Blog from the first few weeks of Spring 2024...
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:
Sorry, this has been a long two weeks. With the snow/ice days, we are combining the first two weeks of the Blog. The students seem to be settling in and making it to classes. Remember that each semester we increase the rigor of the classes. So, let teachers know if you are seeing any anxiety… The THRIVE team has been busy preparing for the upcoming interviews for next year’s students. We will have families come in the first full week of February for our first round of family interviews, and then the last week of February we’ll have the last big group of family interviews. During this time, we try to keep classes open but if they don’t meet due to an interview, then the students have other online or group assignments to keep them busy.
We hope that the students have been able to get to some of the basketball games, the Jennies are 14- 3 and are in third place, with Missouri Southern and Missouri Western tied for first at 14-4. The Mules are also playing and are 9-7 this year. We have also had sign up sheets for the intramural activities, unfortunately, the only activity we’ve had enough students sign up for was Bowling. We have 6 that have signed up and should be bowling in the next few weeks.
They are back!!!
New announcement:
New Classroom …Pictures coming soon… We just started using our new classroom and have some pictures on Facebook. We are still waiting for all the technology to be installed but it’s great to have the students in the area. The new “Blue” room (study room) off the offices has been a big help. The first-year students have been using it at 9 am since they don’t have a THRIVE class until later in the morning. This has helped them get in a routine of getting homework done and has led to fewer students needing to go to Study Hall Plus.
Spring Semester classes started on January 8th how did it go… Classes and internships are going well. The students started classes that first week and are just starting their communications now. Due to the snow/ice days, the clinicians needed more time before our students started. Dr. Manning and Mrs. Garnier have most of the students started in their internships and getting used to a new routine. Watch Facebook for more pictures.
First-Year Students:
Foods & Nutrition I: Debra Southard
Wednesday we had the Johnson County Health Department here. Students are working on earning their food handling license. One of the topics was food spoilage. Tiffany will be here for a total of three days to complete their training. Friday Title 9 was reviewed.
Workplace & Community Skills: Gary Manning
We discussed how to email professors, get organized for the new semester, and being proactive in completing assignments. We discussed job shadows for this semester and soft skills for a job. This class does not have a textbook. Information will be presented in power points and other information is on blackboard.
Just hangin’ out.
Daily & Independent Living Skills (DILS): Joni Shelton
In Daily Independent Living Skills we have been focusing on the new year with a Vision Board and Goals for 2024. Students then learned how to write SMART Goals. In the next few weeks, students will be applying the SMART Goals techniques in their personal health by setting SMART goals for better sleep, more hydration, and healthy eating.
Second-Year Students:
Transition Planning II: Gary Manning
This semester is going to be fast and furious at times. I really want the students to concentrate on what their goals are after May 4th, 2024. The students will need to have discussions/research on transportation, careers, and living arrangements. Their families will need to be involved in these discussions with the students and us as a staff. We all need to be collaborating on these topics and getting outside resources/agencies involved before May 4th. The THRIVE staff will be in contact with the families this semester on the next step and give the families resources they can use with the students’ transition from being THRIVE students to the students' next stage in their lives.
Foods and Nutrition II: Lisa
Our second week of class was only two days due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. This week we are learning about nutrients, nutrition, and meal planning. We talked about everything in moderation, avoiding energy drinks, and limiting caffeine and sugar intake. They had some good ideas on how to do those things.
Internship I: Gary Manning
Internships have started well for the students. Some places on UCM are struggling with hiring student-workers and that can affect the THRIVE students' internships and we have had some. Especially with the UCM Child Care Center and Sodexo/Dining Halls. The students are starting to realize again how important it is to be organized and use time management skills.
A few students around campus…
Third-Year Students:
Transition Planning IV: Lisa Garnier
We created and reviewed a document on how they spend their time, and that is being expanded into how they manage their time over a week. On Friday we began talking about budgeting and will practice several strategies over the next week.
Internship IV: Lisa Garnier
Students have started with the exception of one. The cold hit that business hard with a broken heating system and a burst pipe. We are hoping they get things fixed and that our students can start work on Monday.
Fourth-Year Students:
4th Year Seminar/Portfolio: Lisa Garnier
Because we meet once a week, there isn’t a lot new to report. They are working on their budgets for February and tracking their spending.
Internships:
4th year students have all started their internships and seem to be doing well.
Plato:
Students are doing well in keeping up with their assignments. Each student selected two topics to work on. The topics range from American Sign Language to Social Media:Our Connected World.
THRIVE Activities:
Mentor Activities:
Well over the last few weeks the mentors have been busy…
First Chicken Sliders…with Lucian
Then Basketball with Jamee…
Then several other activities… through the week…
Great Job Everyone!! For more pictures please join our THRIVE Facebook and/or Instagram pages.
Important upcoming dates:
Next Mentor Activity:
Pizza with Kaylee, Chloe, and Preston...UCM Athletics:
Jennies and Mules Basketball games..."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."
Comments
Post a Comment