Teacher Tuesday: Flora and Fauna

Mrs. Leith added a new unit to her Horticulture program!

This semester, in response to student interest and the inability to be outside or in the greenhouse during December and January, Mrs. Leith introduced the students to small animal care. 

Mr. Jeff Magnus, the owner of Aquatic Specialty Group, has already visited the class to teach the students about the care of fish. He showed the students how to set up an aquarium and then added four guppies from Venezuela and four Pristella Tetras from Brazil. He’ll be back this Thursday with Corydoras Catfish, Dwarf Bristlenose Plecos and Swordtails. An interesting mix of freshwater tropical fish for the students to study!

In the second semester, a hamster and rabbit will join the students in the classroom.

In the small animal care unit, the Horticulture class will study the following:

Introduction to small animal care-

·         Domestication of animals

·         Small animal industry

·         Safety

·         Choosing a pet

·         Animal rights

·         Careers in small animal care

Fish, Hamsters, Rabbits, Dogs and Cats-

·         History

·         Groups/Breeds

·         Anatomy

·         Feeding/Exercising

·         Care/Handling

·         Housing/Equipment/Supplies

·         Diseases

How do the students feel about this new unit?

“I’m really looking forward to learning about small animals. I really like animals.” ~ Daniela

“I’m interested in pet illnesses to better help them with their health.” ~ Joe

“I think it is a good addition to learn about animals and their behaviors.” ~ Donovan

“I think it is a good subject. It gives us another option for internships – plants and animals… farms and pet stores.” ~ Sean

They give it a green thumb’s up!

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

A Wish Granted

Day 15 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Racine Community Foundation, I am pleased to inform you that the Foundation has approved a grant to Shepherds College to be used toward the Shepherds College Gardens Community Food Project.”

Wooohoooo!!  

Shepherds College received this letter recently in response to a grant proposal based on an idea Leslie Leith, Horticulture Instructor, had to develop a socially responsible, sustainable and community-based fresh vegetable program. This program will expand the vocational training skills of our students with intellectual disabilities, while serving and benefiting Racine County low-income consumers.

“This project was definitely inspired by God,” said Mrs. Leith. “For over a year, agriculture opportunities were placed in my path. I tried to remind God that I am not a farmer. But, eventually I realized His plan was not about farming, but educational training and helping others.”

Shepherds College Gardens will be a hands-on learning laboratory for the Horticulture students as well as visiting students from local high schools. Skills in math (Square Foot Gardening), business (selling and marketing vegetables), and Horticulture (learning sustainable agriculture and health benefits) will be practiced. It will also provide affordable, healthy food to needy families in the Racine area.

I love this plan for so many reasons.

·         It was inspired by God.  The contentment that comes from following a path laid out by Someone who is loving and all-knowing is filled soul-deep with serenity and gratitude. There may be bumps ahead, but we can persevere knowing that we’re on the right path.

·         It helps provide low-income families with healthy food. I came from a needy family. My dad was a self-employed carpenter for much of my life. This might sound ungrateful, and I don’t mean it to be – but I was sick of government supplied “cheese-like” products and powdered milk. I craved real food. To know that our students will be helping moms and dads serve food that doesn’t wobble like a gummy bear, that doesn’t have enough neon color added to light up their innards like Day-Glo, is a source of personal joy. Our students won’t just be providing food to address an immediate hunger; they’ll be providing nutritious food that will contribute to the overall well-being of the person eating it.

·         It will foster growth in our students with intellectual disabilities. The students will continue to develop employable skills by participating in all aspects of production such as sowing seeds, planting, weeding, watering and harvesting. Students will also learn through lectures on various, agricultural subjects, field trips and professional work-study days.

·         It stays true to the Shepherds philosophy of Appropriate Independence – a level of self-sufficiency that is aligned with individual strengths and guided by Christian values.

o   Designed On and For Purpose – the plan provides educational service learning opportunities to our students, as well as visiting students, to promote long-term program sustainability. It will target youth with agriculture educational programs and school field trips, helping to build interest and awareness in the economic and nutritional possibilities of improving food security through local food production.  Our students have purpose, and so does this plan.

o   Created as Individuals for Community – the plan to develop Shepherds College Gardens includes a Vegetable Market Share Program. This program will allow low-income residents to use a coupon card to purchase fruits, vegetables, and herbs from our farmer’s market vendor stand. The students will be using their gifts and knowledge to help their community while actively serving in their community. This plan also invites the community in through the Plant-A-Row program that allows visiting students to grow food for donation to the local emergency food pantry.

o   Trained for Life – this plan is part of the Shepherds College accredited Horticulture education curriculum, teaching vocational skills to our students with intellectual disabilities.

o   Empowered to Serve – the plan not only includes selling our fresh produce at an affordable rate, but donating 50% of what we grow to the Racine County Food Bank. The food bank provides food for all 16 food pantries in Racine County and currently serves 78,000 individuals. We believe that our community involvement of providing free produce to the Racine County Food Bank will assist in food security and meet one of the long term needs of low-income individuals and families.

·         I think one of the main reasons I love this plan though – it breaks a stereotype. That old one where people with intellectual disabilities are the ones the community needs to support, not the other way around.

Do people with intellectual disabilities need support from the community? Yes.

But they also can support.

They can grow.

They can build.

They can contribute.

They can serve.

They can make a difference.

They can… Well, I’ll end it there. 

They can.

Shepherds College would like to thank the Racine Community Foundation for their generous grant from the St. Luke’s Hospital Trustees Fund.

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

A Sneak Peek...

There are many special days at Shepherds College – Opening weekend, the first day of classes, Special Olympic tournaments, baccalaureate, the graduation celebration, commencement - but I have a personal favorite. I absolutely love Preview Days.

Most Preview Days, I have a designated spot I wouldn’t trade for the world – the front desk in the lobby. 

From the desk, I have a perfect view of our prospective students and their parents as they’re opening the doors to Shepherds College, many for the first time.  I see faces filled with excitement and uncertainty, caution and exuberance, fear and curiosity, and always - at least a little bit of hope.

Then years later, I watch these scared, tentative, hopeful young people walk across the stage to get their certificate of completion. Only they’re not scared and tentative anymore. They’re confident, poised, hopeful people who can’t wait to take their first step into the world as appropriately independent adults.

And it all started with Preview Day.

Since we have the next Preview Day coming up soon on October 12^th, I want to tell you about the experience, and hopefully convince you to join us!

You’ll start the day in the Findley Center, the big building at the front of the campus. As soon as you enter, you’ll be greeted, given a name tag, some documents to reference throughout the day, and a bunch of free stuff like a bag, a pen and a Shepherds College t-shirt. Since registration begins at 8:00 AM and the preview starts at 9:00 AM, there is plenty of time to linger in the lobby, watch the video of our current students, and eat kringle – a Racine favorite and the star of our continental breakfast. The earlier you arrive, the more kringle you’re guaranteed to get and the more time you’ll have to chat with the other parents and prospective students.

At 9:00 AM, the preview begins with Welcome to Shepherds College. At this time, you’ll see our promotional video and hear Chris Wright, our Director of Admissions, and Tracy Terrill, the Executive Director of Shepherds College, give an overview of our unique program.

At 10:00 AM, you’ll be introduced to Angela Houk, the Dean of Shepherds College and Leslie Leith, the Horticulture Instructor. Leslie brings several of her students with her to give a presentation of what they’ve learned and what they’ve done throughout the year.  This is when you’ll get a real glimpse of just how powerfully our post-secondary program can change a life. These students stand in front of your group and speak with such assurance and knowledge that you would have no qualms about hiring them to do your landscaping right at that moment. It’s quite the difference from when they walked in the doors for their Preview Day…

Then it’s time to get some exercise! At 11:00 AM, Chris will take you on a tour of campus. You’ll visit the classrooms, the lunchroom, the gym and the different housing arrangements for the students. You’ll meet teachers and other staff along the way.

Now, unless you ate an entire kringle by yourself – which could very well happen since they’re so good – you’ll probably be getting hungry by this time. At noon, Chef McCarthy and his Culinary Arts students serve lunch in the Wood Center. In the past, they’ve made chicken salad, pumpkin bisque, pasta dishes, chef’s salad and a variety of desserts. 

While you’re eating, take a look at the centerpieces. They were made by the Horticulture students just for your visit.  

After the meal, the Culinary Arts students will give you a presentation of what they’ve learned and accomplished throughout the year.

The next part of the visit sometimes causes a little bit of anxiety in the prospective students, but they always return excited and ready to start school. At 1:10 PM, we ask the students to separate from their parents to hang out with the first year students. The students participate in group activities, goof around in the gym, play games and spend time getting to know each other. If the prospective student is interested in attending college the following fall, we may invite them to sit down with an Academic Advisor for a few minutes to start building their relationship.

At this time, the parents go back to the Findley Center for a Q&A session with Chris Wright about the admissions process. The nurses join him to discuss medical issues, and we finish the Q&A after a session on financial aid. Some of the questions covered in the past have included:

How are medical needs addressed?
What do we need to submit from the doctor?
How is student housing staffed?
How do families pay for school?
What documentation do we need to submit to apply?
How do we schedule an overnight visit for our son/daughter?
Does it matter if the student enrolls after their senior year or after their transition program?

At this point, it’s time to say goodbye for the day. We hope we gave you a lot to talk about on your trip home!

Whether you’re a student, a parent, a teacher or just a friend who is curious about our school, we invite you to call Chris at 262-878-6351 and sign up for the next Preview Day.

The Shepherds College program changes lives. Come take a peek at what it’s all about!

For a list of Preview Days, please visit our website.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.