Cookie Decorating with the Ely Rotary

On Monday, December 20th the students of the PrairieWood Transition Center took some time out of their busy schedule to relax and enjoy the holidays.  Karen, Keith, and Jeff of the Ely Rotary brought cookies and all the fixings to decorate.  We enjoyed great conversation, and delicious cookies and punch as we celebrated the holiday season together.  Enjoy several pictures from our great afternoon together.  Thank you to the Ely Rotary for the fun party!

All of our fancy frostings and sprinkles!

Keith helping Sarah and Cassie pick out their cookies.

Kendra decorating with chocolate frosting...YUM!

Brian, making the perfect Candy Cane.

Some of our finished products.

 

 

We will be on Holiday Break until January 3rd.  We hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe holiday season.  See you in the new year!

Wrapping things up...

Only 3 days of school remain in 2010 and we are busy at the Transition Center wrapping things up.  We spent the week baking and preparing our thank you treat boxes.  We also took some time out to celebrate with our friends from the high school, participating in a gift exchange and sharing lunch and treats together.  Everyone got to enjoy a little extra sleep on Thursday morning as we experienced our first "snow delay" of the year.  Lets hope winter continues to be mild and we don't have to worry about too many more of those!  Our feature blogger this week is Andy.

"This week at PrairieWood I learned to sweep floors in Luke's shop at work.  I enjoyed shoveling snow at work.  I was challenged by making the oatmeal rasin cookies.  At PrairieWood, I would like to learn more about taking the city bus places."

Have a great weekend!

Holiday Bakers

Coming to you a little late this week...the holiday rush has got us VERY busy at PrairieWood.  This past week we spent most of our days mixing up a variety of cookies to share with our friends, work supervisors, job coaches, bus drivers, and administrators as a THANK YOU for all they do to help us become independent adults.  We whipped up batches of Oatmeal Rasin, Chocolate Chip, Sugar, and Peanut Butter Blossom cookies, along with Peanut-butter Finger bars.  We love learning to bake cookies because it gives us the chance to practice measuring: reading measurements, finding the right measuring cups and spoons, and making sure we level whatever we are measuring so we get just the right amount.  We will spend time next week baking and packaging our cookies.  Our guest blogger is Ahsia.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood...


"This week at PrairieWood I learned to use the PODD book to talk about what we are going to do.  I enjoyed making chocolate chip cookies.  I was challenged by knowing when to push the button to get off the bus at Hy-Vee.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about baking cookies."

See you next week!

Giving Back!

PraireWood Students and Staff took some time (some chilly time at that) to give back to their community today.  The crew spent two hours ringing bells and caroling for the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive.  The kettle was awfully full when our shift ended and we returned to the center to warm up with some hot chocolate.  It was a great day!  Sarah is our feature blogger this week.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned to make breakfast burritos.  I enjoyed eating ham and scalloped potatoes for lunch.  I was challenged by remembering to ask for help when I need it.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about making chocolate chip cookies."

Sarah will get to learn about making those cookies next week as we begin preparations for our Holiday Thank You cookies.

Below are pictures from our afternoon ringing bells for the Salvation Army!  Thank you to the patrons of the Wilson Avenue Hy-Vee for all their generous donations!!!

Our first familiar face, Mr. Starcevich.

Ahsia, ringing that bell!

The whole crew, trying to stay warm.

Warming up with Hot Chocolate and a movie back at the center.  The perfect ending to a great day!

Snow Fall Predictions

The students of PrairieWood are very interested in weather.  Each morning they check the high and forecast for the day and decide what clothes should be worn for that weather.  They also decide if a temperature is Cold, Cool, Warm, or Hot.  With winter blowing its way in, the students have been very interested in when the first big snow is coming...probably more interested in when they'll be getting their first snow day.  We got out a calendar, looked at the weather forecasts and made predictions for our first big snowfall.  Here are the predictions of the PrairieWood Meteorologists...

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 - Cassie and Sarah P.
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 - Andy S.
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 - Cassie B, and Brian W.
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010 - Kendra P.
Saturday, December 18th, 2010 - Ahsia K.

Keep your eyes to the skies to find out who guessed right on, and who came close!  Stay warm!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We know a Tuesday seems awfully early for a new blog post, but we wanted to make sure we took time to tell you what we did in this very short week...AND wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Our feature blogger this week is Cassie B...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned how to become a team with Nick at Yellowbook.  I enjoyed buying a gift for a friend.  I was challenged by untangling lights and putting up holiday decorations.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn about harder math."

At PrairieWood, we are very thankful for all the opportunities we have to learn how to be responsible and independent adults.  What are you thankful for?

A Thanksgiving Success!

The dishes are washed, chairs are stacked and the leftovers are stored away in the refrigerator.  We are basking in the success of yet another PrairieWood Thanksgiving.  PrairieWood students made everyone proud today with their delicious food and wonderful hosting skills.  A huge thank you goes out to everyone who attended the lunch and shared in successful day.  Please enjoy the pictures below from today...

Our beautiful center pieces: fruit and vegetable for our cornucopia.

Brian preparing the butter for our tables.

All our guests socializing and enjoying each others company.

A group shots of the students.  What a great looking bunch!

Enjoying an afternoon with friends.

...and even making some Holiday Card sales! 

Have a great weekend!

Thanksgiving Week @ PrairieWood

We have been VERY busy this week preparing for our 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon.  So that we can do all the work ourselves, each day has one or two dishes or tasks that we need to get done.  Of course, there is always adults around to help out, but we are involved in every part of making the delicious, homemade meal.  Brian is the feature blogger this week.  Here is what he has to say about the week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned about Nascar from News2You.  I enjoyed delivering holiday card orders to Prairie Heights.  I was challenged by comparing numbers and circling the smaller number.  At PrairieWood, I would like to learn more about cutting potatoes to be mashed."

Check out pictures of the Thanksgiving preparations over the past week (below).

Cassie mixing the sugar and spices for the pie filling.

Cassie scooping the pumpkin out of the can for the pie filling.

Kendra peeling potatoes for the mashed potatoes.

 

Gearing Up!

On November 19th, the PrairieWood Transition Center students will be hosting their third annual Thanksgiving luncheon.  For this event our students work hard for almost two weeks preparing from scratch each item they will be serving.  They prepare Turkey, potatoes, pie, stuffing, rolls...everything you can imagine in a festive Thanksgiving meal.  Preparations began already this week.  Our feature blogger this week is Andy.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned how to make pie crust.  I enjoyed working outside and pulling big weeks.  I was challenged by using the stove top to make Chili Macaroni for lunch.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about work stuff."

Please tune in next week to hear all about the hard work that went into preparing our Thanksgiving Luncheon!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!

What a SHORT week!

We are coming to you a little early this week...with no school on Friday, November 5th, we had to make sure we did our journaling a little early to share you all the events we managed to pack into our short week.  We had an unsusal day on Tuesday, and we appreciate everyones flexibility and understanding with our early dismissal, and all the craziness that came with that.  We hope everyone enjoyed the extra time they had at home that day.  Our feature blogger this week is Ahsia.  Here is what she has to share...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned how to make a pancake roll-up.  I enjoyed taking the cans and plastic to the recycling center.  I was challenged by finishing one job before moving onto the next job at work.  I would like to learn how to make cheese pizza on my own."

 Thank you for checking out our blog and keeping up with all the things we do.  Have a great weekend!

The Chilly Weather Arrives

Well, Mother nature has reminded us this week that winter is just around the corner.  PrairieWood students spent a lot of time this week working through problems that the chilly weather brings.  With wind and rain, we could not take our daily walks outside...what to do?!?  This problem was solved by doing exercise videos in the center.  A FAVORITE was the video that taught us how to line dance to "Achy Breaky Heart."  And what about dressing for the weather...where are my warm clothes hiding?  What about those jackets, gloves, hats?  It is time to dig all of those out for the year!  Our feature blogger this week is Sarah.

"This week at PrairieWood I learned to wear warm clothes when it gest cold.  I enjoyed cheese bread.  I was challenged by line dancing.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about math."

This chilly weather also reminded us at the center that it is time to start preparing our yards and decks for winter.  The students will be spending some time this morning packing up our deck furniture and moving our grill.  It is also important to detach those outdoor hoses!

A HUGE thank you goes out to those of you that regularly stop by our blog to check out what keeps us busy.  Have a great Halloween weekend!

Steps of Responsibility

This week, the students of the PrairieWood Transition Center dove into learning the Steps of Responsibility.  This program assists students in identifying their personal behaviors and gives them the power to improve and display adult behaviors.  We talked about how this will come in handy not only at the Transition Center, but in the workplace one we leave school as well.  Our feature blogger this week is Cassie B...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned how to make Cheesy Potato Egg Bake for lunch.  I enjoyed walking brisker up hills on Kirkwood's campus.  I was challenged by counting a chunk of change.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about the Steps of Responsibility."

Have a great weekend!!!

Oh So Lucky!!!!!

We feel so very lucky to have all this beautiful full weather and we have been trying to take advantage of it.  Our students are out walking on Kirkwood's campus at least once a day and we have been trying to enjoy as many outdoor community outings as we can.  This week for our Friday outing we got lunch at Subway and had a picnic at Jones park.  After eating we enjoyed some yard games in the park.  We also made homemade cherry and apricot Jam back at the center.  Everyone enjoyed helping out.  Our feature blogger for the week is Brian.

This week at PrairieWood I learned to count money: pennies, nickels, and dimes.  I enjoyed running on the track at the Rec Center at Kirkwood.  I was challenged by inserting papers by myself when working at Yellowbook.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about making more pies.

Enjoy your weekend and remember NO SCHOOL on Monday 10/18.

3rd Annual Holiday Card Sale

The Students of the PrairieWood Transition Center have been in the Holiday spirit a little early this year.  They have been busy designing and creating festive cards for their 3rd Annual Holiday Card Sale.  This years design is pictured above.  Cards are sold in packets of 6 cards and 6 envelopes for $5.00.  If you'd like to order a set or more, please contact mkeimig@prairiepride.org and you will be sent an order form to complete.  This project gives PrairieWood students an opportunity to work on vocational and assembly skills as well as practice customer service and money handling skills.  We appreciate your support in our program!!

THANKS!

A whole lot of learning...

PrairieWood Transition Center students are very busy every day.  They have learned their routine and fly through the day as independently as they possibly can.  This week, we decided to take some time in our afternoon to reflect on the learning we do each day.  You will now see in their notebooks that they talk about what they have learned each day.  It is our goal to learn NEW things each day.  We hope you enjoy reading about all of our new learning in the notebooks each night!  Our guest blogger this week is Andy.  He'd like to tell you what he learned this week at PrairieWood.

I learned how to make a bagel pizza in the microwave.  It was good.  I learned how to empty the vacuum cleaner.  I filled it up with paper from the shredder.  I learned that I really like to shred paper.  I went swimming at the YMCA this week.  I am working for Mike picking up trash.

Thanks for stopping in to read our Weekly blog.  Please check back often and see what we're up to!

October Already!?!

We are so excited at the Transition Center to welcome October and the beautiful fall colors and weather.  We just cannot believe that it is already October!  Our feature blogger this week is Ahsia.  Here is what she had to say about her week at the center.

This week at PrairieWood I...

1. learned about Justin Beiber in my News2You Newspaper.

2. practiced counting from numbers that are not 1 in morning group.

3. got my Kirkwood Eagle Card.  I am now officially a Kirkwood student!!

4. made fruit salad for a cooking project.

5. went to Wilson's Apple Orchard in Iowa City and picked my own apples!

The pictures on the blog this week are from our trip out to Wilson's.  We got to sample several different kinds of apples and then made a long hike out to the orchard to pick some of our own apples.  It was a perfect way to spend such a beautiful fall day!  Have a great weekend!

Fabulous Fall!

We had a crazy week at PrairieWood, but managed to survive!  We were excited to welcome the fall season with a trip out to the Palisades Kepler Park in Mt. Vernon, IA.  What a beautiful day.  Above is a picture after we finished our scavenger hunt.  Sarah is our feature blogger this week.  Here is what Sarah has to say about her week at PrairieWood...

This week at PrairieWood I...

1. dried dishes.

2. put papers into cabinets at Yellow Book.

3. made Quesadillas for a cooking project.

4. pushed the tape at my bus stop.

5. went to Palisades Park.

It seems like fall has moved into our weather too.  Stay warm this weekend!!!

First time is a charm...

Yet another very busy week at the transition center.  Many of our young people are finding themselves trying things for the very first time.  For some, its eating a food they've never ventured to try before, for others its starting a new worksite, and others are trying Recreation and Leisure activities they've never done and LOVE!  How exciting!!!!  Our feature blogger this week had experienced many firsts...here is what Cassie B. did this week.

1. This week at PrairieWood I went grocery shopping at Hy-Vee.

2. I did a cooking project.

3. I went to Yellowbook to work.  This was a new job.

4. I rode the city bus.

5. I rode on the float [in the homecoming parade].

Congratulations to Cassie, and many of our other students, who are willing to take risks and try new things!

A lot in a little time!

We hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend and found some time to relax.  Labor Day meant no school on Monday 9/6, but we jumped right back into work upon our return.  Our feature blogger this week is Cassie B.  Here is what she has to say about her week.

This week at PrairieWood I...
1. went to work.

2. did a cooking project.

3. cooked lunch for everyone.

4. went to walk the track on Kirkwood's campus.

5. went to Westdale Bowl.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Get out and enjoy a little football and this BEAUTIFUL fall weather!

Settling in...

Our Young people are definitely getting the hang of things around the center.  We are settling into our routines and know what to expect each day at PrairieWood.  Here are Kendra's thoughts from the last week...

This Week at PrairieWood...
1. I walked the track at the Kirkwood Rec. Center.

2. I went to HyVee.

3. I cooked lunch. 

4. I did worksheets.

5. I counted money.

Thanks for sharing, Kendra!  Tune in next week to see who is our next feature blogger!!!

Busy, Busy!

This week marked our first full week of school and boy were we busy!  Brian is our feature blogger this week.  Here's what he has to say about what we did...

This week at PrairieWood...


1. I rode the city bus.

2. I worked at Yellowbook.

3. I opened a can of fruit for lunch.

4. I washed, dryed, folded, and put away laundry.

5. went to the recycling center.

Thank you to those of you who are tuning in each week to see what we're up to!  If you check back regularly, please become a follower of our blog!  Have a great weekend and we'll see you next week!!!

Our first week...

The students have returned and our new year is in full swing.  Here is what they had to say about the events of the first week...

"I went in the community.  We washed dishes." -Ahsia

"I went  out in the community.  It is fun.  I read a book.  It is fun.  We did laundry." -Kendra

"I went out in the community." - Andy

"This week at PrairieWood I went shopping for supplies at Walmart." - Brian

This week at PrairieWood I made lunch and washed dishes.  I also went bowling." - Sarah

"This week at PrairieWood I went to Walmart and Staples.  We didn't find everything on our list, but we found two things.  Today we're going bowling.  I love bowling." - Cassie B.

Thanks for tuning in.  We enjoy sharing all our activities and hard work with you!

~The Students and Staff of PrairieWood

Are you ready?

August 18th, 2010

It was so wonderful to see so many of you at the Open House earlier this week!  I hope you all had a chance to look around and get rid of some fears you may have as we move into another school year.  Some of you were even able to meet new friends!

The 2010-2011 School year begins tomorrow and we couldn't be more excited.  We have a lot of exciting things planned for this school year.  We hope you are ready to work hard, learn a lot, and have some fun along the way.

See you tomorrow! :)

Oh, the anticipation!

July 29th, 2010

Where did the summer go?  It seems just days ago we were in the living room at the center, huddled around the tv, watching the 2009-2010 Video yearbook.  I hope everyone found some time to relax and have some fun on their summer vacations.  AND I hope everyone is well rested and gearing up for another awesome year at the PrairieWood Transition Center.

You are here, visiting our blog, which means you have already learned about our new website.  Please take some time to navigate around the site and see all the great things it has to offer for not only current students/families but future students/families as well.  Check back often for updates on PrairieWood activities, lunch menu, and also for our Student Blog.  This blog will be updated weekly with posts made by our students.  Each week one new student will be a feature writer and tell you about all the things we did throughout the past week.  Its a way for our students to learn to access technology, practice writing skills, and reflect on all the skills they are gaining day to day in their time spent at the PrairieWood Transition Center.

We are excited about all the things the new school year has in store and we hope you are as well!!

...STAY TUNED!