Kidsday reporters improve their social skills

Do your manners need improvement? We know where you should go! As Kidsday reporters, we went into Manhattan to take a manners class.

When we arrived at the Union Square location, we received a warm welcome from Faye Rogaski. She is the creator of Socialsklz :). Rogaski is a teacher at New York University. What inspired her business was the lack of social intelligence her college students had when they entered her classroom.

Her way of making a difference was by starting her own business to improve social skills.

When we walked into the conference room, another nice lady, Whitney Baker, greeted us with a piece of paper and a bin of markers. “Would you like to draw?” she asked us with a smile. We drew until Faye arrived and started the session.

Faye explained that if you want to get far in life, you should have manners. Then she asked us to stand at the front of the room, and she taught us how to properly shake hands with each other. As an activity, we used tennis balls and when we asked someone a question, we gave the ball to them. You can only hand the ball over after you ask a question. You do not want to hold onto the ball for too long or your conversation will get boring.

We learned how to address adults. If the lady you are talking to is under the age of 18, the proper way to address her is Miss. If you don’t know much about the person you are talking to, the right thing to do is call her Ms. If you know for a fact that she is married, you should call her Mrs. If you are speaking to a man, always address him as Mr.

Finally, the instructors taught us how to write thank-you letters to friends, family or others we think might need a letter. At the end of the class, we shook hands properly with the instructors and left more knowledgeable about proper etiquette. We enjoyed the class and think you would, too.

Want to join a class? Visit the Web site socialsklz.com.