volume 137 tennessee school for the deaf, knoxville, tn...

looking to the future with our roots firmly planted in the traditions of the past

looking to the future with our roots firmly planted in the traditions of the past

over 150 years of educating deaf

and hard of hearing childrenTHE TENNESSEE OBSERVERVolume 137 Tennessee School for the Deaf, Knoxville, TN 37920 (Issue 3) Mar-Apr-May 2014

the tennessee observer Two Thousand and Fourteen

TSD Class of 2014

William Cansler Moesha Gribble Ashley Hindsley Vernon Hochstetler Diamonique Holmes

Amanda Ibezim Brittany Jarrett Kelsey Johnson Lora Johnson Tory Lipford

Kirt Martin Connor Massey Hunter Morris Kendell Porter Jamal Shaw

Hunter Tirey Jimmy Wong

The Tennessee Observer


S2014 Senior Salutes

William Cansler My name is William Frank-lin Cansler. I was born in Mosheim, TN. My favorite memories of TSD are Mason Dixon football and winning the National Championship for football.

Moesha Gribble Hello! My name is Moesha Gribble, and I am a senior from Memphis. I joined TSD in 2010 and have been enrolled

here since. I am a member of the Junior National Asso-ciation for the Deaf. My favor-ite memories at TSD have been my classes, Class of 2014 meetings, and Mason Dixon

Cheerleading. After graduation I will be going to PSTP. Thanks to everyone that helped me.

Ashley Hindsley My name is Ashley Hindsley, and I am a Senior. I am from Nashville, TN. I went to a hearing school at Mount Juliet High School until 2010 when I was in my freshmen year. Then, I joined Tennes-see School for the Deaf. I plan to go to PSTP for the Adult

Program next year. I want to work as a dental assistant. My favorite Memories at TSD. are cheerleading and my friends Kirt Martin and Lora Johnson.

Vernon Hochstetler My name is Vernon Hochstetler. I have been a member of the S.T.A.R. horses program, Aqua Vikings swim team, manager for the track team, the Vi-king Club, Out-door Club, TSD Special Olym-pics and the 3 Bears Club. I have been a club officer for the Viking Club and the Outdoor Club. My favorite memory is participating in the Special Olympics volleyball games. I also liked my field trips to Ober-Gatlinburg where I would ride the air tram to the top of the moun-tain. I will miss my teachers and my friends Jamal and Trenton. After gradu-ation I will go to TRC to learn warehous-ing. I would like to work at Goodwill.

Diamonique Holmes Hello everyone! My name is Diamo-

nique Holmes. I live in Mem-phis, TN. I went to a main-stream school until my mom made the good decision for me and my siblings to go to TSD my sophomore

year. I was really nervous to meet new students! My teachers have taught me about everything from education to life since my sophomore year. When I grad-uate, I will go to college for my educa-

tion and I hope to play basketball. My career choice is to become an artist or art teacher.

Amanda Ibezim I have been here since 8th grade, and TSD is wonderful, but I am finally a se-nior! I have been involved in Jr. NAD this year, and I made the honor roll. I have been on the basketball, volleyball, and cheerleading teams for two years each. I enjoyed meeting deaf students from other states at the Mason Dixon tourna-ments. I will miss TSD. After I grad-uate, I will join the Post-Sec-ondary Transition Program (PSTP) for 1 year to improve my English, math, and independent living skills. Then I want to go to SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf (SWCID) in Texas for 3 years. I would like to work with animals as a vet assistant or with children as a teacher’s assistant. I’m looking forward to a good future. Thank you to all the teachers and staff for your support!

Brittany Jarrett Hello everybody. My name is Brit-tany Jarrett, and I’m a senior. I’m from

Henning, TN. While at TSD I have been in-volved in the club for cochle-ar implanted students. After I graduate, I will go straight to work. Thank you to every-

one who helped me succeed.



S2014 Senior Salutes

Kelsey Johnson Hi, my name is Kelsey Johnson. I am so delighted that I came to TSD! I wouldn’t have succeeded if I did not come here. I came to TSD to get a better education and to get more help to im-prove my education. Also, I was having a hard time communicating and under-standing people. When I came to TSD in my sophomore year, I had never expe-rienced interacting with deaf kids. TSD was the first deaf school I attended, and I had not learned sign language - only my alphabet letters when I was in kinder-

garten. Before I came to TSD, I taught myself some sign lan-guage and my friends from the deaf camp taught me some more. I have been accepted to col-lege at Cleve-

land State Community College and I am going this coming fall. My major is Early Childhood Education. Now that I am a senior, I can see a big difference in my life! I have really changed tremendously since I came to TSD. I want to take the time to thank my family, teachers, and my peers for tak-ing the time to teach me. I will miss you guys!

Lora Johnson My name is Lora John-son. I’m a se-nior this year, and I’m from M e m p h i s , TN. I went to elemen-tary school in Jackson,

TN at the West Tennessee School for the Deaf. I first came to TSD when I was in seventh grade in middle school and then I went to White Station High School in Memphis. I came back to TSD when I was A junior. I am planning to go to college and I have applied to Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf in Texas. I hope they will accept me! Maybe I’ll become a cosmetologist. My favorite memory at TSD is with the basketball team and the two Mason Dixon tournaments. I got an award, and our basketball girls team got a sports-manship award this year. Also, I really love chatting with my best friends Dia-monique Holmes and Tory Lipford.

Tory Lipford My name is Tory Lipford, and I am a Senior. I live in Memphis and I grew up in a hearing and mainstream school until I transferred to Tennessee School

for the Deaf in the 10th grade. G r a d u a t i o n Day is May 29, 2014. I am very happy for everything I have learned. After Gradua-tion I will go to Southwest Col-legiate Institute

for the Deaf in Texas for a general major. My favorite memories are the National Football Championship in 2011, Mason Dixon football, Prom 2013 “Dreaming in Pink”, and Mason Dixon basketball.

Kirt Martin Hello, I am Kirt Martin, and I am A senior. I live in Maryville, TN. I plan to get A job near my home to earn money for a car then try get a bigger job to pay my living expenses. My favorite mem-

ory at TSD. is spending time with my friend, Ashley Hinds-ley.

Connor Massey My name is Connor Ryan Massey. I have been in the Viking Club, and TSD Special Olympics team. I liked cooking

marshmallows at the Christ-mas tree farm and using my iPad to talk with people. I will miss my friends Lisa and Evan. I will miss my teachers Don-

na, Connie and Susie. After graduation, I will be enrolling at a day program in Blount Co.

Hunter Morris Hello my name is Hunter Lee Mor-ris, and I am from Jackson, TN. At TSD I have been a member of the CCIC club. My plan after I graduate high school is to come back to TSD for PSTP because I want to develop skills for a job in the future. My favorite memory of being at TSD is win-ning Mason Dixon and the National championship for football in the year 2011. I want to say thanks to all teachers, staff,



L

Congratulations to our librarian, Sam Carter on his recognition as the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year!

and faculty for helping me through all of high school. I will miss all of you!

Kendall Porter Hello, my name is Kendall Porter. I live in Memphis, TN. After I graduate, I

will go to PSTP or Tennessee Rehabilitation Center for job training. My fa-vorite memory is winning the Deaf 8-on-8 Deaf National Championship for football. We worked hard as

a team. I will also miss my memories on the track team too. Thank you everyone!

Jamal Shaw Hello! My name is Jamal Shaw, and I am the treasurer for the Class of 2014. I was born in Chicago, Il-linois and came to TSD in 2009. I have played on the b a s k e t b a l l , football, and track teams. I have also been on the honor roll. After I graduate, I will come back and attend the PSTP program and take classes at Pellissippi State Community College. Thank you for all your support.

Hunter Tirey Hola! My name is Hunter Tirey. I was born in Chattanooga, TN and still re-side there. I went to many public schools until the last several months of my 8th grade year, then I transferred to TSD. My favorite memories at TSD were win-

TTeacher of the Year2014 Senior Salutes (cont’d)

ning the Mason Dixon and the National Championship for football for the first time in many years! I missed that day

when we beat McCalin Chris-tian School 72-12. After I graduate, I’ll be moving to Ala-bama with my fiancée and get-ting a job un-til she finishes college. Then

we will be able to move back to Chat-tanooga, TN where I will go to college. I will also marry my fiancée and start a new chapter of my life. I will miss all my friends at TSD. I want to thank all staff, teachers, and students who have helped me all the way to my senior year! Again, thank you!

Jimmy Wong Hello! My name is Jimmy Wong, and I am a senior. I am from Jackson, TN. I am a member of the Viking Club, and I am the vice-president of that club this year. In the past I have been president of the Viking Club. I am a member of the Special Olym-pics teams for Bowling, Aquatics, Vol-leyball, and Track and Field. In ad-dition to that, I am a team manager for the varsity track and field team. After graduation I plan to find a job. Thank you to all my teachers and staff that have worked with me while I have been a student here.

WWashington, DC

During their annual trip to Washing-ton, DC, the middle school

students placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.


VVirtual Vikings Cyber Security Team

THE TENNESSEE OBSERVER(ISSN 0896-1778)

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The 2013-14 Virtual Vikings Cyber Security Team: Back, L to R: Nakia Johnson, Ladarrius Robinson, Rashard Witherspoon, Christian Osborn; Front: Peyton Daniels,

Michaela Evans, and Gashaw Duhamel; Not Pictured: Christina Foran, Brandi Rood and Susan Satterfield, sponsors

The Tennessee School for the Deaf put together its first CyberPatriot team called the Virtual Vikings. Cy-berPatriot is a national competition sponsored by the Air Force Asso-ciation, and over one thousand high school teams from across the coun-try compete on-line to defend virtual machines against security threats. TSD is the second deaf team to par-ticipate in CyberPatriot. Some students joined the Virtual Vikings to learn how to better pro-tect their own computers, while oth-ers are considering a future career in technology, computer repair, or net-working. Brandi Rood, the computer technology teacher and team mentor, says she is excited about CyberPatri-ot because “our students need to see the opportunities that exist for them when they graduate. Some have never thought about cyber security and now they are getting first-hand practice and training in this field from high-ly qualified individuals above what could be offered in the classroom.” Elaine Alexander, the Director of

Instruction, agrees that CyberPatriot “will challenge the students to become more familiar with science, mathemat-ics, technology and engineering and how these areas are important in pro-tecting our nation’s cyber security.” This past spring the Gen. Bruce K. Holloway Chapter of the Air Force As-sociation encouraged TSD to sign up for CyberPatriot. Chuck Bowker, the chapter secretary, explains, “When I visited TSD earlier this year, I met an incredible group of students and administrators. Additionally, I saw a group of students that loved new chal-lenges and are not afraid to try new things.” The AFA chapter has helped TSD register for the competition and has connected them with a technical mentor. Christina Foran, math teacher and CyberPatriot coach, says, “It’s chal-lenging to build a new team, but I’m grateful for the support from our lo-cal AFA chapter and the other teachers

mentoring our team. I’m also excited to have technology professionals from Fountainhead College of Technol-ogy come and help our students learn more about cyber security.” The Virtual Vikings competed in three on-line competitions, work-ing to secure various Windows and Linux operating systems and servers by scanning for viruses and malware, installing updates, setting up firewalls, removing invalid user accounts, dis-abling remote access, stopping unnec-essary services, and creating password security policies. Because these competitions are on the weekend, students remain on cam-pus in the cottages. Before the com-petition they meet to set strategies and assign specific roles to each team member. The 2014-2015 Virtual Vikings team has already started practicing for next year! We look forward to seeing them improve!




BBooks Worth Reading

By Karen Simmons

Many TSD students and staff re-member Lisa Queen, a beloved el-ementary teacher and cottage worker who passed away May 24, 2013 of brain cancer. She touched many lives, both here at TSD and at Fairview School in Maryville, where she was teaching when her illness was diagnosed. Lisa especially loved reading and teaching students to read. To continue her literacy legacy, her husband, Jeff; daughter, Emily; and parents, Joyce and Jim Lyttle, purchased two won-derful book collections for TSD’s Marr Memorial Library from Lerner Pub-lishing Group. The two series are part of Lerner’s Common Core Connections and con-tain a variety of fiction and nonfiction hardbacks that are relevant to many subject areas. Want a book about life

science? Try Can You Tell a Seal from a Sea Lion?. Teaching history? How about, Ick! Yuck! Ew! Our Gross Amer-ican History? If you’re a sports fan, try Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teach-er and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball. Language enthusiasts and math whizzes might like At the Elev-enth Hour and Other Expressions about Money and Numbers. These newly-purchased books have something for everyone and will be kept in a desig-nated section of the library to provide for easy-access to all. Children’s books author Katherine Patterson (Bridge to Terabithia and others) said, “It is not enough to sim-ply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading.” As a memorial to Lisa and her gen-erous spirit, her family has done just that, adding over 125 books well worth reading to TSD’s library shelves.

Lisa Queen in 2006 on a field trip with her TSD class.

SSpecial Olympics: Sportsmanship in Motion

by Connie Bucholz-Beahm

“For great world athletes, the con-test may last only minutes. Then it is over and they have won or lost. But for Special Olympics athletes, the contest can last a lifetime. The challenge be-gins again each day. What they win by their courageous efforts is far greater than any game. They are winning life itself and in doing so, they give to oth-ers a most precious prize – faith in the unlimited possibilities of the human spirit.” ~Eunice Kennedy Schriver Wow, what a busy year! Special Olympics goes far beyond fun and games. It offers a unique, individual-ized level of competition challenging athletes to perform their best when facing equally matched peers. Several high school students and staff worked

hard this year. Our Special Olympics athletes had more sports options than ever before, and they rose to meet ev-ery challenge. Offerings this year in-cluded bocce ball, bowling, aquatics, volleyball, track and field, and tennis. Athletes picked up to two sports for each semester. Once committed to a sport team, they met the expectations

of attending practice sessions, hon-ing their individual skills, and mak-ing a brave attempt at competition. Our athletes have excelled both on and off the field. The self-confidence they gain from participation in Special Olympics events acts as a catalyst for personal growth in other areas of their lives!

Vernon Hochstettler (left) and Michelle Mancero (right) enjoy taking their turns during the bowling competition.



TThe Great Llama Race

Congratulations to sophomore Gashaw Duhamel! He really repre-sented TSD well at the 7th Annual Berg-Seeger Classic in Kentucky. Six-teen schools for the deaf from across the country attended with over 200 athletes. Gashaw came home with two gold medals and the Best Track Athlete award! He won the 1600m (4:58.00) and set a new meet record in the 3200m (10:43.10)! He gar-nered some interest from the USA Deaf Track and Field Long Distance Coach, who sees potential for future Deaflympics! You can view the full results here: http://www.usadtf.org/pdf/7thBergSeegerResults.pdf.

TTSD Track and Field News

by Theron Strickland

The Great Llama Race is a foot race in which local celebrities are paired with a Knoxville school and a llama provided by Southeast Llama Rescue. The winning schools win a percent-age of funds raised to go to a project of their choice. Southeast Llama Res-cue also receives a percentage of the funds raised, with the remainder of the money going to Casa de Sara, an inter-national non-profit with headquarters in Knoxville. All proceeds will go to sponsor their elementary school in La Guardia, Bolivia. The TSD llama was decked out with a two-sided shield with a purple “V” for Vikings. Theron wore a viking helmet rounding out the costume that won first prize! Twenty-five teams participated. TSD won first place in the Llama cos-tume contest and 4th place overall. We won $100 for the PSTP program and a pizza party from Jets pizza!

PSTP Principal, Theron Strickland readies his llama for competion as he partici-pates in The Great Llama Race for the first time!


THE TENNESSEE OBSERVER2725 Island Home BoulevardKNoxville, TN 37920

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To:

The Tennessee School for the Deaf is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, equal access, and affirmative action. Contact the EE)/AA/ADA Cordinator at (865) 594-6022 (Voice/TDD) for further information.


HHonoring our 2013-2014 Retirees

Claudia Henderson30 Years

Rebecca Houser13 Years

Kay Scott20 Years

Ray Masterson 30 Years

Janice Murrell 34 Years

Kaye West Stewart 19 Years

Phil Cope 30 Years

Thank your for your many years of

service and your committment and dedication to our

school!

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