Website: https://www.ksb.kyschools.us
Location: 1867 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: (502) 897-1583

Fax: (502) 897-2850
Facebook: facebook.com/KYschoolfortheblind/
Twitter: @KSBWildcats

• Thursday, March 30-Middle School Concert (details below)
• April 3-10-Spring Break
• April 18-19-Senior Trip A
• April 27-High School Concert (details below)
• May 1-2-Senior Trip B
• Thursday, May 4-Founder's Day
• Monday, May 8-Summative Testing Window Begins
• Thursday, May 18-Prom, 6-9pm
• Friday, May 19-Field Day (make up day May 22)
• Tuesday, May 23-8th Grade Promotion; HS Awards and Junior Ring Ceremony; Graduation
  
• Wednesday, May 24-Elementary Awards; LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
• May 30-June 2-KSB Elementary and Middle Summer Program
• June 5-9-Summer Program-Statewide Elementary and Middle
• June 12-16 Summer Program-Statewide High School; Summer Work Program
  
• June 19-23 -Summer Program KSB High School; Summer Work Program

If you have any change in phone numbers, home address, a change in bus routine or you need someone added/removed from your child’s safe pick-up list; please contact Beth or Linda in the front office.

Are you signed up for OneCall? KSB uses OneCall to send school information, including our Weekly Wildcat. If not, please contact Beth Baker at beth.baker@ksb.kyschools.us or 502-897-1583

Middle School 🎤

What: Recital featuring KSB middle schoolers

When: Thursday, March 30th at 1:30 PM

Where: KSB cafeteria

Attire for performers: Dress nice please!

If there are questions about the concert in general, please email Ms. Roark. If you have questions about what your child is playing or if they are going to be featured as part of a group or solo, please email Mr. Honey and/or Mr. White.

High School 🎤

What: Recital featuring KSB high schoolers who take lessons one/one or in a group format.

When: Thursday, April 27th 1:15 P.M.

Where: KSB cafeteria

Attire for performers: Dress nice please!

If there are questions about the concert in general, please email Ms. Roark. If you have questions about what your child is playing or if they are going to be featured as part of a group or solo, please email Mr. Honey and/or Mr. White.

Summer School:

KSB is excited to offer summer school programming for statewide students again this year. The dates and times for the program are listed below. KSB dorms will be open with limited space for all programs. Transportation is not provided by KSB. There is no cost for our programming this year.

Deadline for applications is March 29, 2023.

KSB Elementary/Middle: May 30-June 2 (9A-3P)

KSB & Statewide Elementary and Middle: June 5-9 (9A-3P)

KSB & Statewide High School: June 12-16 (9A-3P)

KSB High School: June 19-23 (9A-3P)

The registration form can be found here: https://forms.gle/bLTgmMsqdYRF41E7A

Please contact Kyrstin Price or Michael Coffey with any questions.

Summer Work Program:

KSB is happy to offer summer work opportunities for statewide students who are blind and visually impaired again this summer. Please see below for the requirements for eligibility. Apply here:

https://forms.gle/7sVsaaBsSNrg8iZ2A

Deadline for applications is March 29, 2023.

Summer Work Program Requirements:

1. Open to students aged 15 or older, up to age 20, by June 1, 2023. (Note: Program IS open to seniors graduating in May 2023.)

2. Students will complete a morning career class before departing for work each morning.

3. Student will need to complete all components of the application process.

Application process components are as follows:

• Summer Work Program Student Application
• 2 Letters of Recommendation (Letters of recommendation CANNOT be completed by a family member)
• Student Resume

4. Students are expected to complete an interview with the Summer Work Program coordinators. These interviews will be complete either in-person, online or over the phone.

5. Students and parent(s) must attend a mandatory orientation meeting prior to the start of the Summer Work Program, following student registration at Kentucky School for the Blind.

6. Students are paid through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Students will need to be considered vendors/consumers through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Please contact Bo Mullins or Kyrstin Price if you have any questions.

High School

11th and 12th grade are writing a rhetorical analysis essay of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. They have analyzed the speech and are now explaining how King uses rhetorical devices to create ethos, pathos, and logos, making this speech one of the most persuasive and effective in history.

9th and 10th grades (along with Mr. Johnson’s 8th grade) are finishing up writing plays with the help of Actor’s Theatre and Arts for All Kentucky. Four of the completed plays will be read aloud by the Braille Readers Theatre next week. We are looking forward to watching our work come to life!

Middle School

In middle school, the 8th grade students are finishing up their plays! They have been working hard with revising, formatting, etc. to make the best possible plays. I am very proud of all their hard work. A few of the high school and middle school students will have their plays read aloud by the Braille Readers Theatre next week!

The 6th and 7th graders are moving right along in Percy Jackson Book 2. They have loved both books and enjoy reading/performing as the characters in the novel (much like a play). The students are improving in fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Elementary

5th Grade ELA: We are continuing to work our way through Hidden Figures. We’ve been learning to use resources such as the index, glossary, and technology to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Did you know that Chuck Yeager was the first pilot to break the sound barrier?

2nd Grade ELA: We are working on story elements such as character and setting. We’ve also been working on reading fluently and using our skills to decode unfamiliar words.

ELA students in Kindergarten and First Grade caught a leprechaun last week after designing a special trap with flowers, coins, and beautiful artwork. They loved all the tricks and chocolate gold coin treats the leprechaun brought with him. This week students are reading, "The Day the Crayons Quit". Students are enjoying reading the book and adding their own special touch to the books. Students continue to work on story elements with a focus on details to describe the characters and events in the story. Students are working on color sight words and word work with the vowel i.

Elementary ECC technology continues to work on our keyboarding skills with the use of Talking Typer or Typing.com. We also have been reviewing and being introduced to new shortcut keys; save, print, all, cut, copy, paste, undo, and redo.

In 6th and 8th grade Computer and Technology Concepts classes, students are continuing to learn about Microsoft Excel with some digital citizenship lessons. They learned about their digital footprint and Googled their names to see what kind of sites might have mentioned them. Ask them why it is important to not post too much personal information about themselves on social media and online in general.

The staff/faculty vending machine is almost ready to go. School Store students have gone around to teachers and staff to survey them about what kinds of items they would like to see in the vending machine. Soon, students will learn how to load the machine with inventory.

Short Course sessions continue this spring and students have been attending several field trips which allow them to build new ECC skills and apply their current skills to new environments. Middle school students attended two trips, one to the Louisville Orchestra and one to the Kentucky Science Center. Short course middle school students also got the opportunity to eat lunch off campus after their trip to the science center.

They got an opportunity to learn about tumbling when the Asbury Tumbling team came to KSB to perform. The students were able to try out the team’s trampolines and do floor stunts with the assistance of the team members.

In addition, the short course middle schoolers have been working on building their daily living skills. Specifically, they have been working on developing menus and determining how much food they will need in order to feed a certain number of people. They have also been working on food safety and food storage skills, determining where to store different items and how to prevent contamination while cooking meat.

These students have also been working toward stronger advocacy, organization, and interpersonal skills. These skills have been honed through discussion with teachers and peers and activities designed to have students interact with one another in meaningful ways. The short course middle school students have been developing time management skills through the expectation that they work on their school work and complete assignments in a timely manner while at KSB.

Lots of happenings in KSB Athletics this last few weeks!!! KSB JV Athletics worked the month of February and early March to introduce our sports offerings. While we were sad we had to cancel our annual event against Ohio and Indiana, we were extremely excited to showcase our JV Athletes and all they had been working on this season on Wednesday, March 15. Be on the lookout for the video presentation of our JV Athlete Showcase on the KSB YouTube page. Congratulations to all our athletes this season!!

KSB Athletics completed its inaugural Varsity Bowling season on Thursday, March 9. KSB competed against Varsity Bowling teams from Illinois School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Iowa School for the Visually Impaired. Teams were broken up into four categories: 7th – 9th grade boys and girls, 10th grade & up boys and girls. Kentucky School for the Blind was crowned the Conference Winner for the inaugural season! Varsity Wildcats finished as follows:

• 7th – 9th grade Boys: Cameron Jones (1st), Mikah Taylor (2nd), Caleb Robinson (4th), Hudson Lovett (5th), Wyatt Wilson(8th)
• 7th – 9th grade Girls: Gabby Garcia (3rd), Loyalty Curry-Sails (4th)
• 10th grade & up Boys: Jontae Moore (3rd), Colten Peters (4th), EJ Holden (16th)
• 10th grade & up Girls: TaMyah Jordan (3rd), Sophia Thompson (7th), Mahogany Taylor (9th)

Congrats to our Bowling Cats!!

Varsity Athletics is in its last season for this school year. Varsity Swimming and Forensics has begun! Forensics team members will be notified of their weekly practice time. Swim team will have the following practice schedule the week of March 27:

• Pool Days (5:15 from KSB; return to KSB at 8:00) – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Dry Land Practice @ KSB: Tuesday 3:00 – 4:30

• Wednesday, April 12-Forensics ISBVI Virtual Day Meet
• April 14-15-ISVI Swim Invitational, Illinois
• April 25-29- Forensics NCASB Conference Championships
• April 28-29-NCASB Swimming Conference Championships, Ohio

The residential program accepts used clothing that you may have and no longer need. You may donate your used clothing, accessories, shoes, etc. to the dormitory as a tax deductible donation. You would receive a letter as a receipt of the charitable donation that can be used on your taxes. If donating, please clearly identify the items and send them to Allison Chandler, Residential Director. Please accept our gratitude in advance for any donations.

*** Please note that we need everything from 4T through Adult’s XL (Boys and Girls) and Shoes Sizes children’s size 10 through Adult Men’s size 14 and Women’s size 11**

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation is accepting applications for Coca-Cola Merit Scholarships through May 31st

The Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), in partnership with Coca-Cola, will be awarding four $5,200 merit scholarships for entering freshmen, undergraduate and graduate students, who will be enrolled in an accredited college or technical program for Fall 2023. OVR, who administers the scholarship program, will award the scholarships to four consumers who are legally blind, to help with educational financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board and assistive technology.

To be eligible to compete for a scholarship, applicants must be an OVR consumer with an IPE, be legally blind, have maintained at least a 2.75 GPA, and be enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited educational program for the 2023-24 school year. Students must submit their application and all required materials by May 31st.

For more information about the scholarship program, and to obtain an application, please visit Coca-Cola & Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Scholarship - Kentucky Career Center.

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