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Dennis-Yarmouth honors community partners who hired students from Pathways to Independence program
Summary
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School Committee recognized local businesses and first‑responder partners — including the Crazy Rooster and Celtic Cottage — for providing vocational training and paid jobs to students in its Pathways to Independence transition program.
Melissa O'Reilly, special education team chair at the Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School District, presented community partnership awards on Jan. 13 to local businesses and first‑responder organizations that host and train students in the district's Pathways to Independence transition program for students with disabilities ages 18–22.
The awards highlighted three principal partners: the Celtic Cottage (owners Margaret and Dave Dempsey, represented at the meeting by their daughter, Amy Dempsey), the Crazy Rooster (owners Teddy and Vanya), and the Yarmouth Fire Department. The committee also recognized other community partners and educators who have hosted students for job shadowing and hands‑on training.
The Pathways to Independence program places students in community settings to build vocational, social and life skills, O'Reilly told the committee. "A partnership includes providing our students with community settings to observe, train, and job coach," O'Reilly said. She added that partners also provide materials and accept mistakes that help students learn.
Mary Capo Bianco, lead teacher in the Pathways program, described the Celtic Cottage's role: "Margaret's patience, kindness, and support to our students had made them develop skills in the retail industry," she said, listing duties students have performed there, including stocking, assisting customers and managing the cash register. Capo Bianco noted Celtic Cottage has hosted students for three years.
At the Crazy Rooster, staff supplied practice items (coffee pots, cups, trays) for in‑school practice and allowed students to gain experience in serving, bussing and hosting. Capo Bianco announced that, after roughly two-and-a-half years of work experience, four program participants were hired into paid positions at the Crazy Rooster: Dakota Souza, Kira Stewart, Jasmine Cruz and Nayeli Rosario.
O'Reilly and Capo Bianco also praised the Yarmouth Fire Department for volunteering time and for developing age‑and‑ability‑appropriate safety training. Capo Bianco said firefighters taught students basic first aid, fire extinguisher use, how to call 911 and how to use an EpiPen; she said those experiences reduced fear and improved student responses during a recent school evacuation.
Committee members and student representatives spoke in support of the program and the partners. Committee member Glenn (first name not specified) complimented the "community team," and student representatives said the program and outreach make them proud of their district.
The presenters invited more local businesses and organizations to become partners and said they would display an emblem at participating establishments to signal support for the district's program.
A slideshow of students working in partner sites and a group photo of students, staff and award recipients closed the presentation.
The recognition was presented as an informational item; no formal committee action or vote was recorded on the awards themselves.
