OSSB Panther Paws News
Friday, January 8, 2021
Ohio State School for the Blind
Michelle Wagner, Principal
Al LaBarre, Assistant Superintendent
Lou Maynus, Superintendent
Email: lkaplan@osdb.oh.gov
Website: https://www.ossb.ohio.gov
Location: 5220 North High Street, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: 614-752-1359
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhioStateSchoolfortheBlind/
~IMPORTANT DATES~
JANUARY
15 NO SCHOOL - Records Day for Staff
18 NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Day
19 In-Person Learning resumes at OSSB
19 Goalball Practice begins
Greetings from OSSB Superintendent
Dear OSSB and OSD Communities,
Happy New Year to our OSD and OSSB communities! We leave behind what may have been the most challenging year in our lifetime. We worked together to adapt and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. We responded to our students, staff, and community needs with shared procedures and policies to keep everyone as safe as possible while moving our system forward. Our staff showed resilience through such trying times.
I have great faith in what is to come this 2021 year! The conversations I engage in with our OSD and OSSB staff and community are about hope, growth, innovation, and working to make our school environments places that deaf and blind students thrive. Although we may have taken a few punches from the pandemic, we have continued to meet goals. This second semester we will focus strongly on our mission statements and our strategic plan goals. We will concentrate on accomplishing the goals we set forth to make our school environments such that districts and families across Ohio will want to partner with us and other deaf and blind schools across the nation will want to know our secrets for success.
On a personal note, the year 2020 brought our first Buckeye grandchild, Lily Anna was born on December 7th. Our roots are starting to grow in Ohio, and we are better for it. I hope you are reenergized from a restful holiday and looking forward to as much as I am...a successful second semester at OSSB and OSD.
Sincerely,
Lou
Lou Maynus, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Message from Principal Wagner
Happy New Year! I hope all of you enjoyed a good winter break, we have now successfully completed the first week of the new year. Just a couple of reminders:
- The second quarter ends January 26th. Grade cards and progress reports will be mailed about one week after the quarter ends.
- Students will return to in-person instruction, January 19th.
- Residential students can return after 5:00 PM on January 18th.
- If you have previously told us that your child would stay virtual, and you have decided you would like them to return in-person please reach out to the school office asap 614-752-1359 or my cell phone 740-262-1614.
- IEP and ETR meetings will still be held virtually throughout the 2020-2021 school year.
~Mrs. Wagner, Principal
OSSB Yearbook - Students Photos Needed by January 31st!
Families, students and staff - We need your child's photograph for the 2020-21 OSSB Yearbook! Please take a moment to take a photograph of your child, or upload a selfie to the OSSB 2020-21 Yearbook PhotoCircle. PhotoCircle is a secure, private connection to share photographs. Mrs. Rachelle Smith, our art teacher, will combine and create this year's 'one of a kind' yearbook using your photographs. Please submit photos by January 31st, 2021.
Click on the link below to upload your photo!
OSSB 2020-21 Yearbook PhotoCircle
If you would rather email a photo of your student, please send it to Mrs. Rachelle Smith. THANK YOU!
Fitness Friday at OSSB
OSSB staff will continue offering Fitness Fridays in 2021. Each week, new and exciting exercise routines will be offered. To maximize health benefits, full and active participation is a must. Be ready to sweat! The sessions will start at 9:30 am and run for approximately 45 minutes. Proper dress is required – tennis shoes and exercise clothes. You may want to keep a water bottle nearby during the activity. We encourage everyone to join. It will be fun!
(Photo shows a zoom screen with OSSB staff: Adapted Physical Education Teacher Lisa Lyle-Henry, and teacher aides Mr. Lee, Ms. Marie, and Ms. Gilliland supporting students and working out on Friday, January 8th! Also on the zoom screen are students Scotty, Wesson, Mikaia, Jayven, Marie and Brenna in various fitness routines as they workout with their teachers)
Mrs. Henry, Ms. Gilliland, Mrs. Kallstrom, and Mr. Lee
Physical Education Class Zoom Meeting
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/9989117625?pwd=d2N2cVYzcFd5aEs3ei9IbE9hMzkvUT09
Meeting ID: 998 911 7625
Passcode: Fq36nR
Notes From OSSB Athletic Director, Alison Brewer-Wood
Goalball starts Jan. 19th in person, swim February 16th, track and field March 8th (dates subject to change). Coaches will provide more details related to location and start/end times of practices.
Day students will need to have a ride home after practice as no students will be able to stay residential this year. In addition, student-athletes need to bring athletic clothes, shoes, water bottle, and their own set of sports-specific equipment for each practice.
- Goalball: elbow pads, and googles
- Swim: swimsuit, goggles, and sandals/flipflop for the Locker room
Before the first day of practice
Please create a parent account on Finalforms and complete questions, which will take approximately 30 minutes. You will only need to answer questions when setting up the account. This information will be saved year to year for quick updates. When done it will send an email invitation for your student to create an account and sign academic and physical information as well.
Once done it will create a filled-out Physical Form to print or email to your doctor. No printer, no problem, I can also print a copy for you and send it home.
https://ossb-oh.finalforms.com/ use this website to create an account. ~ Mrs Brewer-Wood
OSSB Podcast Calling All Alumni
~ You May Be Interested In . . .
BY CLAIRE TRAGESER
Blind Students Grades 8 thru 12 Invited To Join Science Mentorship Program
Blind and visually impaired students grades 8 thru 12 are being invited to join Zenith. It is a semester-long mentoring program supported by the Department of Astronomy at The Ohio State University and SciAccess, an International conference devoted to increasing disability access in science.
This program is designed for students who are interested in space to learn more about astronomy, college life, and scientific research while connecting with a university mentor in a space-related field. They will offer virtual one-on-one and group mentorship to blind and visually impaired students in grades 8-12 from across the globe!
Zenith expects to be able to accommodate about 20 to 25 students this semester. In interested, students and parents who are interested can register below - registration will close very soon.