The buzz here is about more than coffee

By Irene Bowers
Correspondent

BAYSIDE

The Coffee Shop at Princess Anne High School served its last cup for the year with a special gift for outgoing Principal Patricia Griffin.

Along with hugs and expressions of gratitude, the special-education students who run the coffee shop pooled their tips to buy Griffin a coffee-themed area rug.

"Mrs. Griffin is retiring," said Ryan Brennan, who helps deliver coffee orders throughout the school. "We are going to miss her so much."

Griffin, who thought she would put her new coffee rug to good use, said the coffee shop has been a welcome addition to the Princess Anne school experience.

"We are all Cavaliers here," she said. "The idea is that each student population in the school needs to embrace the other, to recognize that we are all equally important."

In 2004, Princess Anne opened its first coffee operation. The idea was promoted through the city's high schools by Robert Mitchell, who is retiring from the city schools' Office of Programs for Exceptional Students.

"We wrote up our business plan, and Mrs. Griffin was on board from the start," said Margaret Burton, Princess Anne High special-education instructor for students with moderate to mild disabilities. "She has been a genuine supporter of the program for the last six years."

Burton explained that the coffee shop is akin to a stepping stone from school to employment. "The students go on to find jobs in local businesses as a direct result of working here at the school."

Seven students run the shop, which was open every school day from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Faculty and staff may buy coffee or place orders for delivery. Burton incorporates classroom instruction into the workplace, she said.

"We try to cover just about any scenario - mistakes in orders, cleanliness, responsibility and positive work habits."

The coffee shop is a powerful learning tool, said Wayne Varney, program coordinator for the Princess Anne special-education department.

"Our goal is to provide these students with the skills and education to help them become productive members of society. The coffee shop gives them a transition from the classroom to the work world, with real-life experience preparing and delivering orders."

Princess Anne High teacher assistant Sue Balaconis stopped by with gifts for the students on the last day of operations. In lieu of money, she offered 16-year-old student Haley Hancock, a box of Chinese noodles.

"The first form of money was bartering," Haley said, accepting the noodles.

Burton will hand over the shop operations to another instructor next year but intends to be a frequent customer. She is pleased with the way it has helped students succeed.

"There are workplace skills and social skills required of each student," she said. "It isn't just about making coffee and delivering it - "

Before Burton could continue, Haley finished the sentence for her: "It's about friendship."

Irene Bowers, bowersi@aol.com