Blog - 11/13

 

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.  Also, if you are interested in learning more about assistance with your son/daughter learning how to drive please contact Mr. Brunkhorst.  

Director Notes: 

Friendly reminder:  Please refrain from calling students during class times.  Also, if you have concerns about your student please contact THRIVE staff to check on your student or for other information.  If you have any questions please contact Michael Brunkhorst at mbrunkhorst@ucmo.edu or your student's primary THRIVE teacher.

Students should be enrolled in their classes for the Spring semester. 

Thanksgiving Break and Finals…

Information about Thanksgiving Break.  All students will need to be out of the Dorms by 6 pm on November 17th.  We are asking that families look at items that aren’t needed over the winter time and take some home.  This will help with the organization of the rooms.  Then all students are due back to UCM on Sunday the 26th.  Dorms will open at noon.  

Roommate changes:

The staff finished reviewing and made its final recommendation for student moves.  Not all students wanted to move so we have a few rooms that stayed the same.  Students were emailed this morning (Monday, 11/13) their roommates for the Spring Semester.  Students are asked to make sure that anything that isn’t needed please go home with them for Thanksgiving break.  This would include if there are now 2 TVs, 2 microwaves, or 2 mini-fridges.  This will help THRIVE staff with their moves the week they get back from Thanksgiving Break.  No families need to come, as we will get them moved.  But, we do expect that the rooms are clean, organized, and ready for moving…  Please contact your student if you want to know more about this.  

First-Year Students:

University Foundations: Debra Southard   This week we've had daily writing assignments. Some of the assignments include writing about characteristics they are proud of. What they see in their future and students selected a metaphor they felt explained their life. Students have been learning how to explain, expand, and elaborate on their written words. Something I see hurting some students' grades is their weekly assignments. Some assignments can not be made up. All first-year students have a weekly discussion board and activity app to use. If they do not do it for that week they earn no points. This can add up quickly. I always remind students repeatedly through the semester but I think some don't believe it until they see their grade. Also, students have a weekly point sheet that is always due on Mondays. I have put reminders on their calendars and sent numerous emails as reminders. But it's up to them to make the choice. 

Individual Relationships and Health:  Joni Shelton

In October in Health and Relationships, we had a guest speaker, Tori, from the university’s CARE to ACT office come in and talk to students about alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Below are a couple of pictures of Tori with our students. We then moved back to our topic of Relationships, we have spent a few weeks moving through dating relationships, from the early stages of dating to engagements and marriage. 

Technology Literacy:  Joni Shelton

We have completed a couple of projects in the last couple of weeks. Students completed their PowerPoint presentations “All About Me” and then presented them to the class. (Pictured below) Many of the students were nervous about presenting, but they did a fantastic job both on the powerpoint and presenting to the class. The 2nd project that students completed this past week was a Technology Purchase Project, in which students chose a device that they would like to purchase, and researched and compared two different brands of the items. They then wrote a paper with a table showing the comparisons, and a paragraph explaining which brand they would choose and why.

Career Exploration: Gary Manning

This week the students had a work day to get support on their resumes to help them get finished up and ready for the families to look at and review over Thanksgiving break. .

Second-Year Students:

Transition Planning I: Gary Manning

Last week we continued to work on budgets and money.  The students had a couple of scenarios they had to work through to figure out how much money they were spending and also how much money they would make if they worked so many hours per week making an hourly wage.  

Foods and Nutrition: Debra Southard

This week we're making blueberry muffins. Students are learning the concept of folding in the blueberries. All students have done an excellent job at cleaning up.

Internship I: Gary Manning

We discussed interview skills in class to get ready for their mock interviews. We talked about what they should wear to their mock interview.  The students need to wear nice clothes (dress pants, dress shirt/polo shirt, nice shoes).  I told the students they did not need to spend money on their dress clothes.  I am sure they have nice clothes at home that they can wear.  

They are supposed to practice their interviewing skills over the break with their families.  They have the questions for the interview so they can practice their answers.

 

Third-Year Students:

Transition Planning III: Lisa Garnier

Students are learning about how to use the internet for job searching. We are discussing how resumes and cover letters need to be adapted to individual job postings. We will be looking at internet job postings, like Indeed, and at company website job postings and practicing how to tailor application materials to individual job postings.

Internship III: Lisa Garnier

Students continue to do well in their internships and we have begun securing internships for the Spring semester.

4th Year Seminar/Portfolio: Lisa Garnier

Our 4th-year students are beginning their final project for this semester, a Statement of Future Plans, which will be included in their semester portfolio along with resumes, cover letters, and reference letters.

Plato: 

Students are working hard on completing this weekly. 

THRIVE Activities:

Mentor Activities:

The mentor activity this past weekend was going to the movies: Barbie was showing this weekend.

The week before Lucian and the students made pigs in a blanket…

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

Important upcoming dates:  

Thanksgiving Break: 10/18-10/26: Students are home but not necessarily homework-free.  Finals are coming up so students will want to take this time to study… 

Winter Break - 

First-year students: For 1st-Year students their break starts on December 1st at 6 p.m.  They leave for home and aren’t due back to UCM until January 9th, Dorms open at noon, and classes for Spring start on the 8th.

Second-Year students: It’s normal time, they have their Finals from December 4th - 8th.  They will have to be out of the dorms by 6 pm on the 8th.  The students are the best ones to ask when they can leave.  Each student has different class times and finals times that week.  They may also choose to do their internship during this time.  Dr. Manning will be discussing this in the coming weeks.  They leave for home and aren’t due back to UCM until January 9th, Dorms open at noon, and classes for Spring start on the 8th.

Next Mentor Activity:  

The last mentor activity will be the weekend before finals, it’s still being decided.

UCM Athletics:

Is finishing up for the semester.  

"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."