The district’s second annual Job Olympics, held on Thursday, Feb. 27 at (where was it) featured events for students with special needs to compete in, including completing daily tasks and learning skills to help them after high school.
Special education teacher Sara Evans described the history of the district participating in the event.
“This was a district-wide Job Olympics event. For years, we have attended the Johnson County Job Olympics, in which a bunch of the schools in the metro send their center-based programs to compete in jobs against all the other schools,” Evans said. “Our district decided last year to try to do one for middle school students, and it was such a success that they decided to offer it to the high school and the bridge just to give us a little extra practice for the regular Job Olympics.
School District Director of Special Services Andrea West explains via email what the events are for.
“Students practice various job-related and independent living skills throughout the year. During the competition, each student demonstrates the specific skills they have worked on, which are then evaluated by USD 232 staff members,” West said. “Scores are then tallied, with the highest score winning the event. The feedback from judges provides students with valuable information and recognition for their efforts, reinforcing their growth and development in these essential life skills.”
Senior Seville Skinner helped out at the event as a member of the Peers in Learning class. She enjoyed being at the event and watching the students practice for their futures.
“It helps them see putting skills to real life and actually using them, not in just a school setting. [They’re] timed and being graded on it as if it was like an actual job interview or a job they were completing, so it helps them see the importance of actually doing tasks correctly,” Skinner said.
Evans says the skills the students work on at these events cover all kinds of difficulties and skill sets that students will use in their daily lives.
“Practicing vocational skills, they learn how to greet people and clock in, clock out, just how to do, how to have a job. It also teaches some of those less-obvious skills, like waiting in line, taking turns, clapping for other teams and things like that. Just daily living skills that they might need in their everyday life,” Evans said.
As a peer, Skinner’s job was to help students navigate and stay on task.
“We help walk them around and guide them to the stations they’re supposed to be at. We don’t really do hands-on stuff; we try and let them fend for themselves as it is a competition for the students, not the peers. We try and stay out of it, but we support them, encourage them, and guide them around to where they’re supposed to be and compete,” Skinner said.
According to Evans, the event was put on really well this year and was a huge success.
“We loved getting to see all our students and teachers around the district that we don’t get to see on a daily basis,” Evans said. “It was really good. We absolutely loved it.”
Results
Robyn Bishop – 3rd place in sorting laundry, 3rd place in vacuuming,
Tyrese Davis – 3rd place in product matching, 1st place in folding napkins
Adairius Newton – 3rd place in folding shirts, 2nd place in filing, 2nd place in sorting mail
Halee Alfaro – 3rd place in sorting mail, 1st place in filing
