Special Roast Coffee Shop is run by students, staff in Special School District

Isabella Monahan
September 5, 2017

A sign in the C-wing shows the positions that students have for the coffee shop. The sign is located outside of the room where the coffee shop is located.

Special School District teachers Ms. Carrie Gausling and Ms. Tina Rellergert, after seeing videos of other in-school coffee shops around the area, were approached by the area’s coordinator asking if they would be willing to try out having a coffee shop of their own. Without hesitation, they said yes, and had the freedom to really customize it and make it to fit their students best.

The goal of this whole coffee shop is really to get students enrolled in Functional Skills and CBVI programs within Special School District at Pattonville more involved.

“After doing this for about a year now, our students have really learned how to better navigate the building,” Gausling said. “It’s also nice for not only us to get to know more students here at Pattonville, but for them to get to know us as well.”

The Functional Skills/CBVI Program deliver coffee to teachers during 1st and 2nd hours (A days), 1st and 3rd hours (B days) and 2nd hour (C days).

The students are learning job skills, money skills, social skills, life skills, daily living skills, computer skills, and helping students to gain skills to transition to employment after graduation.

“Our real goal here was we were really looking for a way to teach our students knowledge that will help them for their beyond-high school careers,” Rellergert said.

Teachers can choose the coffee flavor they want and request any extras like creamer, sweetener, and seasonal favorites like whipped cream and marshmallows. The cost is just $1.

All money made from the coffee shop goes to the Special School District account so students get to choose their reward for all of the hard work they do at the coffee shop every day.

The coffee supplies are placed on a book shelf in the room and used by the students daily.

“After our coffee shop being such a success, other schools have reached out to us to ask how PHS runs our coffee shop,” Gausling said.

The coffee shop is located in room C212 with a variety flavors of coffee from the most popular, “Donut Shop,” to even hot chocolate, and a selection of teas.

Staff and teachers can make orders online and have it delivered every morning.