"Every summer has a story."

What is something you are looking forward to this summer?

Quinn: My family is planning to go to Santa Fe, NM this summer after I am finished with Summer School. I hope to spend time with my whole family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.) this summer.

Charlie: My goals are to get together with a lot of my friends and also work at the golf course more. I hope to spend time with my friends more and do stuff with them.

Max: I am planning on getting a job this summer.

Sean: I am looking forward to going scuba diving and going to Ireland to see my family. And finishing another class at CLC.

Charles: I am looking forward to my vacation in June and spending time with friends and family.

Yulissa: I am excited to keep doing karate and to listen to more music.

Gillian: I am looking forward to continuing working at Wagner Farm this summer.

Luke: My brother Jason is graduating from college. I like to go to Lake Forest beach in the summer.

Alex: Going on bike rides with my dad. Camping with the Boy Scouts.

Bill: Just relaxing and watching YouTube. Going for bike rides.

John D: Swimming with dad and dancing with mom.

Alissa: I look forward to relaxing outside in nice weather and playing with my daughter.

Nick K: I am looking forward to moving into my new house!

Nancy: This summer I am looking forward to spending time on the lake with my family. Also, my niece is getting married in Minnesota so I am excited about that trip.

Jake: I am going to go on a trip to Minnesota to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time.

D'Anna: I am looking forward to our vacation in Montana.

Nick F: I am looking forward to spending time on the Chain O'Lakes.

Robin: I have some projects I am looking forward to working on and also spending more time with my family.

Zach: I am looking forward to moving to Portland, Oregon, and preparing to begin my career as a P.E. teacher.

Sangeeta: I am looking forward to relaxing and keeping my garden growing.

Karen: Soon after school ends, I’m going to be taking a trip to San Antonio, TX with my husband. I’m excited to be able to travel again. I’m also going to be working in a summer camp for kids ages kindergarten-8th grade. We work on team-building, perspective-taking, and staying calm in challenging situations through fun activities like drama, clubs, outdoor games, and swimming. I hope there will also be time for lots of outdoor activities in my free time like bike riding, swimming, and chasing squirrels with my dog.

Sam: I'm looking forward to spending time outside, going to the beach, and doing some fun activities at ESY!

Diana: I'm looking forward to my students continuing their job experiences over the summer. I'm happy they will have the opportunity to continue working on their skills.

What was one of your favorite memories from the 20-21 School Year?

Quinn: One of my favorite memories with Transition from the 20-21 school year was being at East Campus to see some of my friends and old teachers that I had when I was in High School. Seeing my friends and old teachers at East Campus was a good memory for me because I got what I wanted.

Charlie: My favorite memory of the school year is getting back to in person learning because I missed having conversations with people in person.

Max: My favorite memory from this year from transition is probably working at the golf course with Charlie. Another great moment from this year is when Nick helped me with my job resume. This was a good memory for me because I feel like I am closer with Nick and Charlie.

Sean: One of my favorite memories from the school year was starting my new job.

Charles: Going back in person and seeing everyone again because I missed everyone.

Yulissa: Seeing all of my friends every day.

Gillian: One of my favorite memories from the 20-21 School Year was meeting two new friends: Julia & Alex Mathee.

Luke: I liked when we made the vases for Mother’s day. I like working with Nicolette at Eggspresso.

Alex: Meeting new friends.

Bill: Seeing friends during virtual community.

John D: Seeing my friends.

Alissa: Students being so flexible and positive during all the changes we went through.

Nick K: Incorporating so many new students into my classroom community.

Nancy: My favorite memories of this school year were finally being back in person and meeting the new students that have joined our classroom.

Jake: One of my favorite things has been getting the aquarium in the classroom and filling it with fish.

D'Anna: Slowly working our way back to a "normal" routine after so many months of remote learning.

Nick F: Taking students into the community for the first time in the spring.

Robin: Some of my favorite memories from this school year have been the long walks and talks outside with students and staff for Friday Fitness.

Zach: My favorite memory was when we first got to see everyone in person.

Sangeeta: One of my favorite memories is going to the dance class with Nicolette.

Karen: It’s not really a single memory, but I’ve really loved getting to hear everyone’s rose and thorn each week in our groups this year. I’ve been impressed by your level of self-reflection, inspired by the support and encouragement you all gave each other, and grateful I’ve been able to get these more personal glimpses into everyone’s lives. I’m lucky to have a ‘school family’ I get to connect with in this way.

Sam: Some of my favorite memories were making lava lamps and sensory bottles. I loved hearing about each students' work experiences, what they did for cooking, and what they did during rec/leisure.

Diana: Some of my favorite memories from the 20-21 school year were seeing my students back in the community and how open and accepting our employers have been to getting our students back and working towards their employment goals.

Congratulations once again to Liam, Yulissa, Patrick, Jake, Joseph, Sam, and Will!

We miss you all so much, but we know you will all go on to do amazing things. You are already off to a great start!

With Covid protocols in place, our community trips throughout the school year have needed to remain virtual. We have, however, been able to use this format as an opportunity to explore interesting places and activities far and wide. We thought it would be fun to list every "Community Trip" that our students have experienced in both Alissa and Nick's classrooms during the 20-21 school year.

Community Trips for Alissa's Class

Rome, Russia, Mars, the P.A.C.E. Virtual College Field Trip, Exploring Airplanes and Airports (How are they made?), Shawnee National Forest, Exploring Fox Lake IL, Job Center of Lake County, City of Chicago, California, Google Earth Scavenger Hunt, Local Apartment Virtual Tours, Thanksgiving Parade History, New York City and Rockefeller Center, Video Games (How are they made?), Germany, Cleveland OH, Milwaukee WI, Punxsutawney PA and Groundhog Day Traditions, Seoul South Korea, Mardi Gras Traditions, Hawaii, Google Headquarters, Ireland, Broadway NY and Musical Theater, Israel, Colorado, Exploring Apple and the life of Steve Jobs, Earth Day Activities, Golf (learning the game), Star Wars (and George Lucas), "How it's Made" themed day, History of Carnivals and Amusement Parks.

***Our Community trips always involve selecting a place to eat, plotting out navigation to that restaurant, reviewing the menu, choosing a meal for lunch that is within the given budget, and calculating the tax and tip if applicable. We planned our community days throughout the school year based on student interest and current events.

Community Trips for Nick's Class

Bahamas, most amazing aquariums (Georgia, Seattle, Shedd), zoos (San Diego, Bronx, Brookfield, Queens, Cleveland, Australia), U.S. National Parks (Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain), Carlsbad Cavern, Dry Tortugas, Bryce Canyon, Kenai Fjords, National Landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Pearl Harbor, Alcatraz, Grant Park Stadium, Golden Gate Bridge, Wright Brothers), Thanksgiving around the world (Malaysia, Korea, Ghana, Germany, China, Israel, India, Canada); Space (Griffith Observatory, Adler Planetarium, Animals (farms and zoos), African safari, Museums (Museum of Science and Industry, Dr. Seuss Museum, Chicago Field Museum), California, Arizona, South Carolina, Hawaii, Idaho.

***Most of our community days involved virtual walking tours of the area and travel training (i.e., Where are we going? How will we get there? How much will it cost? How long will it take? Where will we stay? What restaurants will we go to? What will we order?).

Nick's class made Parmesan Crusted Meatballs from the Accessible Chef website. We modified it a bit to add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. Topped with some marinara sauce and more parmesan cheese. Delizioso!

Writing Our Summer Story

Summer can be a good time to reflect on our personal journeys - both what has happened during the school year and the new beginnings we are anticipating. One powerful tool for self-reflection is journaling. Research has shown that journaling can help us to achieve goals, increase our emotional intelligence, boost our confidence, and even heal from difficult experiences. It can also be a great way to remember an experience in richer detail, clarify our feelings, and check in with ourselves about our needs.

The cool thing about journaling is that it can be tailored to each person’s preferences and mode of self-expression. While one person may prefer a bound book and pen, other options include Google Docs, creating text through a variety of AAC programs, or even drawing or creating a picture. Transition students have had experience with journaling this school year. Here are some good prompts that can be used for the whole family over the summer.

1. How do you encourage yourself when you’re trying something new?

2. What can you do today that you didn’t think you could do a year ago?

3. How do you trust yourself to make big decisions?

4. How do you set boundaries and avoid absorbing someone else’s emotions and stress?

5. How do you advocate for yourself?

6. What new opportunities have come out of challenges you’ve faced?

7. How can you step outside of your comfort zone to grow?

8. What helps you slow down and feel more present?

9. What is something from the week to celebrate?

10. How do you make the time you spend with people more intentional?