Week of August 16th 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 calendar or UCM activity calendar.

First-Year Students:

Director Notes:

Overall, the first-year students did well and made it to their classes.  They were tired by the end of the week, which, I believe the teachers were, also.  We had some that were a bit homesick but they were starting to get into activities on campus.

University Foundations: Debra Southard  

First-year students meet daily in University Foundations Class. We have worked on learning how to maneuver on the blackboard, college expectations, and academic honesty. We have discussed the importance of getting to class on time and treating everyone with respect. Our students have been working hard.  We have learned how to use the activity app and have asked the students to use that when they are out and about. Each student completed the discussion board while discussing their hobbies.

Individual Relationships and Health:  Debra Southard & Lisa Garnier

Monday Mrs. Garnier and Mrs. Southard discussed how the class will work and went over the syllabus. Wednesday Mrs. Southard explained different levels of friendships. Mrs. Garnier discussed the harm gossiping can do to relationships and ways to advocate for herself. Homework was assigned. Friday Wesley Hobson from Green Dot was invited to discuss friendships and what it is to be a good friend.

Technology Literacy:  Lisa Garnier

Technology Literacy has been a busy week of introductions to all the software we’ll be using in THRIVE and college in general. We’ve covered our syllabus, course schedule, Blackboard usage, Google Drive, and we have also solved several computer issues that come with the territory when starting college. Things are off to a good start, and I look forward to a productive semester. 

Career Exploration: Michael Brunkhorst

This week the students found out what they will do over the course of the semester.  They also filled out information on their life, so far.  This will help them learn more about their skills and abilities as we go through this course.  They also learned about a collaborative effort with a group of Special Education students in my Transition Class.  Students will be paired with one of these students or myself to do career assessments as part of the class.

Second-Year Students:

Transition Planning I: Gary Manning

Hello and Good Morning!  This week has been a lot about the introduction of the class and what to expect.  We will be using the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey.  The students' first assignment in this book was assigned to them.  

We discussed having three goals for the semester.  The students have to develop three goals for themselves.  The goals can be related to school or something personal.  

Internship I: Gary Manning

The students are meeting with their supervisors and starting their internships this week and next week.  This can be a slow process at times.  Some of the locations that the students are interning at are trying to finalize schedules and do professional development for their employees.  

Plato: Debra Southard

Plato has changed. Not only did we change some things but so did the company itself. This year we are requiring each student to complete 5 hours of plato a week. One hour each of the following, Reading, Math, writing, health, and academic success. If students do not complete their time this week they will be required to complete this time and next week's time during study hall plus. 

THRIVE Activities:

Mentor Activities: Claire had our first cooking group of the year.  They made Cereal Shakes.  Looks yummy...

Great Job Everyone!!  For more pictures please join our THRIVE Facebook and/or Instagram pages.

Important upcoming dates: 

Next Mentor Activity:  Hope has a scavenger hunt planned for next weekend.  So far, we have 13 that have signed up.  We hope that more students sign up for it.

Four Year program details: Over the next few months we will have opportunities for families to learn more about our 3rd- and 4th-year options.  The third year will start next fall, so families of 2nd-year students would be able to look at this option for their students.

"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."