[nfbwatlk] Fw: BlindNews: Campers preview new school for blindchildren

Fri Jul 14 08:36:42 CDT 2006

Bob,

The lady from the Louis Braille Center has spoken at a couple of state
conventions.  Denise Mackenstadt has worked somewhat closely with her
and the Louis Braill center in past years, particularly with a "second
Saturday" youth program.  This school is an outgrowth of Ms. Meyer's
activities.

Don't know what relationship, if any, we have with the school itself.

Bennett Prows, J.D.
Health Information Privacy Program
Office for Civil Rights
Seattle, Washington
(206) 615-2621
E-mail:  Bennett.Prows at hhs.gov
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Bob Sellers
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 4:36 AM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Fw: BlindNews: Campers preview new school for
blindchildren

Maybe I've been living in a cave, but have others heard about this
school?
If so, any particular reason we haven't heard them speak at a State
convention?  It may be a chance to work with them in estabishing a
philosophy for the kids.

Bob Sellers

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:31 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fw: BlindNews: Campers preview new school for
blindchildren

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert Jaquiss
> To: Mike Freeman
> Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:54 PM
> Subject: Fw: BlindNews: Campers preview new school for blind children
>
>
> Hello MIke:
>
>      I thought you would find this of interest.
>
> REgards,
>
> Robert
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <BlindNews at GeoffAndWen.com>
> To: <BlindNews at BlindProgramming.com>
> Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:32 PM
> Subject: BlindNews: Campers preview new school for blind children
>
>
> > Seattle Post Intelligencer
> > Thursday, July 13, 2006
> >
> > Campers preview new school for blind children
> >
> > By BLYTHE LAWRENCE, P-I REPORTER
> >
> > CAPTION: Carolyn Meyer, director of the Louis Braille School in
Edmonds,
> > introduces Tristan Freckleton, 5, to a stuffed bobcat. The school
provides
> > a summer camp for blind youngsters, teaching them life skills and
how to
> > deal with their impairments. The new K-8 school will welcome
students
for
> > the first time in September.   Grant M. Haller / P-I
> >
> > EDMONDS -- At first glance, the youngsters sitting in a circle
singing a
> > good-morning song are like any others at summer camp.
> >
> > Hands clap. Feet stomp. Children giggle.
> >
> > "Where's James? Where, where?" everyone sings as a little boy
wiggles
with
> > excitement at hearing his name. "Is he up on the mountain? No, no.
Is he
> > down by the fountain? No, no."
> >
> > But take a closer look, and you'll see what they can't: the room,
the
> > teachers and one another.
> >
> > Being part of the two-week summer camp for 5- to 14-year-olds at
Edmonds'
> > Louis Braille School is a first for many children, some of whom have
> > traveled from as far away as Granite Falls and West Seattle to
attend.
> >
> > The singing over, campers scatter to different parts of the little
> > schoolhouse.
> >
> > Even without a sense of sight, it doesn't take them long to zero in
on
the
> > school's treasures: a library of picture books translated into
Braille,
a
> > menagerie of taxidermic animals and a roomful of musical
instruments,
> > including a trombone and a didgeridoo.
> >
> > It's a preview of the new K-8 school, which will welcome students
for
the
> > first time in September. The school is still taking applications for
the
> > fall.
> >
> > "In public schools, (blind students) don't always get the attention
they
> > need," said Christina Ivanna, the school's outreach and support
> > administrator. "It's not because teachers are bad, it's just -- how
do
you
> > do that?"
> >
> > During the summer camp, it's done by allowing students to socialize
and
> > learn from one another while exploring the school and its learning
> > materials, many of which have been crafted especially for the blind.
> >
> > The goal is to instill what Ivanna calls a "Oh, I can do something"
> > feeling.
> >
> > Once students have that, "they thrive, they bloom, they feel good
about
> > themselves," she said.
> >
> > Opening a school for the blind has been "a dream" for many years,
said
> > director Carolyn Meyer. For years, the Louis Braille Center operated
out
> > of an office building in downtown Edmonds.
> >
> > The center housed a successful Saturday program that Meyer and
Ivanna
> > wanted to expand. But there were complaints that the kids were too
loud,
> > and space was limited.
> >
> > So they began searching for a location where kids could roam from
room
to
> > room. What they found was a one-story rambler near a bowling alley.
> >
> > The building once housed a furnishings and interiors business. Meyer
set
> > out to transform it into a schoolhouse.
> >
> > The building was remodeled to bring it up to code. Doors were
widened
and
> > a ramp was installed so wheelchairs could fit through. A local
nursery
> > donated plants for the outside garden, and community members chipped
in
to
> > help cover costs.
> >
> > Pending a final inspection from the Snohomish County Health
Department,
> > the dream has become a reality.
> >
> > Community members have donated many of the school's learning
materials --
> > from the trombone to a well-loved rocking chair.
> >
> > Meyer is hoping someone will donate a train set, because there are
tracks
> > in Edmonds and having a train would help to teach children how to
> > recognize when one is coming and get out of the way if necessary.
> >
> > Administrative assistant Hy Cohen, whose guide dog Greta is one of
the
> > school's most popular "students," said there's no single solution
that
> > works for everyone.
> >
> > Cohen's experiences in public schools were both positive and
negative.
> >
> > "Children who are blind are often told they're limited," he said.
> >
> > He tells them, "You may do something differently, but you still can
do
> > it."
> >
> > TO LEARN MORE, Visit
> >
> > www.louisbrailleschool.org
> >
> >
> > http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/277394_blindcamp13.html
> >
> > --
> > BlindNews mailing list
> >
> > Archived at: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind/
> >
> > Address message to list by sending mail to:
BlindNews at blindprogramming.com
> >
> > Access your subscription info at:
> >
>
http://blindprogramming.com/mailman/listinfo/blindnews_blindprogramming.
com
> >
> > To unsubscribe via e-mail: send a message to
> > BlindNews-Request at BlindProgramming.com with the word unsubscribe in
either
> > the subject or body of the message
> >
>
>

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