11/26 Blog Posting

THRIVE Director Notes

Posts on this Blog will be directed to help families see what is going on in our THRIVE Program.  Items discussed 
on the Blog have already occurred. To keep updated on what’s coming up please refer to the THRIVE activity calen-
dar or UCM activity calendar.

First-Year Students:

University Foundations:

This has been a very busy short week. We had a snow day on Monday and we did not have UF on Friday due to finals. We have 
made to do lists this week in order to stay on track. This week students learned they could use an index card with notes to help 
them on the UF final. Also, on last Sunday I shared with the first-year students their short answers that will be on the test. 
Explained in class students were to make a copy and complete the answers ahead of their scheduled test time. When the go 
take their test over in OAS students are to attach their completed short answers to their test.  Students are having difficulty 
remembering to accept invites through emails. We had a discussion of how important that is to schedule for them and the 
THRIVE program. Students were asked to complete class evaluations on www.mycentral.edu.

Daily & Independent Living Skills:

In DILS the students gave their final presentations on their career aspirations.  Here are some of the pictures from 
the first day’s presentations.

Technology Literacy:

The students were finishing up their projects and presented them on Thursday, since we had a Monday Snow Day.  

Relationships 101:

We did not have class this week due to finals being taken. Students did learn this week that they could use their completed 
study guide on their finals which made several students happy. On Tuesday we did a repeat of the Kahoots game to help them 
review.

Second-Year Students:

Transition Planning I:

We have finished up the 7 Habits book and will take our final over what we discussed and learned as we were 
reading the book.  The students had a lot of good discussions as we were going through this class and book. Next 
semester we will be doing activities with budgets, relationships and independent skills.

Internship I:

The students met with the Career Service Office this week.  The meeting was very informational for the students 
and the Career Service staff were great.  The talked to the students about the services that the Career Service office 
can provide for them.  Next semester the students will have to utilize these services for activities in the class. The 
students will have their final mock interview next week.

Overall the students and I had a very productive fall semester.  I look forward to working with the students again in 
the spring.

PLATO:

Students had an opportunity to get caught up on plato during Thanksgiving break. Some students took advantage of this and 
some did not.  This was the last week students will work on plato for this semester.

THRIVE Activities:

Fall Finals:

The first-year students should be spending some time studying this week.  They will have their final tests or projects 
due the week they get back. Just a bit of studying each day should help them be prepared for their classes.  Some 
already had a plan ready. The students should know when their last finals are and when they can leave. We have a 
list of items that will need to be done for Winter Checkout.  It’s a bit different.

Spring Semester Classes:

The Spring Semester classes will start on January 14th.  The residence halls will open for students on January 13th 
at noon.  Please make sure the students have paper, pencils, backpacks, chargers for their phones/computers.  We 
will have the students’ books in the THRIVE Suite and the students will need to pick them up on Monday morning.  
Please make sure they have appropriate winter clothing with them on their return in January.

No Weekend Activity this week:

We didn’t have a weekend activity for this week.  The first-year students headed home on Friday and the second-
year students were getting ready for their finals.  Happy Winter Break everyone.

Important upcoming dates:

End of Semester:

First-Year students:

The first-year students are gone now and won’t need to return to campus until Sunday, ,January 13th.  Their 
Spring classes are already on their Google Calendar and they have been given access to their Fixed-Com-
mitment calendar.  If you have any questions about classes, please contact Mrs. Southard.

Second-Year students:

Second-Year students will have Finals this week, December 3rd - 7th.  You will want to talk to your student to 
see when their last final is taken.  They may also have their internship during this time.

The second-year students will need to be picked up by 6 pm on the 7th.  They will also need to make sure 
that their rooms are prepared for their absence for a month.  They will have a list of things to do. All THRIVE 
Ipads and chargers will be returned to Dr. Manning before the students leave.  We will make sure they are 
updated and ready to go for Spring.

Check Out Procedures in the mail…

Please read the email that was sent out on 11/27 that goes over the check out procedure.  

Progress Reports:

The THRIVE Staff will be working the week of the 10th to get all progress reports finished for the semester.  
By the 17th students and families should receive their progress reports.

Spring semester of 2019:

Students will be able to move back into the residence halls on Sunday, January 13th.  They will need to come 
to the THRIVE Suite to pick up books for their classes on Monday morning.  Then classes will start. Staff have 
already included their classes on their Google Calendar, students please remember to accept these invites.  
They have also been given access to their Spring Fixed-Commitment Calendars which will show their classes 
and more for next Spring. Mrs. Southard used some time last week to take some of the first year students to 
their classrooms where they will be next semester. 

If students swapped roommates we will have them do new roommate agreements during the first week back 
to school. 

Athletics to watch: Men’s and Women’s Basketball will be starting soon as women's Volleyball, Cross-Country, and 
Mules Football comes to a close.

"This blog is a programming blog written by the director and staff of the THRIVE Program on the 
University of Central Missouri campus.  This blog doesn't accept any form of cash advertising, 
sponsorship, or paid topic insertions.

The views and ideas expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners.  This blog does not 
contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.  We are simply telling you what we 
plan to do in our program and using the blog to help spread what we are doing on a weekly basis."