ScenicView Academy

Becoming Blind to Our Limits

2012-02-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

Our Change Challenge class has been going well and has provided each of us, staff included, with some great processing and learning opportunities. I wanted to share a quick write up about our lab last week and the experience we had with one of our students:

Last week our Change Challenge class (which uses a role playing game as a means to help students make changes is their personal life) left us stranded in an elevator shaft at the Sheraton in Tokyo. In order to get out of the shaft we would have to climb. Rather than climbing in the elevator shaft in our building (something I think the maintenance people would frown upon), we determined that indoor rock climbing at a local facility a better option.

Three of the four students had no problem with rock climbing as they each had some previous experience climbing or rappelling. They took turns climbing or belaying as Elein, our part-time rec. therapist, taught Adam the figure-8 follow through knot that is used to connect the harness to the rope. Finally, he was ready for his turn to go up the wall. Adam expressed to me his fear of heights, but told me that he was willing to give climbing a try.

It was difficult for him from the get-go for various reasons. The large hiking shoes he wears are not conducive to some of the smaller grips you use in rock climbing. Adam also said that “the heights played more of a role…than I let on. The breaks had a lot to do with making sure the rope actually would hold me up if I went another two feet.” Needless to say, the going was slow and with many pauses.

Gradually he made his way up the 40 foot wall until he was about 10 feet off the ground. I climbed alongside him doing my best to give him encouragement. Finally after continued attempts to go higher up the wall, Adam decided that he was done and was slowly lowered to the ground.

Adam sat off to the side while the other students climbed the wall multiple times each. Sometimes he would belay other students, but declined each time we asked him if he wanted to climb again. Finally one of the last challenges we offered the students was to climb the wall blindfolded. By participating in this challenge, the students could earn money for their character to use in the role-playing portion. The higher the students climbed the more money they could earn. The three more confident students each took a turn each reaching the top by gradually feeling their way up the wall.

Though it was nearly time to go, we approached Adam and asked if he would like to try it blindfolded. Even if he didn’t make it all the way, his character would get some money just for trying. He tied himself to the rope, blindfolded himself, and started up the wall. Immediately I could see a difference in his climbing. He reached the same spot he had been before with greater ease and in a much quicker amount of time. He didn’t seem so hesitant in where he put his hands or his feet. He put his boots on much smaller holds with far less complaining than the previous time.

We were amazed at how quickly he scaled the wall. Finally we hollered out for him to reach out his hand and touch the bar at the very top. He later told us that he was surprised that he had climbed the entire wall. He was sure that he had only reached the spot where he had gotten before—ten feet up the wall. With the blindfold on he went three times as high as he had gone without it. He talked about how with the blindfold on, he simply focused on climbing. He wasn’t worried about the height, who was belaying, or any of the fears that he had had on his first climb. He just climbed. He also said that he thinks he could now go just as high without the blindfold as he did with it.

In processing we discussed how often we subconsciously set limits for ourselves that are far below our true-potential. We tell ourselves that we can only go so far because our endurance is weak; we say we can only go so high because we are afraid of heights. As Elein put it, “when we face our fears with acceptance and blindness to the dangers, our limits will disappear, because they no longer matter.” In reality, if we can learn to become blind to our fears and our perceived limits—which we generally set because of our fears--we would push far beyond what we thought we could do and into the realm of reaching our full potential.Adam reaching the top was an energizing moment for each of us and helped us to reflect on ways that we could all set our fears aside and push past the limits we have set for ourselves.

-Ryan Hawks, TRS/CTRS

LDAU 2012 Conference

2012-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

SAVE THE DATE! LDAU 2012 Conference on March 9th at Weber State University. We are working on getting more information about the scholarships available for those interested in attending. Check out the Keynote Speaker: Brandon Mull, the author of the Fablehaven series.

Health & Fitness Video

2012-01-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

Click here to check out our new health and fitness video. What do you think?

'Educator of the Year'

2011-12-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

... is our very own Jared Stewart! Check out the article on Provo Fox 13 Now HERE!

SVA Student Featured in Deseret News

2011-03-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

One of our students, Jerry Freestone, was featured in an article in the Deseret News this week. Click HERE to check out the article.

Now Hiring!

2011-03-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Need a job? Know someone who needs a job?

We are hiring a full-time HSW (Human Service Worker). We are looking for someone who is proactive, takes initiative, and ideally has a recreation background.

The shift will be M-F 4pm-midnight or M-F midnight-8 (will have more details by the end of this week). If you have any questions, call us at (801) 226-2550 or visit our website www.svacademy.org.

What is the Recreational Therapy department doing?

2011-03-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Find out at this blog by our own recreational therapist, Ryan Hawks!

www.learndynamically.com

LDAU Conference at ScenicView

2011-02-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Dear SVA Parents and Family Members,

The Learning Disabilities Association of Utah (LDAU) has recently offered a highly reduced rate for all of you who would like to attend their 2011 annual conference on Friday, March 4. This year’s event is being hosted by ScenicView Academy and will take place right here at our school.

If you would like to attend all or part of this day long event please visit the LDAU website at www.ldau.org and click on the EVENTS tab for complete conference information. As a parent or family member of a ScenicView student you may register at the Current Member Conference Fee of only $40.00. If the conference fee is restricting you from being able to participate in this outstanding event and you would like to be considered for a scholarship please contact Jim Murphy, SVA’s Director of Advancement at jmurphy@svacademy.org or (801) 342-3466.

Please see the conference schedule listed below for a complete itinerary of speakers, breakout sessions and events. If you have additional questions please contact ScenicView directly at (801) 226-2550. We hope to see you there!

Fall Drama Presentation

2010-12-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

SVA Inaugural Gala & Auction

2010-10-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

SVA Drama Students Present

2010-08-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

"Laughing with Simon & Garfunkel on a Summer Afternoon"

10-minute Plays & Monologues

Come celebrate with us at

ScenicView Academy

August 31, 2010

Noon - 1:00 P.M.

Family Support Workshop

2010-08-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Family & Friends:

You are invited to ScenicView Academy's Fall Family Support Workshop!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

2:00 - 6:00 P.M.

ScenicView Academy

Multipurpose Room

Join us for panel discussions with guest speakers.

RSVP to Kendra or Lyndsi at (801) 226-2550.

2010 Family Reunion

2010-06-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

by: Justin Morris, Clinical Intern and Family Support Committee Member

ScenicView Academy held its 2nd Annual Family Reunion Picnic on June 16, 2010 at Rock Canyon Park in Provo, Utah. The theme for this year’s reunion was Superheroes. The event was attended by many Scenic View students and their families, and was a great success. Festivities kicked off early that morning when students, their families, and staff members divided into twelve different superhero families that included Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, and Spiderman. Teams designed superhero capes that represented their family’s mascot, which each family captain wore for the day. The fun continued with an “ice breaker” activity in which families competed against one another to see who would be the first to break open a frozen t-shirt and have their team captain put it on.

While students and staff played ultimate Frisbee and football, the parents had an opportunity to learn about Living Trusts from Jay Wells, a financial planning expert. Lunch provided an opportunity for staff, students, and their parents to share “Super” hero sandwiches, potato salad, and veggies – well needed nourishment as the families geared up to compete in the Superhero boot camp. Teams competed against each other in six different competitions including banana repelling and banana beach blanket toss. However, the highlight of the day came as families launched bananas across the field, attempting to hit a picture of director Doug Gale, in the banana slingshot challenge. Outdoor activities concluded with a giant slip n’ slide that left the riders dripping wet from a splashdown pool of ice cold water.

As the activities concluded at the park, things were ramping up back at the Center with an art show. Talented students and staff from Scenic View displayed crafts and arts they had spent countless hours on. In addition to art displays, students presented original videos and music. The fun-filled day concluded with a delicious chocolate dipped frozen banana, a raffle, and presentation of prizes.

One parent stated, “I really enjoyed getting to know so many of the other parents.” Thanks to all the students, staff, and parents who helped to make this day so successful. See you next year!

Special Olympics

2010-06-24T10:47:00.001-07:00

Our SVA Soccer team worked hard during the spring term in preparation for the Special Olympics. Because of their great preparations, they ended up taking gold in their division. Congratulations! The next Special Olympic event will be basketball in October. Families of students that choose to participate are invited to attend. Dates and times will be given in September.

Heber Valley Camp

2010-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

In May, a large majority of staff and students (over 80 people total!) participated in a marvelous activity at Heber Valley Camp (http://www.hebervalleycamp.org/). We started off the day with some water front activities including canoeing, paddle boats, beach volleyball, and football. We enjoyed a delicious dinner provided by the clinicians complete with pulled pork sandwiches and BYU brownies. Under the direction of Administration, everyone helped with the evening program by providing improvised skits about important qualities learning at SVA. The rest of the evening was spent playing Mafia, steal the flag, and having meaningful social interaction (complete with s’mores and banana boats!)

The next morning, the case managers provided a tasty Dutch oven breakfast. The morning was spent cleaning up and was topped off with a little bit of Zumba before we all headed home. Overall, the trip was a big success and plans are already in motion for the trip next year! Thanks to all those who participated and helped in this great activity!

What is a Recreation Therapist?

2010-06-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

By: Ryan Hawks

Often when I tell people my role at SVA, they look at me with a quizzical look on their face. What is a recreation therapist anyway? Each of knows the benefits of a healthy recreational experience. After we do something that we enjoy, it brings feelings of renewed ability to cope with all the challenges that life can bring. However, persons with disabilities generally have physical, mental, social, or emotional limitations that may interfere with their recreation. The profession of recreation therapy focuses on helping individuals develop, maintain, and express an appropriate leisure lifestyle. My job at SVA is to help students improve their leisure lifestyle by providing:

· recreation classes (camping, biking, etc.)

· meaningful activities (this past year’s activities have included cross-country skiing, service opportunities, camping trips, an etiquette luncheon, bowling tournament, and many others)

· one on one visits where the students develop skills necessary to have a health leisure lifestyle.

The hope is that as students develop a healthy leisure lifestyle they will see other physical, mental, social, or emotional benefits that will contribute to their overall quality of life and life satisfaction.

Family Support Workshop / Reunion

2010-06-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

ScenicView Academy
2010 “Super-Family” Reunion

When: Wednesday, June 16, 2010
9:00 am to 4:30 pm

9am Gather; handout t-shirts; leave SVA for Rock Canyon Park
10am Welcome, name tags, assign Superhero families (students draw names)
10:30 Families create Family Motto, Family Cheer, and Family Flag
11am Families choose a leader; “ice breaker” activity
11:30 Lunch – hero sandwiches, salads, etc.
12-2 Superhero Boot Camp Activities
2pm Family Cleanup Competition; Slip & Slide
2:45 Return to SVA for Fine Arts
3-4 Visual, literary, and musical arts presented in atrium

What: ScenicView Academy “Super-family” Reunion, with lots of fun games, activities, socializing and crazy banana fun!

Where: Activities will begin at ScenicView Academy, 5455 North River Run Drive, Provo UT. We will leave at 9am for Rock Canyon Park, a beautiful Provo park with lots of room to run, play, and enjoy each other’s company. Three pavilions to shade us from the midday sun.

Who: All ScenicView Academy students, family members, and staff

RSVP: In order to ensure plenty of food and t-shirts are on hand for everyone, please RSVP with the number of family members who will be attending the event. (801) 226-2550

(We ask that families help cover their “lunch & t-shirt” costs through a $10.00 donation per guest.)

Save the date!

2010-06-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo 5k Results

2010-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Overall: http://svacademy.org/sites/default/files/Cinco%20de%20Mayo%205k%20Overall%20Results.pdf

By Age Group: http://svacademy.org/sites/default/files/Cinco%20de%20Mayo%205k%20Age%20Group%20Results.pdf

Cinco de Mayo 5k Fiesta Run/Walk

2010-05-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo 5k Fiesta Run/Walk
May 5, 2010 @ 6 PM

All participants receive a technical t-shirt, a goodie bag, 2 tickets for "To Kill A Mockingbird" at Hale Center Theater Orem and entry to the refreshment area!

Packet Pickup May 3-5 (8 am - 5 pm)
Day of Registration 4:00-5:30 pm
Awards & Prize Drawing @ 6:45 pm

Proceeds benefit ScenicView Academy

Click HERE to register online

Click HERE to visit the Facebook Event Page

For information on sponsorship opportunities contact Jim Murphy, (801) 342-3466 or jmurphy@svacademy.org

Family Support Workshop

2010-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE ON THE UPCOMING FAMILY SUPPORT WORKSHOP:

Thursday, April 1, 2010
1:30 - 5:30 P.M.
in SVA's Multipurpose Room

1:30-2:00 Assistive Technology Options; Special Presentation by Scott Baggaley of the Utah Center for Assistive Technology
2:00-3:00 Report of National LDA Conference
3:00-4:00 Making the Most of Family Contacts;
Parenting Adult Children vs Parenting Adult with Learning Disabilities
4:00-5:30 Panel Discussion: Q&A Related to Family Contacts

SAVE THE DATE!!!

2010-04-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

ScenicView Academy will be hosting it's first 2010 Family Support Workshop on Thursday, April 1st! More details will be posted closer to the workshop but please mark it on your calendar and plan to attend!

Shake Your Shamrock

2010-03-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

SVA is hosting a St. Patrick's Day themed dance on Friday, March 12th. This dance is being put together by a RMYL BYU group so there will be many in attendance. It is at SVA (5455 N. River Run Dr., Provo) and will go from 8:00-11:00 PM. Hope to see you there!

(here is the link to the Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=335564560501&ref=mf)

Etiquette Lunch

2010-02-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

Today SVA had an etiquette lunch activity where staff and students were taught (or reminded) the proper way to dine. We reviewed what cutlery to use when, how to butter your roll, napkin use, proper table conversation, etc. Everyone dressed up and was on their best behavior. The lunch was an amazing four course meal prepared by our kitchen staff: salad, soup, entree and dessert. Thank you to Ryan Hawks, Gordon Adams and the kitchen staff for putting this activity together!(pictured above: Marty, Chase, Charles, Erin, Leon and Doug)

SVA Receives National Accreditation

2010-02-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

This past January, ScenicView Academy was extremely proud to accept a plaque recognizing it as only the second school west of the Mississippi to meet the high standards of the National Commission for the Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES). NCASES’s stated mission is to ensure that standards exist which permit special education agencies to voluntarily validate their performance through measuring it against national standards. Specifically, this meant that ScenicView had to demonstrate its compliance with 292 carefully worded objective measures of excellence to a site review team of experts in the field of special education. If you really want to get an idea of the monumental scope of the task, you can check out the actual standards at www.napsec.org/ncases_standards.html.

Preparing to pass our site review (which took place last November) was a complex process that took several years. Back in 2005, as we read through the NCASES requirements for the first time, we wondered if that process would even be worth the effort. Would meeting the standards take us in the direction we wanted to go, or would they force us to transform into something we didn’t want to be? Worse—would they just take up resources without resulting in any significant changes at all? At the time, ScenicView was a fledgling program in the middle of constructing a new building, solidifying a team model, and gaining official tax status as a “school”. We decided that the timing was just not right yet, and filed the standards away as something to ponder on for a future date.

By 2008, however, we felt ready to revisit the idea of NCASES accreditation. The program improvements over the previous three years had made us fairly confident that the process would be a positive experience with the potential for significant benefits.

Completing our year-long self study provided tremendous opportunity for self-evaluation and internally initiated program refinements. The nerve-wracking three-day visit of the Site Review Team provided outside, expert review of our program, validation for our treatment model, and myriad suggestions for further program refinements. And although the process is behind us now, ScenicView continues to reap ongoing benefits from all the hard work we put in. Thanks to our new accredited status, we look forward to national recognition as a quality agency, enhanced fundraising and recruiting capabilities, and (most importantly), an enhanced ability to achieve our mission and vision of helping students with learning disabilities lead interdependent and fulfilling lives.

With the successful achievement of accreditation, ScenicView joins a select few organizations nationwide which have merited this distinction. Becoming accredited is not a one-time shot, however. ScenicView will have to heed our core value of “Never Be Satisfied” and continue improving in order to pass its reaccreditation visit four years from now. Still, it is an exciting achievement that represents a significant step forward for our school, and we would like to extend a very special thank-you to all the staff, students, board members, and parents who helped make this success possible!

Employment News

2010-02-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Employment Unit is proud to introduce two new strategies to assist students in their preparation for the world of work. These include new vests for students to wear to work and a standardized employment assessment system to measure students’ readiness for work.

Last November, the Employment Unit implemented a new approach to recognize our students who are working indoors by having them wear blue vests. Students were asked to give input as to the style and color of the vests and if they would wear them. The students voted on the vests and most were supportive of the concept.

By wearing the vest, students look more professional to represent SVA. This is good preparation for students who will eventually work off campus on jobs which require the wearing of vests or other uniforms.

All students working indoors wear blue vests to identify they are on the clock. These students work in a variety of settings such as custodial, workroom assembly, maintenance, library and commissary. This helps staff and other students remember not to interrupt those students who are at work. Students wearing the vests are reminded to continue working and to take care of personal business after their work shift has ended.

The above follows our intent to help with three valuable Employment SkillSets: 1. Filter out distractions and stay focused on tasks; 2. Continue working until the job is complete; 3. Demonstrate effective work communication skills.

We appreciate the support from the students and staff to implement the new vests for students working on campus. Visitors have commented on how professional the student workers look wearing the blue vests with the SVA logo.

To enhance the professionalism of services provided to SVA students, the Employment Unit staff has received training to use the CASAS employment readiness assessment system. CASAS is an acronym for Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems. This is a set of standardized assessments that is used nationwide in over 30 states in adult education and workforce skills training.

Within the CASAS system, there are three different types of assessments that SVA is using. These are: Employability Competency System (ECS), Workforce Learning System (WLS) and Workforce Skills Certification System (WSCS).

In the ECS, students are evaluated based on a work maturity checklist. They are evaluated in areas of: career awareness, resume preparation, cover letter preparation, filling out applications, interviewing, work maturity on the job skills and job experience/training.

With the WLS, students are given a skills appraisal and then tested in vocational reading and math levels to determine what types of jobs they are qualified to do. As students work to increase these levels, they can be given additional testing to measure their progress.

The WSCS is a capstone program that assesses students’ readiness to join the workforce in a variety of industries. In addition to their academic levels, students are assessed in areas of critical thinking, problem-solving and occupation-specific skills. This provides valuable information to inform potential employers about a student’s skill proficiency.

These assessments provide objective and measurable norms for giving students feedback about their readiness for competitive employment outside of SVA. This feedback is very valuable in the career counseling process to help students make decisions about training and their choice of occupation.

We hope this information is helpful for you to better understand the services which are being provided to assist your student in their preparation to enter the world of work.

Go Team Go!

2010-02-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the SVA Special Olympics Volleyball Team! They took gold in their division at the state championships today!

(pictured above: Aaron, Will, Lance, Tad, Johnny, Robert, Laurel, Scott, Heidi, Michael, and Daniel)

SVA Library Project

2010-02-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

“Wow! This is a real project!” This statement was made by Joanna Posey as she looked into the library for the first time during her ScenicView tour last August. Joanna, a teacher endorsed in library-media by the Utah State Office of Education, saw the potential and labor needed for our library to be more functional and accessible to the school community. “A school library has the distinction of serving students in providing quality literacy materials and serving the teachers in maintaining materials used in their skill development classes,” states Ms. Posey. As a result, she and her student assistant, Jared F., have worked tirelessly in entering subjects and summaries for each of the books into the electronic catalog, weeding out books that were falling apart, covering older paperbacks with laminate, upgrading software, and placing barcodes and new spine labels on new books. This portion of the multifaceted project will be completed in a few months.

The decision was also made to merge the student library with the staff’s professional development library (housed in separate locations). This merger will enable all of the ScenicView instructional, student literacy, and professional materials to be placed into one checkout system and in one location. The combining of these resources will not only enable a periodic inventory to be more accurate, but it will also allow our ScenicView library to grow and support the entire ScenicView community at the same time.

In order to accommodate these changes, in library function and access additional students will be able to learn new employment skills. This training program will eventually enable the library to be open for longer hours. However, these changes will be gradual. Last September, a library survey was distributed to the community. Students and staff members listed several ways the library could improve in operation, accessibility, and acquisitions. Currently, those requests are helping to guide the direction of the library’s expansion.

Cross Country Skiing Activity

2010-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

The students were all smiles before they started skiing ...... after skiing they were tired and sore but had tons of fun!!!

(pictured above: Anthony & Chase at the Cross Country Skiing Recreational Activity)