B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Has a Fang-tastic Halloween!
The B.R.I.D.G.E.S students let the ghoul times roll this past Friday evening celebrating Halloween as they dressed up in costumes and decorated their parent’s car with spiders, ghosts, and goblins. To add to the spooky fun, we also had balloons, candy, and music! Facilitators Donna Mansolillo and Kathy Gorman-Gard, Intern Caesar Falcon, and HDS Foundation Program Manager Liz Falk all participated in the event to make it a fun evening for the students. This year trick or treating took a different turn. Students drove through the bus loop at Cypress Bay where they stopped at four different stations and teachers came up to the car window to give their treats.
Prior to coming by to the school, students were given the fun task to be resourceful in figuring out how to decorate their car. Depending on their costume, many decided to keep the theme as they decorated their car. Vincent dressed up as Darth Vader and had Star Wars car decals all over the sides. On the back of the car he wrote, “May the Force Be with You”. Many of the other students decorated the cars with the traditional spooky decorations.
This event was yet another great opportunity for the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students to show off their creativity! Lots of smiles were shared this fun evening! The students were delighted to be able to celebrate Halloween with their friends in a safe, yet fun way.
Where There’s a Whisk, There’s a Way!
The HDS Foundation B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program is always keeping things fun and exciting when it comes to our Community Based Instruction (CBI) activities. Now that we have been virtual, it’s important to keep our mission alive guiding the students to independent living while also keeping students engaged online. Today, the class participated in a virtual baking CBI where they created their own Cake in a Mug!
In order for students to be fully prepared for this activity, Facilitators Ms. Donna Mansolillo and Kathy Gormin-Gard separated individual bags that included the supplies and recipe for each student. The students drove by Cypress Bay High School and picked up their supplies last week.
When we all gathered online today, the facilitators made sure everyone had their supplies by holding up each item in the camera. Once that was confirmed, Ms. Donna started instructing the steps of the recipe. There were two different recipes: one for a chocolate mug cake and one for a vanilla mug cake. The students learned about the different measurements of a tablespoon (tbl) vs. teaspoon (tsp) and how important it was for them to make sure which was the right one! Students followed along exactly how they were supposed to. They were awesome listeners. It was intriguing to see how students were so particular when it came to the way they had to measure the ingredients. Ms. Mansolillo used cooking terms like “heaping” and “leveled” for students to understand whether it was too much or too little. I think students were being this careful because she had mentioned that if they didn’t put the right amount of each ingredient, their cake wouldn’t turn out the way it was supposed to.
As students finished adding the ingredients into the cup, and put their cup in the microwave, you can see the excitement on their face waiting to see how it would turn out. As they reached inside the microwave carefully picking up the mug, they caught a whiff of the delicious dessert. They immediately showed it on camera to confirm it was the way it was supposed to turn out. To top it all off, students added frosting and toppings of their choosing. At first, students were skeptical to try their cake in a mug. They even asked if it was edible! Once Ms. Mansolillo gave the “okay”, the class devoured their mini cake and enjoyed every single bite. At this point, they learned that even if the appearance didn’t look that great, it still tasted delicious!
Stay tuned for our next adventure! We will be posting our Halloween drive by experience soon! As always, it is super amazing to see the growth of the students throughout the year and through each CBI activity.
Homestead Parent Meeting Was a SUCCESS!
Last night, the HDS Foundation hosted a successful Parent Meeting with our Homestead Senior High School BRIDGES (Self-Determination Class). We were happy to have the opportunity to meet the parents and share the programs and resources the foundation has to offer.
The mission of the HDS Foundation is to provide services and resources to the families of teens and young adults on the Autism Spectrum. The goal of the BRIDGES program is to promote and support initiatives that create independence, employment, and the ability to access safe, affordable housing opportunities as the students transition from high school to post-secondary education.
President and Chairman of HDS Foundation, Cristina Miranda-Gilson shared important information that will help parents plan for their son or daughter’s journey as they prepare for their transition. A few hot topics that parents wanted more information about were: Legal Guardianship, Vocational Rehabilitation, Supplemental Security Income and Technical Schools.
It is important for parents to keep in mind that they play a main role in their child’s success when planning for their transition. Cristina encourages parents and students to create their own Toolbox for Success that includes skills that will benefit them as they move towards independence. These tools can be found by visiting the HDS Foundation resource page.
We look forward to a successful year with our Homestead Senior High School BRIDGES (Self Determination Class)! If you would like to watch the meeting, click on the video below.
We Look Forward to Tonight’s Homestead Senior High School B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Parent Meeting!
University of North Florida THRIVE Program Director Receives Prestigious Award
A very special congratulations to Dr. Tara Rowe, Director of the UNF THRIVE Program, for being presented with the Marc Gold Innovative Practices in Transition Award. Dr. Rowe, the Director of THRIVE at the University of North Florida, received this honor at the National Division on Career Development and Transition Council for Exceptional Children Conference October 23, 2020. This prestigious award founded in 1981 is named after Marc Gold whose innovative “Try Another Way” approach opened the door to employment for many students with severe disabilities.
Dr. Rowe holds a Masters in Special Education and Disability Services, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida. For years Dr. Rowe has worked tirelessly to develop a program for degree seeking students with ASD (THRIVE) and is one of the most innovative programs that exists today. The THRIVE Program supports the various needs of college students on the Spectrum that benefit from the unique approach to teaching self-advocacy while creating a multi-disciplinary path to successful outcomes for this population, and more importantly college degrees and employment.
Dr. Tara Rowe is being recognized for her contributions to the field and her work with UNF’s Transition to Healthiness, Resourcefulness, Independence, Vocation and Education (THRIVE) that supports students with Autism Spectrum Disorders at UNF and ensures these students have successful collegiate experiences.
The HDS Foundation has supported the THRIVE Program and worked closely with Dr. Rowe to better understand the best supportive practices that can lead to opportunities. We have seen first hand her commitment, drive, and her love for the work she does. This award could not have been bestowed to a more deserving individual.
Congratulations Dr. Rowe!
To read more about Dr. Tara Rowe and the THRIVE Program at UNF, click here!
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