KSB Update Bi-Monthly Activity Report of the Kentucky School for the Blind October & November 2008 Eagle Scout Court of Honor Held for Linson and Sparks KSB senior Aaron Linson and junior Matt Sparks were publicly recognized for obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout by the Boys Scouts of America during an impressive Court of Honor in October. State and local officials, including U.S. Rep John Yarmuth from KY-District 3, read proclamations and made special presentations to these young men. Nationally recognized hometown celebrity Patrick Henry Hughes graced the stage with music and song. Linson and Sparks were presented with an extensive portfolio recognizing them for their accomplishments. Kentucky Board of Education Chairman Joe Brothers greeted Linson and Sparks and read a letter from Governor Steve Beshear proclaiming them Kentucky Colonels. A letter from Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson was read and keys to the city were presented to Linson and Sparks. The Eagle Scouts praised KSB Troop #10 Scoutmaster Dr. Bill Greenlee for his dedication and guidance in helping them attain the Scout’s highest rank and presented him with a special mentoring pen. Linson and Sparks are the third and fourth members of Troop #10 to become Eagles. The troop was established in 1910. Editor’s Note: A photograph in the print edition shows the two Eagle Scouts standing on stage with their Honor Guard. The photo caption reads: Honor Guard Walt Oster (center) accompanied Eagle Scouts Aaron Linson (left) and Matt Sparks (right) during the Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Students are Dropping Everything and Reading Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) officially got underway with a kick-off party in late October. Students gathered in the Ries Rec. Center for a variety of carnival games related to reading, face painting and several structured activities. The American Printing House for the Blind had a table, allowing students to explore tactile book making, and the Louisville Public Library had a “book talk” for teens. Dorm students and several staff members continued the fun after school by performing skits. The skits were based on various types of reading material. Dorm students participate in DEAR by reading a book, magazine, or newspaper of their choice at a specific time each evening for 20 minutes, Monday-Thursday. Students who commute to school daily read at home. DEAR reading is incorporated into the school day for all students on Friday. This program will run throughout the school year. Braille Competition Awaits Students The Braille ChallengeTM is a national competition that will take place next semester. Twenty-two KSB students and three Short Course students are registered for the competition which will include Braille spelling, proofreading, reading comprehension, writing speed, graph reading and other areas. Students who qualify at the local level will travel to the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville on Jan. 29 for the preliminary regional competition. The top 12 scorers in each category will move on to the finals in Los Angeles in June. In addition to traveling to Nashville and Los Angeles, students are eligible to win prizes like games, gift certificates, amusement park tickets, CD players, etc. Braille Challenge is sponsored by the Braille Institute. You can find more information about this exciting opportunity at http://www.brailleinstitute.org/about_the_braille_challenge. Students are also engaged in the annual Braille Readers are Leaders competition sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind. Students will record what they are reading and the number of pages that they read. The contest began on Nov. 1 and ends on Jan. 4. There are six categories (including delayed readers) that K-12 students can compete. For more information, go to the NFB website www.nfb.org and search for “Braille Readers Are Leaders.” Artists in Residence Students Complete Limestone Bench; will Present Drumming Event during Percussion Concert The limestone bench carved by students participating in the Artists in Residence Program was unveiled in late October. Under the direction of artists Al and Penny Nelson, students designed and carved the scenes on the bench. The bench has been placed on the lawn beside the Ries Recreation Center. Students are now studying African and Indonesian music with artist Gregory Acker. His interest in world music evolved during two terms of service in the Peace Corps in Africa where he experienced the power of music and related art forms in building a sense of community. Students in the KSB Percussion Ensemble directed by musician Bobby Falk and Acker’s Artists in Residence classes are going to perform during a Percussion Concert on Tues., Dec. 9 at 7:30 PM. in Richie Auditorium. Falk and Acker are urging everyone to attend this special “drumming” event. Editor’s Note: A photo in the print edition shows a student sitting on the limestone bench. The caption reads: Taryn Seif sits on the limestone bench that she and other students carved in the Artists in Residence Program. First Quarter Honor Roll Announced Twenty-five students made the Honor Roll for the first quarter grading period which ended on Oct. 15. Junior Blake Booty and 8th grader Kayla Voskuhl topped all students by making the “All A” Honor Roll. Students making the AB Honor Roll are Zack Adams, D.J. Bachman, Marissa Chambers, Michael Douglas, Kyle Givens, Marissa Helms, Beth Hope, Bradley Horton, Samantha Hubbard, James Lewis, Amanda Livers, Lance Oliver, Tiffany Patrick, Garrad Riley, Logan Rovinski, Savannah Sanders, Mitch Saylor, Ben Small, Jessica VanBruggen, Sarah Walker, Brianna White, Chris Zeigler and Tommy Zwick. Please join us in congratulating these fine students! Track and Goalball Teams Win Conference Titles For the first time since 1989, KSB’s Boys Track Team is the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind (NCASB) Conference Track and Field Champions. They captured the title at the conference meet on Oct. 10-12 at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville. KSB is proud of the athletes and their coaches Harold Adams and Bo Mullins. Track team members are Ben Small, J.J. Earls, Jon Cord, Dalton Novince, Ronnie Patrick, Tyrone Parker, Jonathon McCarty, Damon Boards, Kyle Givens, James Lewis, Lance Oliver and Kenny Jones, Jr. On Nov. 14-15, the KSB’s Boys Goalball Team walked away with the NCASB Conference Goalball Championship. The meet was held at the Missouri School for the Blind in St. Louis. They are coached by D.J. Harrod and Jamie Shake. Team members are Ronnie Patrick, Mitch Saylor, James Lewis, Tyrone Parker and Dalton Novince. 2008 NCASB Track and Field Outstanding Athlete This award is given to an outstanding conference male and female athlete at the NCASB Track and Field banquet following the conference meet. This year KSB athlete Marissa Helms was given the honor. Marissa is involved in swimming, wrestling, goalball, forensics, and the Governor Scholar’s Program. She is the senior class president, study center tutor, and placed in statewide foreign language competition for her French artwork. Marissa has maintained an A average throughout her high school career and plans on attending the University of Louisville. Her achievements led to her being chosen as one of twenty-five students selected by the Para Olympic Organization to attend the Para Olympic Games in Beijing. In 2007, Marissa competed in swim competition in the IBSA World Youth and Student Games in Colorado. Editor’s Note: There is a snapshot of Marissa Helms in the print edition. Roby Games Were Perfect Everything was perfect for the 31st Annual Bill Roby Track and Field Games. The warm weather, volunteers, Louisville-Metro police, Kosair clowns and plenty of eager young athletes made for a great day of competition for young athletes ages 3-13 on Oct. 13. Students from the Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana Schools for the Blind, Jefferson County and VIPS preschoolers joined KSB students in various running and field events. Editor’s Note: There is a photo in the print edition. It shows a student who is blind running in a race during the Roby Games. The caption reads: Primary student Logan Armstrong holds on to the guide wire during his race in the Roby Games. Families Gather for Statewide Conference Twenty-two families who attended the Statewide Family Conference at KSB during the last weekend of October gained valuable information, learned from vision professionals, connected with other families with children who are blind and visually impaired, and had a lot of fun doing so. The conference got off to a great start on Friday evening with a Fall Festival. A hayride took families over to a spooky Haunted House provided by Kentucky Parents of Blind Children in the Ries Recreation Center. Families were up early on Saturday morning and started the day with a presentation by Ophthalmologist Steven Howell. He gave parents an overview of some of the most common eye conditions among children and their causes. KSB Advisory Board Member Jan Moseley (retired Vision Specialist with Jefferson County Public Schools) delivered the keynote address. She spoke on the expanded core curriculum. Other presentations were presented by KSB Outreach and Instructional Staff, Big East Family Support Group and Kentucky Office for the Blind. A Vendor Fair was held during lunch on Saturday and a judo demonstration was conducted by the Kentucky Association of Blind Athletes. Editor’s Note: There are two photos from the Statewide Family Conference that appear in the print edition. Photo #1 shows the keynote speaker addressing parents. The caption reads: KSB Advisory Board Member Jan Moseley was the keynote speaker during the Statewide Family Conference. Photo #2 shows young children and three adults at small plastic swimming pool serving as a fishpond. The caption reads: KSB Regional Consultant for the Big East Educational Cooperative Pam Howard (at right) assists children and their families at the fish pond during the Fall Festival. From “Apples to Applesauce” in Just Two Days Ten elementary students from Jefferson, Grayson, Pulaski, Daviess Counties and KSB attended the Elementary Short Course Retreat Weekend “Apples to Applesauce” on Oct. 24-26. This immersion experience focused on the expanded core curriculum for students with visual impairments and helped them to discover how produce makes its way from the farm to the store and to the table. Short Course staff worked with students on enhancing skills in the areas of academics, orientation and mobility, practical living, technology, social interaction, sensory efficiency, self determination and career. The students traveled to the Kroger Produce Department to meet with the produce manager, Incredible Dave’s for an “Incredible Edible Nutrition” workshop, Hidden Hollow Apple Orchard and to Bob Evans Family Restaurant. Editor’s Note: There is a photo of five elementary students sitting and standing on a tractor. The photo caption reads: Some of the students attending the Elementary Short Course Retreat Weekend check out the tractor during a trip to Hidden Hollow Orchard. My Space, My Community Attracts MS/HS Students The theme of the MS/HS Fall Short Course Retreat was “My Space, My Community”. Eight students from Jefferson, Ballard, Greenup, Lincoln, Boyle and Hardin Counties focused on being involved in their community and developing resources within their community and within the larger statewide and national community of people with visual impairments. Their weekend included off-campus travel to The Kentucky Center – Stage One to see “The Odyssey,” Incredible Dave’s, Operation Brightside Community Cleanup Clifton Neighborhood, Home Depot and the Old Spaghetti Factory Restaurant. The students spent time exploring assistive technology including the My Reader 2 by Humanware - video magnifier, Sense View hand held electronic magnifier by GW Micro, use of digital cameras to document weekend events, creating individual Powerpoint slide shows from weekend photos and Exploring the Trekker GPS. Editor’s Note: There are two photos that accompany the MS/HS Short Course Retreat article. Photo #1 shows a girl hold a trash bag in the Clifton neighborhood. The caption reads: Brooke Berger from Hardin County participated in Operation Brightside during the MS/HS Short Course Retreat Weekend. Photo #2 shows a teacher and a student at the stove preparing food. The photo caption reads: Teacher Dave Hume helps Kenton Smith from Ballard County in preparing for brunch. Retirement Nears for KIMRC Office Manager Mary Ellen Smith, Office Manager of the Kentucky Instructional Materials Resource Center (KIMRC) will retire from state government on November 30. Throughout her 11 ½ years at KSB, she has provided outstanding service and has been instrumental in coordinating KIMRC activities and the work of the staff including adoption of the new data system and relocation of the KIMRC to the first floor. Prior to coming to KSB, she worked for the Kentucky Industries for the Blind. She has accepted a position in the finance department at the American Printing House for the Blind. She will be greatly missed! Editor’s Note: There is a snapshot of Mary Ellen Smith in the print edition. Social Studies Teacher Runs Strong in Chicago Marathon Social studies teacher Todd Johnson was one of 3500 runners who competed in the Chicago Marathon in October. Only participants who complete the race in 6.5 hours are timed. Johnson’s time was 3:59:27. He finished 6,280 out of 31,340 and 4,730 out of 17,677 male runners. Congratulations to Todd on this fine accomplishment! Staff Contributes Generously to KECC KSB employees didn’t let a sluggish economy thwart their efforts in contributing to the Kentucky Employee Charitable Campaign (KECC). This year staff gave $5097! That is an increase of $649 over last year’s total. Thanks to all staff for your incredible generosity! Kentucky School for the Blind 1867 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206 Ph: 502-897-1583 Classroom Fax: 502-897-2850 Business Office Fax: 502-897-2994 www.ksb.k12.ky.us Director of Instruction: John Roberts Outreach Director: Cathy Johnson