School may be out, but students from the Scioto County Board of Developmental Disabilities Vern Riffe School are still having a great time, thanks to the Vern Riffe School Summer Programs!
“We have provided parents with a safe and recreational activity for their students. Some activities have been boat races in gutters, mural scavenger hunts with the Portsmouth Murals, and we took a field trip to the Candy Land Museum,” said Dana Jones, lead teacher at Vern Riffe School and facilitator of the summer program.
They’ve also taken students to the movies to watch “Minions,” observed a program at Shawnee State University Planetarium, had a petting zoo with Lucasville 4-H and visited Shawnee Forest and the local police station and courthouse.
“They’ve been taking pictures, writing about their experiences, and being more community-aware. When they grow up, they might need to find the courthouse or the police, fire stations, or banks. Throughout the year in our lessons, we have been doing things that build that up, so when we go there it kind of pulls it all together. It will help them with their life skills when they become an adult,” Jones said.
The summer program lasts the entire month of June, three days a week for four hours each day, with a unique theme, such as community and space. The summer program ends with a giant cookout celebration at the Vern Riffe School for students, families, and service providers.
For more information about the Scioto County Board of Developmental Disabilities, visit online at www.sciotodd.org and like and follow them on Facebook.