2013 Christmas Party Recap

December 17, 2013 WCS Transition II programs from each high school in the county gathered for a great time to celelbrate the holidays and Christmas. The students really enjoyed getting together and seeing their peers and get a chance to socialize together. The party included dancing, food, crafts and this year Independence hosted a prop photo booth with a Christmas theme. Everyone was able to stand infront of a fireplace scene (Santa stuck in the fireplace) and hold Christmas theme props on a stick  to add extra holiday cheer. All of our students had a great time. They really enjoyed the dancing and photo booth.
All of us here at IHS Transition II program want to wish each of you a great and joyous holiday season this year!

As the saying goes...A picture is worth a thousands words...so here's a bunch of pictures to fill in those words...Happy Holidays!!!

New Job Site for 2013

Independence High School Transition II program: New Job Site for 2013

  This semester one of our students, Jose Cantu, began work at a new job sites to the Williamson County School District this year;  Embassy Suites in Franklin, TN. WCS and Transition II programs are excited to add Embassy Suites to the growing list of great businesses throughout our county that are supporting our students by providing them with real world job experiences. This semester we work at Tractor Supply, Our Thrift Store, Embassy Suites,  and WCS Central Office.

Jose's job responsibilities at Embassy Suites include House keeping, Banquet services and facilities services.
Jose really enjoys working at Embassy Suites and the people that he works with each day. For now, Jose works there two days a week. We asked Jose how he likes his new job "It's cool, it's the best!" What is his favorite job at Embassy Suites, "Towels, cleaning and stocking chips and water."

The one thing that we always see when Jose returns from work each day at Embassy Suites is a big smile!

 

Thoughts for the New Year

IHS Transition II class and teachers

IHS Transition Teachers, Marie Wicks, Maria Griego

Dr. Jay Whitlow and Lauren Huffmaster

 

 

Thoughts for Christmas

 

I would like to take a minute to reflect on the WCS Transition II program.  In honor of the new year, I think it is important for us to reflect upon the successes of this year.

Yesterday there was a gathering of about 75 students, teachers, families, and community members.  The schools worked together to provide music, a photo booth, crafts and presents for everyone. 

As I looked around, I saw students with significant needs, students with severe behaviors, students with intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities all on the dance floor smiling, laughing, dancing and singing.  The students found friends on the dance floor that they may not have ever met before.  Everyone was happy, everyone seemed at peace. 

In the past two years I have attended many of these types of parties and I don't remember one "melt down" or major incident occurring.  Among friends and peers we see the best in our students.  When attending such events we see our students' joy and laughter, their desire to participate.  We see them for their abilities. 

As we move forward in our year, we will find ourselves dealing with difficulties, in those moments I hope we can remember our successes and the purposes held before us. 

In my class, I recognize a significant decrease in negative behaviors this year.  This is a major success!  The students, the families, the administration, and the teachers around my students did not give up!  We believed in one another, worked as a team and are now seeing major results.  It took time but our efforts make a difference.

Last week we started a new job placement with some of my more difficult to place students.  These students have great strengths to offer but there are issues that keep them from finding employment.  At this new job site, I saw focus, excitement, and productivity like I have not seen before from this group of students.  On their first day at this job site these students felt successful!  I love this.  This is what Transition II is all about. 

To the outside observer walking into my class, the students may only seem to be working on crafts or playing on the computer.  When I look at my class, I see a group of individuals learning to work together.  I see students increasing their ability to focus over an extended period of time.  I see students learning how to express themselves and what is important to them through a blog and personal journals.  I hear students learning how to advocate for themselves and make themselves heard in appropriate ways.  I see students thriving in a community when only last year that same community seemed scary and overwhelming. 

There are so many successes I have observed this year, so many reasons to be thankful.  As you reflect on your year I hope that you also will find growth and joy in the lives of those who surround you.

 

--LH

 

 

Today     in  the  morning   we go to  clean  the  Table

We  Cooking    Carmel Popcorn for  Christmas Party at the  AX Center  today  we have  fun today at the christmas party we  Did at  the  christmas party   we   have lot  dacning

we  eat lunch   we have a great  today

Today       we  Did  in the morning go to  I   do  the Mail  with

  Jose and Coach chad  and Nila    we  do   put the mail in  Teacher  mailbox.

      we have a store  call   the  coffee  shop   in   IHS

we have    at the   coffee  shop     is  Ice  Coffee and  Hot tea

and  hot cocoa  too

 

Community Outing: Christmas Shopping

The past couple of weeks the IHS Transition II students have been learning about spending money and how to save money through the use of coupons found in the newspaper, social media sites, and websites. Then they figure out items they would like to buy for parents, siblings, and/or friends. Each student made a list of items and the stores at the Coolsprings mall that they would shop at before they went to the mall. Today, we all checked our list twice to see if Mom, Dad and siblings were nice. We headed out to the Coolsprings Galleria to do our shopping. These students did an excellent job with finding great deals on many different stores. Each student was able to purchase great gifts for their family members. No parents we won't tell you what you got for gifts either, HA!

Also, some of our staff and students had a little fun with their shopping like Jordan. A little ride on the mall carousel and hanging out with the big guy himself; Santa Claus. Jordan knows all the important people. He has all the big time friends. Jordan make sure the big guy has us all on the nice list, please!

Also, Today the IHS Transition II students and staff really found themselves diving into the Christmas and Holiday spirit with making the props for the photo/prop booth.  They are working on a Photo/Prop booth for our upcoming Transition II County wide Holiday party. To kick it off the students and staff made the props for the photo booth and had a little fun with the props as well. Just 19 days away from the big guy showing up with gifts for all us  that are on the nice list.....Happy Holidays from IHS T2 students and staff!

 .

Today     we Did  in The Morning   go to   clean  the    tabel

 and The  windeo    The Bus frongt   put  us up       favorite   go to Downtown Frankiln 

     we go in the morning    to the  coffee  shop   get  coffee and  hot   Tea      and apple  cried 

 Today    we Did  in the    go  to  clean  the  table  8:15     we  going on the   Bus

we  go to   drop  Jose  at the  hotel in  cool  spring

 we   going  to    Sam's  Club  to  shopping  for   Mrs.  Dawn Bunch  Coffee    shop in   school  IHS    we   not have  enough  time  go  to walmart  Today

we work on the   Christmas List  Today

 

 

 

Our Work at Tractor Supply

On Monday, a few of our students worked at Tractor Supply Co in Thompson's Station. The students help with organizing the clothes, boots, dust along with fronting and labeling all products throughout the store.

Here's Jose organizing all the men's shirts by size and color. All shirts are to be placed by light colors to dark on the racks.

Kaylea working at tractor supply. She is really enjoying dusting the display racks.

 

 Nila sorting the clothes by size at Tractor Supply Co. Each student did a fantastic job with their assignments yesterday. They all seemed to enjoy the job. We even ate our lunches in the breakroom just like the employees do. Afterwards we went to the Longview Rec Center to workout. It was a great day.

 

Thanksgiving Lunch - Recap

All of us in IHS Transition II program hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family this past week.
What a great Thanksgiving lunch we had just before the break. Thank you to everyone that attended the celebration. The students and staff had really had a great time with each of you at our celebration. The staff also enjoyed getting the opportunity to talk with you and share in some great food that our students prepared. It was delicious!



Thank you to all the students that prepared the food. Thank you to Coach Vic Wharton for the great music as well.


 Preston enjoyed the food as well and the good times with friends and family.

Jose and his family enjoying our time together.

 Jordan's family and friends were here in the celebration. Did we mention the food was delicious!

 Nila and Mrs. Defatta having a great time at the Thanksgiving lunch.

Thank you to our Transition II leaders for coming to the Thanksgiving lunch as well.

Coach Gates meeting with Jordan's grandparents and relating to them the wonderful job that Jordan does in the program.













Coach Vic provided the music entertainment with some great guitar playing.

One special extra event at the Thanksgiving lunch was our Christmas fundraiser; Premier Jewlery. If you would like more information about our Premier jewlery fundraiser please contact Mrs. Huffmaster. They make wonderful Christmas presents!



personal invitation

                                                           today's blog
            i had a great day
            at independence high school at transition lab, I invited 4 principals to the fall thanksgiving festival tomorrow
     all the principals knew about it because it was on there calender
  so this is what i did: coach gave me a thanksgiving invitation script, and i read it in front of the four principals
there names were mrs.Anton, mr.campbell, mr.jones, and mr.mayfield
they knew, but i did it anyway
it was just practice
so i can talk to people and get rid of the shyness
i was nervous, but i did so well
i wasn't the only one that had to do it
some of the transition students did it to
i was so nervous that i was breathing heavily
it felt like a workout
I'm so glad i did it
and I'm so glad i got that over with
coach took me to the front office to invite all the principals
n.c.

Person Centered Planning

As a Transition II teacher , one of my responsibilities is to help parents begin to think about what is going to happen for their students after the age of 22 years.  For the last two decades, the school system has been a major player in your child's life and in his/her planning for the future.  Now, as they come to adulthood, all of that changes.  Now, it is only the parent and your "circle of support" members to plan for the growth of the individual with disabilities.  There will be no more annual IEP meeting to remind you another year has passed.  No teacher will recognize changes in your student and call together a group of specialist to discuss what should happen in response to this change.  This responsibility is for the parent to carry and lead. 

 

This can be a big shift, a HUGE step for a family to take on.  So to help you begin thinking about this new responsibility I want to introduce the PATH (Planning Alternatives for Tomorrow with Hope).  The PATH is a meeting held outside of the school setting and facilitated by Sharon Bottorff from Arc of Williamson Co.  She will help you choose a location that feels safe and inviting to you and your adult with a disability.  Then it is YOUR responsibility to think who supports you, who supports your adult with a disability, and whose support you want in the future, etc.  With these individuals, you sit down and begin to dream with and for your child with a disability.  You dream big dreams, without limits, for what you see your child doing with his/her time, strengths, learning abilities. . . life.  Then once a 'path' has been set out in front of the group, it will be easier to create milestones, reminders and check-ins to help you manage the next phase of life for your child with a disability. 

 

This process is also extremely helpful for me as a Transition II teacher as well.  If your vision for your student is to volunteer in a church then I WANT TO KNOW THAT!  If you expect your student to live independently I WANT TO KNOW THAT.  It is not helpful for me to find out in his/her last semester of school that you plan to enroll the student in a day program.  I could have used the years I had with the student preparing him/her for that setting.  Therefore, the earlier this PATH is completed the more effective Transition II will be and the more prepared your student will be for the next phase of life. 

 

For more information you may wish to contact Sharon Bottorff with Arc of Williamson County at sbbarc@bellsouth.net   or Marie Wicks at mariew@wcs.edu

 

a personal history

even at the hospital i was born as a baby
and my mom and dad came to my hospital and start to find me
and my mom and dad took me home and they named me Ben
after i got home i use to play with a toy piano
when i was a little older  i use grow up as a toddler when i was 4 and use to go to the day care place
and when i was a lot older i use to grow up as youngin' when i was 8 and i use to go to elementary school and i learned about science history Spanish and math
and when i was mighty older i use to go to middle school when i was 13 i use to watch bill Nye the science guy a long time ago
and when i was super older i use to go to Independence high school when i was 14 i use to go to
different classes a long time a go
and when i was a couple years older i use to go to campus when i was 18
i use to work at good will full life the Ag center and central office a long time ago
and now I'm already 21 years old
soon enough I'm gonna graduate in 2015  

Ben

Lip Dub

Independence High School

 

  Who  are  we?...  IHS      Welcome  to   Transitions  2  this   year

   on   November  22      we are   cooking    our FriendsGiving   Dinner

 in  the   Room.     Parent  are  invited   to  our    FriendsGiving    dinner

 

Today, Friday Nov. 15th, we're going  out  today  to  Target and Pet Smart

    we're going to eat  lunch at the  new store  called the  fire house subs.   

   we  are  having   fun  today!    When we come  Back TO school we will

  do  the school wide Lip Dub .

 

 Today, Tues Nov. 19th,  IN THE MORNING WE WENT TO CLEAN THE TABLES.      AT 8:15am WE GOT ON THE BUS AND DROPPED OFF JOSE AT THE HOTEL IN THE COOL SPRING EMBASSY SUITES.  THAN WE GO TO THE WALMART IN  COOL SPRING FOR MORE STUFF FOR US IN THE  CLASS FRIENDS GIVING dinner TO SHOP  WITH  COACH CHAD  AND  MRS. SARAH.

-NILA



Tractor Supply Co. - New Job Site

Yesterday a few of our students went to Tractor Supply Company in Thompson's Station. We are adding TSC to our job sites for the year. While they were at TSC they learned about the different jobs that they will do while working there this year. We learned about Fronting and Labeling, Clothes and Shoes and orgainzing the tool sections.
Today we worked in the cat and dog food sections with Fronting and Labeling:

We plan on going there on Mondays and work with the great staff there at TSC. The students really enjoyed their time there.



FriendsGiving

On Friday November 22 from 11-1pm will be our Thanksgiving meal. This is open for all family members and friends from IHS to attend. The Transition II students are calling this their FriendsGiving day meal. All of our family and friends on campus have been invited to attend this great annual event.

 

 

To RSVP and / or donate gift cards to go towards the purchase of the food please contact Mrs. Huffmaster: lauren.huffmaster@wcs.edu.

 



Sprout Film Festival Event

Sprout Film Festival

First of all we would like to thank the ARC of Williamson Co and the Franklin Theater for hosting a viewing of the Sprout Film Festival winning films for this year and years past.

ARC of Williamson County

Here are some pictures from our outing to the film festival.  The film festival was held on the Friday before Veterans Day and so when the film festival was over we got to walk out and watch the parade.  It was a great outing for the class. 

It was also amazing to see the films written, produced and starred in by adults with disabilities.  It inspired our class to think about the possibilities of creating a short film of our own.  The following Friday our school is producing a LipDub which will allow us to participate in the making of a schoolwide film. 

After this major film project is complete the Transition II class will discuss with the media class the possibility of collaborating on making our own short film that reflects what we enjoyed in the Sprout Film Festival. 

 

Below is a picture of our Independence High School Marching Band at the 2013 Veterans Day Parade. They all did a great job. It was fun to honor our Veterans.

First Post

This is our first blog post!  This site will be utilized for posting pictures, stories, successes and creations of IHS' Transition II class. We hope that the students will utilize this site to learn about blogging and then will choose to create their own blog to express themselves. 
Our class discussed making a blog last year because I feel it is an age appropriate way for students to communicate with their Circle of Support.  Traditionally most Transition classes write a daily log at the end of the school day to take home to their parents.  I feel this is a routine that has been carried on since Kindergarten and with access to amazing resources like the internet, computers and free blog spots there is no reason why we cannot expand our tools for communicating.  Also, it is important for the students to begin thinking about a Circle of Support that is not limited to their parents/guardians.  The Transition II students are adults.  They are 18-22 years old and at this stage of life they need to learn to be comfortable accessing the community and they need to be a part of the community they live in.  Writing a short email to family to discuss their daily activities is no longer adequate. 
My students have lives to live and they are going to live these lives in their community, in Williamson County, TN.  So,Williamson County needs to know these young adults are here and that they need acceptance and support.  Once my students exit Transition II and the school system, there are not support systems available for them in Tennessee.  There are no real day programs, respite programs or supported living options available to most of them.  The state has forgotten the 8,000 plus individuals on the Medicaid Waiver waiting list.  My students will join the other 8,000 individuals waiting to be remembered.  So, because they are not cared for by the state, they need a community, a family, a circle of people around them to take hold of their goals. 
This blog, and the others that hopefully emerge from this exercise, will be sent out into the vast space that is the internet in search of listeners that are willing to help, willing to sacrifice time and resources, and are willing to make a difference. 
I expect at first our blog will just record the day to day of the class but hopefully over time it will expand to capture the thoughts, hopes and prayers of the unique individuals I call students. 
So please follow us on this journey, be patient as we find our way, read between the lines, and focus on the smiling faces.  These individuals are growing, changing, and like the rest of us, are moving toward a life of inter-dependence.