The Transition Times

The Connections Board of Directions have declared the month of November as track your spending month.  Tracking your spending is the process where you keep a record of where you spend your money.  There are several ways to track spending; you can keep receipts, keep a ledger, monitor your bank account online or follow the envelope method.  Keep track of where your money goes. You will be surprised how much money you can save!  After all, it is a November to Remember (your spending)!

We are looking for students to participate in a software testing project.  You will be asked to track your goals independently using new software.  There is a small stipend available for those students who participate.  If you are interested, please see Josh.

Mark your planners.  All 4J schools (including Connections) will be closed on Monday, November 11 in observance of Veteran’s Day.  There will not be seminars, advocates or work experience on Monday, November 11.  Lane Community College will also be closed on Monday, November 11.

Don’t forget that Alumni Afternoon will take place this Friday, November 8 from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm in the Transition Building.  It will be electrifying!

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Alumni Afternoon is back!  Alumni Afternoon will take place on Friday November 8 from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm.  Alumni Afternoon is when Connections Alumni return to Connections to rekindle old friendships and meet the new students.  We have an Alumni Afternoon once a term.  Always electrifying, make plans on joining us on November 8, you will have a good time!

For the first time ever, Alumni Afternoon will take place in the Transition Building.  We will have a variety of activities to choose from.  We will have games in the Blue Room, movies in the Green Room and a Musical Jam session in the art room.  Bring your musical instruments and your willingness to have fun!  Alumni Afternoon is free, and is open to Current Students and Connections Alumni.  If you have any questions, or ideas to make Alumni Afternoon great, please see Josh.  Please keep in mind that Alumni Afternoon does not mean that classes are canceled on Friday, November 8.  All Friday Classes will take place as scheduled on November 8. 

Be prepared for the weather!  The weather has been unpredictable.  Sometimes it is sunny, sometimes it has been rainy and foggy.  I think it is safe to say that we can now expect frequent rain, overcast skies and cooler temperature.  Many of our seminars  take place outside (Smart Shopping, King of the Castle, Walk and Roll, Bike Rules).  Bring a rain coat, waterproof shoes and other clothes that will keep you warm even if you get wet!

We have some budding TV stars in Connections!  Click on the link below to see Amanda’s interview and the Employment Success crew on the KMTR news!  Nice Job!

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/Tapping-Fresh-Talent-Job-fair-for-people-with-disabilities-229167341.html?tab=video&c=y

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The Transition Building is a Tobacco/Nicotine Free Campus.

Connections Students are over the age of 18 and are legally able to purchace tobacco and nicotine products.  Examples of tobacco/nicotine products are (but are not limited to): cigarettes, cigars, e cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco/dip, smokeless tobacco, nicotine gum.

If you choose to use tobacco and/or nicotine products, you must use these products off 4J campus.  You may use these products in the DS Market parking lot.  Some e cigarettes do not contain nicotine; all e cigarettes need to be consumed off of 4J property.

Some Connections seminars and activities take place off campus.  We have several seminars that take place in the community. Students are unable to use tobacco or nicotine products when participating in a Connections event.  We follow the same rules and guidelines in the community that we do in our buildings.

Using tobacco and nicotine products carry many adverse heath risks.  We do not encourage the use of these products.  We will connect you to the appropriate support if you choose to stop using tobacco and/or nicotine.

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Our goal this week is to improve our School Culture.  One way we can accomplish this is to build the Connections Community.  This week, remember to be friendly to each other.  Say hello as you see someone in the hall way, invite someone you don’t know very well to have lunch with you.  Above all, respect each others’ differences.  No one is perfect, and some might have challenges that are different than yours.  Be more tolerant of each others needs.

I would like to thank those that came to the Alumni Afternoon Planning Meeting!  We came up with a great plan for Alumni Afternoon, I just need to run it by the Connections Staff before making the announcement…

And now a word from Schuyler Davis:

Shadow Hunters Gaming is Recruiting!!! Are you somebody who loves playing the XBOX 360 or the PS3? Are you looking for gamers who are into the same games you are? Do you want to be part of a community of gamers that is fun and will allow you to earn promotions and be things like a recruitment officer, undercover operations specialist, etc…? Then join Shadow Hunters Gaming. We are recruiting heavily and nobody is turned away. We will make you into the best gamer you can be. Check out our website: www.fornovices.com/shadowhuntersgaming and sign up. It is free to join and free to play. We play call of duty among other things. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Schuyler Davis via email(schuylerdavis01@gmail.com please title subject as SHG Info), Meeko(XBOX GAMERTAG: Meekorockz), who is one of our recruitment officers, or you can leave me a message on the message board. however you choose to contact us, please make sure to include your real name  See you in the gaming world!
-Schuyler Davis
Clan Leader of Shadow Hunters Gaming, Internal Affairs Officer,
Undercover Operations Divison Co-Leader

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Great news!  We have a full week this week!  All Connections Seminars, Advocates, Tutorials and Work Experience will take place as scheduled!  Get ready for an amazing week.  I am very excited!

LCC will be holding CASAS testing on October 28 and 29 at LCC Main Campus and October 29 and 30 at the New Downtown LCC Campus.  If you are thinking about taking ABSE classes, LCC requires you to attend CASAS testing.  If you attend GED Classes at Connections, please plan on attending CASAS testing at LCC.  The CASAS test will give an accurate measure of skills you need to master before taking the GED test.  Remember, you must have a GED to receive Federal Financial Aid (you are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid with a Modified Diploma).  And, you must attend credit college classes to receive Federal Financial Aid.

Alumni Afternoon will be coming soon!  Be a part of the planning for the next Alumni Afternoon.  The Alumni Afternoon planning committee will meet 4 pm on Friday, October 18 in the Blue Room of the Transition Building.  We have several Alumni that will be coming back to plan with us, we are looking for some current students to join the group!  Please see Josh if you are interested.

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Sometimes as an adult, you have to be flexible.  Sometimes things come up that you have no control over, and changes need to be made.

I just received a call that the Connections Staff needs to participate in full day meetings with the Oregon Department of Education on Monday, October 7.  That means (sadly) there will be no Connections Seminars, Advocates, Tutorials or Work Experience on Monday, October 7.  I know, I know, I am sad too.  But being an adult means that we are all flexible.  And we can all deal with this change.

Many of you have seen the Current Events board by the Transition Specialist’s office.  The board states that there will be no school on Friday, October 11.  October 11 is a State Wide in-service day for staff, all Public Schools are closed in Oregon on October 11.

Note: LCC is not 4J.  LCC will have classes on October 7 and October 11.  Your LCC classes will take place as usual!

Now… many of you have a 3-day weekend two weekends in a row?  What are you going to do with your time?  The weather report is predicting a beautiful weekend… put down that controller and get outside!

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We want to recognize your amazing achievements!  Connections has an achievement board hanging in the hallway of the Transition Building.  Do you know of someone in Connections that deserves recognition?  It could be someone who has begun paid employment, earned their learner’s permit, cooked a meal for their family or passed an LCC Credit class.  Let’s get your achievements up there, and celebrate your success!  Please see Josh to noimiate someone for the achievement board.

The Cooking Tutorial Wall of Fame is looking for pictures!  If you cook something at home, please take a picture of yourself holding your delicious creation!  We will be very excited to hang your picture on our wall! Last year, we almost filled the entire wall with your cooking pictures.  Let’s do it again this year!

We have a full week of class this week.  And yes, it will be electrifying!

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The Connections Fall Term is off and running!  Looks like everything is going smooth on the first day.  Teachers are dropping mad knowledge, students are learning, and everyone is having a good time!

Your attendance is very important to us.  However, we do understand that sometimes you might need to be absent from class.  You might become ill, have a doctor’s appointment, have a circumstance where you might be out of town, or be abducted by aliens.  If you are late or absent, please contact the Connections Staff who is teaching your class.  If you have more than one class, you might have to make more than one phone call.  Do not send a message with a friend to tell us, we need to hear from you directly.  Below are the phone numbers you need to know:

Josh: (541) 912-3618        Lori (541) 915-8493

Cathy: (541) 953-0147     Jasmin (541) 954-7133

Nick: (541) 915-4082

We also understand that your schedule might not be perfect.  You might want to make some changes.  If you want to drop or add a class, please complete the Connections Drop/Add Form.  There are copies of this form on the resource shelf.  You will need to take the following steps:

1. Students completes the class, add/drop, and reasons boxes.

2. Student shows form to classroom teacher.  Teacher will sign and mark agree or disagree

3. Student makes appointment with case manager.  Case Manager will sign form, mark agree or disagree and write action plan

4. Changes become official  after action plan is complete

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We had outstanding attendance for our information nights this week!  Thank you!  We are so excited to begin orientation this week.

Our Fall Term Seminar Descriptions are now posted on this website.  There has been one small change to the schedule you received at Information night.  We will not be teaching “Ready or Not” during Fall Term… instead, we will be teaching “Is It A Medical Emergency?”  Not to worry, “Ready or Not” will take place during Winter Term.

Please remember to be prepared for seminars. Every Connections student needs to bring a three ring binder, pens and/or pencils, a calculator and a planner to class every day.  Your planner does not have to be a traditional planner.  It can be a cell phone, sticky notes, or something more creative.  Find a system that works for you!  If you can not bring these items, please talk to the Connections Staff.  We can help you!

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Welcome To The New Transition Times!

Edit | Author: barbour | Filed under: Uncategorized

Welcome to the New Transition Times, the website for all things Connections.  What better way to kick off the 2013-2014 school year than to introduce a brand new website!

Please bookmark this page on your computer, tablet, and/or smartphone, and stay up to date on the latest Connections activities and events!  This website will feature the latest update on schedule, classes and all the great Connections events.  And I think you will find it user friendly as well!

We are about to begin the 2013-2014 school year, and I can’t wait!  Please mark these important dates in your planner.  If you have any questions, please contact Connections Staff.  You can find staff contact information by clicking the link on the top of this page!

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