Walking down the halls you have probably seen the smiling faces of the kids in the School Community Based Program (SCB). The SCB program is designed for students with intellectual disabilities and prepares them for the transition to postsecondary opportunities upon graduation with a certificate from the Montgomery County Public School system. The program also provides transition services to the students such as adult education and workforce experience based on the individual students’ needs.

On April 17- 19, SCB sold water bottles and coffee mugs. The red water bottles, complete with the blue Wootton logo, are sold for $7 each, as are the blue coffee mugs that carry a red logo.

Students who would like to buy a water bottle to show some school spirit should come support SCB. There are extra water bottles that people can buy during lunch in room 168. “Supporting our SCB helps to provide the students with additional opportunities for real world experience,” junior Ann Li said.

Lily Herzing, the transition support teacher, helped to implement the idea to make water bottles. “A transition support teacher at another school told me about their bottle selling project. After going on the school’s website, I noticed that there was a market for bottles and mugs with the school’s logo on them,” Herzing said.

With the help of the students who voted on the colors for the bottles, Herzing’s plan was put into action. A grant paid for the expenses of ordering the water bottles. “The fantastic SCB program teachers Mary Gorie and Greg Metzger have also been working really hard to make sure that this sale is a success,” Herzing said.

Herzing, who started here in 2008 and is now the transition support teacher, helps the students in the SCB program figure out their life after high school. “I love working with the kids and watching them rise to the occasion. I love how much they love this and being a part of the school community,” Herzing said.

So far, SCB has sold about 53 water bottles and 50 coffee mugs, earning around $700.

The money will go toward a vocational fund that gives the students exposure to job readiness skills, social interactions, and practice in selling, collecting, giving change, and counting money. “Buying a water bottle is a great thing to do because it gives you a chance to support a deserving cause,” junior Ana Caggiano said.

In the future, the vocation fund could be used to start a water cooler business run by SCB. The business would refill the water bottles sold this year and charge a small fee for non-Wootton water bottles. Although this innovation is currently only in extremely early stages, it could be implemented in the coming years.

There are many reasons to buy a water bottle. “They are cheap and support a great cause, so why wouldn’t you want to buy it,” freshman Aidan Wilbur said.

Abigail Russ

Staff Writer