Charlie Bristow Oak Marsh Golf Course

Charlie employee at Oak Marsh

What I learned from working at Oak Marsh Golf Course is several things that are detailed information that I would like to share with you.  The most important thing that I learned when working at a golf course like Oak Marsh is to always use common sense. The job position that I hold is a Cart Staff position.  It is very simple you do your work as a Cart Staff position otherwise, tournaments and events can go very poorly and we want people to have an enjoyable time golfing. What the company goals are at Oak Marsh Golf Course is to provide a Memorable Experience that Exceeds Common Expectations.
The common policies for working at Oak Marsh Golf Course are to organize work related golf equipment. I have learned to always back up all golf carts in the correct number slots. I always clock in and get a radio to stay in communication with the golf shop. My job is to handle any issues that come up and some days it is a lot.  Lastly, the Oak Marsh Golf Course work experience can better prepare me for working at a golf course and working my way up to pro shop position at Oak Marsh Golf Course.

Sara Voss Modernistic & Valley Outreach

Modernistic Display 

The Stillwater Transition Program has helped me experience what it’s like to have a job before needing to be fully committed to one. I was allowed to work for a few weeks at the company Modernistic, which is a printing and design company. I and a few other students helped with processing some winter decorations for Starbucks and Kohl’s. I liked that experience because, it was the first job I’ve ever had and I got to see that it’s not so scary having a job. I feel, I am ready to work. I also like the fact that I got paid for this job experience. To learn more about Modernistic click on the following link http://www.modprint.com/

Currently, I am volunteering at Valley Outreach, which was also set up for me through the Transition Program. Valley Outreach donates clothes and food to people who need it, and I help with the clothing that gets donated. All of the retail job skills I am gaining is very satisfying because, I plan on working in retail to help pay for college. The Transition Program is giving me the practical skills I need for my future, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

To learn more about Valley Outreach click on the following link http://www.valleyoutreachmn.org/

Casey's Future Career Path

Karen, Casey & Michelle

Hi everyone, my name is Casey Engebretson and am in the 18-21 Stillwater Transition Program. I have been apart of the program for three years. Last year I took the Education and Human Service class at Northeast Metro 916 because, I want to become a Special Education Paraprofessional. By taking the class at 916, I feel like I have gained and learned a lot of new skills. I can apply these new skills to my future career, which is working as a Special Education Paraprofessional.

I am now working at a daycare in the morning called Warm World as an intern. At Warm World I work with kids ages 2-5 years old. I like the teachers that I work with because they tell me about their own experiences. They give me advice on what to do and what not to do in different situations. Whether it is a situation involving the parents or whether it is a situation involving another child. I like that the teachers give me advice because, it is another person’s point of view, on how they deal with the same sort of situation. By working at Warm World, I figured out that I like working with little children.

When I started the Education and Human Service class at 916, I applied for a job as a Teacher’s Aid with Adventure Club. When I found out I got the job I was so excited because, it was a job in the career field that I wanted. By working at Adventure Club I figured out that I liked working with children in elementary school rather than children in middle school or high school. Working at Adventure Club is a whole new experience for me compared to working at Warm World.  

I have learned so much in the Transition Program it has helped me greatly.  It has helped me explore possible jobs and prepared me for my career choice. Recently, I completed a Paraprofessional job shadow at Oak Park Elementary. I job shadowed three Paraprofessionals, Michelle Krangness, Karen Barnett-Hughes, and Kelsie Henderson. While I job shadowed all three of them I realized that there are different types of Paraprofessionals. Michelle and Karen work with children with learning disabilities, while Kelsie works with children that have autism. I decided from this experience that I would rather work with children with  learning disabilities.

I am graduating from Transitions Program in June and my plans are to go to Century College to complete the Paraprofessional degree. I am very thankful I had the opportunity to be in the Transitions Program for help me decide my future.     

Animal Science Class

Hi my name is Allison Kazmierczak. I am in my second year at Northeast Metro 916 Animal Science class. The class is all about learning different parts of all the animals and what types of food they eat, grooming tools and products that are used as well as how to take care of them.  Everyone gets assigned by the student manager which animal they have to take care of for the week.
Each person that assigned an animal has to know what kind of food the animal gets, what day their cage needs to cleaned, and how to do the job correctly. Once the person gets the job done, the manager checks and makes sure that the animal has been taken care of properly. This class has taught me a lot things by learning something new each day. It is a fun course because you get to take care of different animals of all shapes and sizes, from exotic birds and reptiles, to small and large animals. The reason why this class is fun to me is because I love working with animals and being able to take care of them in order to meet their needs.  Yes this course is challenging at times but it’s worth it. My favorite animal in the class has to be a cat named Calvin because I have been around cats all of my life and I know what to expect to meet his needs. He makes my day a lot better when I see him.

Gus & Calvin at 916 class

To learn more about the Animal Science class click on the following link and watch the video
http://www.nemetro.k12.mn.us/domain/62

Great Harvest Bread Company Job Shadow Experience

CeCe Raleigh 

Hi my name is Cecilia Raleigh.  I completed a job shadow at Great Harvest Bread Company an it was awesome!  I started the job shadow on November 16th at 4:30 am and I shadowed with Kurt Kinneman. I see this being my job in the future for a few reasons. First, is that making something different every day so it won’t same boring thing. Second, despite it being early in the morning it’s no problem cause I’m a early bird in my family. Also I won’t worry too much about traffic because no one is out during that time. Third, the bread, scone, scruffin, and sweets is FREE while working there. Finally, I asked Bob the manager at Great Harvest Bread Company how much do the workers get paid and he said it starts at $12 and goes up to $15 an hour. These are my reasons why I see myself working at this job in the future.

To learn more about Great Harvest Bread Company please click on the following link: http://greatharveststillwater.com/

Special Products LLC Pop Up Shop

Please stop by Special Products LLC for the 2nd Annual Holiday Pop- Up Shop located at :
5600 Memorial Ave N #1 Stillwater, MN 55082

Special Products LLC is a social enterprise founded in 2012 to provide practical opportunities for young adults with disabilities to gain practical job skills and real life work experience in a workplace. Founders of the company Mark & Holly Arps


December 3rd & 4th 10am-3pm
December 10th &11th 10am-3pm

Construction Occupations Course at Northeast Metro 916

My name is Stephen Thomson I am taking the Construction Occupations course taught by Tom Spehn at Northeast Metro  916.  In the course we are building a house from the ground up.  The class focuses on residential construction and allows students to occasionally work with people in some of the various trades.  The class has been a great help in understanding the use of tools and has shown me many helpful skills that will be needed in Construction career areas of interest.  It will be a major help to me in getting a job in Construction.  The training I am getting from this course will be a major help with any Construction courses or jobs I decide to do. If you want to learn more about what is done visit the link and watch the video http://www.nemetro.k12.mn.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=277

Craft Work Stations

Today in Social Skills class with instructor Carolyn Sorenson the Transition students completed crafting work stations.  The opportunity to be creative and show off students artistic skills were on display as well. The main goal of this activity is to focus on SCAN Skills of listening and following directions assessment.

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was appointed by the Secretary of Labor to determine the skills our young people need to succeed in the world of work. The primary objective is to help teachers understand how curriculum and instruction must change to enable students to develop those performance skills needed to succeed in the workplace. To learn more about SCAN SKILLS please click on the following link http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/chang/sped/scanskills.html

State Officer Lizzy Backlund

I have been part of SkillsUSA for a year and a half now. This year I ran for State Office. I was prepared for my speech and my poster to show my slogan. My campaign slogan was Busy Lizzy, Vote Lizzy B.  I competed against other students in the state to become the State Officer at the Mankato conference. The role of a State Officer is that we help the State Board and State Directors of SkillsUSA. As a State Officer you will go around to different schools to talk about the organization and how it is run by students. Therefore, you also speak in front of around 100 to a 1000 people. Another thing that a state officer does is to set up and help the events at State competitions. State Officers have to go to training once a month.  I am really looking forward to this new opportunity to share with others students how amazing being a part of the SkillsUSA organization. 

Stillwater Chapter of SkillsUSA
Lizzy Backlund (front)

Metro Transit Bus Training

Today the young adults at Transitions had a presentation from Metro Transit on how to access the public bus system.  Students then as a group practiced using the bus in the local Oak Park Heights area.

They were given bus passes and rode the bus to various bus stops near the West campus in the Oak Park Heights area.  Students asked numerous questions of our presenter Doug. Issues such as bus safety, social situations, identifying bus stop locations and asking for assistance from driver were addressed.

916 Animal Science Student of the Month

Allison Kazmierczak was named November Student of the Month in her Northeast Metro Career and Technical Center program.  She was chosen to be recognized by her Instructor because she has demonstrated excellent achievement and above average technical work skills.   We wish her continued success.

Allison Kazmierczak – Animal Science

“Allison has a lot of confidence in herself.  She is organized,efficient and is leading by example.  She has become a take charge kinda gal.”

Carla Travis, Instructor

Candyland

 Tyson Kerr has completed his job training at Candyland in downtown Stillwater this fall.  Candyland was so happy with Tyson's work ethic and commitment to his job that they hired Tyson to work at the store part time.

Tyson truly enjoys working there in the heart of downtown Stillwater.  He is wonderful with his customer service so next time you are downtown stop in to Candyland and purchase some of their famous popcorn or treats.  Click on the Candyland link to learn more https://www.candylandstore.com/

Spotlight on Success at Stillwater Area Schools Transition Program

Work Based Learning is one of several key components of Stillwater Area Schools
18-21 year-old Special Education Transition. Work-based learning (WBL) is a way
for students to discover things they can learn in a classroom, to get real-world
information about a career they’re interested in, or simply to get a taste of what it's
really like on the job. There are benefits to WBL for all stake holders: For students,
work-based learning can help them improve academically and learn how the things
they learn in the classroom are connected to the real world. It's also a great way to
explore career options. For schools, WBL can improve student motivation,
attendance, and graduation rates. It can also improve the school & it's relationship with
the community. For employers, WBL helps employers reduce their recruitment and
training costs. It also helps them hire better-prepared employees who understand
workplace expectations.

Max Coleman’s story provides a great example of the outcomes WBL can produce at
this Stillwater Area School. For the past month and a half, Max has been spending
half of his school days building police cars. Coleman, having expressed an interest in
working as an auto technician or as a car stereo installer, was assisted by his Work
Based Learning Coordinator, Mike Albers, in landing an internship at Emergency
Automotive Technologies Inc. (EATI) in Oakdale.

EATI modifies vehicles with specialized equipment for law enforcement agencies,
fire departments and the Department of Natural Resources. The modifications
include but are not limited to: the installation, programming and wiring of
equipment such as lighting, sirens, controllers, camera systems, radars, weapons
mounts, vehicle partitions, push bumpers, mobile office equipment and many other
components. For the past several years EATI has been in a growth phase here in
Twin Cities and in Duluth.

Lisa Grehek, Vice President of EATI was recently asked her what prompted her
company to establish this internship program. According to Ms. Grehek, what EATI
is looking for in their technicians “…is not something you can learn in the trade and
technical schools.” Grehek said, “Mechanical and electrical aptitude is key”. In
addition, it is has been a morale booster for the experienced technicians to work
with their young interns. It has been “a great way for our seasoned techs to create a
legacy for what they do professionally.”

Max has been on the job for about a month now and reports that he is learning a lot
and is excited to be gaining the skills and acquiring the experience necessary to
begin a career in this growing field. Max had been working at a local fast food
restaurant, attending Northeast Metro 916 Career and Technical Center’s
Automotive Dismantling class and attending the Stillwater Area Schools 18-21 year
old Transition Program. After starting his internship at EATI, Coleman soon realized
that he no longer needed his job at the fast food restaurant and has since been
focusing on his new responsibilities of building police cars.
Not only is Max excited by this opportunity to earn while he learns a valuable new
trade, his employers are very pleased with his work. Rich Whites, Coleman’s
supervisor and Mentor at EATI, said Max has “a great attitude” and that “he’s a hard
worker that is eager to learn”. Grehek, said that everyone that has interacted with
Max has been impressed with his professionalism and his thirst for learning.
The Stillwater Transition Program is a relatively new addition to the many fine
academic and developmental initiatives within our district. Our work based learning
program is always seeking new and unique opportunities. If you have an
organization, or are familiar with an organization within the greater St. Croix Valley
community that could benefit from this kind of school to community connection please contact Mike Albers at 651-275-2178.

Together We Can Make A Difference

On November 9th the Skills USA Chapter of our school organized a day to volunteer at Meals From The Heart organization located here in Stillwater.  In 2 hours of work we packaged over 1,000 meals for families in the midwest.  Working together with a group of seniors from the Stillwater community together we made a difference in supporting people in need in across the country.  It was a wonderful event that everyone walked away with a great deal of pride and accomplishment for the work we completed together.  Please click on the link provided below if you would like to know more about Meals From The Heart organization http://www.manoamiga.net/

916 Cosmetology Program

Hi my name is Elliana Sherman I am a student at Stillwater West Transitions program but also a student in the Cosmetology program at North East Metro 916.  I enjoy the 916 Career & Tech. Center because of the wonderful environment that they have there.  The classes credit you earn can be transferred to certain colleges. The teachers are such amazing people, with wonderful personalities who are there to help you succeed with everything you need to learn to go into a field of work that could be your career. My dream has been Cosmetology since I was a little girl. You learn so much about the skills you need for the class and your future career.  The classes have certain skills throughout the year that we work toward once we master the skill we earn the credit.  I am learning in class about shampooing, braiding and styling hair as of right now.  We will move on to nails and makeup sometime later in the classes. I am really happy to have this opportunity to take this class for my future career.

My favorite thing so far is hair styling. It lets my creativity flow on new ways to style hair.

Scavenger Hike Group Activity

Today we worked in groups to compete in a nature scavenger hunt.  Teams were assembled based upon a mix of new students with seasoned veterans of the program. The task was to find as many objects on our hike as listed.  We had 31 objects listed and the winning team found 29 of the identified objects!!  Working in groups everyone participated and played a roll in their groups success. A fun community team building activity for all.

Team Blue Birds

The Winners!

The Vets

Teamwork

The Winning Team

Week 1 Back Together

We Are BACK Together

This week has started off very well for the young adults in the Stillwater Transitions West Campus Program.  It was GREAT seeing old friends and make new ones in our program.  Together we spend a lot of our time doing community service projects, Skills USA activities and field trips to participate in our community as young adults.

In cooking class we have started a new curriculum called Look Cook & Eat.  To learn more about it click on the following link https://lookcookandeat.com/

We are also out working in the community through out the day at various work sites. So if you see one of us working make sure to say HI!

~Together We Can