Category: Special Education

Upcoming Lunch & Learn to Focus on Keeping the Holidays Happy

 
Jamiee Kidder, Park City School District’s Behavior Specialist, will offer ways to keep the holidays happy as she speaks at a Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, Dec. 12, from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at the District Office.

Those interested are invited to bring their lunch and enjoyKidder’s wealth of knowledge and practical guidance on “Keeping the Holidays Happy: Preventing Behavior Problems Over the Break.”

The holidays are a wonderful time of year; however, the Winter Break often brings its own set of behavior issues and stress for our students and families. During this session, Kidder will discuss strategies for avoiding power struggles and other behavior problems that detract from family time.  She will also talk about ways to cope with holiday chaos and stay focused on positives during this busy holiday season.

Kidder, who also works as a graduate research assistant at the University of Utah during the summers, is currently a doctoral candidate at the U in applied behavior analysis and special education.

 

 

 

 

 

National Ability Center partnering with PCSD’s Transition College

The National Ability Center (NAC) is partnering with Park City School District to pilot a new program for special education students called “Exploring Jobs and Joy.”

The students exploring jobs are ages 18-22 in the Post High School Special Education Program, “Transition College,” which is housed at the Park Center Learning Academy.
NAC is continually exploring new opportunities for people of all abilities. The program’s goal is to provide another vocational training opportunity for our students in a familiar, friendly, and understanding environment. After working and training, students and staff will have the opportunity to participate in various social and leisure activities with their peers and co-workers. In addition, students will have the option to “bank” their hours throughout the next several months, and then “cash them in” to participate in various programs and activities offered at the NAC.

The students will be exploring a variety of jobs and also experiencing various social and leisure activities two times a week. Students will work in the NAC’s on-site Lodge in reception, and housekeeping and janitorial, before transitioning to a leisure development activity such as hiking, social games, and other low-equipment activities.

In many NAC volunteer opportunities, volunteers have the option of “building up” their hours to pay for a lesson in the programs they support. This principle will be applied to the “Exploring Jobs and Joy” cohort and will have a culminating equipment program (such as indoor climbing, snowshoeing, cycling, etc.) in March or April 2018.

The program officially begins in December, with orientations set for Nov. 29 and 30.