Blog 4/21

 

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.  Please refer to the THRIVE activity calendar or the UCM activity calendar to keep updated on what's coming up.  Also, if you want to learn more about assistance with your son/daughter learning how to drive, please contact Mr. Brunkhorst.  

Director Notes: 

Moving day is coming soon… Hello families, please start talking with your son/daughter about when their last Final is… This can lead to a discussion of when you can pick them up.  Students will have to sign up for a time to be checked out by the CA before they can leave.  The students will be able to start signing up for this about a week prior to finals week.  We will start to talk to students in a couple of weeks.  But, students have to know when you are picking them up so that they can sign up for an appropriate time.  Their room has to be cleaned and empty, like it was when they moved in, at their slotted checkout time.  An email went out to families from me on Thursday afternoon to help explain more about the process.

Graduation Is coming up fast.  Please finish the Google form or update if you have more or fewer people coming.  We’ve also started sharing our THRIVE Focus on our Graduates on Facebook.  Please watch our Facebook page for features on our graduates.  What a great time of year!

Parents, please make sure you finish filling out the form to let Mr. B know how many of your family will be coming to Graduation.

All Families:  We are also in Week 13, yes, we only have a few more weeks of school left.  All students will have finals during finals week.  Please get with them on when their finals and internships are done.  The students don’t have classes at their normal times, so each student’s final times will be different.  We will try to start having discussions with the students so that they can put their final times on their calendars in the next week or so.  We like for students who are done early in the week to leave fairly soon afterward.  During Finals week, it’s quiet hour all day…  so that those who still have finals have a quiet time to study. 

Another great time in THRIVE…  We are now a 4-year CTP as well as a 2-year CTP.  We will have more in the coming weeks as we work on getting this going on campus.  You can read more about it at the following link…  https://www.ucmo.edu/news/04-15-25-thrive.php 

THRIVE Student panel…  Some of our THRIVE students had the opportunity to help future teachers gain some understanding of students with disabilities.  

First-Year Students:

Foods & Nutrition I: Debra Southard  

This has been another busy week. Monday, the second group made pizza snacks and did a great job. I can see students are getting more comfortable in the kitchens and working with others. Wednesday, we were all together in the Lovinger classroom discussing how to make Mac and cheese (not from a box). On Friday, we were all invited to a college class. We had a unique opportunity to participate in a group discussion. This class wanted first-hand experience and knowledge from our students about THRIVE and how they could be better teachers after they graduate. Our students also asked the college class questions. It was a great exchange of knowledge from both groups.

More pizza…

Workplace & Community Skills: Gary Manning & Mrs. Southard

This week we finished up meeting in class.  The students will start their mock interviews on Monday.  The interviews last about 20 minutes for the student.  Very typical questions the student may be asked during a job interview. The mock interview is their final in this class. 

Daily Independent Living Skills - Joni Shelton

On Tuesday, I shared a variety of stress-relieving techniques with students, and we talked about the impact of stress on our mental health, including anxiety and depression. On Thursday, Johnson County Community Health nurses presented some basic first aid techniques to the class. This included what to do in the event of an emergency, if someone is choking, has gotten cut, has an allergic reaction, has a seizure, has been burned, has fainted, or has stopped breathing. This was also another opportunity for students to see the work of another valuable resource in their community.

Waiting for class to start…

Rachel is working in class…

Second-Year Students:

Transition Planning II: Gary Manning

We have been discussing a lot about what the next two weeks will be like and about the graduation ceremony.  We can tell the students are excited but nervous about the transition in their lives and what the future may hold for them.  

Please talk to your student about when they will be done with finals and when they can move out of the dorms.  The students will need to set up a time to get checked out of the dorms.  Please make sure this correlates with each other's schedules.  

Internship I: Gary Manning

The students are finishing their professional portfolios.  All students should have a resume, cover letter, 3 letters of recommendation, and their Professional Development Plan in their portfolio.  

We also continue talking about interviewing skills to get ready for their mock interviews next week.  The students did a mock interview at the UCM Career Service Office on Monday.  The other interview will be with the THRIVE staff as part of their final.  

 

We also continue talking about applying for jobs for the summer or for jobs if the student is not coming back for a third year.  

Personal Finance I:  Lisa Garnier

We spent this week learning consumer skills. Students were taught how to comparison-shop for the best value and quality of products. We practiced reading receipts, understanding the information on them, and learned the importance of checking to make sure the charges are accurate. The basics of scams, fraud, and identity theft are also being covered.

Third-Year Students:

Transition Planning IV: Lisa Garnier

This week, we learned about plumbing and utility repair, and maintenance in the home. We talked about things like basic repair of leaky faucets, running or clogged toilets, and how to change furnace filters. We covered where the gas and water shut-off valves are typically located and how and when to turn them off. Finally, we learned what a breaker box is and how to reset breakers.

We also took a field trip to view an apartment for rent in Warrensburg. Students were given a checklist of things to look for during an apartment showing and asked to complete it during the walk-through. Spirit Rental in Warrensburg is always fantastic in working with my Transition IV class to get real apartment-hunting experience.

Internship IV: Lisa Garnier

Students are working on updating their resumes and getting new recommendation letters.

THRIVE Activities:

THRIVING through Sports - The Game Show… here is a link to watch the Second edition.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkpEKQP_vTs&t=1714s

Mr. Plummer has done a great job showcasing students’ talents…  Make sure you watch for more episodes in the coming weeks.

Mentor Activities: 

Last week, due to most students heading home for Easter, we didn’t have a mentor activity, but we did have the Alpha Sigma Alpha THRIVE Formal.  Here are just some of the pictures.  There are more on Facebook…

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

Important upcoming dates:   

Next Mentor Activity:  

Next week, students will have craft night with Caitlyn…

UCM Athletics:

Baseball season is well on its way.  

"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 that 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."