So many great ways for students to become connected with each other and staff
Many of the students enrolled in Pathways struggle socially and have limited interpersonal relationships which reinforces their school avoidance. To help overcome this challenge, Pathways has been designed to assist students in developing the skills and confidence to become engaged with other students, enjoy being in a school setting, and expand their social life.
Pathways provides many opportunities for students to comfortably begin establishing healthy connections, first with their peers in Pathways and then in all of Cornerstone.
Once a student begins to feel comfortable in the relaxed and stress-free Pathways setting, there are numerous opportunities to develop the confidence and skills needed to establish interpersonal connections.
Pathways students become their own social group and often, they choose to go as a unit to events in the general school community as well as go on school field trips and begin integrating with mainstream Cornerstone students. All of this might begin with two or three students in Pathways playing chess or cards together or perhaps enjoying a visiting therapy dog. It continues to build when two students work side-by-side with a teacher in the suite or on art projects, first in Pathways and then later in the Art Studio, where other non-Pathways students may be working as well. Or it might start with two Pathways students playing instruments together in our music studio or working out together in our Weight Training Room. These are just some of the many building blocks of connection within Pathways, all of which greatly help these students learn to enjoy school friendships and an active social life.
