KSB Update Bi-Monthly Activity Report of the Kentucky School for the Blind July-August 2011 In Case You Haven’t Hear—KSB Students do Well on Mandatory ACT College Admission Tests In case you haven’t heard, KSB juniors (now seniors) scored very well on the mandatory ACT college admission tests that were administered during the Spring of 2011. KSB seniors have every reason to be proud of their overall performance. Earlier this month, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released information about graduating seniors meeting ACT benchmarks and results of the 2011 administration of the ACT to the state’s public school juniors. The ACT is required for all Kentucky 11th graders to determine college readiness. The average of the KSB class surpassed the state average in all subject areas, including English, Math, Reading, Science and the overall Composite. The junior class (now seniors) average on the Overall Composite Score (23.8) surpassed the average of the state’s overall composite score (18.8) by 5 points. The greatest area surpassing the state’s average was in Reading. KSB juniors average Reading score was 28, while the state’s average was 19. This is a difference of 9 points. Although KSB’s ACT scores are not released to the public, KSB scores are near the top in the state! Grants KSBCF Awards KSB $153,409 The Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation (KSBCF) presented a $153,409 grant to the KSB administration on Monday, August 8. KSBCF Executive Director Rick Ricks and President Gary Mudd made the special presentation as teachers and staff gathered for opening activities prior to the start of the new school year. The grant will be used to help in this mission by providing and enhancing many educational opportunities for students some of which include: summer enrichment programs; motivational reading programs; talking science lab probes and other assistive technology; physical, occupational and speech therapy equipment; educationally relevant clinical low vision services; and a collaborative college preparatory program. Ricks also presented the school with two BrailleNote Apex BT 32 Braille Notetakers valued at $12,000 on behalf of the William Wood Foundation. Earlier in the year, Ricks wrote a grant to the Wood Foundation to obtain the cutting edge technology for the school. Editor’s Note: There is a photo in the print edition showing KSB administrators and KSBCF president and executive director hold a large replica of a check. The caption reads: Director of Outreach for Statewide Services Meg Stone, Director of Outreach for Regional Programs Kristen Hammond, Rick Ricks, Director of Instruction John Roberts and KSBCF President Gary Mudd pose with the check representing the $153,409 grant. KSB Receives Kentucky Bluegrass Award Grant The Kentucky Reading Association and the Kentucky School Media Association recently announced that KSB is one of 17 schools in the state to receive two complete sets of Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA) books. The purpose of KBA is to encourage students in Kentucky in grades K-12 to read quality children’s literature. KBA promotes reading comprehension, critical thinking and evaluation skills. It is designed to provide a wide range of new reading materials to students and it is implemented in a simple and fun manner. On Thurs. afternoon, Sept. 1, Librarian Heather Davis will give an official KBA introduction to high school students in the library. To learn more about KBA, visit http://kba.nku.edu/. Outreach Hosts 18th Annual Gateways PD The 18th Annual Gateways to Independence Professional Development for Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialists was held at KSB on July 12-13. This event attracted 96 participants who work in Kentucky school districts, state and non-profit agencies serving individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Texas School for the Blind Curriculum Director Debra Sewell was the featured presenter. She presented two sessions on Tuesday, July 12. Her presentations focused on the forgotten areas of the expanded core curriculum and the impact of teaching social skills. On the second day, participants attended a variety of sessions that included PE for the Blind/VI Student, American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Adapted Products for PE, APH O&M Products, Education in Magnification and Low Vision Devices, O&M for TVIs, Art for the Blind/VI Student, Reading, Writing and Creating Braille with the Mountbatten Learning System, Having Fun and Making Friends Daily Living Skill, Office for the Blind Round Table Discussion, I Can Do it Myself Daily Living Skills and Ezy ECC—Strategies to infuse the expanded core curriculum into everyday instruction. Twelve hours of PD credit was available to attendees. Editor’s Note: There are five photos from the Gateways presentations in the print edition. Photo #1 shows a male presenter speaking to Gateways attendees about the Mountbatten Brailler. The caption reads: HumanWare’s Jim Sullivan provides valuable information on the Mountbatten Brailler. Photo #2 shows a close up view of an attendee using the Mountbatten Brailler. The caption reads: An attendee examines the Mountbatten. Photo #3 shows an instructor sitting on the cafeteria floor and two attendees kneeling on the floor. The instructor is showing them goalball positioning techniques. The photo caption reads: KSB teacher Bo Mullins (foreground) instructs teachers of the visually impaired Sarah White and UofL grad student Adam Zborowski in the techniques of goalball during a Gateways session on adapted PE for blind/VI students. Photo #4 shows a female attendee at a table using a handheld magnifier while looking at some papers. The caption reads: Claudia Buchanan, paraeducator from Fayette County checks out a magnifying device during the Education in Magnification and Low Vision Devices session. Photo #5 shows four attendees and a presenter sitting a tables during a discussion. The caption reads: Gateways attendees participate in a Kentucky Office for the Blind roundtable discussion. KSB Welcomes Nine New Staff Members KSB is pleased to welcome four new instructional, four residential and one outreach staff members. Please welcome: Guidance Counselor Elaine Hall started her teaching career at the dePaul School in Louisville and in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) as an elementary teacher and special education teacher. She was also a school guidance counselor in JCPS. She most recently was an ARC chairperson at Oldham County Public Schools. Middle School English/Social Studies Teacher Sarah White attended the Psychology program at Purdue University for two years and later attended Ball State University’s Teacher College, where she changed her area of interest to Special Education. For the past five years she has been a HS and MS ECE teacher of language arts, reading intervention courses and social studies. Currently, she is working on her masters in the Teacher of the Visually Impaired Preparation Program at the University of Louisville. Primary Teacher Karen Sutton comes to KSB from Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) where she has worked as an itinerant in JCPS preschool classrooms and had a preschool class. Prior to that, she taught students with learning and behavior disorders and students with visual impairments in Oldham, Spencer and Simpson counties. Sutton also taught in Grayson County for twelve years. Braille Teacher Erica Deal is returning to KSB to teach Braille after taking a year off to stay at home with her son, George. Prior to that, Deal taught second grade at KSB. Outreach Consultant Verna Howell will provide technical assistance to students who are blind and visually impaired and to their school districts in the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative and the Upper Cumberland Cooperative. Howell was previously employed by Greenup County School District where she served as teacher of the visually impaired. Below from left to right are new Residential Services staff members: Lauren Coffey, Brittany Girton, Jonathan Lewis and Stephanie Harper. The new staff are houseparents on the second shift. They oversee students who reside in campus dormitories. Editor’s Note: There is a snapshot of each new staff member in the print edition. Outreach News Penrod to Serve as KIMRC Program Coordinator Paula Penrod has been promoted to Program Coordinator of the Kentucky Instructional Materials Resource Center (KIMRC). She will officially assume the role on Thursday, September 1. She has been at KSB for fifteen years where she has served as an administrative secretary and as the public relations liaison. “I am looking forward to my new role and to working closely with Kentucky teachers of the visually impaired and other service providers in providing books and materials in alternate formats so that students with visual impairments have the same advantage as their sighted peers in the classroom. The KIMRC has come a long way in the time that I have been at KSB. It is my hope to continue to improve services and to respond to the educational needs of students in a timely, efficient and professional manner,” says Penrod. She can be reached at 502-897-1583, ext. 220 or paula.penrod@ksb.kyschools.us. Low Vision Clinic to be Held in October Director of Outreach for Statewide Services Meg Stone is now accepting student referrals for the Fall Low Vision Clinic (LVC) to be held on Oct. 7-8. Referral forms can be obtained online at http://www.ksb.k12.ky.us/Resources/LowVision.htm. In addition to the referral form, teachers of the visually impaired should check the website listed above to review the additional documentation that is needed in order for their student to receive a low vision evaluation through the LVC. The clinical low vision evaluation provided at the LVC by Jenny Wood, OD, FAAO, differs from the examination of a primary eye care specialist in that it begins with a comprehensive, goal-oriented case history; special charts and materials are used for assessment of near and distance visual acuity not routinely used in general eye examinations; it goes beyond the prescription of standard spectacles to prescribe optical, non-optical, and/or non-visual devices to help individuals meet specific visual needs; and concludes with gathering of information about the individual’s functional use of vision, non-optical, and/or non-visual devices to help meet specific visual needs. For additional information, contact Stone at 502-897-1583, ext. 219 or meg.stone@ksb.kyschools.us. Parent/Family Meetings Set Around the State The KSB Family Support Center has several Parent/Family Meetings scheduled throughout various areas of the state during the fall months. The purpose of the meetings is to provide parents with skills to advocate for the needs of their child with a visual impairment, provide information and resources, and to facilitate communication and support for the families who attend the meetings. Here is the Parent/Family Meeting Fall Schedule: Tues., Sept. 6: KSB/Jefferson Co. Family Meeting, 6-7:30 PM at KSB Sat., Oct. 1: Families Advocating for the Blind (FAB) Meeting, Madison Co., 10 AM-12 PM, Location to be Determined Tues., Oct. 4: KSB/Jefferson Co. Family Meeting, 6-7:30 PM at KSB Sat., Nov.5: Families Advocating for the Blind (FAB) Meeting, Madison Co., 10 AM-12 PM, Location to be Determined; WKEC Parent Support Group, Mike Miller Park, 10 AM-2 PM, Draftenville Mon., Nov. 7: KSB/Jefferson Co. Family Meeting, 6-7:30 PM at KSB For more information, contact Family Support Specialist Mitch Dahmke at 502-897-1583, ext. 221 or mitch.dahmke@ksb.kyschools.us. October 26 Volunteers Needed for Career Day KSB will conduct a Career Fair for students in grades 5-12 who are blind and visually impaired on Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 8 AM-2 PM. Fifteen volunteers are needed to assist students, introduce speakers and to assist in other areas in order to maintain smooth and efficient transitions throughout the day. If you would like to help, contact Paula Penrod no later than Sept. 15 at 502-897-1583, ext. 220 or paula.penrod@ksb.kyschools. And We’re Off to Another Great School Year Despite the storm that created power outages throughout the city and delayed the start of school for Jefferson County, KSB started classes right on schedule on Monday, August 16. In addition to new staff, KSB starts the school year off with eight new students. Elementary students Heather Anthony comes to KSB from the Owensboro Independent School District and Hayden Ashley hails from Lincoln Co. New MS students are Tatiana Carroll from Hardin Co. and Allie Irvin from Jefferson Co. The four HS students are brothers Kenton and Kyle Smith from Ballard Co., Ambre Cooper from Boone Co. and DrueValley Collins from Logan Co. The varsity track team has been practicing and will compete in the Indiana Track and Field Meet on Thursday, September 8 at the Indiana School for the Blind in Indianapolis. The junior varsity track team began practice this week for the Bill Roby Track and Field Games to be held at KSB on Wednesday, October 12. The first Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Reading Circle for high school students will take place on Tuesday, September 20. The students will be discussing the books Tuesdays with Morrie and The Last Lecture. Auditions for the KSB Choir are scheduled for Wednesday, September 7. Editor’s Note: There is a photo in the print edition. It shows a KSB staff person and a new student and her father on Registration Day. The father is sitting at a table along with a KSB staff member. The student is standing by her father. The photo caption reads: KSB Athletic Director Kenneth Jones speaks to new student DrueValley Collins and her father during registration on Sunday, August 15. Adams Ends KSB Career with Retirement Paraeducator Harold Adams is retiring on August 31. He has 12 years of KSB service. During this time, he has worn many hats some of which include: rehabilitation specialist, safe physical management/crisis trainer, track coach, commencement speaker, deejay for many school dances and most current, paraeducator. KSB wishes Mr. Adams the best of health and happiness throughout his retirement years! Editor’s Note: There is a snapshot of Mr. Adam the print edition. Kentucky School for the Blind 1867 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206 www.ksb.kyschools.us Director of Instruction: John Roberts Director of Operations: Kenneth Washington Director of Outreach for Statewide Services: Meg Stone Director of Outreach for Regional Services and Programs: Kristen Hammonds