H.I.V.E HAPPENINGS

The H.I.V.E. students are really busy! They go to work, develop their employment skills, life skills, and independent living abilities, and even run their own small business! The Hanover Park Regional High School District’s transitional services program, Hanover’s Individual and Vocational Education program (H.I.V.E.) prepares these young adults for a life in which they will be citizens who make positive contributions to their community. 

This program’s larger classroom looks like an apartment with a full kitchen, laundry, living, and dining area. The smaller classroom next door is where the “Busy Bees” conduct business producing, marketing, and selling creatively designed products such as gift bags containing delicious cake pops, chocolate covered pretzels, and cookies, themed blankets, mugs and water bottles, bowls and many custom-made items. They even sell healthy dog treats and have donated some of these to the local animal shelter! Profits from the “Busy Bees” are used to support the H.I.V.E. program’s community-based instructional trips and supplies. 

The students participate in physical education class each week through student memberships at Florham Park Fitness. They study personal finance with Affinity Bank, and they learn life skills through The DAWN Center. With their teachers, Mrs. DeFillippes and Ms. Lomio, they plan, shop for, and cook their own lunches. Four days a week, the students go to work, sampling jobs at a variety of sites throughout Morris County that partner with the district’s program. Local job sampling sites include Barnes & Noble, Pioneer Freight, Applebees, Chopt, Little Duck Day School, Stuff a Mug, and Cornerstone Family Programs. The H.I.V.E.’’s transition coordinator, Mrs. Romano is always on the lookout for new places for the students to sample new opportunities. 

Every Friday, the students participate in Community Based Instruction (CBI) trips, often partnering with other schools in the area. Throughout the years, they have hosted and attended CBI trips with students from districts across Morris County to broaden social interactions outside of the Hanover Park Regional High School District. 

The students have a lot to be proud of. They have worked hard to begin to interact and explore experiences outside of the traditional classroom. They have donated canned goods to the InterFaith Food Pantry and holiday gifts to the Frontline Appreciation Group (FLAG). Although they have accomplished so much, the H.I.V.E. teachers and students have many goals they can’t wait to achieve including developing and running a multi-district craft fair and acclimating themselves to a community college environment.