Our sheet fundraiser begins this month.  The deadline for turning in orders is November 12th.  All profits will go towards our class for special activities, CBI activities, and for our end of the year celebration.  Students will be bringing home order forms today.  If you would like additional order forms for friends or family, please let me know and we will be happy to send some home.  The cost of the sheets are $25 each – any size.  Twin – Full – Queen – King – Cal King.  They fit mattresses up to 16″ deep, are super soft, and don’t pill wash after wash.  I’ve personally had some for 2 years now and they still look new.   They make great gifts too!

Also, as a reminder there will be no school Tuesday, November 4th – Election Day, and there will be a half day on Friday, November 7th.

BOWLING:  Money for our bowling and pizza party should be turned in tomorrow.  Only about half of our students have paid so far.  Students who show up to school on Friday, and who have not paid, will either be sent home or will have to stay in the classroom.

PLANET FITNESS:  Students should be bringing in a change of clothes for Planet Fitness, they should not be wearing the same clothes to school that they work out in.  Our students work up a good sweat – and most take showers after they work out.  Not showering, or not changing is not good hygiene.

UPCOMING EVENT:  We will be participating in The 3rd Annual Community Day at Hype Recreation Center on November 23rd.  Our class will be hosting a bake sale to raise funds for our program.  Please watch for further information.

CONFERENCES:  Conferences will be during the day on November 13th and November 20th by appointment only. (We are unable to use the classroom at U of M in the evenings)  It is our opinion that we are in contact with you any time there is something that needs to be discussed, as well as students having an annual IEP.  However, if there is a reason you would like to meet with us, please schedule your appointment by November 10th, and we will be happy to meet with you on one of those days.

Friday, October 31st, we will be going to Ford Lanes Bowling Alley for an hour of bowling and we will be having a pizza party afterwards.  We will be leaving school around 10:30 and returning approximately 1:30 p.m.   The cost is $8 per student, and you may begin sending money in Monday, October 27th.  Ms. Cote has SMART bus passes we will be using, so there will be no additional charge to ride the SMART bus that there usually is.  Please:  NO COSTUMES, MASKS, etc.  Some students have asked if it’s o.k. to pass out candy and we have agreed to that at the end of the day.  It’s going to be a fun day!  We hope everyone is able to attend!

The job fair was a huge success yesterday!  All of the students looked so nice all dressed up.  Most everyone acted appropriately, and talked with many potential employers.  They learned about the different types of jobs out there, whether they were qualified for the jobs, and whether they would like one of the jobs available.  Most of the perspective employers were very kind to our students and took the time to explain the jobs and application process.  It was fun for the students to see some companies they were familiar with:  Community Living Services, S.T.E.P’s, Lowes, CVS, etc;  there were over 50 booths there.   We worked on skills such as eye contact, listening to the employers (instead of looking around), and asking for information you want.  We, as teachers, saw many strengths in our students as well as areas that need some work.  We will continue to build on those things throughout the year.  GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!!

On Tuesday, October 21st, the class will be attending a job fair sponsored by Community Living Services.  It will be at the Doubletree Hotel on Ford Road and Southfield.  Some students may be selected to interview for a job or a volunteer position.  We are asking that everyone come dressed in interview clothes.  (We will be talking about interview clothes in class on Monday.)  Students should come to school in nice pants, a buttoned shirt or blouse, preferably with a collar, and appropriate shoes.  In addition, students should make sure they are wearing deodorant, men should be clean shaven or have neatly trimmed facial hair, women should not wear too much make up.    We are looking forward to this experience and the opportunities it may provide for our students.

Some of the companies that will be at the Job Fair include:

Meijer

Costco

CVS

Oakwood Hospital

McDonald’s

Kroger

Dearborn Animal Shelter

Bigby Coffee

Welcome to the classroom blog for Mrs. Camp and Ms. Cote. Please subscribe to our blog to receive classroom news delivered right to your inbox. Our blog will be updated monthly at the very least. We will also post any special announcements that we may have. This will be the fastest, most reliable way to receive information about the happenings in our class.

SPECIAL REMINDER: If your son/daughter misses the bus, or you need to bring a student in late or pick him up early due to a doctors appointment, oversleeping, etc. Please make sure we are here before dropping your son/daughter off. You can do this either by letting us know ahead of time regarding a scheduled appointment, or physically walking your son/daughter to our room. One student was dropped off late on a field trip day and no one was here.

Planet Fitness Update – The students are doing GREAT!!! If you have not purchased a Planet Fitness membership for your son/daughter, there is still time. The students have already learned how to use and operate all of the cardiovascular equipment and can identify which piece of equipment they can use most efficiently. This week we started learning how to use the 30 minute circuit training area – which includes using the weight machines. They are working hard and having a blast! I will post more about Planet Fitness in a future post.

October/November Dates to Remember:

October 31 – Ford Lanes Bowling Trip. Cost $8. Includes 1 hour of bowling, two slices of pizza, glass or pop, shoe rental. We will be leaving the building at approximately 10:30 and returning around 1:00

November 4th – No school for students

November 7 – 1/2 day

November 12 – Late Start

November 26-28 – No School – Happy Thanksgiving

It has been a pleasure working with each of the students in my class.  We’ve had some wonderful times together and this has been our best year yet!  We’ve concentrated on job skills,  created resumes, had different work experiences, and  have been to many places in the community.  Now,  it’s time to rest, relax, and slow down a bit!  (I have a 4 year old – so there will be no slowing down for me!)    Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a safe and happy summer! See you in the fall!

Good luck to Sabrina Abuhmaid, Emrran Algaithi, and Fabian Esquivel!  They will be participating in the Special Olympic Spring Games today, and in the Summer Games on May 30th!  Have a great time and bring back some gold!!!

This Friday, May 2nd, we will be going to the Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor to see the Wizard of Oz. We will be going to Big Boy restaurant afterwards for a quick lunch. Funds for the restaurant will be paid out of student accounts. The theater and bus have been paid by Dr. Tynan. THANK YOU DR. TYNAN! 🙂

Here are other important dates to remember as we head into the last six weeks of school:

May 1st – Howe School’s 1st Green Fair
May 2nd – Wild Swan Theater
May 15th – District Field Day for CI students (at Howe)
May 20th – Class swim (tentative)
May 21st – PROM
May 22nd – Final Bake Sale
May 23-26th – NO SCHOOL MEMORIAL DAY
May 27th – Class swim (tentative)
May 30th – Empty Bowl Meal at Henry Ford Village
June 6th – Senior Banquet/End of the year Celebration – Benihana’s Restaurant
June 12th – Last Day of School (1/2 day)

I can’t believe March is half over.  With the first day of Spring coming up on Thursday, I’m hoping that we can finally put this harsh winter behind us and look forward to some warmer days!

March is a pretty quiet month for us.  Of course it is “March is Reading Month”, so I encourage you to read to your sons/daughters as much as possible.  We have been reading daily in the class as well.  Even if students cannot read themselves, it is still good for them to hear language and learn vocabulary by reading aloud to them.  Most people associate reading aloud with young children.  However, recent research has shown that reading aloud can benefit middle and secondary students as well. Reading aloud to teenagers stimulates their imaginations and emotions; models good reading behavior; exposes them to a range of literature; enriches their vocabularies and understanding of sophisticated language patterns; makes difficult text understandable; models the fact that different genres are read differently; supports independent reading; and can encourage a lifelong enjoyment of reading. (taken from: https://www.learner.org/workshops/tml/workshop7/teaching2.html)

In the classroom, we have been practicing interview skills and dressing for an interview.  This Thursday we will begin mock interviews, and on Friday we will shop for interview clothes while at Target.  Students were taught that clothes should be neat and clean for an interview.  Nice pants, not jeans should be worn, and a blouse for women, a button down shirt with a color for men.  We also discussed about how clothes fit, and finding the right size.  Along with looking for interview clothes on Friday, we will be trying on clothes that are the right size. I was pleased that most students were aware of what size clothes.

Finally, if you haven’t enrolled your son/daughter with CMH, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible.  CMH (Community of Mental Health) is the first step to providing your son/daughter transition services once they graduate from high school.  Once they leave Dearborn Public Schools, they no longer receive services from us, but may be eligible for services through CMH.  Services such as employment, transportation, respite care, etc.  They only way to obtain these services is by enrolling.  I have gone over the process during the IEP’s, but if you need further help, please let me know and I will be happy to help you.  There has been recent talk that Michigan may change the graduation age to 21 instead of 26.  I don’t know if this will happen, but  if it does, some of our students will leave us unprepared for their future if they have not enrolled with CMH.  The number to begin the process is: 1-800-841-4949.  If you need help in Arabic, say “Arabic” as soon as someone answers the phone, or you may go to ACCESS for help.

Please feel free to call me at any time if I can be of help.