From the Superintendent

An Interview with Nick Kaasa, Self-Advocacy Consultant Making decisions can be difficult. Whether the problem is large (should I buy a car?) or small (what should I cook for dinner?) working out the best choice can feel overwhelming. Sometimes there are too many...

5 resources for support in 2021 One thing we can all agree on is that 2020 was a tough year. Between virtual learning, social distancing, risks of getting sick, and losing job opportunities, many transition students and their families experienced setbacks and...

This holiday season, let’s be grateful for technology For most of us, this has been a year of challenges—and a year of finding silver linings, too. One challenge has been learning to communicate through screens instead of in-person. That process was often frustrating...

When Nick Linn signed up for the Digital Photography and Yearbook classes as a high school student, he didn’t know they would make such an impact on his life. He learned about cameras and how to use different functions, and he also learned that he really enjoyed...

When is the right time to prepare for an emergency? The best answer is to be ready before the emergency takes place. This summer’s wildfires reminded us how important it is to be ready for an emergency. Living under smokey skies and watching the news was scary and...

Every work experience helps students figure out what kind of employment could be a good fit for them—whether its job shadowing, interning, volunteering. Just ask Luke Johnson, who has recently returned to a volunteer work experience that was interrupted by the COVID...

Five FAQs about voting in Oregon What makes this year’s election so special for transition students? For most students in Central Oregon’s transition programs and coops, this will be their first chance to vote in a national election. Most of our students range from 18...

Julio Buendia has some good advice for students who are working on job skills: Be persistent and keep trying. It’s a mindset that has worked for him this summer, as he successfully finished his junior year at Sisters High School and began a new job working at Home...

At age 15, Vince Rosiello is still too young to drive. He is, however, old enough to hold two jobs and be a full-time student. This past year, he successfully finished his freshman year at Sisters High School in the transition program, and he’ll be back as a sophomore...

Every transition student is unique. They have different strengths, interests, and talents, and different challenges too. And like most young adults, they spend a lot of time thinking about their future. What kind of job would they enjoy? How will they get around town?...

Life can be stressful in the best of times. These days, families have even more challenges as they stay at home, studying and working together. Students miss their friends and teachers, many jobs and internships are on hold, and the future seems unpredictable. The new...

Three Helpful Apps for Transition Students, from an Assistive Technology Specialist Wendy Burkhardt has high expectations for her students. “It’s important to believe that a student is capable. When we start with that expectation, that they can do a certain task even...