Next Steps

As we begin to see signs of spring in our surroundings we have also noticed some changes in our students at the Transition Center.  They are preparing for the end of the school year.  For some of them, this means anxiously awaiting summer plans that include vacation, volunteer work or Day Hab.  For others, this means the biggest transition they have encountered; leaving school and beginning life in the adult world.  To make this transition smooth and painless, we try to help out with this transition by giving them opportunities to explore their next steps while they are still coming to school.  Some begin working longer days in community jobs, or take the bus to and from school.  Others spend time meeting people and learning routines in their supported employment environments.  For everyone it is a big time for change and like the beautiful weather, sunshine, and flowers of spring, we do our best to embrace it!

Our feature blogger this week is a student who has begun her transition out of school: Kaitlyn.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned to say hi to new people.  I enjoyed my new job.  I was challenged by putting the silver things in the bag.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about making new friends."

Look at them go!

We love Spring time at the PrairieWood Transition Center.  This is when things "click" for our students and we see them take off and start to show us just how independent they are, and how much they have learned over the school year.  And this year is no different!  Our group has really taken off in the last few weeks!

Spring also means things are starting to wrap up.  We are making plans for senior staff outs, and preparing students to transition into their adult community whether it be for good, or just a little taste for the summer before returning for another school year at PrairieWood.  As we prepare for these changes, it provides a great opportunity to reflect on how far each PrairieWood student has come throughout the year.  Way to go to our students!

Our feature blogger this week is Kyle.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood, I learned to find hamburger buns at HyVee.  I enjoyed making pizza rolls.  I was challenged by the staples at work.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn about making English Muffin pizzas."

Our Community full of Opportunities

There are so many great programs that offer opportunities for our students as they enter the adult world.  Today we visited the DayHab program through The Arc.  This program just celebrated its 1st birthday and are growing as more young adults need services.  We enjoyed looking at pictures of all the activities they do in the community.  It looks like they have so much fun and learn all at the same time!  Thank you to those
who showed us around today.

Our feature blogger today is Nolan.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...

This week at PrairieWood I learned where the strawberries are at HyVee.  I enjoyed walking on the treadmill and playing basketball at the Rec. Center.  I was challenged by shutting the van door and then moving onto my job.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about how I can stay focused at work.  I enjoyed my lunch at Tommy's Family Restaurant."

Have a great weekend!  We hope spring makes a return next week!!!

Spread your wings!

Today is a very special day at PrairieWood.  Today, one of our students is spreading her wings and flying out on her own.  Sarah will be leaving us to begin work at Goodwill.  We could not be more excited and proud of her.  Sarah has learned so much and grown in her time at PrairieWood.  She is such a hard worker and so driven.  Good luck Sarah!  We hope all good things for your new, independent life!


We also celebrated a 21st birthday today!  Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!  Thank you for sharing a sweet treat with us!

With all this celebrating we managed to find time to learn too.  We spent our morning at the Iowa City Fire House 4 and had a great tour led by Mr. Brian Marak.  Brian showed us through the fire house and showed us all the equipment on the fire trucks that help the fire fighters help all of us.

Enjoy your weekend!

Snow Days oh Snow Days!

My goodness!  What a winter we are having!  We "enjoyed" yet another Snow day this week.  What did you do with your extra day?  It was too cold to get out there and make a snow man.  Despite our change in routine, we managed to have a good week and got a lot done.

Our feature blogger this week is Nolan.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...
"This week at PrairieWood I learned to do a good job at work.  I enjoyed making a grilled cheese sandwich.  I was challenged by getting the grilled cheese sandwich from the plate to the frying pan.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about focusing on work, not watching TV.  I had a really good week at school."

Have a great weekend!

Weather Wise!

We have learned a lot about weather this year at PrairieWood.  We look at forecasts and prepare for what is coming.  We plan what to wear the next day based on the temperature and predicted forecast, and we do this all with the help of the weather team at KCRG.  Thanks to their application, website, and forecast in the newspaper, we are very "weather wise" at PrairieWood.  Today, we traveled downtown and got to tour KCRG Channel 9 Newsroom and Studio.  We learned a lot about what kind of work goes into putting our news together, especially that very important weather forecast.  Thank you to the folks at Channel 9 for taking the time to show us around!

Our feature blogger today is Andrea.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood...

" This week I learned how to make more filing labels at hibu.  I liked getting my new name badge at work.  I was challenged by reading some of the file names at work.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about how to make grilled cheese.  I liked going to KCRG today!"

Based on our visit today, we got the inside scoop on the snow that is coming over the weekend...STAY WARM!

A big community today!

Today was a very busy day for us!  We spent time in the morning doing our center chores and were all very independent!  To celebrate our independence we went to lunch at Zio Johno's and displayed even more independence!  Each student ordered on their own, and payed for their own lunch!  SO GREAT!  We enjoyed great conversation and great food before heading out into the cold.  Off to Marion we went to drop off some of our holiday cards at Dreaming Bear in anticipation for tonight's Peppermint Walk (hope to see some of you out there).  From there we headed to Dollar Tree to make some more purchases, this time for our friends.  Each student selected and purchased a gift for one of their peers, to be exchanged at our holiday party later this month.  Back to the center we went to wrap our presents and wrap up our day.  It is so fun to spend the day in the community and watch each of our students show just how independent they are!

Our feature blogger this week is Parker.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood:

"This week at PrairieWood, I learned to find hamburger.  I enjoyed getting my independence award.  I was challenged by pulling the cord at HyVee for the city bus.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn how to make Spaghetti."

Pictures from our lunch out...Enjoy your weekend!

The 6th Annual PrairieWood Thanksgiving feast...

Whelp...we are exhausted!  We have spent the entire week preparing food, cleaning the center, and practicing our party social skills.  And today we showed off all our hard work.  Guests included students and staff from Prairie and Kirkwood, those that are supportive of our program and those students who may one day be attending PrairieWood.  Each student spent two days cooking items that were served at today's luncheon.  Ask your PrairieWood student about their favorite part of the day!  We took some time this afternoon to reflect on our week of preparations and here is what we have to share...

"During our Thanksgiving, I learned to Grocery Shop for Thanksgiving food." Sarah

"During our Thanksgiving , I enjoyed talking with my friends." Nolan

"During our Thanksgiving , I was challenged by keeping my sleeves up while cooking" Andrea

"My favorite part of our Thanksgiving was making the stuffing." Kaitlyn

"During our Thanksgiving, I learned to make pumpkin pie." Parker

"My favorite part of our Thanksgiving was the people." Kyle

I could not be prouder of each and every one of our students today.  They worked so hard to clean and prepare the food, and were such great hosts to our guests.   They represented PrairieWood well!!!

Enjoy the pictures from our week of preparations and our party today...

 

Bowling Success!

What a FUN day the students and staff of the Transition Center had today.  We started our Friday morning at Westdale Bowl for the Special Olympics Bowling Regional competition.  Our students represented PrairieWood and Special Olympics well with their positive attitudes and smiling faces!  Each one of them had the best time bowling and cheering on their classmates.  Below is photos from our day.  Enjoy!

Rainy day fun!

Our original Friday activity plans had us heading to Palisades Park in Mt. Vernon today.  Its an annual fall trip where we cook out and go on a nature hike to enjoy the fall weather.  Well...it would be a pretty miserable trip today...so we had to come up with Plan B.  What a better way to spend a rainy day than with a trip to the movie theater.  We will be heading to the Budget Theater this afternoon to enjoy Despicable Me 2 3D.  Many of us are more excited about purchasing our own snacks.  An afternoon full of great learning opportunities and a little fun at the movie theater!

Our feature blogger this week is Sarah.  Here is what she had to say about her (short) week at PrairieWood.

" This week at PrairieWood I learned cooking because I made s'mores.  I enjoyed city bus.  I was challenged by playing a game.  I would like to learn more about the Rec. Center.  I am excited about our movie trip."

Have a great weekend!  And stay dry!!!

Its Fall!

We are doing our best to enjoy this beautiful "fall" weather before it disappears into winter.  We spent a lot of time doing activities outside this week.  For our community activity today, we enjoyed the Wilson's Apple Orchard between Iowa City and Solon.  We packed a picnic lunch, hiked through the orchard to pick apples, and enjoyed Apple Cider donuts.

Our feature blogger this week is Andrea.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned how to make frozen peas.  I enjoyed working at Kenwood.  I was challenged by playing the sign game.  At PrairieWood, I would like to learn more about how to make homemade ice cream.  I really liked playing kickball at Jones Park this week."

Enjoy the pictures from our orchard trip and have a great weekend!

Prairie Pride

Well, we just got back to the center from a chilly trip around Prairie's campus for the homecoming parade.  What fun we had!  We saw so many familiar faces from all our years in the wonderful schools at Prairie.  We had fun waving, smiling, saying hello, and showing our Prairie Pride!

Our feature blogger this week is a young man who had a great week at PrairieWood.  Here is what Kyle has to say...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned where to find refried beans at HyVee.  I enjoyed eating pizza for lunch.  I was challenged pulling out big staples at my job.  I also sometimes get snacks in the break room at Kenwood.  I like that a lot!"

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the fall weather!!!

Hard Working!

It happened this week!  All of our young adults started their community jobs.  Each afternoon, they spend several hours out in the community learning and improving their work skills.  We are all very excited to be working and very excited about all we are learning at our new jobs.

We also took advantage of the beautiful weather this week.  We took the city bus to Jone Park for bus training and spent some time enjoying the park.  We also went Mini Golfing this afternoon.  That was a favorite!

Our feature blogger this week is Nolan.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...

" This week at PrairieWood I learned a new job at hibu.  It was counting envelopes.  I enjoyed working at Hibu.  I was challenged by finding pizza sauce at HyVee."

Please enjoy the pictures of us enjoying this beautiful fall weather...and have a great weekend!

Learning our Routines and Rituals

We have a lot of routines and rituals in place at the PrairieWood Transition Center.  We establish these routines to provide opportunities for our students to be more independent.  If they know what comes next, or what to expect, they can prepare for it on their own.  Over the past few weeks we have been focusing our energy and attention on learning these routines.  Some are coming quicker than others, but we are seeing a lot of progress, and growing independence, even in this short amount of time.  One routine that got up and running for a few of our students this week is Work Experience in the community.  One crew of students began their work with the support of a job coach, volunteering at a local hospital.  We look forward to the rest of our students following suit, and beginning to establish their own Work routines.

Our feature blogger this week is Kaitlyn.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned about getting blankets and sheets from the cart.  I enjoyed working at Mercy Hospital.  I was challenged by doing my job at work instead of watching people at Mercy.  I would like to learn about my job and other jobs at Mercy Hospital.  We went to Lake Macbride for a picnic and hiking today."

Kaitlyn mentioned our afternoon trip to Lake Macbride.  What a relaxing and beautiful afternoon in nature.  Please enjoy our pictures.

Enjoying the sunshine at Lake Macbride.

Taking advantage of the beautiful, shaded trails.

One "week" down!

We may have started on Wednesday...but we have successfully completed our first "week" at PrairieWood!  We were very busy in this week learning new routines, making new friends, and getting to know our community; both on the Kirkwood campus and beyond!  Our feature blogger this week is Parker.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood, I learned how to make lunch for my classmates.  I enjoyed meeting new friends.  I was challenged by loading the dishwasher.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about my new friends.  My week was challenging and fun."

Have a great weekend!

And we are off!

Whelp...it came.  And it went!  We have successfully completed the first day of our 2013-2014 School Year and its pretty obvious that it is going to be a great year!  Returning students are eager to be back and and get all they can out of their year, and new students didn't hesitate to jump right in and get things going!  We took a trip to HyVee to purchase lunch supplies and did a scavenger hunt to get to know campus better.  All left pretty exhausted, but pretty excited about all the things to come.  Including this teacher!  I am vowing that our blog (and website) will be current and update much more this year and I figured to start things out on the right note, we had to get a post out there on the first day.  A big thanks to all those moms, dads, siblings, friends and helpers out there who had these PrairieWood students ready and eager to have a great year! 

Until next time...
Parker, Andrea, Nolan, Sarah, Nick, Kaitlyn and Kyle

So long!

What a year we have had!  Nine students entered our program in August to develop and expand their functional life skills.  This spring we are sending six students of those nine out into the adult world.  Look out for them at the HyVee on Wilson Ave., HyVee drug on 6th Street, at Prairie High School, at OPTIONS of Linn County, the Walgreens Training program through Goodwill and Career Connections, also through Goodwill.  What an amazing group of young adults!  We are so proud to send them on their way to do great things and conquer the world.  As we wrap up this school year, we will share the happenings from our several of our grads.

Ahsia (3 years at PrairieWood)
"This week at PrairieWood, I learned City bus and pushing the tape for HyVee.  I enjoyed being at PrairieWood.  I was challeneged by the BINGO game.  I will miss everyone at PrairieWood next year.  They are my friends."

Chase (1 year at PrairieWood)
"This week at PrairieWood, I learned I did great on spoons and forks at work.  I enjoyed doing my cooking project.  I was challenged by doing faster on dishes.  I loved being at PrairieWood."

Brandon (2 years at PrairieWood)
"This week at PrairieWood I learned about washing dishes.  I enjoyed wiping tables.  I was challenged by laundry.  I am done with work for now at HyVee."

Mason (1 year at PrairieWood)
"This week at PrairieWood I learned how to put the funnel back on the pop machine in the coffee area at work.  I enjoyed HyVee being really busy.  I was challenged by keeping up with all the dirty dishes on the tables.  I did so well and accomplished so much in my time at PrairieWood."

Only one more day left.  Next week those that are still around will reflect on their year at PrairieWood and will provide advice for our incoming students.  Have a great weekend!

Where have we been?!?

Whelp, it has been one VERY busy spring around the PrairieWood Transition Center!  Starting in January, we began preparing for the Special Olympics Track and field.  All our hard practice payed off because at the Regional Competition on April 20th all of our students got 2nd and 1st place ribbons!  We are taking 6 students to the state competition in May!!!  We couldn't be prouder!

We also have 6 students who will be leaving PrairieWood this spring and transitioning to the adult community in Cedar Rapids.  Some will be competatively employed in the community, while others are taking some time to further develop their skills through programs such as Career Connections and OPTIONS.

On May 6th we will be celebrating 5 years of building independence with our community open house.  To prepare for this, PrairieWood students reflected on all they have learned and enjoyed at the center along with their plans upon leaving PrairieWood.  These interviews, along with pictures and video of the students around PrairieWood and the community were compiled into a video which will be shown at our open house.  Students also prepared cookies, trail mix and lemonade for our guests to enjoy and just completed a very deep cleaning of the center.  As I write it is sparkling clean and awaiting Monday's guests.

Our feature blogger this week is Sarah.  Here is what she had to say about her week at PrairieWood.

"This week at PrairieWood, I learned grocery shopping.  I enjoyed cooking because I made sugar cookies.  I was challenged by completing my work.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about the News2You stories."

Maybe we will see some of our loyal readers on Monday...  Have a good weekend!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Whew!  What a day we had!  We wrapped up a busy week with an especially busy day at PrairieWood.  We have missed our Friday activities, due to Snow Days and No School days, so we jammed three activities into one Friday today!  We started our morning with Dori at Dreaming Bear.  There we prepared for spring by painting bright, beautiful flowers.  Next we enjoyed lunch at the Kirkwood Cafe with the rest of our Kirkwood peers.  Finally we took advantage of the sunshine and the snow before it melts and spent the afternoon snow shoeing around Jones park.  WHAT FUN!

Our feature blogger this week is Nick.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood.


"This week at PrairieWood, I learned snow shoeing.  I enjoyed wearing my winter clothing for snow shoeing.  I was challenged by Dreaming Bear.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about Painting flowers.  I liked having lunch at the Kirkwood Cafe."

Nick working on his Spring masterpiece!

Chelsey and Dori adding finishing touches to the flower.

Go Sarah!

Ahsia making her way through the snow!

Chelsey and Brandon enjoying their first time in snow shoes.

Hello Snow!

Our recent snow fall was actually welcomed at PrairieWood.  We usually prefer nice, dry weather, as it makes our activities in the community a little easier to get to.  However, this week we welcomed the snow!  This was because for one of our Lifetime fitness activities, we were giving Snow Shoeing a try.  We had scheduled it for earlier in February, but had to cancel due to lack of snow, so when we saw snow in the forecast, we geared up and did some snow shoeing.  While many of the PrairieWood students had never tried snow shoeing before, they were up to the challenge, and after one try decided it was something they would like to do again!  We'll see how long this snow sticks around...maybe we can squeeze in a trip to a park or nature reserve before Winter makes it's way out of town!

Our feature blogger this week is Aric.  Here is what he had to say about his week at PrairieWood...

"This week at PrairieWood I learned to snow shoe with boots on.  I enjoyed going to work to go on the work floor and straighten things (at Goodwill).  I was challeneged by making an open-faced turkey sandwich.  At PrairieWood I would like to learn more about getting better at folding clothes.  At Goodwill I also learned to put shoes in the right places."

Have a good weekend!

Aric pushes against the wind to snow shoe across the field.

Sarah, enjoying her time in the snow shoes!

Ahsia, making her way back to the van.

Kaitlyn thinks, "Snow shoeing is fun!"