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

Happy Thanksgiving!

At this time of year, we are especially thankful that you are part of the KSB Wildcat Family!

Wishing you a restful, peaceful and joyful holiday. 🦃

• Thanksgiving Break-Monday, November 21-Friday, November 25
• Picture Day-Wednesday, November 30
• 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.

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, 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

Elementary:

The K/1 Math class is doing well in their Math Rotations. A new rotation was added recently, writing numbers. Their focus has been the number 2. Students are learning to write their number in print and braille. Students are having a blast using Lots of Dots to practice their braille, writing in sand, shaving cream, and with Play-Doh and construction kits. 2nd Grade is working hard on place value, adding, subtracting, and are moving into 3 digits. 4th-5th grade are continuing to work on multiplying and dividing with base 10 exponents.

High School: Geometry students continue to learn about transformations on the coordinate plane. The image shows the 180-degree rotation of triangle GLO about the origin. Algebra 2 students continue to prepare for the ACT in the spring and are currently learning about percent applications in a real world context. Algebra 1 students are working on making connections between equations, graphs and tables of values for linear equations.

In PE as we head into our holiday season our younger groups are working on their chasing and fleeing games! We are playing tag games that incorporate what is current to them, both holiday themed as well as relating to one of the elementary readings of How to Catch a Dinosaur. With our 6th grade group we are also incorporating teamwork and that concept through tag games like Team-up Tag and Amoeba tag.

Our High Schoolers are focused on Nutrition and learning the basics of things like calories, carbohydrates, sugars, and fiber as well as how those impact our bodies. Going forward we will learn about healthier food substitutions and the impact poor food choices can make on our body in the short and long term.

Sensory efficiency refers to a person’s ability to use her senses to access the environment. For a person who is sighted, visual perception makes up a significant portion of the information that is absorbed and processed. Individuals with vision impairments must learn to access information from the environment in a somewhat different way.

Kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and vestibular senses:

These senses refer to a person’s sense of balance and awareness of where her body parts are in relation to each other and in space. Sensory efficiency in this area can be beneficial for independent travel, sports and other physical activities, and learning to exhibit appropriate body language in social situations.

Sensory integration:

Students with limited vision must also learn how to integrate the use of their senses for functional purposes. For example, a student may learn to recognize her favorite teacher by the sound of her voice and the bright, bold-colored earrings she always wears. Another student might be able to tell when he has arrived in his school cafeteria by picking up on the sound of loud chatter and the smell of the infamous mystery meat being served that day.

Research shows that the power of gratitude can greatly impact our mental health in a positive way. Focusing on what’s good in your life and doing things for others is a very effective way to increase our happiness and positive emotions.

Ways to Practice Gratitude with Your Child:

• Ask your child to tell you something positive about their day every evening.
• Encourage your child to say something positive or kind to someone everyday and ask them about it later.
• Make a list, as a family, or individually of everything you are grateful for in your life.
• Perform acts of kindness as a family or as individuals.
• Volunteer to serve others.
• Model being grateful and focusing on the positive things in your life.

The video below on gratitude explains a lot about the research behind gratitude in our lives.

😊 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.

The City of Louisville's Office of Resilience and Community Services opened more slots yesterday for the Fall Subsidy Phase of LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program).

Eligible residents can also apply for MSD's EWRAP or Senior Citizen Discount Program. For more info & to schedule an appointment, call 502/991-8391 or visit the LIHEAP webpage.

Check out all of the resources available from the Office of Resilience and Community Services by visiting their website.

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.

Newsletter background shows a picture of a pumpkin pie, a few small pumpkins, and cranberries sitting on a white table.