Valentine’s Dinner & Dance 2012

February 11, 2012, was the annual dinner and dance to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A special meal of chicken parmesan with cheese, grilled Italian vegetables, breadsticks, and Oreo pie with cherries was served banquet style. It was a formal affair with white tablecloths, red cloth napkins, and Valentine theme centerpieces. Mr. Thompson provided the music as always. Students and staff enjoyed dancing. Prior to the event the girls had the opportunity to select a dress from the many that were donated by State Street Bridal in Jacksonville. Special thanks to State Street Bridal!!!

ISVI Students Participate in Cardinal Caravan

On January 16, 2012, a group of five students joined in the Cardinal Caravan in Springfield at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. These five students are fans of the St. Louis Cardinals and it was a dream come true to get to meet the players and get their autographs. The players they met included Tony Cruz, Zack Cox, Matt Carpenter and Jordan Swagerty. Two former Cardinals, pitcher Andy Benes and utility player Rex Hudler, also were there.

Holiday/Winter Dance

December 10, 2011, was the Holiday/Winter Dinner and Dance. It was a delicious meal of tossed salad with choice of dressing, chicken parmesan on a bed of spaghetti with sauce, buttered corn, bread sticks and red velvet cake for dessert. The dining hall staff dressed in black and white and served the students at the tables. Festive table decorations were provided by the ISVI Parent Association. Mr. Dan Thompson provided the music for dancing and Recreation Director Mr. Lewey organized a game of music trivia. The winners of the trivia game received a dollar for each correct answer. Cookies and punch were served later in the evening. Thanks go out to the RCW’s for chaperoning! Good food! Dancing! Good time!

Halloween Dance/Costume Party

October 21, 2011 was the annual Halloween Dance and Costume Party. The dinner menu included: Ghost Strips (chicken strips), Goolieyes, (pepper poppers), Vampire Blood (red punch), and Witches Fingers (french fries). Everyone enjoyed dancing to the music provided by Mr. Dan Thompson. Music trivia was played and a dollar was given to the first two students to give the correct answers. There were many great costumes with prizes awarded for the ugliest, scariest, prettiest, and most original costumes.

2011 Pumpkin Patch

After school on October 14, 2011 students from the blue and purple pods in the dorm visited a local pumpkin patch. They felt the different shaped gourds and pumpkins. Each student purchased their own pumpkin to bring back to the dorm to decorate later for Halloween.

2011 Valentine Dinner and Dance

The dining hall was decorated for the occasion and students dressed up to attend the annual Valentine Dinner and Dance. The meal was a special treat as steaks and shrimp were cooked outdoors on the grill. Students enjoyed the meal and then danced to the music provided by Dan Thompson. The King and Queen were voted on by students and then the crowns were presented. Thanks to the dining hall staff and Residential Care Workers it was another fun and memorable night.

2010 Blind Vendors' Christmas Party

The annual Blind Vendors' Party was December 1, 2010 at Northfield Inn in Springfield.  Students were excited all day about this party. Sixty-three students attended and enjoyed a delicious dinner followed by entertainment. Like last year, an Elvis impersonator entertained the group. Students had the opportunity to do karaoke. And every student received very nice gifts. Thank you Blind Vendors! 

Bar-Cookie Bake-Off

A weekend recreation activity in the dorm on 11-20-10 was a Bar-Cookie Bake-Off. There were five entries and they came from the blue pod, green pad, khaki pod, purple pod, and the TLC Supported Living apartment. Everyone enjoyed sampling all of the entries. It was a difficult decision, but the judges determined that the entry from the khaki pod was the winning bar-cookie. The judges were Ms. Perry, Mr. Pennington, and Mr. Lewey. The prize was a pizza party! 
 



The recipe for the winning bar-cookie---

Layered Cookie Bar                                                                                                                                                           
     3/4 cup Butter or Margarine                                                                                                                               
     1 3/4 cups Vanillia Waffers crumbs
     1/4 cup sugar               
      1 can (14 oz.)sweetened condensed milk
      1 cup Hershey's semi sweet chocolate chips
      1 cup Hershey's white chocolate chips
      ½ cup pecan pieces
      3/4 cup English toffee bites

      Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 13x9x2 baking pan in oven. Combine crumbs and sugar.Sprinkle over butter. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly on top of crumbs.Top with chocolate chips,white choc. chips,and toffee bits and nuts;press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 mins.or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Chill,if desired. Cut into bars. Store at room temp. Yields 36 bars.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Pictured are the pumpkins decorated by ISVI students. Staff and students voted for their favorite pumpkin and pumpkin number 1 received the most votes. It was a close contest. The winning pumpkin was designed and created by TLC- Supported Living. They will receive a pizza party to celebrate! 

Halloween Costume Party and Dance

October 29th, 2010, a costume party and dance were held in the Dining Hall.  The Dining Hall staff prepared a delicious meal of chicken strips, chicken wings, poppers, BBQ meatballs, onion rings, and milk shakes. Residential Care Workers (RCW's) were the chaperones and some came in costume. Mr. Dan Thompson was the disc jockey and he played all of the favorites as requested by students. He also played some spooky songs. A costume contest was held. Prizes were awarded for the funniest, scariest, most original, ugliest, and most beautiful. The students had a wonderful time thanks to the Dining Hall staff, the RCW's, Mr. Thompson, and Mr. Lewey, the Recreation Director.

Tie Dye Activity

Residential Care Workers and students had great fun making tie dye t-shirts in the dorm. Some of the group are shown modeling the shirts they designed and created. They turned out great!

Wiener Roast at Lake Jacksonville

Residential Care staff at ISVI provided a wiener roast at Lake Jacksonville for Unit 2 students.  Mr. Hill, who is an RCW in Unit 2, has a campspot at Lake Jacksonville and he and the other RCW's provided hot dogs, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, apple salad, fried cabbage, macaroni and cheese, cupcakes, and s'mores.The campspot was decorated with Halloween decorations. The students really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food!

Thanks to the Residential Care staff for hosting this fun event!

Farm Field Trip

Seventeen ISVI students went to visit Robinson's Family Farm outside of Murrayville on Saturday, Oct. 16th, 2010. The students really enjoyed petting the goats, sheep, rabbits, and a llama. Everyone went on a haywagon ride to a pumpkin patch where each student selected a pumpkin to take home. A highlight of the visit for many was to play in the corn in an old corn crib!

Field Trip to Clayville

On October 2, 2010, a group of ISVI students visited Clayville. Clayville is a historical site and 10-02-2010 was the weekend of the Clayville Fall Festival.  Students enjoyed storytelling, and music by Mike Anderson who played his dulcimer and banjo. They observed pottery demonstrations, quilting, willow furniture making, corn milling, water color painting, and many other activities. They are shown holding complimentary pinwheels and enjoying hot chocolate.