KSB Update Monthly Activity Report of the Kentucky School for the Blind December 2008 Take a Holiday Ride with Us on the Polar Express Under the direction of Tabathia Roark, KSB students will take you on a musical journey aboard The Polar Express during the Holiday Music Program on Friday, December 19 at 10 AM. The students will thrill you with their production based on the movie The Polar Express and book The Magic Journey. The program will feature K-5 students, KSB Choir and several selections by middle and high school students. Actors Theatre provided props and local artist Tom Cannady painted the train. The performance will take place on campus in Richie Auditorium. The program is free and open to the public. Retirement Outreach Director to Retire After 31 Years of Service at KSB Outreach Director Cathy Johnson has performed many, many jobs throughout her employment of 31 years at KSB. As a recreation leader, teacher’s assistant, PE teacher, coach, outreach consultant and administrator, she has always set the standard high in providing quality services for students who are blind and visually impaired. She is highly respected statewide by teachers of the visually impaired,district administrators, professionals who serve children and adults with visual impairments, by her KSB colleagues and by so many children and youth whose lives she has touched. It is most difficult to say good bye to such a knowledgeable, dedicated and genuine colleague. Her official retirement date is Dec. 31. KSB says thank you to a wonderful public servant and extends best wishes to Cathy upon her retirement! Outreach Staff to Fill the Gaps In lieu of Cathy’s retirement, Low Vision Consultant Meg Stone will be acting as Director of Outreach, effective Jan. 5, 2009, until a new director is hired. This position should be posted in the Spring. Alexander Redden is acting as Office Manager of the Kentucky Instructional Materials Resource Center (KIMRC) due to the recent retirement of Mary Ellen Smith. KSB is hoping to fill this position as soon as possible. Editor's Note: There is a snapshot of Cathy Johnson that appears in the print edition. Support Services to Feel Impact of Retirements A retirement celebration was held on Friday, Dec. 12, in honor of Food Service and Housekeeping staff who will retire this month. Friends and staff enjoyed a potluck dinner in the Southside Dining Room as they stopped to say thank you and bestow wishes on Chiquita Baker, Jean Woodall, Nettie Sue Lee, Denise Brown and Ricky Lee. Their departure will leave a huge gap in the departments in which they have served. In Food Service, only two veteran employees remain. Housekeeping will also feel the sting with yet another reduction in staff. Please join us in congratulating these fine employees for their helpful and friendly service to Kentucky students who are blind and visually impaired! Editor's Note: There are individual snapshots in the print edition of the staff retiring from food service and housekeeping. The photo caption reads: Photos from left to right: Chiquita Baker, Jean Woodall, Nettie Sue Lee, Ricky Lee and Denise Brown are retiring this month. Ricky Lee is retiring from the housekeeping department while the others have been cooking and serving meals for many, many years. They will truly be missed by students and staff! Changes Made to 2008-09 School Calendar The 2008-09 school calendar has been altered to make up for the five days (Sept. 15-19) of classes that were canceled due to the storm. The official make-up days are February 16, May 22, May 26, May 27 and May 28. KSB Graduation and Awards Day will be held on Wednesday, May 27. The last day of school for students will be Thursday, May 28. The closing day for teachers is Friday, May 29. The changes to the school calendar can be viewed on the KSB website at: http:// www.ksb.k12.ky.us/Academics/SchoolCal.htm. Can’t Join Us? If you can’t attend, KSB will be webcasting the Holiday Program on Fri. Dec. 19 at 10 AM. To see the sights and sounds go to: http://www.ksb.k12.ky.us/. Click on Webcast. Crusade for Children to Feature KSB Students You may remember that KSB was the recipient of a $20,000 grant from the WHAS Crusade for Children in September. During the grant presentation, Crusade representatives took photos with KSB students. Some of the photos will appear in the Crusade’s public service announcements that are airing on Saturday mornings during newscasts on WHAS TV throughout December. Outreach News Application Due Date for INSIGHT is January 15 Sophomore, junior and senior students who are blind and visually impaired and who are planning to attend college are urged to participate in the INSIGHT Post Secondary Preparation Program on May 30-June 6, 2009 at Morehead State University (MSU). Students must make application to participate in the program by January 15, 2009. The application form and other pertinent INSIGHT information can be downloaded at http://www.ksb.k12.ky.us/Resources/INSIGHT%202009.htm. INSIGHT is a unique program designed to provide students with opportunities and experiences encountered when entering a post-secondary educational setting.Participants will acquire an increased awareness of the educational, recreational and social aspects of the post-secondary environment. While staying on the MSU campus, participants will engage in a variety of activities and classes. INSIGHT is a collaborative project between the Big East Educational Cooperative, KSB, Kentucky Office for the Blind, MSU and the University of Louisville. Winter Issue of Parent to Parent Now Available Publish quarterly by the Family Support Center, Parent to Parent contains vision specific information, ideas, suggestions and news relevant to Kentucky parents and families of children who are blind and visually impaired. In the Winter 08 issue, you will read about how students who are blind and visually impaired can benefit from involvement in extracurricular activities, how they can gain access to the activities and information about athletic associations for blind and visually impaired athletes. Check it out at http://www.ksb.k12.ky.us/Parents/Newsletter.htm. Entire State Now Involved in QPVI Process Teachers of the Visually Impaired in the West Kentucky Educational Cooperative, and the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services and Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative—Exceptional Children Services, recently begun the Quality Programs for Students with Visual Impairments (QPVI) process. In their first meeting, the groups addressed developing an accurate master list of students. With these two new groups, a total of six regional QPVI Work Groups representing nine special education cooperatives, are participating in Phase I, the Self Study Phase of the process. Two other cooperative areas, Jefferson County and Big East, have completed Phase I and II and continue to meet on a regular basis. KSB Outreach is proud that QPVI has been implemented across the entire state and that it is providing valuable job embedded professional development for the individuals that comprise the work groups and who are developing and improving programs for students with visual impairments. Caveland and River Regions Benefit from Grants KSB Regional Consultant for Caveland and River Region Dr. Betsy Flener has received a $2000 grant from the Lions Club. This funding has been used to purchase two Clarity I-vuTM (portable handheld electronic magnifiers that help students and adults read books, menus, view pictures more clearly, etc.), four copies of Zoomtext (screen magnification software) and a video on functional vision assessment for the Caveland Cooperative Lending Library. She also received $1,550 from the Dollar General Youth Literacy Grant. The money is being used to acquire two Fusions and a SenseView Duo portable CCTV video magnifiers and several Braille books. These items will also become a part of the lending library. Items in the lending library benefit students who are blind and visually impaired in Caveland and River Region. Big East Hosts MS/HS EnVisioning the Future Day On Nov. 18, KSB Regional Consultant for the Big East Education Cooperative Pamela Howard took part in the EnVisioning the Future Day for middle and high school students who are blind and visually impaired at the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation in Ashland. Forty students from 22 school districts participated in the day’s activities that centered around technology and transition. Howard and 13 teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) from the Big East planned and coordinated the event. They were assisted by a wonderful group of student peer volunteers from the Martin County School District. Instead of bringing in low vision vendors, HS students shared their experiences with low vision technology through informative afternoon sessions. TVIs presented the expanded core curriculum through song and held concurrent sessions using the Loving Me (building self esteem) curriculum. Students participated in a Talent Show and learned the moves to the Cupid Shuffle. 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