Kaleidoscope
BEMS Parent Newsletter - February 12, 2021

Dates to Remember
Feb. 13 - Parent Love and STEM Workshop
Feb. 15 - NO SCHOOL
Feb. 17 - Parent Braille Class
Feb. 26 - School Advisory Committee/Title 1 Meeting (10:00)
(email Ms. Fertsch for meeting link if you would like to join fertsche@fsdbk12.org)

Ms. Fertsch's Files
Greetings BEMS Families,
February has been quite a busy month already. Our students completed winter MAP testing, reached 100 Days of School, are celebrating Black History Month, Presidents’ Day, and are anticipating Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner. Students have been active in and out of the classroom as they continue to progress in their academic studies, related services programs, extracurricular activities, and social-emotional skills. As always, we appreciate your patience and support as we continue to navigate this unusual school year. We value you and know that you face challenges at home, whether your student is here on campus or learning from home. Let us continue to work together and reach out to one another to support the best outcomes for our students.
We are proud of our FSDB family and we celebrate the partnership we have with you in preparing our students to meet life’s challenges with courage, confidence, and pride. Wishing you good health and many happy moments as we continue together on this journey.

Lunch Information
As always, the Food menu can be found under the LINKS section at the end of each Kaleidoscope issue.


Ms. Carla's students Mackenzie and Takiah placing pet blankets into the Pet Supplies collection bin.
Pet Supplies and Food Bank Drives
Edith Stein, Social Studies Teacher, NJHS Sponsor, Outdoor Club Sponsor
The BMS National Junior Honor Society members are holding a Pet Supplies drive. The Blind Dept. Outdoor Club is holding a food drive.
Donations can be dropped off in collection boxes by Cary White 115, the BEMS office, or Bryant Hall. If your student is a day student, you can leave donations by the drop off area and we will pick them up before 8 AM in the mornings.
The Pet Supplies will benefit Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue. They need everything!
The food bank donations will benefit the St. Johns Ecumenical Food Pantry. They are in need of canned fruit and veggies, pasta and sauce, peanut butter and jelly, and cloth reusable grocery bags.


Black History Month Studies
In BMS General Music Class, the students are reading about then listening to musical excerpts that follow the book timeline each day for the following famous musicians:
Week 1 – Coretta Scott King
Week 2 – Aretha Franklin
Week 3 – Louis Armstrong
Week 4 – Duke Ellington
(Books used: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/DWY/who-was )
Students in the Dorm learned about Cary A. White, for whom an FSDB dorm is named: Cary A. White, Sr. Complex, Florida School for Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, FL| VISIT FLORIDA

Braille Classes
Class Schedule
- Feb 17 – Alphabetic Word Signs
- Mar 24 – Strong Contractions
- Apr 21 – Strong Group Signs
- May 26 – Strong Word Signs
For more information, contact:
April Wallace, Braille Specialist
Phone: 904-827-2355

O & M Intern at FSDB
Nature Walk
During Shawn’s O&M lesson, he wanted to explore the new walkway along the intercoastal waterway. During the lesson, Shawn was able to observe the tide going out. He observed several Great Egrets and Cannonball Jellyfish. Shawn learned about the movement of tides, what brackish water is, and how quickly the water level changes as the tide moves.
Neighborhood O & M Lesson
Jennifer Enache, Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Arabella has been working in the Genopoly neighborhood for several years. She has learned the name of the streets and the cardinal directions associated with the streets. On her lesson this week, Arabella followed cardinal directions to complete a route to and from a determined location. Arabella was able to execute an 8 block route to and from Ray Charles Apartments to Douglas Avenue & Nelmar Avenue. She was able to complete her secret mission by determining which corner of the neighborhood the cardinal directions led her to. Arabella was so proud of her accomplishment!
Tactile Heart Decorative Poster created by staff in dorm

Middle School Girls dorm makes "Breakfast for Dinner"

Love, Literacy & PBiS in the Library
Joy Carriger, Media Services Specialist
K-5 Blind Elementary Students celebrated how books and reading teach us about being respectful, responsible, and cooperative. Students met in the library where they each received a PBiS 'Readers Are Leaders' T-Shirt and discussed examples from books that teach us about positive behavior. Then students listened to the story Have You Filled a Bucket Today which teaches that we are all responsible for being kind and focuses on the PBiS trait of the month, compassion. Students got to decorate their own magnetic bookmarks that work with twin vision braille books and each student received their own copy of the book!
Figurative Language in Song
Justyn Keller, English Language Arts Teacher
The BEMS ELA Class recently completed a study on Figurative language. To assess students understanding of various forms of figurative language (alliteration, allusion, hyperbole, idiom, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, symbolism, etc.), students were tasked with identifying these literary devices in song lyrics. Choosing any number of songs from any artist, students put their headphones on and jammed out to some tunes, all in the name of learning and education. Below, two submission examples are provided:
Example 1:
· Figurative Device: Allusion
· Song/Artist: Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio
· Excerpt: "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…"
· Explanation: In this line, Coolio compares the "streets" to the "valley of the shadow of
death," which is a biblical reference regarding life's obstacles from the book of Psalms. Seemingly, Coolio considers his lifestyle as filled with dangers and snares, one that is not easily escaped.
Example 2:
· Figurative Device: Personification
· Song/Artist: Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
· Excerpt: " I walk this empty street, on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, where the city
sleeps…"
- Explanation: In this line, the band personifies the city by offering it the human characteristic of exhaustion and the action of sleep. Cities, being non-living things, cannot sleep, and so the author is seemingly referring to the city's stillness and reduced noise at night.
D & B Designs Designs Cane Pouches
D&B Designs generously donated 60 cane pouches to the Orientation and Mobility Department. The students in the class designed and printed the cane pouches. Many of the students in the blind department use the cane pouches to store their cane and other small items. The cane pouches are a way for our students to always have their canes with them; so they are ready to use them whenever they may need them. The pouches are also a great way to store the cane while being fashionable. On February 10th during 7th and 8th period, the O&M staff took students to D&B Designs to pick out a new cane pouch with the assistance of the students who work there. D&B Designs is a wonderful department at our school who always assist the O&M department with our yearly White Cane Day Celebration. Thank you so much for thinking about our students and taking the time to design and produce cool cane pouches!

One Was Johnny
Mary Hanson, Speech-Language Pathologist
The ULA class studied the poem, One Was Johnny - A Counting Book by Maurice Sendak. Each student created a room with Johnny and as the poem progressed added a new character. Then Johnny counted backwards until the room was empty again.
This poem kit is in the Cary White Library in large print and braille with materials to use as the poem is read. Teachers in preK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades may want to check out and use for literacy activities involving poetry.
100 Book Challenge Met in 95 Days!
Ms. B. is proud to announce that 2 of our students reached the 100 book challenge mark today by reading the Pledge of Allegiance. They achieved their goal on the 95th day of school. Way to go boys!!!

PBS Winners
PBS Student of the Week for BES
*Week ending 2/5: Leland Rhinesmith
*Week ending 2/12: Billy Clements

Superbowl Party
Ice Cream Science
100 Days of School
Valentine's
Ms. Carla Ferber’s class created a Valentines themed bulletin board
and wrote about what they love.

Takiah: I love my family because they keep me safe.
Mackenzie: I love my cat. He is fluffy. His name is Mr. Asher.
Middle School Dorm students made valentines for the Elementary School dorm students



Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into that action.
Mother Teresa
Contact Us
BEMS Office
PH: 904-827-2739
Health Care Center
PH: 904-827-2410
VP: 904-201-3910
Transportation
PH: 800-992-8747
Kramer Hall (Elementary Dorm)
PH: 904-827-2736
Cary White Complex (Middle School Dorm)
PH: 904-827-2851
Parent Services
PH: 904-827-2212
VP: 904-201-4527
Campus Police
PH: 904-827-2315