By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Tornado RISE students got a glimpse of farm life this week. And by all accounts, they loved it.
Nearly 50 special needs students from Union City Schools visited Todd Family Fun Farm in Yorkville and experienced a mix of education and entertainment as a reward for good behavior during the first nine weeks of classes this year.
The widely-acclaimed Tornado RISE (Reaching Independence through Structured Environment) program addresses communication skills and special needs students’ abilities to function in our society.
Students, who were accompanied by several UCSS special education teachers and 10 UC High School senior chaperones, enjoyed negotiating their way through a corn maze, slides and rides, a corn silo and several other attractions while learning about farm life.
Each student was given a miniature pumpkin as a memento of the trip.
“Our teachers and staff share a goal of making sure our students become independent and responsible,” UC Special Education coordinator Laney Rogers said of the day trip that ended with a lunch of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. “Not very many of our students had experienced farm life, but they were attentive and really soaked up a good deal of what was explained to them.”
The widely-acclaimed Tornado RISE (Reaching Independence through Structured Environment) program addresses communication skills and special needs students’ abilities to function in our society.
RISE rewards students for progress and good behavior in each nine-week grading period with special perks and positive steps, including numerous field trips and dining experiences.
Rogers, who also serves as the system’s preschool coordinator and federal projects coordinator, said any and all such field trips are designed with one goal.
“It can be hard to watch our students struggle with tasks we take for granted,” she claimed. “Your first instinct is to step in and make life easier for them. But our staff understands that making life easier for them is ultimately giving them an additional disability.
“Navigating through the individualized expectations of our students and generalizing those goals in non-school settings is what Tornado RISE is all about. And these opportunities wouldn’t be available without the support from our administration and our entire system.”
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