B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Students on Their Journey to Building Budgeting Skills
The HDS Foundation B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program supports the development of school-based social and community life skills activities designed to meet the needs of ASD High School Students. Structured in the form of a grant, the Foundation encourages High School ESE Departments to create school-based programs that provide opportunities year-round for Social, Independence, Community and Personal Development to teens who have Developmental Disabilities within this population.
This past Saturday, the HDS Foundation met with Cypress Bay High School B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class for their annual Budgeting Life Skills Event. Students, along with their parents, met with the Bank of America representatives to learn budgeting skills. They learned all about transactions like deposits and withdrawals and even opened their very own bank account. Managing money is a very important life skill and represents the B. in the HDS Foundation B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program goals.
Cypress Bay teachers, Ms. Donna Mansolillo and Ms. Kathy Gormin-Gard, have built a valuable curriculum filled with life lessons around this skill in preparation for this event but also thread throughout the program for the year. With that being said, the HDS Foundation and the Bank of America provided the opportunity for the students to open their first bank account. These bank accounts will be used throughout the rest of the year in order to give students the experience of: saving money, utilizing the ATM, depositing cash or checks, and having a debit card to pay for meals or activities during their Community-Based Instruction (CBI).
Veteran students, with active accounts, participated as well by learning more about the variety of banking options. The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Class will accompany this event with a CBI trip to the Bank of America at the Weston Commons. At this CBI, they will learn more about the banking process that occurs at Bank of America, while also becoming more acquainted with their local branch. In addition to familiarizing themselves with the bank, they will also be making their very first deposit with checks issued by the HDS Foundation. This allows the students to learn, step by step, how to deposit their check and use the ATM properly to access their money.
While the students signed up for their bank account, the HDS Contenders brought the students, parents, and volunteers’ snacks and refreshments to enjoy.
This event allowed parents to participate alongside their children and see the strides they’ve made by learning how to become independent adults.
The students came in excited to open their own bank account, and left feeling super confident on how to manage, save, and use their money for upcoming events and activities.
The HDS Foundation kicks off the 2019-2020 BRIDGES Program at Cypress Bay High School
The 2019-2020 Academic Year at Cypress Bay High School is off to a great start, with the HDS Foundation kicking-off the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program at the Bay! On Friday September 21st, the HDS Board members, Cristina Miranda Gilson and Meagan Bouscher Miranda (along with other HDS Foundation staff), hosted a fun pizza lunch and Meet and Greet for the students and class facilitators Ms. Kathy Gorman-Gard and Ms. Donna Mansolillo. The students each introduced themselves and spoke a little about their interests, hobbies, and some goals. This is definitely an exceptional class, and we are sure this year will be a very special one.
Designed as a Program Grant to support diploma seeking students on the Autism Spectrum, the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program focuses on supporting the development of school-based social and community life skills activities designed to meet the needs of this population. At Cypress Bay, the ESE Department’s Social Living Skills (SLS) Team has put together an exciting plan for this year, gaining them this award for the 5th year in a row. The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program will provide these students with learning experiences focused on Budgeting | Resources | Independent Functioning | Development | Growth | Empowerment | Social Skills.
Some of the activities planned this year by Ms. Gard and Ms. Mansolillo include various community based-field trips to local businesses who are poised to provide potential future employment, life skills development initiatives such as establishing bank accounts, shopping opportunities, learning about transportation options, and social skills activities during the school year. These activities have been successful conduits to building better communication tools, peer mentoring, fostering friendships, and preparation for life after high school, including post-secondary.
Best wishes for a great year class!
Inclimate Weather
Latest Update – We are pleased to report that HDS Companies is standing down from its Disaster Recovery/Continuity plan from the threat of Hurricane Dorian. Thankfully our offices did not experience the effects of this major storm and we were able to bring our offices back online and we are back to normal operations as of this morning.
We thank you for the many emails and calls, they are very much appreciated. Our thoughts and prayers continue with those already affected and those in the path of this storm.
UPDATE – We are happy to report that our BCDR implementation was successfully executed. We are in the process of rolling back into our typical and full operations and our normal office hours will resume Tuesday, September 3, 2019.
We thank you all for your thoughtfulness as always.
Our thoughts and prayers continue with those in the path of this storm.
The HDS Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan has been activated. As our area reaches the expected Hurricane WARNING, our headquarter offices will CLOSE until it is safe to return. At that time incoming calls will be re-routed to our backup phone systems. Please leave a message or email us at [email protected] and the next available representative member will respond.
Please Note: The HDS Hosted Solution will continue to operate as typical as they would during this time.
We continue to closely watch the forecast for Hurricane Dorian and the potential impact it may have in our area. As the storm progresses, we will provide updates via email and on our website at HDSoftware.com\NEWS about office closures, evacuations, and alternative means for contact.
Thank you all for your thoughtfulness as always.
HDS NextGen Goes Back to School
School is back in session! Whether it is your child’s first time going to school or they are a seasoned student, everyone’s first day will always be exciting. The stress is all gone from back to school shopping, and parents can now confidently watch their kids succeed knowing they gave their child the right tools.
At HDS we have a long-standing tradition of our staff sharing their kids “obligatory first day of school” pictures. This is a tradition that we have all come to love because we get to see the NextGen of kids grow throughout the years.
We wanted to share some of the sweet moments from our HDS family to yours. We hope everyone has an amazing school year!
HDS Hosts Back-to-School Drive in Support of the Families Served by Hope United Church
HDS Companies is thrilled to support the congregation at Hope United Church in Pembroke Pines by participating in their annual Back to School Supply Drive. The organization works with local businesses and community partners to collect school supplies and donations for underprivileged and low-income families.
“Access to supplies directly impacts student self-esteem, interest in learning, and overall class participation. We are proud to support Hope United Church and the families they serve. Through this Back-to-School Drive, we are providing the tools needed for children to succeed in school,” said Cristina Miranda Gilson, Founder, and CEO at HDS.
Our very own Jessica Predville spearheaded the effort, which was carried out by our workforce community service group, the HDS Staff. Jessica is a member of the organization and has always involved HDS with the organization’s charitable efforts. Our associates were delighted to give back to the community and donate school supplies for the children at Hope United Church.
“HDS always supports all of my charitable endeavors. This is the second time HDS participates in the Back to School Drive; they have also supported our Thanksgiving and Toy Drive for the last three years. At Hope United Church, we are always looking for ways to give back to the community, and our program is PROUD to have HDS as a pillar to our organization,” said Jessica Predville, Compliance Review Team Lead at eHousingPlus.
Thanks to the efforts of our HDS Staff, many kids are going back-to-school with the tools they need to make the most of the 2019-2020 school year. We are grateful for Jessica, and the opportunity to unite and support Hope United Church.
To learn more about Hope United Church, please visit hopeunited.church/
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