenagers, and families—and a sizable interactive play area and pool—LifeTown has an interactive, immersive small town where neurodivergent children and adults can practice life skills ranging from following traffic rules, to using a bank, to working or shopping in a store.

One of the most important things we do at Orchard Friends is to prepare students for life after Orchard Friends. A visit to nearby Villanova University presented an exciting opportunity to build and practice skills–all while getting a first-hand look at a college program that could be a great fit for many of our students!