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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 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: 

Graduation is coming up fast.  Please finish the Google form or update it 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. 

Easter Weekend:  Easter weekend is upon us.  UCM has normal classes on Friday and on Monday.  I have sent out a Google Form for students to let us know about their plans… are they staying on campus or heading home?  We will monitor this to see if we have study hall on Sunday afternoon…  Please make sure your son/daughter fills out the form, and also, if you pick them up, please remind them to fill out the Activity log so that we know they have left.

First-Year Students:

Foods & Nutrition I: Debra Southard  

We finished up Rice Pilaf and went on to pizza snacks. We are working hard to complete the labs by the end of the school year. 

Pizza anyone…

Workplace & Community Skills: Gary Manning & Mrs. Southard

This week we worked on cover letters. Students finished up their third job shadowing and will meet with Dr. Manning about Fall 2025 internships.  The students had to give five locations for their internships.  It was explained to the students that they may not get their first choice of their internship location.  However, they may get that location in the spring semester.  The internships are for the whole semester.  The student will work between 8 - 12 hours per week at their internship.  We usually do not put a student off campus for their first internship because we want to make sure the student understands the responsibility and skills they need for an internship.  

Daily Independent Living Skills - Joni Shelton

On Tuesday, we had guest speakers from Johnson County Emergency Management speak to the class about being prepared for an emergency, how to respond to emergency warning notifications, and then about volunteering in their community after an emergency situation. On Thursday, we reviewed income and understanding pay and benefits from a job, and started talking about expenses. Students then started working on a group assignment of budgeting as if they were roommates living on their own.

From DILS…

Aleks and Kiernan in the library…

Second-Year Students:

Transition Planning II: Gary Manning

We have been talking about what the end of the semester will be like.  The students will have a three-part final.  The first part is a video they have to make on their own, the second part is an exit interview with Dr. Manning, and the third part is the final in class on Monday, May 5th at 8:00.

We have also been discussing when the student will be moving out of the dorms for the semester and graduation day on Saturday, May 10th.  We have told the students to make sure they are discussing this with their families.

Internship I: Gary Manning

The students will meet with the UCM Career and Life Design Center on Monday for their fourth workshop.  The students and the staff discussed interview skills and dressing professionally for an interview.  The students will have mock interviews at the Career and Life Design Center on April 14th.

Katie at her internship…

Personal Finance I:  Lisa Garnier

It was tax week in Personal Finance. Students learned how income tax works, why we pay income tax, and the forms and information necessary to file taxes. Specifically, we learned what a W-4 form is and how to fill one out, as well as how to read a W-2 form and why it is necessary for filing taxes. 

We pay taxes?  Oh no…

Waiting for Choir class to start…

Third-Year Students:

Transition Planning IV: Lisa Garnier

As we enter the final few weeks of the semester, 3rd year students are learning about basic home maintenance. Our focus has been on cleaning and maintaining appliances. The highlight of this week was the cleaning videos. Students were amazed at how dirty a refrigerator can get and what it takes to really clean one. The oven cleaning video had them a little grossed out, but I think they are getting a great understanding of the importance of regular cleaning, so they don’t have to deal with the gross stuff that builds up when they wait. Who knew the “ick factor” could be so motivating?

Internship IV: Lisa Garnier

There are approximately 3 weeks left on internships, and students are starting to gather letters of recommendation and to update their resumes.

THRIVE Activities:

THRIVING through Sports - The Game Show… here is a link to watch the first edition.  Mr. Plummer has done a great job showcasing students’ talents…  Make sure you watch for more episodes in the coming weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHIt_MH7Fo4

Last Softball games of the season, what a cold night…

Mentor Activities: 

Last week we had a group going to see Cabaret at the UCM theater with Caitlyn…

Pictures weren’t available at the time of this posting.  Watch for pictures on Facebook…

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

Important upcoming dates:   

Next Mentor Activity:  

Next week, anyone staying on campus will dye eggs with Lucian.

UCM Athletics:

Baseball season is well on its way.  I hope that the weather becomes more spring-like soon.

"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 owner's.  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."