Burrell senior Violet Gamble’s favorite part of the school day is just after lunch when she departs for a new part-time job.

“I get so excited,” said Gamble, 17.

She is among life skills students from several Alle-­Kiski Valley schools who got a part-time gig at new resale shop June Bug Babies, along Freeport Road in New Kensington.

Inside the colorful consignment shop, Gamble and others are learning the ropes of employment. Last week, to facilitate the store’s opening Dec. 2, the students sorted clothes, sanitized toys, created signs for displays and priced items.

“The price tag gun is the best part,” said Gamble, who sported a $99,999,999 tag on her forehead.

Students from New Kensington-Arnold, Burrell and Leechburg Area school districts will be the first to work at June Bug Babies. Its grand opening will take place Dec. 2 in Suite 3 at 2120 Freeport Road, next to Dairy Queen.

The resale shop has baby and toddler clothing, equipment and supplies, said Rebecca Moyes, corporate executive officer for Grade Point Resources.

Grade Point Resources provides staffing to school districts for special needs students, as well as summer programs.

June Bug Babies grew out of training simulations that Grade Point Resources provides during extended school year programs in the summer, Moyes said. That includes sorting groceries into bags, using pricing guns and learning how to price apparel.

“It occurred to us we don’t have in this community a place where kids with disabilities can get that training,” she said. “Getting a job is hard without that skill set, so that’s what we’re doing.

“We’re providing training in a setting where actual consumers are going to be.”

June Bug Babies caters to children from newborn to kindergarten. There are clothing and shoes, toys, books and equipment such as high chairs and walkers, Moyes said.

Fellow Burrell senior Paul Turner has been enjoying the perks of the job. The 18-year-old said that while he’s not earning a paycheck, it’s fun to take on a new role — and the student workers get compensated with all the chips and pop they want.

“I do really like caffeine,” he said.

His job this week was to sanitize and sort donated books. He didn’t mind the work, despite saying he was more of a “horror-movie fanatic.”

Other districts have expressed interest in joining those already participating in running the store, Moyes said.

Students learn the back end of a retail environment, how to work with customers and the checkout process.

“We’re really excited to partner with her for this vocational program she’s doing,” said Jennifer Pallone, director of special education at New Kensington-Arnold. “It’s going to allow our students to get some good experience in retail, starting to learn how that could work if they wanted a job in that (line of work) outside of school.”

After the grand opening, the shop will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. Students would work one of two shifts — 8:30 to 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students who come during their school days will not be getting paid, but Moyes said they are exploring working with the state Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to create programs where they would be.

At the store, students will sort donations into those that can be sold, need to be donated elsewhere or thrown away. They will clean, price, sort and fill displays.

Moyes said they plan to create a certificate that students can show to potential employers documenting that they have completed training in a retail environment.

“For a certain percentage of children, academics at age 14 take a back seat. We have to focus on what these kids are going to do when they graduate,” Moyes said. “It may not be learning algebra or chemistry. It may be teaching them employability skills so they don’t spend their lives on unemployment or disability.”

Pallone didn’t know yet how many of her district’s students will be participating. Information about it soon will be shared with students and their families.

Pallone has visited the shop.

“I think they did a really nice job setting up the shop. It’s easy to navigate,” she said. “They have a station system for students to work in and get different experiences throughout the store. There’s a place where they can accept donations and sort the donations, and an area where they can learn how to use the cash register and work with customers directly.”

The experiences students will have at June Bug Babies will be invaluable, Pallone said.

“It’s going to raise our post-school outcomes for our students with disabilities and allow them to experience job opportunities that they may not realize they could do after high school,” she said. “Hopefully, they’ll be able to carry those skills over into whatever line of work they choose.”

Alexis Teeple, a junior at Burrell, said she felt comfortable in her new working role after waiting on mock customers.

The trial run gave her a boost in confidence, Teeple said.

Most of her time at the shop, however, was spent pricing baby clothes.

“I just love the tagging gun,” she said. “It’s really cool.”