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Education Department News
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Upcoming Important Dates |
December
2-4: PLAN Testing
5-6: Wrestling Meet at Indiana
9: Angel Tree Party - 6:30 p.m. at ISD
12: Advisory Council Meeting at ISVI
12: Wresting/Cheerleading Meet at Missouri
18: Holiday Music Program
19: Students Depart for Winter Holiday Break - 1:00 p.m.
19: School Improvement Day
January 5, 2009: Classes Resume |
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January
1: New Year's Day Holiday - No School
2: No School
5: Classes Resume
9: End of 2nd Quarter/First Semester
New Year's Social
14: HOME Wrestling/Cheerleading Meet
16: Students Depart - School Improvement #7
18: Students Return
ISVI Birthday
19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (School in Session)
23-25: NCASB Wrestling/Cheerleading Championships at
Kansas
28: Wrestling/Cheerleading Awards
30: Students Depart - School Improvement #8 |
Party Sponsored by
Blind Vendors' Program
On December 10, 2008 the
Blind Vendors’ Program sponsored a great party for the ISVI students in
Springfield. All students on campus went to the party which lasted from 5:00
until close to 10:00 p.m.
There were 52 students and 16 ISVI
staff at the party which included a meal of fried chicken, sliced roast sirloin
of beef with mushroom sauce on side, pork medallions with sweet sauce, green
beans with onions and bacon, honey glazed carrots, new red potatoes with butter
and parsley, fresh vegetable tray with dip, tossed salad with choice of
dressings, fruit bowl, Caesar bowtie salad, potato salad, rolls & butter,
assorted fruit pies, coffee and tea.
The party was held at Northfield Inns
& Suites with a total of 174 people attending--a great crowd. Some of the BVP
families assisted with serving our students.
The theme this year was an Hawaiian
Christmas. The students and staff were given Hawaiian leis to keep afterward.
Rick Dunham, renowned Elvis impersonator, entertained the crowd throughout the
meal.
All of the students looked nice,
taking extra steps to look appropriate for the holiday party. Several of the
ISVI chorus students sang a few songs for the group and thanked them for hosting
the party.
All students received very nice
individual gifts. A necklace, favorite video games, CDs, zip-up hoodies, DVD’s,
action figurines, and cars and trucks were some of the gifts.
Even the high school students seemed
excited with opening their gifts and showing them to their friends.
It was a nice evening with lots of smiles and laughing to
go around.
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FIRST QUARTER HONOR ROLL
2008-2009 SCHOOL YEAR |
UPPER ELEMENTARY
Jhaliyah Anderson
Devin Hunter
Dean Lucas |
MIDDLE SCHOOL
David Koch
Devin Netterville
Kyle Pope
Dalesha Richardson
Morgan Schulte
Tally Walker
Anna Walsh
Michaela Wood
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FRESHMEN
Bria Franks
Sabrina Graf
Gage Mossberger
Monica Salinas
Clint Sharp
Charles Stengel
Derrick Vaassen
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SOPHOMORES
Brad Matthews
Rachel Owens
Milica Zivic |
JUNIORS
Haley Gaddis
Samantha Gomer
Kelsey Grau
Dominique Reese
Ciara Saddler
Jessica Tatman
|
SENIORS
Kari Kinnett
Sarah Wallace |
12+
Cameron Davis |
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5th Year Program |
Ja’maal Anderson
Connie Bach
Kevin Banker
Alex Breese
Andrea Grissom
Quintin Lowe |
Jessica
Meiners
Ray Nevils
Michal Nowicki
Keisha Rout
Katie Teas |
Congratulations Mr. Dan Thompson!
 Mr.
Thompson is a graduate of ISVI and he later graduated from SIU in Carbondale. He
is the Assistive Technology Instructor at ISVI. On 10-18-08 Mr. Thompson was
honored by the Illinois chapter of the National Federation of the Blind at their
annual conference held in Bradley, Il. He was awarded a plaque in recognition of
his 17 years of service as an Educator of the blind and visually impaired. ISVI
is privileged to have Mr. Thompson on their staff. His knowledge and his
dedication are an asset to ISVI.
ISVI Student Speaks Publicly at NFB-Illinois
Chapter's Annual Conference
On October 18, 2008 ISVI student, Chris Mankowski,
spoke at the Illinois Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind's annual
conference held in Bradley, Illinois. He spoke about the honor of being accepted
into the Teen Empowerment Academy. As a member of the Teen Empowerment Academy
Chris had the opportunity last summer, along with fourteen other teenagers, to
go to different cities in the U.S. Chris spoke about this summer trip which
included visiting the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Ground Zero in New York
City, going to the NFB National Conference in Texas, and camping for a week in
South Carolina. He also had classes in advanced cooking and home living,
assistive technology, and orientation & mobility. Chris said that he was
grateful to the NFB for this wonderful experience.
Field Trip to Robinson's Farm
Twenty-two students took a field trip to Robinson’s Family Farm and Pumpkin
Patch. While there, students got to pet llamas, a miniature pony, goats,
sheep, pigs and rabbits. They had their faces painted, toured a haunted house,
played bean bag toss, went through a maze built out of bales of hay, took a
bumpy hayride and brought home complimentary pumpkins. They later used markers
and stickers to decorate the pumpkins and they are now on display in the dorms.
Everyone enjoyed the farm experience!
Smile Illinois
Smile Illinois came to ISVI on October 21st. Their mobile dental
clinic was set up in ISVI's Health Center as Smile Illinois staff treated 25 of
our students. A thorough dental exam and screening was completed by the dentist
followed by the dental hygienist giving fluoride treatments. Students who had
evidence of cavities had a sealant applied to those teeth. A dental report card
was sent to each student’s parent or guardian. The Health Center is already
working on the necessary paperwork required to have Smile Illinois return next
year.
Jukebox Classics 2008
Oct. 23rd, the ISVI Chorus, led by Mrs. Denise
Kerhlikar and accompanied by Robert Sampson (graduate of ISVI), performed in the
auditorium. Mr. Mark McDonald of PBS (Public Broadcasting System) was here along
with a cameraman. They taped several interviews with students as well as taping
the performance. The chorus gave a very impressive performance since we have
such great talent here at ISVI! Mr. McDonald said the concert will air on PBS
sometime in November.
ISVI Mock Election
 Government and U.S. History classes at ISVI have a
unique opportunity this year to study the voting process and an historic
election. Both classes have studied the registration process and have been able
to hold a mock election for the school following materials presented on the
internet by the Illinois League of Women Voters. Results of the Mock Election
at ISVI were tabulated by the Government classes and sent to a website where
schools throughout Illinois will be sending results of their own elections.
Students learned about
political labels, how commercials and ads influence decisions, about
qualifications for candidates and for voters, and how the election process is
governed by the U.S. Constitution and the Illinois Constitution. They have
written their own commercials, researched issues, and gave speeches on how to
vote and the issues and stances of this year’s presidential candidates. The
government classes were deputized to be ISVI deputy registrars and learned what
that position entails.
Government classes
designed registration forms after visiting the Morgan County Clerk’s office in
Jacksonville and learning about the process from County Clerk, Barbara Gross.
Mrs. Gross explained how visually impaired people are able to vote with machines
that have either large print or information on head phones to enable them to
vote. The County Clerk’s office also loaned ISVI actual voting booths and
provided stickers that said, “I voted” to give to the students as they voted in
the Mock Election. We would like to thank the County Clerk’s office for all
their help in making the election process easier to understand.
Students at ISVI were
registered by the “deputy registrars” and were given registration cards to
present as they voted on October 7, 2008 in the “Polling Place” – room 207,
Social Studies room. Voting booths were set up at the back of the room and
“election judges” checked names off a list of registered voters who presented
their registration cards and voted on their choice of Braille or large print
ballots. Election judges also had to gain control of the polling area to
prevent campaigning outside the polling place. Government classes tallied the
votes the next day and announced to the student body that although everyone
wanted their favorite candidate to win, there can only be one winner. The ISVI
Mock Election was won by Barack Obama by 12 votes over John McCain.
Many days, students come
to class to explain a commercial they heard and describe it in terms we learned
in class. Students earn extra credit by bringing information to class about the
candidates or issues they find in the paper. Students have returned from visits
home to tell the teacher that they talked to their parents about the election.
Students learned a valuable lesson by taking part in the mock election and feel
they understand the process more.
25th Anniversary of ISVI
Parent-Infant Institute
ISVI recently wrapped up the 25th Annual
Parent Infant Institute at ISVI. Below is an excerpt from the report that was
submitted by co-directors Mary Sies and Janet
McGovern. Congratulations to everyone who made this year’s camp
another success!
2008 ISVI Parent Infant Institute, June 4-7
25th Anniversary!
This year ISVI served 25 children of 24 families
with one family bringing their
twins. Ten siblings accompanied their parents as well. There were 38 parents,
grandparents, aunts, or other care givers.
Our program included four or five individual evaluations out of seven
possible areas chosen by parents: Social Developmental Skills, Gross Motor
Skills, Speech and Language Skills, Orientation and Mobility Skills, Low Vision
Skills, and Daily Living Skills. While roughly half of the parents were in
evaluations, the other half attended sessions which included the following
topics: "Parents’ Rights and Program Services" by Jean Osterby, "Preparing for
Academics" by Karen Windy, "Your Child’s Best Mobility Instructor: You" by Jim
Strader, "Insights into Vision" by Dr. Derrald Taylor, "The Inns and Outs of
IFSP’s and the Transition to IEP’s" Jane Redmon, "Physical Therapy for the Young
Child" by Dr. Glenda Hooker, "Joyce’s O & E-Odds and Ends" by Joyce Schmidt. Our
keynote speakers were Sue Sullivan who presented "E.Y.E.-Exploring Your
Environment" and "Literacy for Everyone" and Christine Clark who presented
"Impact of Vision Loss-Family Life."
While their parents were busy attending sessions the children went to
Structured, Observed, Play Activity (SOPA). These activities were monitored by
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) teachers, ISVI high school
students, and college students, preparing for work in the Special Education and
Vision fields. Other highlights were: Parent Group Discussion, Panel Discussion,
and our 25th Anniversary Dinner Dance. This year ISVI was very
fortunate to have quilts donated so each child went home with his or her own
quilt. It was a very busy and informational time for all!
 Sue
Neuhalfen of Peoria donated twenty hand made children's quilts to the 25th
Parent Infant Institute held at ISVI in June. Ms Neuhalfen, pictured here with
ISVI Principal--Janet McGovern, has been making quilts for several years and
wanted to share with the families at the Parent Infant Institute this year. The
quilts also had a small attached pocket with a "quilt buddy" stuffed animal for
each of the children participants. These quilts helped to make the 25th Parent
Infant Institute a great success. Thank you Sue!
Annual High
School Art Opening
On Thursday, May 15, 2008 the Annual High School
Art Opening was held in the Joshua Rhodes Auditorium Foyer featuring the works
of numerous high school art students. Refreshments and musical entertainment
were provided while the artists were also available to talk about their art
pieces and their future plans. The art opening is an accurate simulation of a
real experience in the "Art World." This is the second year the exhibit opened
during the last class period of the day as opposed to after school. Teachers
could bring their classes to the art exhibit giving more students the
opportunity to see the opening since it was open until 4:30.
Prairie
Aviation Museum Field Trip
Follow this link
for details and photos.
Students Tour Dana-Thomas House and St. Paul’s
Episcopal Cathedral - Springfield
 On
Thursday, 4/17/08, the high school academic art classes took their annual field
trip to Springfield where architecture was featured. We had a tour of Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Dana-Thomas House, where we learned not only about Susan Dana,
the lady who hired Wright to build her house, but great history of Frank Lloyd
Wright and his beliefs. We also had a tour of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral.
Students learned that Susan Dana, who inherited 3 million dollars from her
father, most of which came from his silver mines, hired Frank Lloyd Wright to
build her house. It’s over 12,000 square feet of living space and was built
right on top of the original floor of the French Italianate house that was her
parent’s house. Wright believed in flowing spaces instead of rooms defined with
4 walls and entry doors. He also believed that we should bring the outside in
and move the inside out. Indigenous plant-life and rocks were brought in.
Many believe he was the world’s greatest architect, but we can surely say he
was quite unique and
extremely ahead of his time. Where most architects primarily design the
placement of rooms, closets, windows and doors, Frank Lloyd Wright built his
homes and buildings around themes and built furniture specifically for each
building. He built immobile furnishings walls of area rocks and plant-life. His
prairie style houses are flat roofed to mimic the flat prairie lands, and the
theme in the Dana-Thomas House is the sumac plant. He created a very linear
stylized and modern version of the sumac leaves and spread it throughout the
house and in most of the windows. The tour guide expressed that Susan Dana liked
butterflies, so Wright has butterfly designs throughout the house as well.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral was built in 1912, where ther e is a life-sized
statue of St. Paul holding his Bible. Students got to see the statue and feel
it’s fine, smooth Vietnamese marble as well as the woodwork and a stained glass
window in the sanctuary. It was re-iterated that the tall, open space within the
sanctuary symbolizes being closer to God and that the stained glass windows told
Bible stories since the mass majority of the public didn’t know how to read in
the early days of Christian churches. Students also learned not only that the
bishop, who is head of one diocese (or region) is housed in the cathedral, but
that the cathedral was named after the thrown-style chair beside the altar which
the bishop resides in during mass. This chair is called the cathedra.
Point of interest: where there are 6 Roman Catholic diocese in Illinois, there
are 3 Episcopal diocese in Illinois.
ISVI Students Make Other Area News!
Follow these two links for publications highlighting ISVI students'
accomplishments and experiences.
Springfield Journal
Register - The Voice
The Bloomington Pentagraph
ISVI Student–Recipient of Jacksonville Lions
Club College Scholarship
Congratulations to Roseanne Grages, who has been selected as a recipient of the
Jacksonville Lions Club College Scholarship. She was selected for the $200 award
based on citizenship, community service, education and career plans, and grade
point average. Roseanne will be recognized at the Lions Club Scholarship Awards
Dinner to be held May 6, 2008 as well as at the ISVI high school awards
assembly. Roseanne, daughter of Gerald and Marie Grages of Crete, Illinois,
plans to continue her education at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights,
Illinois.
Class of 2008 Valedictorian and TLC Scholar Award
ISVI is proud to announce the following recipients of the Valedictorian and TLC
Scholar Award for the 2008 graduating class. Augustine Gimenez is this years
Valedictorian with a GPA of 3.37 and an ACT score of 19.
Roseanne Grages has been unanimously chosen as the recipient of the TLC
Scholar Award. Roseanne exemplifies the qualities of our Transition Living
Program. Congratulations to you both!
SPRING CARNIVAL
 Saturday,
April 19, 2008 was a big day for ISVI students. The rain didn't dampen the
spirits of students attending the Spring Carnival or the cook-out for students
and staff from Unit 2, the boys' dormitory.
The carnival was held in the dining hall with Residential Care Workers and
Dietary Staff the helping students as they played games of Ball Toss, Egg Carry,
"Fishing", and Balloon Carry. The Balloon Carry, consisted of students racing
while carrying balloons between their legs without letting them go, then being
the first one to pop the balloon. This game was quite hilarious to watch.
Tickets were given to students as they successfully completed each challenge.
The tickets were then redeemed at the prize table. Some of the favorite prizes
were stuffed animals, purses, travel mugs, hats, and
cooler bags.
ISVI Educator, Dan Thompson, provided the music. Mr. Thompson is always the ISVI
favorite D.J. A trivia contest was held with students guessing song titles and
artists and receiving a dollar bill for being the first to give a correct
answer. Even the high school students played and laughed throughout the musical
chairs contests.
Thanks go to Mr. Thompson, the dorm staff, and supervisors for assisting with
the Carnival and helping make it so much fun for the students. Special thanks
also goes to our awesome Dietary Staff for providing the fun lunch–including
walking tacos, corn dogs, and funnel cakes and for getting the dining hall set
up "Carnival-Style." All students seemed to enjoy this rainy-day event.
 COOK-OUT
Following the carnival in the afternoon, a cookout dinner was provided for the
Unit 2 Crew. Chef (Rick) Penington cooked burgers and hotdogs on the grill and
each dormitory pod from Unit 2 brought a covered dish to share. There was
macaroni & cheese, fruit salad, chips & dips, corn on the cob, and chocolate pie
for dessert–yum! Everyone seemed happy and full even though the weather
continued to be quite rainy outside; it was warm and pleasant inside.
Career Fair 2008
Once again the Career Fair was a success. On April 3, 2008, all of the
High School students went to Illinois College to attend the annual Career and
Employment Expo. The Career and Employment Expo is sponsored by Illinois
College, MacMurray College, the local Employment Agency (IETC) and DHS/DRS.
There were 96 booths from various businesses and colleges available for the
students and their teachers to visit. When visiting the booths, the students
could ask different types of questions about employment opportunities. Some of
the questions asked were "What type of education or training is needed to get a
job?", "What would some of the job duties be?", "How can a person apply for a
job with your company?", "What type of jobs do you have available with your
company?", "What type of product or service does your company provide?"
The students collected a lot of valuable information. Along with the
information each booth provided the students with some promotional items they
could take with them. It was a great morning and everyone had a fun learning
experience.
Hoops For Heart
The annual Hoops for Heart event, organized this year by Mr.
 Joe
Lewey--ISVI's Recreation Director, was held at the ISVI gymnasium on March, 20,
2008. Twenty-nine students participated in this enjoyable fund raiser by
initially gathering pledges to raise money for the American Heart Association.
Some of the various activities in which students could participate were shooting
free throws, hula hoop contests, bean-bag throwing, and jumping rope.
The event ran from 10:00 a.m. until noon while everyone enjoyed music provided
by Educator, Mr. Dan Thompson. All contestants received prizes and gifts
including water bottles, basketballs, and t-shirts. The students were proud to
have raised a total of $800 for the American Heart Association. Way to go!
ISVI Talent Show-2008
Once again, Mrs. Denise Kerlikar-music educator at ISVI, has put together a
great group of ISVI performers who showcased their talents on Wednesday, March
19. A variety of student solos, duets, poetry reading and brain-teasing riddles
made up the 26 performances. As a special treat, ISVI graduate, Robert
Sampson-who recently took 6th place in the Nashville National Blues Contest,
also performed for the entertainment of the audience.
ISVI Participates in Braille Challenge
In late February, eight ISVI students traveled to the Missouri School for the
Blind to attend the Regional Braille competition sponsored by the Braille
Institute. The Braille Challenge is an academic contest for Braille readers. The
student can demonstrate his/her Braille skills, depending on grade level, in the
areas of spelling, reading comprehension, proofreading, speed and accuracy, as
well as charts and graphs. This contest is meant to be enjoyed and serve as a
reward for the skills and the hard work of our Braille-reading students. ISVI
came back to Illinois with three winners; a 3rd place finisher in the Sophomore
Division, a 1st place finisher in the Varsity Division and also a 3rd place
finisher in the Varsity Division. We are very proud of these students and
encourage the to keep up their Braille-reading skills!
 Cookie
Bake-Off Contest
A Cookie Bake-Off contest was held in the Snack Bar on March 12, 2008. The
four pods from the Unit 2 dormitory participated by baking two
of their favorite cookies from each pod for the judges to sample. Unit
2-Blue Pod won the contest with their "Peanut Butter Kisses."
 All
students in the Blue Pod will participate in a pizza party as their
prize for having the winning cookie! After the judging, all students
enjoyed sampling each others' cookie creations.
NEW SUPERINTENDENT FOR
ISVI
Follow this link to a letter from DHS Secretary, Mr. Rob Kilbury about a
new superintendent being named for ISVI.
Blind Vendors' Program Provides ISVI Students
With a Christmas Party
 On
December 5, the Blind Vendors’ Program sponsored a great party for the ISVI
students in Springfield. All students on campus went to the party which lasted
from 5:30 until close to 9:00 p.m. There were 55 students and 16 ISVI staff at
the party which included a meal of roast beef, fried chicken, and ham. The party
was held at Camelot Banquet Hall with a total of 174 people attending - a great
crowd. Some of the BVP families assisted with serving our students, keeping
their soda glasses full, and assuring they were having a good time.
In keeping with the Country/Western theme students were given cowboy hats,
including Santa cowboy hats to wear during the party and they got to keep them
afterward. Country music and jokes
were shared by an entertainer throughout the meal.
All of the students looked nice, taking extra steps to look appropriate for
the holiday party. Six of the ISVI chorus students sang a few songs for the
group and thanked them for hosting the party. At the conclusion of the party, an
ISVI soloist sang Silent Night in German as a thank you to the group.
All students received really nice, individual gifts; a thumb drive, favorite
car magazines, CDs, pajamas, scarves, hats, and gloves were some of the gifts.
Even the high school boys and girls seemed excited with opening the gifts and
showing their friends their gifts.
It was a nice evening with lots of smiles and laughing to go around.
Snowflake Dance
The Snowflake Dance was held this year on December 7th in the dining hall.
Special guests were the wrestlers and cheerleaders from the Wisconsin School for
the Blind who braved the icy weather to participate in the meet on Saturday. All
enjoyed the dancing Friday evening.
Angel Tree Party
 On
December 11, ISVI hosted the Angel Tree Party for ISVI and ISD elementary
students. The dietary staff created a wonderful holiday setting for this year’s
party. An assortment of holiday cookies, nuts, and candies was served. The
highlight of the evening was a visit from Santa Claus. Santa gave every student
a gift selected by state employees specifically for each student. If smiling
faces were a sign of enjoyment, it could be said that everyone present had a
very good time. Several ISVI students in addition to the elementary students
attending the party received nice gifts from various DHS employees. This has
become a tradition of many employees within the department, to purchase and
donate gifts for Angel Tree students--a great delight and benefit to our
students!
Robinson's Pumpkin Patch
 Friday,
October 12, 2007, 15 students went to Robinson Farms' pumpkin patch and petting
zoo. They all seemed to enjoy the animals. There were piglets, goats, rabbits,
baby chicks, miniature pony, sheep and a llama. There were also 2 calves the
students were able to feed. Activities at the farm also included, a wagon ride -
corn stalk exploring - and picking out pumpkins to bring home.
After the trip to the pumpkin patch, students returned to an Oktoberfest
celebration held in the dining hall. Students danced to music provided by D.J.
Dan Thompson. They played several games, including a limbo contest, and the top
competitors received some nice prizes.
A trip to the Haunted House in Roodhouse is planned for Monday, October 29. A
bus full of brave students are preparing for a frightful trip!
Congratulations, ISVI Dining Hall Department!
The Morgan County Health Department - Food Service Inspection conducted
on October 3, 2007 resulted in a 100% rating!!! No violations were
noted!!! Way to GO!!!
ISVI Sports Car Rally
Follow link for full details.
Welcome Back-to-School Dance
A WELCOME BACK to School Dance was held in the dining hall on Friday, September
7. Most students attended and had a great time dancing, socializing, and
snacking. ISVI's favorite DJ - Dan Thompson - played all the favorite music.
An Air Hockey Tournament was held in the Snack Bar on Saturday, September 8.
Students enjoyed the competition. 1st and 2nd place prizes were given out to the
winners. Eight students participated in this fun event and are looking forward
to the next tournament - a pool tourney - also to be held in the Snack Bar.
ISVI Parent
Association Raising Funds
Here's how YOU can help!
The ISVI parent organization has found another way for us to help them earn
money! The parent organization earns a penny for every time someone does a
search on
www.goodsearch.com . You have to
designate the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired as the "designated
cause". This search engine is powered by Yahoo and is just as good as using
Google. Please tell all of your friends and family about this.
The ISVI parent organization has done so much for our school and is very
appreciative of our continued support!
Illinois
Parents of the Visually Impaired (IPVI)
The Illinois Parents of the Visually Impaired (IPVI) are hosting a family
day at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago on July 21st. The entrance fee to the zoo will
be free, parking will be free and lunch will be free as long as you have been a
member of IPVI for at least one year. Please contact Lyle Stauder at
217-787-9728 or Vickie Juskie at 877-411-4784 by June 15th for more information.
Learning Experience at Guiding Eyes
Recently, Mr. Dugan and two students traveled to New York to learn about
the possibility of using a dog guide. They set out to see if a dog guide would
be a good fit for them and to get a taste of what it would actually be like to
have a dog guide. They learned about Guiding Eyes, walking a dog guide,
training, what to expect from a dog guide, advantages and disadvantages, and
other valuable information. They were able to have a tour of New York City and
experience some fabulous dining. The event was sponsored by Guiding Eyes with
Sue Dalton from TransVision organizing the trip.
Cinco De Mayo Celebration
The ISVI elementary students did a lot of activities to celebrate Cinco
De Mayo. They all met in Mrs. Walker’s class to make Mexican Flags while
listening to music in Spanish. Some of the students sang songs in Spanish led by
Mrs. Lane. They enjoyed salsa, chips, and cookies. They played Mexican
instruments and listened to the reading of a book read in Spanish by a high
school student and read in English by Mrs. Lane. They ended the celebration with
a piZata and by telling everyone, "Adiós"!
Championship Swim Meet at Ohio
The ISVI swim team ventured to Ohio for the Championship Swim meet for
2007. Two students decided to jump start things figuratively on Friday night by
swimming their 500. The remainder of the meet was held on Saturday. Team
Illinois worked hard in the preliminaries to qualify for the finals. In essence,
swimmers who qualified for the finals or consolation finals swam in two meets in
the same day. In between the preliminaries and championship rounds, ISVI had a
couple of students recruited by the head of USABA, Mr. Mark Lucas, and the most
decorated paralympic athlete in the world, Ms. Tricia Zorn, to participate in
the International USABA Youth Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado this summer.
Besides the outstanding team results for the boys, the most gratifying aspect of
the meet was that the men swam their lifetime best times when it counted most,
and after they were already most tired. The Team Results are as follows: Team
Illinois Girls placed 7th out of 10 teams with 30 points and Team Illinois Boys
placed 4th out of 10 teams with 96 points. ISVI is very proud of our swim teams!
ISVI’s Forensics Team
The ISVI Forensics team had a wonderful year. There were several students
who participated gaining valuable experience speaking in front of an audience.
Taking part in Forensics requires students to be extremely dedicated and willing
to devote a great deal of time to participate. The Forensics team finished off
their season with championships at Ohio. They ended up in a tie for 7th place
overall. Way to Go, ISVI Forensics Team!
Poetry is Celebrated at ISVI
Mrs. Strader, Mrs. Miller, and Ms. Chambers all celebrated poetry month
with their students by memorizing and presenting poems that they chose to an
audience of fellow classmates and staff. After the poetry, everyone was treated
to cookies and punch. The poetry event was enjoyed by all who attended.
Survey on Educational Placement
This is to invite parents of children who are blind or have low vision in
K-12 public and residential schools in the United States to participate in a
study on why they chose the type of educational placement for their child. This
survey was sent out last month, but had to be cancelled because of computer
glitches. Now that the problems have been fixed, we are pleased again to invite
all parents of children who are blind or have low vision to complete the survey
in its entirety. Please, accept our apologies for previous problems, and we
would appreciate it very much if you would take the survey again. Parents who do
not have access to a computer may directly phone Dr. Paul Ajuwon, the primary
investigator at 417-836-5397, to request a Braille or print copy of the survey.
The current survey on the website of Texas School for the Blind is an online
interactive version, and downloadable word version.
The link for the survey is:
http://s22318.tsbvi.edu/surveys/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=71I663K13m65G
link to download the survey:
www.tsbvi.edu/news/choice-survey.doc
Thanks,
Dr. Paul Ajuwon
Changes in the ISVI Dining Hall
ISVI has recently made some very positive changes in the Dining Hall with the
input from students and staff under the direction of Mrs. Preston. The main
differences that people will notice are the following:
a hand sanitizer has been mounted on the left side of the doorway leading
into the room where the students pick up their trays.
The elementary and middle school students will take their trays to a rack
located on the north wall instead of taking their trays to the return window
when they are finished eating.
The high school students will have a choice of returning their trays to the
return window as they always have, or placing them in a rack that is
located just to the right of the window. This will ensure that the high school
students will not have to wait in line if a lot of people are at the return
window.
Other changes include wider aisles between tables and rugs to indicate
pathways. This system of traffic flow truly makes sense, is safe, and
encourages independence for virtually anyone on the travel skills continuum.
ISVI Celebrated Earth Day
Two students recently celebrated Earth Day all week long. They picked up
trash at the park with the help of their teachers and O&M instructors. They
experienced caterpillar cocoons opening up to find beautiful butterflies
emerging from them in an aquarium in their classroom. They had to feed them
sugar water to ensure that they grow and are able to be released. Another
activity that they participated in was making bowls out of paper from the paper
collected in the recycle bin in their classroom. On Friday, April 27, all of the
elementary classes got together and planted a red bud tree in the ISVI garden.
They would like for everyone to help keep our earth clean and healthy!
Spring Carnival
The Spring Carnival was Saturday, April 21, at the pavilion area on
ISVI’s campus. There were many games that students enjoyed including:
egg-on-a-spoon race (not one was broken!), knocking soda cans over with a ball,
pitching empty milk cartons into a basket, and a three legged race. Tickets for
the winners and participants were given out that could be taken to a prize table
to pick out prizes. The carnival also advocated nutritious eating. Food for the
day included lean hamburgers, all beef hot dogs, baked potato chips, string
cheese, whole wheat cookies, milk and Sunny Delight. The day included face
painting, karaoke, music by disc jockey Mr. Thompson and ended with an ice cream
social enjoyed by all!
Kiwanis Luncheon
ISVI hosted one of the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club's weekly lunch meetings on
March 29, 2007. There were approximately 70 Kiwanians on campus that afternoon.
The six members of the K-Kids Club were in attendance, as well, and they were
given the opportunity to introduce themselves and tell about what they have been
doing this year: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, the 2nd Annual Canned Food Drive,
and making flowers for the residents at a local retirement center to name a few.
Information was also presented information about ISVI to the Kiwanians. It was a great experience and we look forward to making
it an annual event!
Rotary Club Scholar Athlete at ISVI
On April 19, the Jacksonville Rotary Club held its 23rd annual Scholar-Athlete
awards dinner. The club recognized 29 West-Central Illinois high school seniors
that demonstrated outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, and
leadership. ISVI was represented by a senior who held all of these
characteristics. ISVI's senior has a 3.31 GPA and has been involved in track,
cheerleading, swimming, wrestling, Student Council president, senior class
president and a one-year top scorer for both track and swimming. Congrats, ISVI
Scholar-Athlete!
Students Help the Community--Dog PEN
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After school on Wednesday, May 2, students from Unit 2
Dormitory–Khaki Pod held a lemonade stand to raise money for the Dog PEN.
Participating students accepted donations for lemonade, cookies, and candy.
Staff and neighbors of ISVI were very charitable with their donations
totaling over $200. The students were assisted by Resident Care Workers
Kerri Sanderson and Tiena Kidd.
The Dog PEN (Public Education Network) is a tax
deductible, non-profit organization that promotes pet ownership
responsibility, provides behavioral training and rehabilitation of homeless,
abused and/or neglected dogs and cats. Through volunteer efforts, animals
held in animal control facilities located in Greene and Morgan counties are
rescued, fostered and adopted to loving, permanent homes.
Students and staff from other dormitories also provided
their assistance by baking cookies and providing items for sale at the
lemonade stand. All volunteer students and staff had fun while they enjoyed
doing something for the community. |
National Library Week
ISVI participated in National Library Week by doing a variety of fun
activities. There was a "story time" held in the library every day where
different teachers read to any student who wanted to attend. The students made
book markers, had a trivia contest, played a mystery game, watched a movie while
enjoying popcorn, had cake and punch at the open house, and participated in the
opportunity for door prizes. The library was a very busy place all week long!
Representative Visited Class
Representative Jim Watson visited Mrs. Martha Hauck’s class to speak
about careers. The students asked a lot of great questions about how Mr. Watson
got to where he is today as well as his educational background. It was a great
experience for all.
Support of ISVI’s Art Program
The Imagine Foundation of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Noon Lions
Club have partnered to assist with the Art Program at ISVI. They recently
presented ISVI with a check from donations of a murder mystery event that they
had previously hosted. The donation will be use to work with our students in the
Art Club, provide ISVI with a Tactile Art Collection, and provide our students
with musical performances. The Imagine Foundation and the Noon Lions Club seem
very dedicated to this new venture with ISVI and have pledged their support in
assisting us. We are extremely thankful to both of them for providing our
students with this wonderful experience in Fine Arts.
Junior High Spring Dinner
The ISVI Junior High students recently had dinner at Mrs. Cindy Miller’s
house. The theme of the dinner was Good Health and Nutrition. In order to
prepare the menu for the dinner, the students watched a video and participated
in activities on nutrition and how to eat and be healthy. The students then
prepared a menu of healthy items from each food group. The students also
shopped, prepared and cooked some of the dinner. The menu included turkey
burgers and turkey hot dogs on whole grain buns; baked beans; fresh vegetables
and salad fixings; baked corn chips and salsa; sherbet and vanilla yogurt with
fruit toppings, fat free Cool Whip and granola cereal. Teachers included Mrs.
Cindy Miller, Mr. Jim Strader and Mrs. Linda Strader. Mr. David Miller grilled
the burgers and hot dogs. After dinner, the students and teachers enjoyed a
rousing game of Left, Right, Center!
Recreational Activities are Flourishing
There have been many recreational activities at ISVI these past few
months under direction of Recreation Director, Joe Lewey. Bingo is a big hit.
The students even take turns hosting the event. Hosting Bingo includes; setting
up the room, calling out the numbers, cleaning up, and awarding the prizes to
the winners. Weekend shopping trips are always a priority for the residential
students. The stores have varied along with the transportation that they take to
the stores. Sometimes the students choose the assistance of the residential care
workers to shop while others use the stores’ personal shoppers programs. The
students enjoy swimming in the ISVI swimming pool every week. Students also have
the opportunity to be taken to various video stores where they love to
purchase/rent video games and movies. Recently, some of the students attended a
celebration on the Jacksonville square. There were artists, musicians, face and
hand painting, ecology information, juggling, and lots of great food items to
eat.
Student Accepted to Attend the NFB Youth Slam
An ISVI’s student recently got accepted to attend the 2007 National
Federation of the Blind Youth Slam this summer. The NFB Youth Slam is a four day
academy and will provide him with opportunities to learn and challenge himself.
He will be able to meet new friends from all over the country and meet
outstanding blind role models. Activities that he will take part in will take
place with support from partners such as the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the John Hopkins University School of Engineering and other
institutions. ISVI is very proud of him for getting accepted to this very
important leadership academy.
Spring Dinner Dance
The Spring Dinner Dance was a great success! Students were required to
make reservations to this event prior to attending. Those students attending were
met at the door by a hostess who seated them and gave them a menu to make their
choices. The menu include: Ribeye steak, chicken kiev, breaded fantail shrimp,
or a surf & turf combo. The dinners included a choice of soup or salad, potato, and bread sticks. They even had sparkling white grape juice in fluted
glasses to drink. The dinner was followed by the dance where the king, queen, prince,
and princess were announced and crowned! The students enjoyed cookies, raspberry
punch and mints during the dance. The dance floor was full throughout the
evening. Everyone attending the Spring Dinner Dance had a
wonderful time!
Vision Activity Day
Follow this link to read about this
informational-sharing opportunity held on the ISVI campus.
Accelerated Reading Program Comes to ISVI
The Accelerated Reading Program is now up and running thanks to a lot of
hard work by Educator, Pat Wright. There were two donations that made the
purchase of this reading software possible. One donation was from the Blind
Children’s Foundation and the other donation was from A.F.S.C.M.E.
The Easter Bunny Visits ISVI
Mrs. Frisch’s class had the opportunity to have breakfast with the Easter Bunny!
The Easter Bunny came to ISVI and enjoyed animal shaped pancakes, sausage links,
grapes and apple juice. After breakfast, he gave the class a bag full of
goodies. They presented him with a bag of carrots to thank him for having
breakfast with them. The older elementary students were able to visit the Easter
Bunny in the media center after breakfast and received some goodies as well. All
of the students and staff had a wonderful time with this very special visitor.
Talent Show
The annual ISVI talent show was held in the Joshua Rhodes Auditorium. There were
25 students who participated. These students had been practicing hard for about
a month. The evening was filled with music, tongue-twisters, dancing, painting,
and poetry. There were even two performances by alumni of ISVI. The talent show
is one of the favorite events of the year. In fact, some students have already
been telling Mrs. Kerhlikar what they would like to do for next year’s show!
Student Honored
At a banquet held at Jacksonville High School, an ISVI senior student was
honored as an Illinois Principals Association Student Scholar and School
Citizen. Mrs. McGovern accompanied ISVI's honoree who was one of thirty-eight
elementary, middle and high school students from area schools to receive this
honor. Congratulations!
Songs of Joy
Spring was officially ushered in to ISVI during the Spring Music Program
held on April 24th, 2007 in the Joshua Rhoades Auditorium. Students, staff and
their families were entertained with a wide variety of songs selected to
cheerfully welcoming in the spring. The theme for the program, "Songs of Joy,"
was quite appropriately chosen as the audience left the musical performance with
hearts full of joy following the performance.
ISVI Work Program Gets a Boost
ISVI was notified that there will be an increase in money for the STEP
program this year and next. This will allow ISVI to hire job coaches. An
assembly was held on April 3rd, during 7th & 8th periods for students ages 15 up
who were interested in the work program. Another project that is being worked on
for next year is getting the ISVI Teen Center up and running as a training area
for the vending program.
Awards Day
This year the awards ceremony will be split into two days. On Wednesday,
May 23rd, the elementary students along with the junior high school students
will receive awards in the morning. This event will be held in the Teen Center.
High school students will have their awards ceremony in the afternoon on
Wednesday along with a reception for retiring employees.
Music Contest Results
On March 3rd, 2007 ISVI's Concert Choir competed in the IHSA solo/ensemble
annual music contest held in Petersburg, Illinois. The choir sang in two
different ensembles and received two 1st place ratings with five 2nd places and
one 3rd place finish. Under the direction of music instructor, Denise Kerhlikar,
the eight female singers did a wonderful job making ISVI very proud. The students enjoyed participating and learned by listening to singers from other
schools as well. Many of the contest winners will perform during the Spring
Music Program to be held on April 24th at ISVI's Joshua Rhoads Auditorium.
2007 Goalball
The 2007 Goalball season went great! This years team was the largest squad in
ISVI’s history. It was so large that we had a varsity team and a junior varsity
team. The home games brought in a gym full of students, staff, and parents. ISVI
played two matches at home, one at Wisconsin and finished the season with the
NCASB Goalball Championships held in Tennessee. They won trophies and plaques
and had experiences of a lifetime. The Goalball team is coached by Mr. Jim Raabe
and Ms. Dawn Chambers. Way to go Warriors!
Special Visitor
Mrs. Joni Frisch’s class had a very special visitor. Mr. Jamie Huebner, a
National Guardsman on a leave from Iraq, took time out of his short leave to
visit the class. Mr. Huebner wore his uniform and explained what some of the
patches were and what the medals represented. The children asked him a lot of
great questions. He brought MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) with him for the class to
try. He prepared them and had the class taste them. He had spaghetti, meatloaf,
mashed potatoes, and even candy! The visit from Mr. Huebner was very much
appreciated by Mrs. Frisch and her class.
"Lunch with a Cop"
Two students had their turn to have lunch with Officer Kruzan from the
Jacksonville Police Department! They had the opportunity to visit the
Jacksonville Police Station, which they enjoyed very much. They even got to sit
in the police car and examine all of the neat gadgets on the inside of it.
Officer Kruzan had lunch with these two students and answered a lot of great
questions. The "Lunch with a Cop" program gives ISVI students the opportunity to
learn about all of the great things that police officers do. ISVI truly
appreciates the time that Officer Kruzan gives to help our students learn.
Visitors from Japan
Twenty two Japanese students visited ISVI’s campus. They were in Jacksonville
through a program offered by Illinois College. They toured campus, had a
cultural exchange with ISVI students, experienced an O & M lesson and more.
Touch Art for ISVI
ISVI received a check from the Imagine Foundation in the amount of
$3,237.75. This money will go toward the fine art’s program, which will include
the purchase of touch art for ISVI.
Dietary Inspection
ISVI's Dietary department has received some good news! Morgan County
Health Department did the inspection of the dietary and rated ISVI with a 97%
which is great news. This was our first inspection. These inspections will be
done every three months with no prior notification.
ISVI Parent Association's Cookbooks Are On
Sale
The Parent Association for the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired has
just completed compiling a cookbook full of recipes from family, friends, staff
and alumni of ISVI. These books are available for sale in large print, Braille
or on a CD. To place your order, follow this link to the
printable order form that can be
printed out and mailed to Tracy Orr, President of the ISVI Parent Association.
The Parent Association is working hard to raise money in order to purchase a
variety of items needed at the school that will be beneficial for the students.
Expanding Your Horizons
On Saturday March 10th, 2007 two ISVI
middle school students traveled to the University of Illinois at Springfield to
attend the 20th annual "Expanding Your Horizons" workshop. The workshop is
designed to expose 6th, 7th, and 8th grade
girls to careers related to mathematics, science, and technology. This year 320
girls from an eight county area attended the hands-on workshops.
Our students chose to attend the following sessions:
1. Engineers Defying Gravity (building a roller coaster with tubes and marbles)
2. Finding Feelings (taking a lie detector test)
3. Building Dreams (building houses with playing cards)
4.Creative Chemists (experimenting with Polymers)
5. Technology on Parade (learning about assistive technology devices)
6. Your Genes in a Bottle (extracting DNA from your mouth and putting it in a
bottle to wear as a necklace)
A great time was had by both students! The hands-on activities were
an awesome learning experience, but it was also nice to meet girls from other
schools and make some new friends.
Students Taking Classes at Jacksonville High School
There are currently five ISVI juniors and seniors taking classes at
Jacksonville High School (JHS) while attending ISVI. They are taking Advanced
CISCO (computer networking), Spanish II, Band, Consumer Education, Chemistry and
Drivers Education. These students are really enjoying the classes while being
taught independence. It also gives them a chance for interaction with other
peers. ISVI provides transportation to the classes and the students use the Mass
Transit System in Jacksonville. Mrs. Megan Edgcomb is the ISVI teacher that
helps coordinate these classes at JHS, helps with students schedules and helps
with transportation scheduling. These classes are determined by student
interest, college requirements and approval from the student multi-disciplinary
team. ISVI is very proud of these students and will continue the collaboration
efforts with JHS.
Student Working at a Radio Station
WQNA in Springfield at the Capital Career Center employs an ISVI student. The
student works there every Saturday from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. He helps with adding
to on-air conversations that are being held while he is there. He even has his
own part of the show. While his portion of the show takes place, he gets to run
the entire sound board. He enjoys getting to be on-air and getting to play music
for the listeners. Mr. Paul Drake heard about the job and passed the information
onto him. Someday he would like to have a future in radio and hopes to become a
Disc Jockey.
A Taste of College
Five ISVI students participated in "A Taste of College" experience hosted by the
TranVision Program at Northern Illinois University (NIU). Students were provided
the opportunity to learn first hand what it takes to succeed in college. Many
skills were discussed that are needed for college including self-advocacy,
academic skills, organizational skills, time management skills, effective
communication skills and more. Participants spent the weekend touring the NIU
campus, traveled on the campus bus throughout the community, learned about
services available for students with disabilities and experienced the NIU social
life.
Braille Challenge
Eleven ISVI students participated in the Braille Challenge in St. Louis, MO on
Thursday, February 15, 2007. The students participated in events such as Braille
speed and accuracy, chart graph and reading, proofreading, reading comprehension
and Braille spelling. Two students received first place finishes and one student
received a second place finish. The ISVI students participated against other
visually impaired and blind schools in the Midwest. Way to go, ISVI!
"Great
Expectations"
On February Second, 2007 a group of fifteen students
and four teachers went on a field trip to the Sangamon Auditorium in Springfield
to watch the play Great Expectations. The play was very entertaining and
caught all of the main parts of the novel. The acting was quite good, and the
special effects used were excellent. The play did not change any of the settings
or time periods of the novel, because it still takes place in the Victorian era.
After the play all the students and teachers were allowed to go onto the stage
and talk to the actors, and get an up-close look at the scenery used in the
play. It was very interesting to learn that many people in the play actually
played several roles throughout the course of the performance. One actress who
played the part of Biddy played ten roles in the play! After the play, we went
to lunch at Old Country Buffet were everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch. It was a
very enjoyable learning experience.
Written by Sean McKinney
K-Kids Go
Bowling
The K-Kids Club attended a bowling event, hosted by the Jacksonville Kiwanis
Club, at The Bowl Inn on Wednesday, January 31. There were six K-Kids Club
members in attendance for the one-hour event. The kids divided up into two teams
of three and bowled in two different lanes equipped with the bumpers; no other
adapted devices were used. One of the teams bowled a little faster than the
other, getting in two games over the other's one game, but a great time was had
by all! The scores ranged from 79 all the way up to 140! Many strikes and spares
were recorded, and there was also some friendly competition. A couple K-Kids
even used the experience to brush up on their addition skills, adding their own
scores each frame. The bowling activity was a great way to get the K-Kids out in
the Jacksonville community to interact with others. Thank you to the
Jacksonville Kiwanis Club for making this activity possible!
Follow this link to view photos of
this fun event!
"Ma Grady's
Curse"
A short one-act comedy play, "Ma Grady's
Curse" was presented by the drama class at ISVI on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at
3:00 in the auditorium. The setting is a small Oklahoma town far off the beaten
path. Two strangers entered the small town diner where the grandson of "Ma
Grady" is busy working on the daily menu. Students enjoyed the performance by
fellow students, following the "travelers" through the ordering of the food to
the removal of a "curse" placed on all the food by the spirit of former owner,
Ma Grady. As the curtain closed, the audience was left to wonder, just what the
"curse of Ma Grady" would do to the traveling strangers as they traveled on from
the small Oklahoma town.
Follow
this link to view photos of this most entertaining production!
"Opening
Doors, Opening Minds"
This event is hosted by
the Illinois Association of
Blind Students and the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois.
Follow this link
for the press release information and specific details.
ISVI In
Compliance with Governor Blagojevich's "Newborn Infant Protection Act"
Gov. Blagojevich amended Illinois school code 105ILCS
5.27-9.1(c)(9) on June 24, 2006. This amendment now mandates that the Illinois
Newborn Infant Protection Act, commonly referred to as a Safe Haven Law, be
included in all comprehensive health education class curricula. ISVI's high
school health class recently covered this information which included a
discussion on how this might or might not affect them as a visually impaired
person and how and where they can access more information on this topic.
ISVI's Birthday
Celebration
On January 19, 2007, ISVI students and staff are celebrating! ISVI will be
celebrating the birthday of the school. The Act to establish ISVI was passed on
January 13, 1849. Therefore, ISVI will be 157 years old!! Wow! The celebration
will include an ISVI birthday cake complete with candles, a poetry contest about
the history of ISVI and karaoke. We are proud of our school and excited to
celebrate another year of existence.
Thank You
to ISVI Parent Association!
The students and staff of ISVI are most grateful and wish to thank the ISVI
Parent Association for their recent purchase of a 17" flat monitor for classroom
use as well as eight memory-card
readers and ten memory cards for students to use with various notetakers.
Thank you, Parents, as these items will certainly be put to good use by our
students!
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