The Transition Times

We are very proud to announce that Connections’ Alumni Nick Kaasa won the 2015 Oregon Association Of Vocational Special Needs Personnel Student of the Year award in Hood River Friday Night. Nick won the award based on his hard work, determination and positive attitude with his work at Full Access Brokerage. As a Connections student, Nick set a goal to work for Full Access in 2012, and with hard work, he achieved that goal! We are very proud of Nick!

And now… A word from the Plan An Event Seminar Promotions Committee:

It’s the coldest season of the year, but that won’t stop us! Forget your troubles and come to our party at our fantastic faux beach on March 6th! Enjoy our large feast, and our wonderful games! Don’t forget the movie! We’re going from 11am to 2pm, so mark your calendars, and follow us on our new Twitter account, cause it’s gonna get G-E-W-D, geeewwwwddd! and please, no skimpy clothing.

 The Official Transitions Times Twitter Account: http://bit.ly/TransTweet

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Remember, only Connections is closed on Thursday, February 19 and Friday February 20 this week… all other programs will be open!  Many Connections students also attend Lane Community College or other 4J programs.  If you attend LCC or another 4J program, please attend your LCC/4J class on Thursday February 19 and Friday February 20!   If you have any questions about your schedule this week, please talk to a Connections staff.

The Building 2120 Maintenance Team will be painting the Art Room on Wednesday, February 18.  We will begin to use the rollers.  Please remember to wear old clothes that you will not mind getting dirty.  You do not want to splatter paint on your nice clothes!

It is a short week, but it is still going to be electrifying!  See you in Connections this week!

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We had to cancel our Alumni Afternoon Planning meeting last week… But not to worry, Alumni Afternoon will still take place!  We will be holding our Alumni Afternoon Planning Meeting on 3:30 pm Wednesday, February 11 in the Blue Room!  Come join us and plan the next Alumni Afternoon!

The good news: We have a normal week this week.  All seminars, advocates, and work experience will take place as scheduled from February 9 through February 13.  Yes, we do have school on Friday the 13! Should be awesome! 

But mark your planners now, the next week is a bit strange. We will be off on Monday February 16 for President’s Day.  Note: LCC and all other 4J schools will be also closed that day.  We will also be off on Thursday February 19 and Friday February 20 for staff professional development.  Note: Lane Community College and other 4J programs will be open on Thursday and Friday… only Connections is closed!  If you have any questions about your schedule, please call Connections staff.  

Remember, if you are in Employment How, we will be painting the Art Room on Monday and Wednesday Afternoons.  Expect to get paint on your clothes.  Please wear old clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty or ruining.  Please see Josh if you have any questions.

Our Schedule the Next 2 weeks:

Monday,  February 9 through Friday, February 13:   Normal Week.  All Seminars, Advocates and Work Experience will take place as usual.

Monday, February 16: Connections is closed.  LCC is closed.  All schools are closed in observance of President’s Day.

Tuesday, February 17: Connections is open.  All Seminars, Advocates and Work Experience will take place as scheduled.  

Wednesday, February 18: Connections is open.  All Seminars, Advocates and Work Experience will take place as scheduled. 

Thursday, February 19: Connections is closed.  LCC is open.  Connections is closed due to staff professional development.  LCC Classes will take place as scheduled.

Friday, February 20: Connections is closed.  LCC is open.  Connections is closed due to staff professional development.  LCC Classes will take place as scheduled.

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Great news! We are back to a full week schedule! That’s right! We will have Connections all 5 days this week, and yes, it will be electrifying!

Now This Week’s Connections Challenge! Your challenge this week is to be on time for all your seminars, advocates and work crews.  What is the definition of on time?  On time means that you are in the classroom, at your seat 1 or 2 minutes before your class begins.  You will greatly benefit from getting in the habit of being on time.  You will need to be on time for a job or a college class; you will always make a great impression if you are on time!  

The Building 2120 Maintenance Team will paint the art room during Wednesday’s work crew. If you are on the Building 2120 Maintenance Team, please wear clothes and shoes that you won’t mind getting some paint on.

Remember, all Plan An Event committees must meet before Friday’s Plan An Event seminar. Your committee is responsible for writing a timeline to complete tasks. If you do not have your timeline form, please see Josh for a new form. If you have any questions, please see Josh before Friday. Remember to update you Goal Guide once you complete your meeting!

Plan An Event Committee Assignments:

Venue/Entertainment: Josh A, Jacob C

Budget: Davan, Dorothy

Catering: Kelsie, Josh P, Jeff C

Promotion/Guests: Connor, Yulinda

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Mark your planners!  All 4J schools are closed on Friday, January 30 for staff development/teacher planning day.  Connections seminars, advocates, tutorials and work crews will not be in session on January 30.  Please keep in mind, Lane Community College is not a 4J school.  Lane Community College is open on January 30 and classes will be in session.  If you are a LCC student, please plan on going to class on January 30.

Alumni Afternoon will be back!  Alumni Afternoon is a time where legendary Connections Alumni return to Building 2120 to meet new Connections Students and rekindle old friendships!  What will we do for Alumni Afternoon?  That is for you to decide!  Please come to the Alumni Afternoon planning meeting 3:30 pm on February 4 in the Blue Room of Building 2120.  We will pick a date, time and activity for Alumni Afternoon!

Remember, if you set goals on goal guide, remember to update as you complete them!  Keep on completing those goals!

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Your challenge this week is to update your Goal Guide Account when you complete your goals!  Goal Guide is a new goal setting application that is being developed in Eugene!  You can access your goal guide account on your smartphone or tablet (I made mine look like an app on my iPhone).  You can also access your account on your computer at goalguide.mod.bz!  Once you sign in, just click the box next to your goal to show that it has been completed. It is that easy! Will you be the first?

Many of you have classes at Lane Community College Downtown Center. Many of you utilize the tables in the hallway when you are waiting for class to begin or eating lunch. Please keep in mind the following:

1. The tables outside the classroom are for quiet activity.  You may read, play video games with headphones, listen to music with headphones, do homework.
2. There are classrooms next to the tables.  Voices and Laughter carries throughout the building.  Loud conversation and laughter will be disruptive to those classes
3. You may listen to music with your headphones.  Please do not play music without headphones in the LCC building.  It is too disruptive.
4. You do not have to wait for classes in the LCC Building.  The library, LILA, and Addictive Behaviors all have places to hang out.  Keep in mind that loud conversations and music would not be appropriate in those settings either.

Mark your Planner: All 4J Schools (including Connections) will be closed on Friday, January 30 for professional development. Keep in mind, Lane Community College is not a 4J school. Lane Community College will be open on January 30. If you are a LCC Student, please go to class on January 30!

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Mark Your Planners!   Connections (and all other 4J schools) will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   Lane Community College will also be closed on Monday, January 19.   All Connections Activities will resume as usual on Tuesday, January 20.  And, yes these activities will be LEGENDARY!

Flu season is upon us. Protect yourself against the flu!  Make sure you wash your hands and use hand sanitizer often (especially when you are entering or leaving public buildings and bathrooms).  Cover your cough with your elbow (not your hands).  And, if you are feeling sick, Please stay home.  Get rest, feel better, and come back to Connections/Work Crew when you are 100% healthy!

This is a normal week, all advocate sessions, seminars and tutorials will take place as usual. It is going to be a great week in Connections.  I am very excited!

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Happy New Year!  We are very excited to be back and we are ready to start our electrifying winter term!  We have amazing seminars, advocates, tutorials and work experiences planned for 2015, and I don’t know about you, I can’t wait to get started!

Friendly Reminder Number 1: Please come prepared for class.  Remember to bring a three-ringed binder, a pencil or pen, a calculator and your planner.  Most importantly, bring a positive attitude and get ready to have fun!

Friendly Reminder Number 2: Make sure you know your schedule and are on time for class. If you do not know your schedule, please contact your case manager and get a copy of your schedule. If you are late or absent for class (or think you might be late), please call or text the staff that is teaching that class.

Friendly Reminder Number 3: Your schedule may not be perfect. If you would like to drop or add a class, please fill out a Connections drop-add form. You may find drop-add forms in the Connections lounge in Building 2120.

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It’s official! Winter Break has begun!  I hope that everyone is having a happy, restful and safe winter break!

Remember, Connections Winter Term officially begins on Monday, January 5.  If you have not registered for seminars, it is not too late!  Connections staff will be back to work on Monday, January 5.  Please give me a call (541) 912-3618 on Monday, January 5 if you would like to schedule a registration meeting. (or have any other questions or concerns). I will be checking my email over break if you have any additional questions.  My email address is barbour@4j.lane.edu.

 Happy Holidays and have a very happy new year!  See you in 2015!!!

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Reminder: Winter Term Registration will be on Thursday, December 18 in Building 2120!  Make sure you have a registration time. Did you see the class offerings? Ace of Sear Simmer and Sizzle, I Ripped My Pants, Scavenger Hunt, Iron Chef: Twisted… that’s just to name a few.  It is going to be a great Winter Term.

We are excited that many of you will be attending Lane Community College.  We still would like you to register for Winter Term, even if you do not know your LCC schedule yet.  Pick your Connections classes now; we will easily be able to change them once you have your LCC schedule in January.

Please pick your Connections schedule carefully.  Don’t just pick your classes based on what your friends are doing, or because they look like fun.  Pick the seminars that will get you closer to your long term goal.  If your long term goal is to work, come to Employment How, or come to a work crew.  If your long term goal is to better manage your money, come to Scavenger Hunt or Plan an Event.

We will be holding a special activity  on Friday, December 19!  We will be holding stop #2 of the Connections Burger Tour: 5 Guys Burgers and Fries.  I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds delicious!  Please keep in mind, Connections is unable to pay for your burger. You do not have to pay for food to come to this event.  Hanging out with us at is free and always fun.

Here is our schedule for Friday, December 19.  I hope to see you there:

12:00 pm: Meet at Downtown LCC

12:30 pm: Board bus 51 (Bay E).  Get off bus at 8th and Washington Streets.  Walk to 5 Guys.

12:35 pm: Arrive at 5 Guys.  Hang Out!

1:35 pm: Board Bus 51 at 8th and Washington Streets.  Get off bus on River Road near Maurie Jacobs Park.  Walk to Valley River Center

1:45 pm: Arrive at Valley River Center.  Hang out and have fun!

2:51 pm: Board bus 67 at VRC Station.  Ride back to Downtown Eugene

3:05 pm: Arrive at Downtown Eugene.  Dismissed!

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