Reaching Out Newsletter #66
December 2007
Holiday Greetings to "Reaching Out" Readers!!
by Carmen Grove Suminski, Superintendent, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
This is a commemorative issue of “Reaching Out” focusing on the upcoming Centennial in 2008! You are invited to attend this “Celebration of 100 Years of Excellence” through a variety of events to be held in Grand Forks, Jamestown, and Bismarck. Additional information is printed in this special edition plus is available on our website. The Centennial Team continues to plan, and if you would like to participate, please contact me.
Activities include the following:
- Promotion of Braille awareness on the birth date of Louis Braille – January 4
- Goalball Tournament on February 15. Included will be the recognition of the Anniversary of the founding of the school and the reading of the Proclamation as written by the Office of the Governor John Hoeven.
- Family Weekend in Jamestown on February 22-23
- Dakota AER/Vision Conference on May 7- 9 at the Holiday Inn, Grand Forks with includes a Centennial Banquet the evening of May 7
- Celebration of the Life of Helen Keller at the Pioneer Room in the State Capitol on June 27. Dr. Wayne Sanstead, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Robert Rutten, Director of Special Education will be in attendance.
- All School Reunion on September 12 at the School for the Blind, Grand Forks
Please share with us in this celebration, learn, and have an opportunity to network and see many friends and colleagues.
I am also in the process of compiling a book which will be “Recollections” of NDVS/SB’s 100 years.” The book will be available for sale with all proceeds going to NDVS/SB’s Foundation to benefit services to persons of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. It will also be available in alternative formats.
We welcome to our staff Amy Brunner. She is a vision rehabilitation specialist working with adults and is based at the Minot office. You can contact her at 701-857-7634.
I am honored to be the current president of the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB). It was a pleasure to be part of the COSB Leadership Institute in Louisville in October plus present on COSB at the 139th Annual Meeting of the American Printing House for the Blind. What a phenomenal group of special people!
As we approach the conclusion of 2007, we anticipate with pride the celebration of the centennial in 2008 and reflect on many things, but most important are the persons that we serve; namely, parents and family members, infants, students, and adults.
Wishing You and Yours a Most Happy Holiday Season and 2008!
Remember Louis Braille!
By Donna Iszler
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The Season fills us all with thoughts of good cheer.
And with the new year, let us remember without fail
January’s the birthday of our friend, Louis Braille.
He lived years ago and he had no clue
What his lifetime would mean to me and to you.
He wanted very much to read and write
Which in his lifetime was not possible without sight.
He was hungry for knowledge and wanted so much
To learn what he could through his sense of touch.
He experimented with a code used at night
By soliders who needed to communicate without light.
And so he developed this system of dots
Which to you and to me represents lots and lots—
Letters and words and sentences, too,
Numbers and music and more, it is true.
It’s our independence and so we must show
All who could benefit so that they know
That this is Good News and will bring them Good Cheer.
Happy Birthday, Louis Braille!
To all Happy New Year!
Ski for Light 2008
submitted by Katrina Wendel
It’s that time of year... time to start thinking about signing up for Ski for Light 2008! It is an excellent opportunity to try downhill and cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. This is the Black Hills Regional Ski for Light’s 30 year anniversary in the Deadwood, South Dakota area. If you would like to visit with a yearly participant about it, you may contact Dave Sundeen at 701-847-3139.
In previous years, a bus has been chartered to the annual event and we would like to do so again this year. A special thanks to Judy’s Leisure Tours from Fargo for arranging the charter bus. The bus will depart Sunday January 20 and return on Friday January 25th. It is an excellent opportunity to relax, visit, sleep and leave the driving to an expert. There is room for participants and volunteers and adequate luggage space. Sign-up early to reserve a seat on the bus, tickets for the bus will cost $15 and part of the $15 will be used to ensure a reservation on the bus. Make your non-refundable check or money order payable to: North Dakota Association of the Blind and mail to Renae Huseby, Treasurer, NDAB, 3926 Dakota Dr., Grand Forks, ND 58201.
Katrina Wendel would be happy to answer further questions and may be contacted at 1-800-421-1181 or e-mailed at kwendel@nd.gov.
Ski for Light has already either e-mailed or mailed out applications for the program. If you would like to receive an application or did not receive one directly from Ski for Light, Katrina Wendel would be happy to provide you with an application. Black Hills Regional Ski for Light 2008 will be a great place for fun and fellowship.
We at the ND School for the Blind Foundation board
... would like to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season! It is truly a time of year to be thankful for all we have and for wonderful friends and family.
There are some exciting events coming up in the near future. In January, there is an event called the Black Hills Regional Ski for Light celebration. This is the 30th year of the event. You can ski daily at Terry Peak Ski Area and Wharf Resources Area. Both alpine (downhill) and nordic (cross-country) skiing are offered to those who are blind, visually impaired, and physically challenged. All skill levels are welcome from the beginner to the experienced skier. Lodging for this event is in Deadwood, South Dakota and the dates are January 20-25, 2008.
If you are interested in being a sighted guide skier or being a participant, please contact Katrina Wendel at the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind at 800-421-1181 or go to the website at http://www.bhsfl.org. The foundation, Judy's Leisure Tours, and the ND Association for the Blind provide funding for the bus from North Dakota that travels on this trip.
Another project of the foundation is the annual grant program designed to help meet the educational needs of students who are visually impaired. Eight or more grants, each worth up to $500, will be awarded. Grants will be awarded to help pay for equipment needs, personal needs, camps, daily living skills training, adaptive recreational/leisure equipment, technology, or other special needs. Eligible recipients are preschool through grade 12 students who are visually impaired residents of North Dakota. (Criteria are 20/70 vision corrected or a restricted field of vision). Adults are also invited to apply for a special adult grant. Equipment received through this program will become the property of, and will remain the property of, the person who is visually impaired. Deadline for submitting proposals is January 15, 2008. Awards will be announced in mid March. For more information and application forms, write to:
Proposal Screening Committee
ND School for the Blind Foundation
PMB 153
1395 A South Columbia Road
Grand Forks, ND 58201
The last bit of exciting news is that there are still greeting cards available from the card contest last spring. These cards highlight art made by students who are visually impaired who live in North Dakota. There are 15 cards per pack at a cost of $10/packet. If you are interested in the cards as a fun gift for Christmas, please contact Sandy at 800-421-1181.
A big thank you goes out to those of you who donated to the foundation this past year. I cannot tell you how much we appreciate your support and try to do our very best with the donations we receive.
The foundation board is made up of volunteers who love the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind. If you'd like to donate to the foundation, please send donations to:
ND School for the Blind Foundation
PMB 153
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Thank you, Beth Bakke Stenehjem
President, ND School for the Blind Foundation
Family Weekend
February 22 and 23, 2008
This is a chance for families who have a child with vision loss to interact with other families in the state, meet some personnel from the School for the Blind, and to hear informational speakers.
Childcare will be provided.
The event will take place at the Quality Inn in Jamestown, ND with a block of rooms reserved for the Family Weekend.
Agenda items to include:
- Simulation Activities, Orientation and Mobility
- Technology—including some of the following options: Open Book, Mount Batten
- Vendors- Low Vision Store, Eschenbach
- Panel Discussion of students
- Experienced Parent discussion. Topics will include transition and Sporting Chance.
This event is sponsored by North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind and North Dakota Deaf/Blind Project.
If you would like additional information, please contact Linda Kraft at 701-298-4428 or Katrina Wendel at 1-800-421-1181.
REACHING OUT is published by the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind, an agency funded by the state of North Dakota for the benefit of people with visual impairments. ND Vision Services/School for the Blind is a division of the ND Department of Public Instruction.
REACHING OUT is available in alternative formats upon request.
Please send comments to:
REACHING OUT
ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
500 Stanford Road
Grand Forks, ND 58203-2799
Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Dr. Wayne G. Sanstead
Superintendent, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind:
Carmen Grove Suminski, csuminsk@nd.gov
Editor, REACHING OUT:
Cheryl Misialek, cmisiale@nd.gov
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© Copyright 2007. North Dakota Vision Services. All rights reserved |
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