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When Bruno Di Cesare makes the announcement heard throughout John Rennie High School on Wednesday mornings that the Mojo Café at will be open for business at recess, his delivery is confident and professional, his message lively and bright.

“Everybody loves my announcement,” he said. “It makes people smile.”

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Di Cesare, 16, is one of six students with special needs at the Pointe-Claire high school who organize and run the weekly café for teachers and staff; it was launched in the fall of 2018 as part of the life skills curriculum in the school’s resource department.

The program was created by integration aides Beverlee Gauthier and Cathy Hordij, who assist the students as they work together on the menu and look to YouTube for videos of recipes. There’s a different loaf, squares and cookies each week and selections on a recent Wednesday were lemon cranberry loaf, marble brownie squares and chocolate cookies.