KSB School Mail Newsletter for students and their families September 16, 2011 Important Information for Parents 1ST QTR. INTERIM REPORTS: Parents should be on the lookout for the 1st Qtr. Interim Reports that should be arriving in your mailboxes next week. These reports will be mailed on Mon., Sept. 19. If you have a student in grades 4-12, you will receive a report of their academic progress for the first half of the grading period. If you have a question about the report, you should contact your child’s teacher. If you don’t know how to contact a teacher directly, please call the classroom office 502-897-1583 for assistance. STUDENT ABSENCES: If your child is going to be absent from school, you must report it by calling Denise Applegate in the classroom office 502-897-1583, ext. 401. If she does not answer your call, please leave a voice message as to why your child is absent. When your child returns to school, please make sure to send a written excuse as to why they were out. You can review procedures for reporting student absences in the 2011-12 Student and Parent Handbook on page 12. DEAR Reading Circle to Take Place on Tuesday High school students will gather in the library to discuss the books Tuesdays with Morrie and The Last Lecture during the first DEAR Reading Circle of the school year. This event will take place on Tues., Sept. 20 at 5:30 PM in the library. This is a great venue for the students to share their thoughts on the titles and to gain insight from other students and staff. The Circle will also include yummy treats and a light meal! KSB Finishes Fourth in Indiana Track Meet Collectively, the KSB Boys and Girls Track Teams finished in Fourth place at the Indiana Track and Field Meet held on Sept. 8 at the Indiana School for the Blind. They missed third place by only two points. The girls team captured third place. Individually the top competitors were: Alicia Jones finished 1st in all four events; Savannah Hively took 1st in shot put and 3rd in the 60 Meter. The boys team placed fourth. Individually the top competitors were: Damon Boards received 1st place in two events, 2nd and 3rd in other events; and James Lewis and Jonathon McCarty captured 3rd place in their events. The next competition for the teams will be the NCASB Conference Meet on Sept.30-Oct. 2 at the Tennessee School for the Blind. Please note: There will be no JV Track Practice on Tuesday, September 20. Another New Student Arrived This Week KSB is pleased to welcome another new student. Elijah Wegner, a ninth grader from Trimble County, began classes at KSB on Mon. Sept. 12. Please join us in welcoming Elijah to the Wildcat family! Editor’s Note: There is a snapshot of Elijah Wegner in the print edition. King of the Hill Motorcross Race in West Kentucky to Benefit PSSO A fundraiser to benefit KSB’s Parent Student Staff Organization (PSSO) will take place on Sat.-Sun., Sept. 24-25, at the home of Brad Samples, 2313 St. Route 848 West, Cunningham, KY. The main event is the King of the Hill Motorcross Race, which will take place from 10 AM-4 PM, with the race at 10:30 AM on Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children age 10 and under. The PSSO is raffling a gift card to FDR Honda Kawasaki of Paducah, in the amount of $225, $75 of which was donated by store owner Kevin Moran. Tickets will be sold all weekend. Local media will provide coverage of the event at 11 AM. Gina Figley, parent of 6th grader Hannah Figley, is spearheading the fundraising effort. In addition to selling raffle tickets, she will be selling popcorn and other concessions. The PSSO would like to express appreciation to Ms. Figley for her efforts and hard work on behalf of the school. For more information, or to purchase raffle tickets, please contact Ms. Figley at 270-562-0923. Kentucky Association of Blind Athletes (KABA) Judo Classes When: Saturdays Sept.17 – Dec. 17 Time: 10–11 AM (all levels - all ages) Where: Kentucky School for the Blind Instruction provided by Jim Harrison, black belt with CORE Louisville Combat Sports. Please note: Classes are provided free of charge to KSB students, however, all others would have to pay for the classes. The Program Cost: $40 (VI/Blind)-$50 (Sighted) and KABA Membership: $10 Adults, $5 Children Under 18. Contact KABA Executive Director Kenny Jones for more information at 502-897-1583 Ext. 258 or www.kenny.jones@ksb.kyschools.us. Counselor’s Corner By: Elaine Hall Welcome to Mid- September! Does it feel like things are calming down? Are you getting back into a routine? Our 2011-2012 school year is well under way. You can help your children get off to a strong start with common building blocks to success. Help Your Children Set Goals: Encourage your child to identify specific goals. (“I want to get at least a B is Science.” “I want to make the Eligibility List every week at KSB!” “I want to have 100% homework completion.”) Suggest that they write goals on index cards or common places so that they can easily access and read them. Ask them about their progress on their goals. If your child lives in the dorm, you can still encourage them and check on goal progress. Encourage Routines: Predictable routines will ease pressure and help our youngest to our oldest students. Set a specific time for unpacking the backpack, doing homework, eating breakfast. Again, if your child lives in the dorm, ask about these routines. Keep Balance: Is your child keeping a balance between school, sports, homework, etc.? If they are not involved in a social activity – can we help you find one? If they are too involved, do you need to help them make choices? Thank you to all our dorm staff, teachers, coaches and families for helping with student success!! Mark Your Calendar Don’t Miss These October Activities Tues., Oct. 4: SBDM Council Meeting, 4 PM; KSB/Jefferson County Parent/Family Meeting, 6-7:30 PM Practical Living Teacher Teri Weston will be the guest speaker. Her presentation will cover independent living skills. More information will be forthcoming in the next issue of School Mail. Mon., Oct. 10: KSB Parent/Teacher Conference Day Wed., Oct. 12: 34th Annual Bill Roby Track and Field Games (for children who are blind and visually impaired ages 3-14, 11:30 AM-2 PM Wed., Oct. 26: KSB Career Fair for Students Grades 5-12, 8 AM-2PM. Volunteers are still need for this activity. If you would like to help, contact Paula Penrod, 502-897-1583, ext. 220 or paula.penrod@ksb.kyschools.us. School Activities for the Week of Sept. 19-23 Monday, 19 1st Qtr. Interim Reports Mailed Varsity Track Practice, 3:30-5 PM Evening Recreation: 2:30-5 PM Radio Station (Elem.-HS); 4-5:15 PM Group Game (Elem.); 6-7 PM Activity Time (Elem.) and 7:30-9 PM Group Game (MS/HS) Tuesday, 20 Explore and Plan Testing for 8th and 10th Grade Students Varsity Track Practice, 3:30-5 PM Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Reading Circle, 5:30-7 PM, Library Evening Recreation: 2:30-5 PM Radio Station (Elem.-HS); 4-5 PM Story Time (Elem.); 7-8 PM Venture Crew (MS-HS.); 7:30- 9 PM Bowling/Wii (MS/HS) Wednesday, 21 Explore and Plan Testing for 8th and 10th Grade Students 13th Annual KSBCF Golf Scramble, 1 PM, Covered Bridge Golf Club, Sellersburg, IN Varsity Track Practice, 3:30-5 PM Choir Practice, 6-7 PM Evening Recreation: 2:30-5 PM Radio Station (Elem.-HS); 4-5:15 PM Air Bags (Elem.); 4:30-5:30 PM Boy Scouts (MS-HS); 7:30-9 PM Karaoke (MS/HS) Thursday, 22 Varsity Track Practice, 3:30-5 PM Evening Recreation: 2:30-5 PM Radio Station (Elem.-HS); 3:30-4:30 PM Recreational Swimming (Elem.); 6-8 PM; PSSO Skate Party (Elem-HS) Friday, 23 Wildcat Friday! Kentucky School for the Blind 1867 Frankfort Avenue Louisville, KY 40206 502-897-1583, Fax 502-897-2850 www.ksb.k12.kyschools.us