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

Welcome back and happy 2023! We are excited to announce that our secure vestibule construction is completed, and with that comes new protocol for visitors. Please familiarize yourself with the new procedures and let us know if you have any questions.

The safety of Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB) students and the community is vital. KSB has security systems in place that have been updated and enhanced. Below are the procedures in effect for entry into the classroom building.

• No visitors are to enter the building with students during arrival. All school visitors will need to have an appointment to enter the building. (If you require assistance, an appointment must be made after the start of the school day.)
• At the buzzer to the exterior door, all visitors are expected to state the purpose of their visit and specify with whom they have the appointment.
• All visitors must show a valid photo identification before being buzzed into the vestibule, which is located between the first and second set of doors.
• If the appointment is verified, unknown visitors to school staff will enter the first locked doors and remain in the vestibule until the individual they are here to see arrives. When school staff that visitor is seeking arrives, they bring them through second locked doors and escort them to the office. There they will sign in on the laptop, show their ID to office staff, and fill out an ID tag. This ID tag must be worn while visitors are in the building.
• Parents and frequent guests of school will be buzzed through each set of doors and should report directly to the office. There they will sign in on the laptop, show their ID to office staff, and fill out an ID tag. This ID tag must be worn while visitors are in the building. Unescorted school guests will remain in the lobby, and students or needed items will be brought to them.
• If you must drop off an item for a student (lunch, homework, etc.), you will be directed to leave the item in the vestibule.
• If you will pick your child up early, you must notify the office in writing before dismissal. If it is an emergency, call the office to notify the school.
• Tardy students also must use the entry request button
• Visitors mustn't hold the door open for others behind them. Each visitor must be acknowledged individually through the buzzer system.
• Front office secretaries will be required to call 911 and notify school administrators if the visitor is uncooperative, does not adhere to the procedures, or becomes threatening.
• Ultimately, failure to follow these procedures may result in a lockdown for the safety of our students and staff, and the Louisville Police Department may be notified that an intruder is in the building.

We know this protocol is stringent and may inconvenience our visitors, who are always welcome in our schools. The safety of our students and staff must remain our priority, and we are optimistic that our visitors will ultimately recognize our need to be as vigilant as possible.

If you require clarification regarding the protocol, please get in touch with Peggy Sinclair-Morris or James Dollar. They will be happy to answer your questions to ensure your complete understanding and adherence to our procedures. Your cooperation will make our schools more secure for students and staff. Your suggestions are essential and always appreciated.

• Ready or Not-Preparing for the Transition to College-Thursday, January 12 (more details below)
• Martin Luther King, Jr Day (No School)-Monday, January 16
• Cheerleading/Wrestling Conference at KSB-Friday, January 20 and Saturday, January 21
• Family/Teacher Conference Day (No School)- Monday, February 20
• 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

📸School Pictures📸

Please watch for picture proofs to come home with your child today! Picture make-up day is Tuesday, Jan. 10th. Instructions for ordering are attached to the proof. Questions should be addressed to Ms. Unker in the library.

❄️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.

Parents/Guardians, are YOU ready? Attend this Facebook Live event on Thursday, January 12 (7:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 p.m. Central) to gain strategies that will help you – and your student – be more emotionally ready for their transition to and through the first year of college. This session will enable you to be better aware of potential mental health challenges, signs and symptoms for yourself and your student related to this life transition – and to access helpful resources to support you both. You won’t want to miss this engaging and meaningful event: https://fb.me/e/38cnYCgCW

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

This week in the K/1 Math class, students are working on getting back into the routine and doing review of concepts learned last semester.

Middle School:

Middle school students are continuing to learn how to be problem solvers and critical thinkers in math class. Our 8th graders, are studying algebra and deepening their understanding of linear equations and their relationships to other equations. They will soon be learning about functions. The 7th graders just started a new unit and will be learning the skills needed to solve problems involving multistep ratios and percents They are doing an amazing job applying their skills to real life application problems. 6th grade students will spend the next few weeks mastering the skills of representing unit rate as a ratio, solving problems involving unit rate, representing percents as a rate per 100, using tables, tape diagrams, and equations to solve problems involving percents, and converting units within a measurement system.

If you want to work on math at home, reviewing basic multiplication and division facts is always a great way to do this!

High School:

High school math students are ringing in 2023 by learning about probability through games. Our first game is a dice game called Elimination. Students have the cards 2 through 12 and when they roll the dice, they find the sum and flip over that card. The first person to flip all their cards wins!

Students were asked to think about and answer the following questions:

If you throw 2 dice together and add the two scores:

• 1. What is the least possible total score? Why?
• 2. What is the greatest possible total score? Why?
• 3. What do you think is the most likely total score? Why?

Next, we played Race to 100. Where we roll the dice, find the sum, then move that many spaces on a hundreds board. We recorded the sums on a chart to begin a discussion on experimental and theoretical probability.

If you are looking for ways to support teachers, please ensure that your student is getting a good nights sleep. It is the most beneficial way you can help. A good starting point is having them put their devices away 30 minutes prior to going to bed.

In the Health and PE world, we are accommodating our athletic department as we prepare to host our Conference Wrestling and Cheerleading Meet! To do so, we are beginning an educational gymnastics unit with our K-6 students. We are focusing on balance, and how we can balance our body, and different objects this week. For our older students we are starting our Archery unit, which is always a favorite! This week is an extensive talking week by me, lots of safety and information about the bow and arrows to go over, but by next week the students will get ample opportunities to make use of the KSB archery range that is created in the gym!

In honor of Louis Braille’s birthday this month, we are focusing on ECC Compensatory skills. Compensatory skills refer to the use of strategies, techniques, and adapted materials that students with visual impairments need to access the general curriculum, which include Braille, regular print with magnification, Large Print, and voice output technology.

We are looking specifically at Braille. Braille is an important medium for blind and visually impaired students. Access and use of the Braille Code on a daily basis is a skill we work on and teach here at KSB. It is a necessary skill for our Braille students to practice, use, and maintain throughout their lives.

Your mind has three states: the reasonable mind, the emotional mind, and the wise mind. Everyone possesses each of these states, but most people gravitate toward a specific one most of the time.

A person uses their reasonable mind when they approach a situation intellectually. They plan and make decisions based off of fact.

The emotional mind is used when feelings control a person’s thoughts and behaviors. They might act impulsively with little regard for consequences.

The wise mind refers to a balance between the reasonable and emotional halves. They are able to recognize and respect their feelings, while responding to them in a rational manner.

Hey Wildcats! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!🗓️

The KSB Varsity Athletic Program is hosting the 2022-2023 NCASB Wrestling and Cheerleading Championships on January 20 & 21, 2023. Come out and support our Wildcats and welcome our visiting member schools for a fun filled weekend of competition! Full schedule of events will be posted soon!

We would love to show our southern hospitality with great grab and go snacks and such for the coaches and volunteers - could you help? We need donations of all sorts of snacks and soft drinks. Here is a link for sign-ups. You can drop them by the school office between 8 and 3 M-F (Jan 16-20). Thank you!

Our Residential Director, Mr. Menza, has left KSB, so Ms. Woolums will be covering during the interim. 😊 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.

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