the eye spy - school and statewide outreach serving ... spy... · and accompanist phil tyrrell. the...

22
Hello, everyone. I hope you all had a fantastic summer and it is with the greatest pleasure that I welcome you back for the 2015-2016 school year. As always, WCBVI has been a very busy place this past summer and I am very excited to be sharing with you many important updates related to the on-going work that we do as a school, Outreach center and proud representative of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. First of all I would like you all to know that the 2014-2015 was a remarkable year for our students, staff and our historic institution as a whole. For example, our campus in Janesville saw the largest enrollment WCBVI has hosted for over a decade with a total of 63 students being served on campus. Concurrently our Outreach Department, which serves students from across the great state of Wisconsin, also forged a remarkably successful year and realized significant increases in virtually all service areas. In short, WCBVI is growing at a steady rate and, in my opinion, the reason behind our institutional growth and success is very simple: we have excellent staff who are absolutely committed to being the very best they can be every day on the job for the students we so proudly serve. Moreover, we have students who are equally committed to creating their own success. And most importantly, our students are finding true power in their understanding of the capacity they each have for positively and productively shaping their own lives and futures. In keeping with the many achievements of the formal academic year our summer programs also proved to be a resounding success. This year WCBVI once again offered its high quality summer programs for school age students. The programs included the Crazy for Animals sensory program, the That’s a Wrap children’s program, and The EmployAbility WISCONSIN CENTER FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED The Eye Spy Inside this issue: Principal’s Corner 3 See You Later 4 Graduation 5 Welcome Spring 6 Field Trip 7 Reunion 8 Crazy for Animals 10 Urban Ecology Center 10 Family Conference 12 That’s a Wrap 13 EmployAbility 14 Adults Program 16 New Staff 17 Extracurricular Activities 18 WCBVI Short Course Classes 18 Reminders 19 Upcoming Events 22 (continued on next page) From the Desk of the Center Director by Mr. Peter Dally September 2015 Volume 16, Issue 1

Upload: lequynh

Post on 20-Jul-2018

219 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Hello, everyone. I hope you all had a fantastic summer

and it is with the greatest pleasure that I welcome

you back for the 2015-2016 school year. As always,

WCBVI has been a very busy place this past summer

and I am very excited to be sharing with you many

important updates related to the on-going work that we do as a school,

Outreach center and proud representative of the Wisconsin

Department of Public Instruction.

First of all I would like you all to know that the 2014-2015 was a

remarkable year for our students, staff and our historic institution as a

whole. For example, our campus in Janesville saw the largest enrollment

WCBVI has hosted for over a decade with a total of 63 students being

served on campus. Concurrently our Outreach Department, which

serves students from across the great state of Wisconsin, also forged a

remarkably successful year and realized significant increases in virtually

all service areas. In short, WCBVI is growing at a steady rate and, in my

opinion, the reason behind our institutional growth and success is very

simple: we have excellent staff who are absolutely committed to being

the very best they can be every day on the job for the students we so

proudly serve. Moreover, we have students who are equally committed

to creating their own success. And most importantly, our students are

finding true power in their understanding of the capacity they each have

for positively and productively shaping their own lives and futures.

In keeping with the many achievements of the formal academic year our

summer programs also proved to be a resounding success. This year

WCBVI once again offered its high quality summer programs for school

age students. The programs included the Crazy for Animals sensory

program, the That’s a Wrap children’s program, and The EmployAbility

WISCONSIN CENTER

FOR THE BLIND AND

VISUALLY IMPAIRED

The Eye Spy

Inside this issue:

Principal’s Corner 3

See You Later 4

Graduation 5

Welcome Spring 6

Field Trip 7

Reunion 8

Crazy for Animals 10

Urban Ecology Center

10

Family

Conference

12

That’s a Wrap 13

EmployAbility 14

Adults Program 16

New Staff 17

Extracurricular

Activities

18

WCBVI Short

Course Classes

18

Reminders 19

Upcoming Events 22

(continued on next page)

From the Desk of the Center Director by Mr. Peter Dally

September 2015 Volume 16, Issue 1

Page 2 The Eye Spy

Summer Program for upper grade students. In addition, WCBVI also offered our annual

Adult Summer Program, whose theme was There’s Always a Way. Once again, all of these

programs proved to be a tremendous success, and students and staff alike reportedly

enjoyed the learning opportunities that abounded.

In addition to these stalwart summer classes, WCBVI was extremely proud to be

playing host to the very first classes offered by The UW-Platteville Teacher of the

Visually Impaired Training Program which launched in June of 2015. The UW-Platteville

TVI Program is a welcome addition to the relatively small number of TVI programs

across the country that work to effectively train prospective TVIs in the essential skill-

set they will need to be successful in their work with students who are blind or visually

impaired. We look for great things to come from the UW-Platteville TVI Program and

I’ll keep you updated on the progress this very promising, and greatly needed, teacher

development program.

This indeed has been a very busy and productive summer, but then again WCBVI has

been a very busy place for the past 166 years. As I proudly note to the many groups I

have the distinct honor to speak with across the state, WCBVI has a long-standing

reputation for being a top-flight, highly specialized educational institution. Furthermore,

WCBVI’s rich history stretches back to the year 1849, and in fact WCBVI is among

Wisconsin’s oldest public educational institutions. I can say with confidence, our team is

absolutely determined to maintain the outstanding reputation WCBVI has built up over

the years, and it is our central goal to be the very best institution we can on a daily

basis. From my personal perspective I will tell you that it is indeed a rare honor to be

serving as director of this historic, time-honored citadel of student learning. And as we

continue to move into the 21st century, I have absolute confidence that working

positively together, we will succeed in continuing the fantastically rich tradition of

excellence that was begun at WCBVI some 166 years ago.

Therefore, I once again congratulate you all on the excellence you display on a daily

basis WCBVI students, parents and staff. And I look forward to continuing our work

together as we carry the WCBVI story forward with our central goal of creating the

highest level of student achievement for each and every one of our amazing students.

-Mr. Dally

From the Desk of the Center Director (continued from previous page)

Page 3 September 2015

Mr. Heimerl at

graduation

Mr. Heimerl at the

awards

presentation

Greetings to our families and friends! I am excited to begin my

second year as principal at the WSBVI. What I learned from the

students, staff, and parents last year will surely aide me as we

enter the 2015-16 school year.

While we graduated eight students from last years’ class, we are

on pace with new student enrollment to be at or near our

student population. Staffing has actually grown recently. When Mr.

Sheskey took over as the IEP Coordinator his classroom was

covered by a substitute teacher, Mrs. Schneider. This year the

classroom teacher will be Karlie Swanson, one of our new staff.

Karlie completed her student teaching right here at the WSBVI,

working with Mrs. Heimerl. We are fortunate to have her on staff.

Maria Schoville also student taught here in the past and was hired

as a teacher during last school year. She has been a valuable

addition working with our students, especially in vocational

education. Suzette Peterson and Tim Fahlberg were also hired

during the past school year. They both bring years of experience

— Ms. Peterson as an elementary teacher and Mr. Fahlberg as a

math teacher.

Please take the time to review the Parent-Student Handbook with

your child. The dormitory and school handbooks have been

combined. A couple changes of note include the deletion of when

a student may wear shorts and clarification on when a student

may use their cell phones.

Remember to call Diane Karrow at 608-758-6110 if your child is

going to be absent from school and to complete the Advance

Notice of Absence form when applicable.

I look forward to the school year. Please let me know if you have

needs, concerns, or advice by calling 608-758-6120 or emailing me

at [email protected].

Principal’s Corner by Mr. Kim Heimerl

Page 4 The Eye Spy

See You Later by Mrs. Sue Kokko

“It’s like Forrest Gump said ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’ Your career is like

a box of chocolates-you never know what you’re going to get. But everything

you get is going to teach you something along the way and make you the

person you are today. That’s the exciting part-it is an adventure in itself.”

Nick Carter

What an adventure it has been and how much I have learned along the way! 31 years

ago, after living in Janesville for about a year and a half, I received a phone call from Mr.

William English, Superintendent of the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually

Impaired. He said that he had heard that I was a certified Teacher of the Visually

Impaired and would I be interested in working part-time in a classroom in the PEPC

building? I told him that my braille skills may be a bit

rusty; he said that wouldn’t matter. I agreed to start

working on August 25, 1984, and never realized at the

time what a professional adventure I would experience

over the next 31 years of my life.

Working at WSBVI and WCBVI has made me the

person I am today. I have had the opportunity to

improve and increase my knowledge and skills in so

many areas. Along the way I have worked with the best

children in the State of Wisconsin and alongside some

of the most dedicated professionals. My 14 years in the

classroom, eight years on the Outreach team, and

almost nine years as Dean of Students have enriched my

life. However, all good things must come to an end. It is

time for me to have some new adventures-traveling,

taking classes and learning new things, spending more

time with my family and friends, making quilts, playing in

my garden, reading lots of good books and maybe

joining Facebook. Of course, I will have a hard time not

turning down West State Street whenever I am on the

south side of Janesville. I will be back for all the special

events — graduations, holiday programs and athletic

events. I am now joining that illustrious group known as

“the retirees.” This is not good-bye, but see you

later….I will miss you all.

2007: Dean of Students

2003: Working in Outreach

1990: Teaching in PEPC

Page 5 September 2015

On June 11, 2015, WCBVI held their Commencement Exercise.

The graduating class of 2015 consisted of: Zachary Farrow-

Schmidt, Linda Her, Kayli Hodorff, Tazhanae Johnson, Benjamin

Meyer, Christopher Schulz, Matthew Thill, and Krista Van Plew.

The graduates each had a role in the ceremony. Krista Van Plew

welcomed the guests, Kayli Hodorff played a clarinet solo,

Matthew Thill was the class speaker, Benjamin Meyer sang a

solo, Tazhanae Johnson read the class motto, Linda Her recited

the class quote, while Zachary Farrow-Schmidt and

Christopher Schultz gave the farewell.

Other speakers included Center Director, Peter Dally, former

Principal, Patrick Byrnes, case managers, Becky Heimerl, Nick

Sheskey, and Andy Soto and Principal, Kim Heimerl. Additional

participants included a choir consisting of staff and students

and accompanist Phil Tyrrell.

The class colors were red and white, thus the flowers were a

red rose and a white daisy.

The graduates and their friends and family celebrated with a

reception following the ceremony.

Graduation by Mrs. Becky Heimerl

Class of 2015: Kayli Hodorff, Tazhanae

Johnson, Linda Her,

Benjamin Meyer, Krista

Van Plew, Matthew Thill,

Zachary Farrow-

Schmidt, and

Christopher Schulz

Patrick Byrnes

Page 6 The Eye Spy

On the evening of June 4, the Music Department presented its

annual Spring Concert entitled Welcome Spring. The program was

to have featured students in both General Music and Music

Therapy classes. However, our Music Therapist, Ms. Sarah Hudziak,

was ill and could not conduct the Music Therapy portion.

The first number of the evening—Overture from “Annie” by

Meehan (arr./accompanied by Mr. Phil Tyrrell, Sr., former WSBVI

music teacher who loves arranging music), was played by our

Student/Staff ensemble. Members participating were: Violin—Mrs.

Kathy Hudziak (former WSBVI music teacher), Trumpets—Colton

Albrecht, Bill Drascic, Ben Meyer, Clarinets—Kayli Hodorff, Ms.

Karalee Tyrrell, French Horn—Mrs. Karen Heesen, Trombone—

Zach Moes, Baritone—Ms. Susan Oldfield, Bass—Christina

DeVries, Drums—Mario Calderon, and Timpani—Krista Van Plew.

The students were really challenged by this piece, with its

interesting chords and rhythms, and one could tell they really

enjoyed playing it.

This rousing number was followed by a variety of instrumental

offerings: clarinet solos by Christina Devries, Kyle Beasley, and

Kayli Hodorff; Marin Gundlach playing the flute, Trumpet solos by

Colton Albrecht and Ben Meyer, a steel drum medley by Krista Van

Plew; two piano solos performed by ChristinaDeVries; and a

ragtime trombone solo by Zach Moes. It was really exciting to see

all of these students perform, and to be able to note the

improvement each had made in technique and musicianship over

the past year.

To finish off the program the 8th hour General Music class: Kira

Baier, Kyle Beasley, Faith Bonney, Zachary Farrow-Schmidt, Marin

Gundlach, Linda Her, William Hille, Ronnay Howard, Kahlil Isreal-

Roberson, Pavel Kostuch, Leah Sinclair and Austin Woodworth

performed songs they had learned from the Music K-8 Magazine.

These included Say It Twice, LOL!, M-O-T-H-E-R, My Dad, and—for

Welcome Spring! by Mrs. Karen Heesen

Part of the ensemble

Some members of the General Music

class

(continued on next page)

Page 7 September 2015

On June 9th,

s tuden ts f rom

WSBVI went to the

C i rc u s Wo r l d

Museum in Baraboo.

Here are some

photos of the event:

Field Trip

the 2015 graduates and others leaving the WSBVI family this spring—Go Be Awesome!

This group of students never ceases to amaze me with their enthusiasm and shere

enjoyment of singing! As usual, they were one of the high points of the evening’s

performances.

After Mr. Heimerl’s closing remarks, audience members, who seemed unwilling to sprint

for their cars and begin the trip home, lingered in the auditorium, the lobby, or the CFA.

No one seemed to want the evening to come to an end. Hopefully the weather will be

such that each of you, as part of the WSBVI family, will be able to come for our annual

Holiday Program on December 17 at 6:30 PM, so we can all enjoy being together again!

Welcome Spring! (continued from previous page)

Page 8 The Eye Spy

(continued on next page)

AAWSBVI Celebrates Its Fortieth Triennial Reunion by Mrs. Karen Heesen

Over the weekend of June 12-14, there was a hustle and bustle around campus that I have not seen since our school hosted the Swim/Forensics Competition in May of 2014. Hallways were crowded, the dining room was a-buzz with animated conversation at mealtimes (not to mention the fact that our own cooking crew was busy preparing delicious fare for attendees when they were off doing their thing

elsewhere), the auditorium and CFA experienced non-stop use, dormitories were filled to the max and—I am not so naïve as to believe this is not true—just about every nook and cranny of the campus was explored to see what changes have occurred over time. What brought about all this vibrancy you ask? It was the fortieth triennial reunion of the Alumni Association of the Wisconsin School for the blind and Visually Impaired (AAWSBVI). Though we have been unable to come up with a definite number of attendees (some came for a couple of hours and did not register), over 160—representing classes from 1946-2014—are known to have been on campus at some time during the festivities. Besides chatting and eating, which we did a good job of, there were chorus and orchestra rehearsals, a WCBVI/WSBVI update from Mr. Dally and Ms. Jordan, a technology session, business meeting, banquet, a panel which included former music teacher Mr. Phil Tyrrell, Sr., and Mrs. Kathy Hudziak’s 100-year-old mother (they were great), an auction, swimming, a memorial service for members we lost over the past three years and a closing concert. Though I have attended every alumni gathering since my graduation in 1969, I would have to say that this year’s was one of the most enjoyable. Not only did we have an incredibly good Program Committee, we also decided to keep everything on campus and employ our own cooking staff. An extra perk this provided was being able to use Al Kuehne’s recipes. These, for those of us who went to school here when he was the cook from 1948-1986, are forever embedded in our taste buds and were a “must have” for a reunion held entirely on our campus! A polling of attendees showed that everyone thought this was one of the best parts of the weekend! Just to show you how much was thought of Al’s cookies, he made 6 dozen for our auction which brought in $250; so, you can see people really have a serious attachment to recipes they enjoyed so much as a youngster! Organized in 1897, the Alumni have met every three years, with the exception of a couple times during World Wars I and II. Its role has primarily been to support school

Page 9 September 2015

projects like buying the sign that stands out front, giving money toward sporting events by buying t-shirts or helping to pay judges and participation in a Legislative Day at the Capitol. However, the Alumni have also played a major part in ensuring that the residential component remained part of the continuum of placement options for blind/VI boys and girls in Wisconsin. In 1997, when a proposal was made to close our school, it was the Alumni and parents who rose up and fought the state. They, with the backing of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired, wrote letters to legislators, collected signatures on petitions to keep the school open, created brochures highlighting our school’s services, organized fundraisers, and provided testimony about how the school has impacted student’s lives. These were given in a hearing at the Capitol in December of 1997. Though it would take another year to convince the state of the compelling need for a school such as ours, they persevered through a long Legislative Council Study and were ultimately successful! One of the tests of a healthy family is if they are able to work and play well together. Over the years we have proved we are capable of working together; in June, we once again showed how well we also play! Rumor has it that everyone is already counting the days until we meet in 2018!

AAWSBVI Celebrates Its Fortieth Triennial Reunion (continued from previous page)

The campus

through the

years

Page 10 The Eye Spy

The Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee began with a community of concerned

neighbors who wanted to take back their neighborhood park and make it safe again.

Riverside Park, which had been neglected for years, had become crime ridden, full of

litter and invasive plants. Neighbors came together and formulated an idea — could

they replace crime and litter with learning? In 1991, they organized park cleanups and

started to use the park to teach neighborhood students about nature and science.

In 2004, after years of operating out of a double-wide classroom trailer, the Center

opened a new community and education center in Riverside Park. The award-winning

facility has themed classrooms designed especially for the school programs. In addition

there is space dedicated to the community for potlucks, meetings, lectures and

recreational activities.

Today, the Urban Ecology Center has two additional locations in Milwaukee: one in

Washington Park to serve communities and schools on

Urban Ecology Center by Ms. Kay Glodowski

(continued on next page)

Crazy for Animals Summer Program

During the week of July 5th, students came to WSBVI to learn

about animals. During that week, they got to interact with

animals, both pets and farm animals. They learned about what

animals eat, where they live, what their jobs are, and had hands

-on experiences to find out how they look and feel.

The students also made crafts, visited a farm and rode horses

at SMILES.

At SMILES Petting a dog Feeding chickens

Making crafts

Page 11 September 2015

Milwaukee’s west side and one in the Menomonee Valley on Milwaukee’s south side. We

are a vibrant and growing organization, serving 77,000+ people each year and protecting

and restoring urban green spaces in Milwaukee.

On Wednesday, June 3, I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of Milwaukee Public

School (MPS) students from grades 5-8 on their spring field trip with the Urban Ecology

Center. The students are from the MPS vision program and are either in Ms. Maggie

McGinty's middle school resource room or served itinerantly. Ms. McGinty's classroom

has been collaborating with the Urban Ecology Center for eight years and loving every

minute of it. The Glen Stacey Memorial Fund has been utilized to help pay for these

adventures.

Our day began at 9:00 am when Ms. Regina from the Urban Ecology Center picked us

up at Lincoln Center of the Arts in the Center's bus. Our first adventure was canoeing

in a lagoon that was surrounded by the Milwaukee city skyline on one side and Lake

Michigan on the other. After a quick, but thorough lesson on paddling and canoe safety,

the students were paired up, assigned an adult supervisor and began their paddling

adventure. Everyone took turns in the bow (front) being the "motor" and stern (back)

acting as the "driver" of their canoes. We played ball tag and participated in canoe races.

After lunch we boarded the bus and rode to what is unofficially called "Stone Skipping"

beach by the Center staff. Students were tutored on the fine art of skipping rocks, but

the waves of Lake Michigan were

crashing rigorously, so successful

skips were few and far between.

Students and staff spent time

climbing the big rocks along the

lake shore until it was time to

return to school.

I enjoyed my day with the students

and staff from MPS. It was a

pleasure to participate in such a

unique , hands -on learning

experience.

Urban Ecology Center (continued from previous page)

Ms. Glodowski in a canoe

Page 12 The Eye Spy

Family Conference

The 2015 Family Conference for families of children with blindness or

visual impairments, birth to 21 was held June 19-21 at the Wisconsin

School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Janesville. A review of the

weekend from one of the participant family members is below.

The weekend began with a field trip to SMILES, which is a center

for equine assisted activities and therapies located in Darien,

Wisconsin. The children had the opportunity to experience horse

therapy in a relaxed and intimate setting.

Sessions and networking provided families with strategies to

address the impact of blindness and visual impairments on the

child and the family. Dave Hyde presented an inspirational talk to

parents sharing his story and the possibilities that exist for our

children. No matter how humble or difficult our beginnings may

be, those circumstances do not have to define our future. Families

were involved in many interactive learning sessions on the topics

of braille, feeding techniques, adapted gym play, hands-on tactual

art, daily living skills, kitchen skills, hands-on science, self-care and a

panel of successful adults with visual impairments. The conference

concluded with a presentation by Cheri Sylla, WSPEI Family

Engagement Coordinator on navigating the special education

maze.

There were several opportunities for families to network with

other families whose children have the same or similar diagnoses.

The connections made are probably one of the best things to

come out of the conference. Time was allotted for fun with a

bouncy house, an obstacle course and games for families to enjoy

together. Personally, the session on daily living skills for multiple

impaired children was extremely informative for our family. Each

family had an opportunity to ask question pertaining to our unique

challenges and all left with new ideas, strategies, and resources. It

was a weekend very well spent and we came away with new

friends and new approaches to try with Liam!

—Jodi Anderson

Page 13 September 2015

Future Filmmakers Flourish:

That’s A Wrap Summer 2015 by Mr. Martin Mulhern

What happens when you put five groups of visually-impaired students ages 9-20 together, give them some IPADS and direct them to make movies? That question was answered in late July in the 2015 summer youth program called That’s A Wrap. On the first night of the program, students were shown a wide variety of videos in hopes of inspiring them to make their own. A lot of these films were crafted by or featured visually impaired people so the kids could see that it could be done. The next day, the groups came prepared to make a wide variety of projects. Students filmed successful obstacle course runs and zip line highlights in PE/O&M. A slate and stylus lesson was one of the braille class highlights. The oldest group of students made a very detailed video which showed the entire process of making a batch of cookies: from finding a recipe to shopping for ingredients to finally the baking process. Art students showed off the very creative projects they made with great pride: from weaving to mask making to a terminator robot. AT students saw how music and editing could really enhance the work they did. With projects finished, the final editing began. Ms. Snow and Mr. Fahlberg did an amazing job bringing the projects through the final stages editing and adding music, titles and descriptive commentary to each video. On the final day of the program, students and their parents were treated to an hour of highlights from their work in the auditorium. A DVD was sent to each student with all of the videos to share with their families. If you want to see the videos go to YouTube and go to the WCBVI channel. Click on playlists and all 39 videos will appear. You have your choice of watching them described or undescribed. Students also enjoyed their time in the dorms. Evening activities included going to a water ski show and attending the play Alice in Wonderland. Overall, this was a highly rewarding program. Both students and staff rose to the occasion and produced some fun, educational and very creative videos. “That’s A Wrap”.

Page 14 The Eye Spy

The 2015 WCBVI EmployAbility Program by Mr. Dave Ballmann

The EmployAbility Program is one of the annual summer programs

that takes place on the campus of the Wisconsin Center for the

Blind and Visually Impaired. This is a six week program that

combines experiential learning and paid employment in the

community. Students experience two weeks of classes followed by

four weeks of employment where they each work 20 hours per

week. There are classes in Employment Skills, Daily Living Skills and

Orientation and Mobility.

In the Employment Skills class, students learn valuable skills such as

researching the job market, completing job applications,

interviewing techniques, employment legislation and how to ask

for job accommodations. In Daily Living Skills, they learn how to

use everyday kitchen items, such as sharp knives, can openers,

measuring cups and spoons, how to label items, use of a

microwave, stove and dish washer and how to clean up after

themselves, including cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry. In

Orientation and Mobility class, students learn how the Janesville

Transit System operates, how to ask questions about getting to a

specific location, use of technology for determining directions,

techniques for use of a white cane and planning for trips. Most

importantly, they learn how to independently get to and from their

place of employment. Students are also encouraged to earn

orientation and mobility (O&M) passes. This means that they prove

to an O&M instructor that they can travel safely and independently

to and from a given location. Once a pass is earned, they can then

travel to and from that location alone. Most students earned

passes to their job site and many to other locations, such as

Mocha Moment, the mall, fast food restaurants, grocery and

convenient stores. All students are required to carry a cane any

time they go off campus.

This year, the program began in mid-June with a break during the

Fourth of July holiday. Following this break, the students returned

(continued on next page)

Page 15 September 2015

to begin their assigned jobs. There were a variety of jobs, including

childcare, food service, custodial and retail. Employers included

Mocha Moment coffee shop, Basics Food Co-op, Petland, the Italian

House restaurant, St. Elizabeth’s nursing home, Creative Children’s

Learning Center, Mercy Hospital, Rock Haven Nursing Home, Jack

and Dick’s Feed & Garden and the Janesville Police Department.

Student are assigned job coaches who help them to learn their job

duties. In most cases, by the end of the four weeks of work,

students were able to do their jobs independently. The work week

generally involves working five hours per day, Monday through

Thursday. Fridays were reserved for group recreational activities. In

the evenings, students have responsibilities such as preparing their

dinner, making shopping lists, doing laundry and making their lunch

for the following work day. Students would also go to the mall, go

to movies, an open mic at Mocha Moment or just hang out.

The Friday recreational activities included going to Madison to play

Laser Tag, explore State Street, go to a ropes challenge program

which involved climbing and a zip line and going to a mostly

student-planned trip to Chicago. Going to Chicago involved taking

a train, riding busses, subways and water taxis in Chicago. Students

divided into groups of interest and visited the zoo, Museum of

Science and Industry and did shopping and dining. The goal was to

teach students to plan how to travel independently, to learn how

to manage money and to have fun.

Something else new to the program this year was the addition of

some of the College and Career Readiness students from WSBVI.

These were students who already had the necessary skills, and

therefore, did not need the two weeks of class. They also had jobs

that they secured independently. They worked the entire six weeks

and participated in most of the evening and Friday recreational

activities. All and all the program was very productive with

students gaining a little spending money, lots of skills for

independent living and some valuable work experience.

The 2015 WCBVI EmployAbility Program (continued from previous page)

Page 16 The Eye Spy

Adults Learn That There Is Always A Way by Mr. Dave Hyde

Each summer, WCBVI hosts a program for adults. This summer,

twenty-three attended ranging in age from 21 to 80. This is a one-

week program during which students work on skills relating to

blindness. These included orientation and mobility, braille, financial

management, technology, independent living, study skills and

finding resources.

Highlights: When he arrived, Rolin said that he wanted to learn to

clean a toilet. This is, to my knowledge, the first student who has

expressed this interest. He learned. Some students learned to use

accessible ATM’s, while others worked on learning Unified English

Braille. All of them worked on using a cane and some decided to

do it while under blindfold.

During the evenings, many participants took part in evening

activities in the Janesville area. This included concerts, the

National Night Out, movies, and shopping. Our residential staff at

WCBVI, as well as our teachers and educational assistants did a

marvelous job working with a population of adults. As the

coordinator of the program, I must say that I enjoyed it too. We

did all we could in one week and we will be following up with our

students to see what was valuable and what was not. Thank you

to all of those who made this such an excellent program.

O&M

DLS

Technology

Study skills

Resources

Talking about blindness

New Staff

Hello! My name is Karlie Swanson and I am very excited to join the

WCBVI staff as a new Special Education teacher! Teaching students

brings me joy every day. My love for teaching began with my dad

introducing me to coaching Special Olympics powerlifting. Special

Olympics is where found I loved to teach and I then developed my

passion for teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater! I

am so excited to return to the school as a certified teacher after

graduating from UW-Whitewater this past spring with a degree in

special education. WCBVI has felt like home ever since I began my teaching practicum in

the spring semester of 2014 under Mr. Sheskey. It just so happens that my practicum

that spring is now the classroom I will be teaching! I also had the pleasure of returning

to WCBVI for my student teaching this past spring. I was able to acquire the best

experience possible under Mrs. Heimerl. A little about me is that I have recently moved

to Roscoe, Illinois, and am engaged to be married July 2016 in Rockford, Illinois. I have

three cats named Daisy, Duke and Sophia that always keep me entertained! In my spare

time, my fiancé, family and I compete in powerlifting competitions where I hold four

world records. I am eager to bring fresh ideas and continue to build relationships with

parents, staff and students as I embark on this ever-exciting teaching journey!

My name is Eric Knudson. I started work at WCBVI as a power

plant operator this past July. I previously worked at the Risser

Justice Center in Madison. I live in Janesville and not having to

commute to Madison is very nice. I enjoy motorcycling, golfing,

Badger football and basketball.

Page 17 September 2015

Karlie Swanson

Hello my name is Chris Taylor. I live in Janesville with my fiancée. I

started working at WCBVI as an LTE power plant operator last

July and got hired on this July. I enjoy golfing, and watching sports. I

spend my free time outdoors fishing, doing yard work and

gardening. I am looking forward to working here at WCBVI and

this upcoming school year.

Eric Knudson

Chris Taylor

Track Meet

09/17/2015

Wisconsin

Meet

09/24/2015

Indiana

Track Team Photos

09/25/2015

NCASB Conference

10/02/2015 to

10/04/2015

Ohio

Goalball Meet

10/16/2015

Illinois

Meet

10/29/2015

SASED — Illinois

Goalball Team

Photos

11/06/2015

NCASB Conference

11/07/2015 to

11/08/2015

Indianapolis

Cheerleading &

Wrestling

Meet

12/09/2015

Indianapolis

Meet

01/07/2016

Wisconsin

Meet

01/13/2016

Illinois

NCASB Conference

01/22/2016 to

01/24/2016

Kentucky

Winter Weekend

Friday, December 4

to Sunday,

December 6.

Grades 2-5

Care & Feeding

of Me… A

program for boys

Sunday, January 10

to Friday, January 15.

Grades 5-8

Life in Wisconsin

Sunday, October 25

to Wednesday,

October 28.

Grades 3-5

Kitchen Skills for

the Absolute

Beginner

Friday, November 6

to Sunday,

November 8.

Care & Feeding

of Me… A

program for girls

Sunday, January 31

to Friday, February

5. Grades 5-8

Independence

101

Sunday, February 21

to February 26,

2016. Grades 9-12

Extracurricular Activities (Tentative schedule)

WCBVI Short Course Workshops (Tentative schedule)

Page 18 The Eye Spy

Swim &

Forensics Meet

03/16/2016

Indiana

Meet

04/15/2016 to

04/16/2016

Ohio

Meet

04/20/2016

Wisconsin

NCASB Conference

04/29/2016 to

04/30/2016

Straight From

the Earth

Sunday, April 17 to

Thursday, April 21.

Grades 5-9

For more

information, contact

Greg Paules, Office

Operations

Associate, at

608-758-6148 or

gregory.paules@

wcbvi.k12.wi.us

Page 19 September 2015

Reminders

Visiting While we always welcome parents to visit their children on campus, please be sure to

let us know when you are coming and plan to eat meals (or take your child out for a

meal) so we can adjust meal counts. During the day you can call Diane Karrow at 608-

758-6110 ([email protected]) and at night you can call the dorms or

Christine Granger at 608-758-5620 ([email protected]).

Absences If your child is absent (unplanned) or will be late, please call the Education Office at

608-758-6110 prior to 8:00 am. If you leave a message, please leave your child's name,

reason for absence, and (if known) duration of absence. If the duration is unknown,

please call the office each morning your child is absent.

Background Checks Just a reminder that any visitors who are on campus for more than one day and any individual over the age of 18 (excluding students) who stays in our dormitories overnight must have a criminal background check prior to their visit. Be aware that the checks can take up to 3 or 4 weeks if you have lived outside the state, so you will need to complete one in advance of your visit. If you think you will need to have a background check done, or if you have any questions about the background checks, please contact Mandy Jordan at 608-758-6141 for more information.

Page 20 The Eye Spy

Official DPI Nondiscrimination Clause The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not

discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, age,

national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital status or parental

status, sexual orientation, or disability.

See more at: http://dpi.wi.gov/content/official -dpi-

nondiscrimination-clause

The mission of the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually

Impaired, in accord with the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and

Visually Impaired and the Department of Public Instruction,

parents, staff, and students, is to provide opportunities for

students who are blind or visually impaired, through a multi-

dimensional curriculum, to successfully learn skills which will:

Lead to the highest level of economic, vocational, and personal

success in adulthood commensurate with the individual's

abilities;

Develop students' own natural abilities;

Cultivate positive social interactions with peers and

community;

Enhance self-esteem;

Develop personal responsibility and decision-making abilities;

Preserve the individual's dignity, including dignity of risk, in a

positive, supportive environment which acknowledges roles of

parents and families in student success.

WSBVI Mission Statement

WCBVI Management Team Center Director: Peter Dally

Principal: Kim Heimerl

Dean of Students:

Outreach Director: Stacy Grandt

Nursing Supervisor: Rhonda Mulligan

Business Office: Joanna Schumann

Buildings & Grounds: John Brown

Food Service: Holly Berry

Clock in front

lobby

Page 21 September 2015

1700 W. State St.

Janesville, WI 53546

608-758-6100

Toll free Education:

800/832-9784

Toll free Outreach:

800/284-1107

September 1: First day of school September 7: Labor Day - No school September 8: Classes resume September 17: Track at HOME with Illinois and Missouri September 24: Track at Indiana with Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky October 1: Family Gathering October 1: Track team picture day October 2: 1st quarter mid-term October 2-3: Track NCs at Ohio October 15: White Cane Day October 15: Goalball at Illinois October 15: Transition Goal Setting Workshop October 16: BrailleNote for Teachers, Stevens Point October 21: Low Vision Clinic, Janesville October 22: Goalball at SASSED with Illinois October 22: Transition Goal Setting Workshop October 27: Halloween Activity October 28: Student Departure Day October 29-30: No school, In-service Day October 25-28: Short Course— Life in Wisconsin, for grades 3-5 November 5: Goalball Team pictures taken November 6: Program Support Teachers (PST) Meeting November 6-7: Goalball NCs at Missouri November 6-8: Short Course— Cooking for the Absolute Beginner November 12: Family Gathering November 6: End of 1st quarter November 16: 1st quarter grades mailed

WISCONSIN

CENTER FOR THE

BLIND AND

VISUALLY

IMPAIRED

We’re on the web: www.wcbvi.k12.wi.us

Upcoming Events

Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired 1700 W State St Janesville, WI 53546

www.facebook.com/

wcbvi

Please call or email

Mandy Jordan at

608-758-6141 or

amanda.jordan@

wcbvi.k12.wi.us if you

have comments,

questions or would

like to contribute.