Since its addition in 2019, the Wildcat Cafe has been a staple for the students and faculty of Neuqua Valley. With its varieties of coffees, lemonades, and teas, the Cafe is a nice place to stop by and get a refreshing drink to help you get through a tiring school day.
The Wildcat Cafe is run by students in the Achieving Individual Milestones (AIM) program, a self-contained special education program at Neuqua Valley. It is a great way to teach students important social skills and communication skills, as well as give them early work experience that will aid them throughout their youth and follow them into adulthood.
“It builds a more inclusive environment at our school,” says Ms. Danielle Asquini, a special education teacher, “We have three different special education programs so building awareness around the building of these students that are here is so important.” By letting AIM students interact with other students that they otherwise would not have had a chance to, the Cafe helps expose them to the building and spread awareness in a unique way.
Currently, the Cafe is only available for teachers to order from, but the stand version will soon open for students as well. Once opened, it will be available to purchase from on Thursdays and Fridays during second and third periods. The stand sits in the cafeteria of the main building by the vending machines. Right now, coffee and lemonade costs $2 and tea costs $1. There are several flavors of lemonade and for non-coffee enjoyers, the stand also offers hot chocolate.
