Reaching Out Newsletter #68
January 2009
A Year in Review
by Carmen Grove Suminski, Superintendent, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
2008 was a year with phenomenal celebrations as we commemorated the centennial of ND Vision Services/School for the Blind! What a great response we had from people throughout the state!
Accomplishments included the following:
- Disseminating of 200 plus emails on the birth date of Louis Braille – January 4 honoring his personal history and a description of braille
- Hosting a Goalball Tournament on February 15. Included were the recognition of the Anniversary of the founding of the school and memories of 50 years ago given by Donna Iszler, reading of the Proclamation as written by the Office of the Governor John Hoeven by Candace Rivinius and Lexee Steffan.
- Hosting a Family Weekend in Jamestown on February 22-23
- Hosting of the Dakota AER/Vision Conference on May 7- 9 at the Holiday Inn, Grand Forks with included a Centennial Banquet the evening of May 7; 100 persons from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba in attendance. Guest speakers were from Alexandria, Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; plus South Dakota and North Dakota
- Celebrating the Life of Helen Keller at the Pioneer Room in the State Capitol on June 27. First Lady Mikey L. Hoeven gave congratulatory remarks followed by the reading of the Proclamation of the Governor by Candace Rivinius. Greetings were given by Dr. Wayne G. Sanstead, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Robert Rutten, Director of Special Education; plus Dr. Marjorie Kaiser, Superintendent of the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, presented on the “Life of Helen Keller.”
- Featured at both the conference and the Helen Keller event was the Exhibition of “Building a Future, Residential Schools for the Blind and Visually Impaired Students,” a traveling exhibit from the Callahan Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky
- Open House at the school on September 11 with100 people in attendance
- Booking Signing of the centennial book entitled “Recollections of 100 Years of Excellence” by Carmen Grove Suminski and Laurie Westling at Barnes & Noble Book Store on September 11
- All School Reunion on September 12 at the school with 80 attendees; Musical entertainment was provided by former students with historical exhibits on display plus trivia and tours. Wayne Stenehjem, ND Attorney General, was the featured speaker.
- NDVS/SB was featured via media in the Grand Forks Herald several times plus was featured on Bismarck and Grand Forks local news. I was interviewed on “Prairie Pulse” on Prairie Public Television; and Katrina Wendel, Donna Iszler, and I were interviewed on “Hear It Now” on Prairie Public Radio.
My sincere thanks to the members of the NDVS/SB Foundation and to the Centennial Partners for the financial support. A special thanks to the Lions Clubs of North Dakota for their contributions and to the Centennial Planning Team..
A second major celebration during 2008 was the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB) Banquet which was held at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 1, prior to the 140th Annual Meeting of the American Printing House for the Blind. At this banquet two NDVS/SB teachers received national awards; namely, Diane Mihulka, as Outstanding Teacher of Students who are Blind/Visually Impaired and Dianne Giessinger, Outstanding Provider of Outreach Services. How special to have them receive this honor along with staff from Texas School for the Blind, Perkins School for the Blind, Washington State School for the Blind, and the Maryland School for the Blind! Congratulations Diane and Dianne!
We celebrate this year with pride and reflect on all of the accomplishments and “stories” of 100 years and express sincere appreciation to the persons that we serve and to all related entities who support our mission.
The book, "Recollections of 100 Years of Excellence, 1908-2008, North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind" has been completed. The book will be available for sale for $20 with all proceeds going to NDVS/SB's Foundation to benefit services to persons of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. It is also available in large print, braille, and audio CD (with synthetic speech) for $20 per your request.
Recollections of 100 Years of Excellence 1908 - 2008
By Carmen Grove Suminski
From its 1908 be-ginning in Bathgate as the ND Blind Asylum to its present outreach/center-based program located around the state, North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind has demonstrated excellence in its services to individuals with vision impairments. Contents include recollections of students and staff, historical informa-tion, and more.
Focus on Life
by Ali Engraf
When the word “focus” comes to mind, it often implies placing your full attention on one specific object. But when the object is life, your attention is allowed to expand much further than you’d think.
Eight determined students put their focusing skills to the test at Teen Camp 2008 (June 13 – June 18). During the week, the goal in mind was preparing students for the future, helping them “Focus on Life.”
After breakfast, each morning, student gathered in the commons to hear autobiographies, stories about successful people who have visual impairments. There were a couple stories read each day and discussions took place after each one.
Each day, students took part in book club. Tom Sullivan, known by some of the students from the previous year, was, once again the author of the book that was read, Seeing Lessons (14 Life Secrets I’ve Learned along the Way). Students immediately offered to read aloud. There was much enjoyment of the fine flowing paragraphs and discussions were held after each chapter, often restating the many clever quotes.
During the week, students participated in group sessions. Students got to know one another and learn how to interact with each other by sharing their thoughts and questions in discussions, creating a scene in several skits, and many other fun-filled activities.
Voting was another issue that was discussed at the beginning of the week. First, students were given information about voting. Then, students listened to a presentation informing them how to use a voting machine. After the presentation, students had the chance to operate the voting machine themselves.
The students did some traveling to various places throughout the week, sometimes using the local bus system. Student got to walk across the Red River and look around a Cabelas store in East Grand Forks. Walking around the irresistible creatively packaged candy at Widman’s was another highlight. The students toured US Food Services, absorbing the variety of jobs one company acquires, and spoke with the manager at Best Buy about job interviews.
Fun activities also took place during the day. There was a Power Showdown tournament on Wednesday morning, and there were even a few visitors who helped fill out teams for our Goal Ball tournament on Thursday morning. Students also had time to hit the Beeper Ball and skate with some local hockey players.
Evenings were always full of entertaining activities. In fact, when students first arrived on Sunday, they were given goody bags, full of items such as sunscreen, candy, and water bottles, compliments of the North Star chapter of The Council for the Education of Exceptional Children. While students hung around the school, rocking the Guitar Hero, playing numerous sports on the Wii, shooting hoops in the gym, or roasting marshmallows over a bon fire, there was plenty of time for socializing. The students had even more fun going out for supper, shopping at Columbia Mall, and getting wet and wild at an indoor water park. On Thursday, students indulged in drinks and appetizers at El Bistro while they listened to a live jazz band.
This year’s Teen Camp was a memorable time for all who were involved. It would not have been possible if it weren’t for the dedicated staff that spent much time thoughtfully planning the week. They helped these eight students allow their horizons to expand and “Focus on Life.”
The year 2008 marked 100 years that the ND Vision Service/School for the Blind has been helping the visually impaired. I am glad to be part of the ND School for the Blind Foundation Board whose mission is to help provide services to students and adults who are visually impaired. As an optometrist, I spend my days diagnosing and treating eye conditions. As many of you know, all too well, there may not be treatment available. That is where the ND Vision Service/School for the Blind and the ND School for the Blind Foundation can help. The Foundation uses money from donations and interest income from our investments to provide services to students and adults that are not otherwise funded. I have been a member of the Foundation board for a couple of years and I have learned that the Foundation board members are people who really care and want to help. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their work and years of dedication. I especially want to thank Beth Bakke Stenehjem for her work as the Foundation president and her help to me personally transitioning into that role. As the newly elected President of the Foundation Board I look forward to working with the ND Vision Service/School for the Blind. Thank you to all of you who have donated to the Foundation this year. Your generosity has helped to make a difference in the lives of those visually impaired. May you all celebrate a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!
Dr. Kari Torkelson
NDSBF President
Save the Date
Adventures in Vision
April 30 - May 1, 2009
Country Inn Suites
Fargo, ND
Guest Speaker - Tom Sullivan
Mark Your Calendars
Tom Sullivan
Thursday, April 30, 2009 7:00 pm
South High School Theatre
Fargo, ND
Blind from birth, Tom has followed “Sullivan’s Rules” (developed by Tom and his father when Tom was a boy) to live a life filled with enviable achievements. As a musician, Tom has performed on The Tonight Show, composed scores for film and television, and performed The Star-Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl. As an author, he started with the best-selling If You Could See What I Hear and has most recently published Seeing Lessons: 14 Life Secrets I’ve Learned Along the Way. Many people know Tom as a special correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America, for whom he contributed countless reports that embodied his “you can do it” attitude. Tom is thrilled for the opportunity to reach out to the eye care community with his own story to highlight the importance of eye care professionals to patients struggling with lost or diminished sight. This is a wonderful experience and personal journey that will entertain and inspire all who attend.
NDVS/SB to Celebrate Bicentennial of Louis Braille's Birth in 2009
Nearly two hundred years ago, on January 4, 1809, a young Frenchman was born who would revolutionize the lives of people who are blind. That young man was Louis Braille, himself blinded in an accident at a very early age. And the product of his genius, of course, was braille, the raised-dot system that has made printed material accessible to individuals around the world who have vision limitations.
In January, 2009, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind will begin a celebration of Louis Braille's genius. Students participating in programming at NDVS/SB's Grand Forks center will celebrate Louis Braille's bicentennial birthday with "braille" treats and fun braille activities. Further activities throughout the year will encourage students around the state to celebrate the significance of Louis Braille's contributions.
Be sure to watch for a short article on Louis Braille's life in the May Reaching Out!
Choice Financial and Delta Gamma paired up to present the Grand Forks community with Choice Financial’s 1st Annual Corn Maze. The corn maze was located in Grand Forks across from Choice Financial. The event included candy, pumpkins, and face painting for the children. Over 700 people attended and almost $1000.00 was raised. The proceeds were donated to North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind.
Upcoming Summer Programming
| "Focus on Life" | Teen Camp | June 7-12, 2009 |
| "Kidz" Camp | (Grades 1-6) | August 3-7,2009 |
| Adult Weeks | June 21-July 3, 2009 |
REACHING OUT is published by the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind, an agency funded by the state of North Dakota for the benefit of people with visual impairments. ND Vision Services/School for the Blind is a division of the ND Department of Public Instruction.
REACHING OUT is available in alternative formats upon request.
Please send comments to:
REACHING OUT
ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
500 Stanford Road
Grand Forks, ND 58203-2799
Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Dr. Wayne G. Sanstead
Superintendent, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind:
Carmen Grove Suminski, csuminsk@nd.gov
Editor, REACHING OUT:
Cheryl Misialek, cmisiale@nd.gov
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© Copyright 2007. North Dakota Vision Services. All rights reserved |
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