Website: https://www.ksb.kyschools.us
Location: 1867 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: (502) 897-1583

Fax: (502) 897-2850
Facebook: facebook.com/KYschoolfortheblind/
Twitter: @KSBWildcats

It's hard to believe that December is upon us already! Two weeks left of school until winter break and it's going to be busy at KSB. Please join us on December 16, in KSB's gym, at 9:30, for our annual holiday concert performed by our Elementary and 11th and 12th grade students. Following the concert, all are welcome to join us in the cafeteria for a pancake brunch and a visit from Santa.

I'd like to thank The Louisville Downtown Lions Club, the Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation, the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation and of course Santa and his elf for supporting KSB and helping us make this wonderful event happen.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out! Take good care!

• KSB Advisory Board meeting- Tuesday, December 6th at 1:00 pm
• Professional development room, KSB (there will be a time for public comment)
• Holiday Concert-Friday, December 16, 9:30am
• Winter Break-December 19-January 2
• Kentucky Regional Braille Challenge-Thursday, February 23, 2023 (more details below)

If you have any change in phone numbers, home address, a change in bus routine or you need someone added/removed from your child’s safe pick-up list; please contact Beth or Linda in the front office.

Are you signed up for OneCall? KSB uses OneCall to send school information, including our Weekly Wildcat. If not, please contact Beth Baker at beth.baker@ksb.kyschools.us or 502-897-1583

❄️KSB Inclement Weather Scenarios❄️

• Students in the dorm and JCPS on delay
• KSB will delay the start of school, identical to JCPS.
• Students in dorm and JCPS cancels classes due to weather
• KSB will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule
• Parents responsible for transportation
• If a storm is predicted to cause a significant impact on the state, KSB will disseminate information (OneCall, Facebook, email, …) with the plan for the closure or delay of school. Students will take home devices and needed materials in anticipation of NTI learning.

Santa’s Workshop is back at KSB! Students will have the opportunity to shop for gifts for their family on either Tuesday, Dec. 13 or Wednesday Dec. 14. Each item costs $1.00 and will be wrapped for the students to bring home for the holidays! Please send in a list of who your child should shop for as well as $1.00 per gift. Thanks for your support!

A parent/guardian should call the KSB Office (502-897-1583, ext. 0204) for each day their child will not be at school to report the nature of their child’s absence. If possible, please call the school before 7:45 am. A student’s absence can only be reported to the KSB Office.

Excused absences:

• Medical appointments which cannot be scheduled at non-school times
• Death in the family
• Student illness
• Unavoidable transportation issues
• Other just and legitimate causes, as determined by the Principal

Test your Skills!

On Thursday, February 23, 2023, students in grades 1-12 are invited to compete in a series of five skills contests demonstrating braille reading and comprehension, speed and accuracy, spelling, proofreading, and tactile graphics.

To learn more & download practice tests, visit BrailleInstitute.org/braille-challenge

Hosted by: American Printing House for the Blind 1839 Frankfort Avenue Louisville, Kentucky 40206 Regional Coordinator: Jane Thompson Phone: (502)899-2370 Email: jthompson@aph.org

K-1 Social Studies: Students are learning about winter holidays and symbols associated with those holidays. They decorated a Christmas tree for Christmas and a menorah for Hannukah. They enjoyed listening to stories and songs for these winter holidays. 2nd Grade: Discussing types of communities and how they relate based on geography, cultural background, and shared interests.

5th Grade: Continuing our unit on the American Revolution. After the Second Continental Congress, we are moving to the Battle of Bunker Hill. Students are also discussing how geography impacted the American Revolution as troops moved around.

Middle School:

The 7th and 8th grade social studies classes are reconstructing and retelling KSB history using Minecraft as the medium. The project came from this year's Kentucky STLP Minecraft Challenge. To deeper our understanding we have a field trip planned for the middle school to the Museum of the American Printing House next week to dig deeper into the rich history of KSB. The 6th graders are learning about the Indus River Valley civilization but will also get to attend this field trip as an introduction to KSB history and other important events that happened throughout Kentucky, as well as the United States.

High School:

The Integrated Social Studies class started a unit on how Christmas is celebrated Around the World along with other holidays from various countries and cultures. U.S. History is wrapping up important landmarks in the U.S. and the World History class has started a new unit on the Age of Exploration

KSB Art

Our time with our second KMAC artist of the year Lizzie Gulick is almost finished. She has been doing some great fiber art pieces with our students during these sessions and these pieces have been going home with students as they finish them or will all be going home before Christmas break with each child that has been in her classes. So that you can get to know this talented artist and teacher, here is a brief autobiography from her. We have definitely appreciated all of her hard work with our students.

"Hello! My name is Lizzie Gulick and I am excited to work with your children at KSB! I have been a working fiber artist for 20 years. Over the years, I have studied Craft Media at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. I have a BA in cross cultural communication from the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpellier. I have taught many workshops over the years, as well as the Fiber program at University of Louisville from 2019-2021. I love color and texture and the healing and growing powers of working with my hands! I love dyeing and knitting and sewing and more recently have discovered I love clay! I look forward to sharing this with your students! I look forward to sharing new knowledge and skills of one of humanity’s oldest art forms with your children."

Ms. Roark's Arts Appreciation class finished their acorn leaf napkin rings (pictured) and are now taking a break from the art creation part of the course until January while we focus on other parts of the arts in learning about the classics of the holidays within the subjects of songs, movies, and plays.

Fun Fact: Art competitions were once part of the Olympics!

KSB Music

December is always a busy time of year for the music department. Our elementary students are preparing for the recital on December 16th, and we’re excited to show you what they’ve been doing! They will be performing in 3 separate groups and are playing various instruments and doing some singing (featuring our very own song about this time of year!)

Our middle schoolers are mostly working in groups, and we are encouraged by their patience and listening skills as we have to teach 8 parts and then put the those parts together the right way. It’s been very successful so far, and the next semester you will get to hear everything they’ve accomplished on their own recital. And we have a few middle schoolers in individual lessons that will get to shine as well! The date has not been set yet, so we will keep you updated.

Our 9th and 10th graders did a great job performing on November 17th! We are so glad we could return to the tradition of a concert before Thanksgiving, and are proud of all of our performers. Next up are the 11th and 12th graders. They will also be participating in the December 16th concert, and based on what they’re working on, they’ll bring the holiday cheer! We hope you can attend the concert on the 16th at 9:30 in the gym. Hearing the elementary, junior and senior students perform will be a fun and festive way to start your winter break!

Fun Fact: The song “Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving.

Sensory efficiency is necessary in all components of an individual’s life, and this is no less true for students preparing for transition into adult life. Learning sensory skills can be integrated with many other components of the Expanded Core Curriculum, such as independent living skills and compensatory skills, in order to prepare for transition. A student who learns to use a tactile marking to find his cubby at school is learning components of organizational skills and of how to keep track of his personal belongings. A student learning how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is using sensory skills to discriminate between the jelly and the peanut butter, and these sensory skills are contributing to her meal prep and daily living skills. A student learning tactile discrimination of various clothing types is learning skills that will help when it is time to select an outfit for a job interview. Sensory skills are relevant for students of all ability levels; they are equally essential for someone working with staff on life skills as for someone working with a job coach at an employment site. Sensory skills will help a student move through life with a strong awareness of the body and environment, which is key for developing greater independence and confidence in the world. These skills help individuals with vision impairments to connect to and interact with the world around them; to be active learners as children and adults; and to approach activities with a sense of security, confidence, and understanding.

Hopefully many are able to gather with family and friends to celebrate the holidays and be thankful. You may not have given this much thought, but being thankful actually has many mental health benefits. Studies have shown that people who regularly express gratitude tend to have lower rates of stress and depression and live overall happier lives. Practicing and expressing gratitude has a remarkable effect on your mind, body and spirit. Expressing gratitude improves overall psychological health by reducing toxic negative emotions and increasing endorphins (feel good chemicals) in your brain.

Giving thanks can:

• Improve your overall mood and encourage an optimistic outlook.
• Enrich social relationships and build social supports.
• Enhance empathy and reduce aggression.
• Improve sleep. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few things you are thankful for before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.
• Improve physical health.
• Allow us to ground ourselves. Remembering what is going well in my life reminds me there is still good in a world full of chaos and struggles.
• Encourage moral behavior.
• Increase mental strength. For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for- even during the worst times- fosters resilience.

Ways you can cultivate gratitude:

• Express your gratitude. Thank or compliment someone. Let them know you think they did something well or that you like something about them. Speak the words!
• Write a thank you note. Showing appreciation nurtures relationships and helps to foster a healthy sense of self-esteem for both the sender and receiver.
• Keep a blessing journal. Reflect on your blessings. Make a habit of recognizing blessings and writing them in your blessing journal at the end of every day.

😊 Please refer to the KSB Residential Parent Webpage for the recreation schedule and any changes. This is a live document therefore it can change as situations or staffing issues evolve, so be sure to check regularly.

Reminder:

When going through your child’s clothes to make the switch to colder temps, please remember that the residential program accepts any gently used clothing that you may have and no longer need. You may donate your gently used clothing, accessories, shoes, etc. to the dormitory as a tax deductible donation. You would receive a letter as a receipt of the charitable donation that can be used on your taxes. If donating, please clearly identify the items and send them to Allison Chandler, Residential Director. Please accept our gratitude in advance for any donations.

Cheerleading practice is underway! The KSB Cheer Cats Practices for the upcoming week are as follows:

• Monday, December 5: 3:30 – 5:00 pm
• Tuesday, December 6: 3:30 – 5:00 pm
• Wednesday, December 7: 3:30 – 5:00 pm
• Thursday, December 8: 3:30 – 5:00 pm

The KSB Athletics Department is excited to announce that we will be hosting this year’s 2022-2023 NCASB Wrestling and Cheerleading Conference Championships on campus January 20-21, 2023. If you are interested in helping out with this event, please contact Jessica Belcher, Athletic Director, at jessica.belcher@ksb.kyschools.us.

The APH ConnectCenter includes FamilyConnect, CareerConnect, and VisionAware – a hub of websites that offer curated advice and resources to assist children, parents, adults, job seekers who are blind or visually impaired, and their associated professionals, leading to greater independence and success in their lives.

Navigating and Negotiating Successful IEP and 504 Outcomes

Wednesday December 21st, 2022, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
In this a 5-part webinar we will share how to navigate the process of getting your child the appropriate support at school. This will cover the evaluation, present levels, annual IEP goals, accommodations and supplements and the service deliver model.
Register Here for Navigating and Negotiating Successful IEP and 504 Outcomes

Ask the Advocate

Wednesday December 28th, 2022, 7:00 – 8:30 PM EST
Answering questions families have to better understand the processes, procedures and parent rights in a 504/IEP. When parents are better informed they will be better equipped to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes.
Register Here for Ask the Advocate

Looking for more event opportunities? The ConnectCalendar is a one-stop resource for all events in the field of blindness and low vision. You can also submit events to share with the community and we’ll help spread the word.

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