OSSB Panther Paws News
Monday - May 10, 2021
Ohio State School for the Blind
Principal, Michelle Wagner
Assistant Superintendent, Al LaBarre
Superintendent, Lou Maynus
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
MAY
- May 3-27 - Little NC Afterschool sports
- May 12 - Senior Lunch
- May 12 - Girls on the Run Celebratory Race - 3:15 - 4:00pm OSSB Track
- May 17 - Senior Parent ZOOM Meeting, 6:30 pm
- May 19 - Junior/Senior Prom
- May 31 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
JUNE
- June 3 - Graduation
- June 4 - Last Day of School
- June 7 - 18 - Extended Learning Plan - more information coming soon!
Congratulations to the 2021 OSSB Track Team!
The OSSB Panther Track Team completed their season last Wednesday with the conference championship meet. Coach Bailey and Coach Heath would like to thank all of the volunteers and fans that came out to support the team.
The Lady Panthers had another successful season placing second overall with 123.5 points. This year’s team was led by a mixture of veterans and 1st year athletes. Team members included: Makayla, Myah, and Savannah as new members and Sumaya, Kurtacee, and Jana as returning members. All six members contributed points to the eventual 2nd place finish.
Class A:
- Makayla had a second place finish in the 600 meters, 3rd place finish in the 60 meters, and 4th place in the long jump. Makayla’s 600 time was a personal best of 4:32
- Myah placed 1st in the 60 meters, 1st in the long jump, 1st in 3 consecutive jump, and 3rd in the 600 meters. Myah had an outstanding first meet. Her 1st place jump of 14 feet ½ inch in the 3 consecutive is even more amazing considering she just learned the event one week before the conference meet
Class B:
- Kurtacee placed 1st in the shot put with a distance of 19 feet 2 ½ inches. This is the second year in a row that Kurtacee was a champion in an event.
- Jana, placed 5th in the long jump, and 2nd in the 60 meters and mile run. Jana set a new personal best in the mile with a time of 8 minutes 29 seconds. Jana also placed 2nd in the Class C 800 meters (half mile). Since the meet was held after school we didn’t have enough time to spread the distance events out over several hours. Jana ran the 800 meters (half mile) and the 1600 meters (mile) with less than an hour to rest. This made her times that much more impressive!
Class C:
- Savannah had a 10th place finish in the long jump, 9th place finish in the 60 meters, and a 5th place finish in the 400 meters. Savannah’s time in the 400 was a personal best of 2 minutes 20 seconds. This was the first time Savannah broke 3 minutes and a personal best by over 40 seconds. Rounding out this year’s team is Samaya Hassan. Sumaya was back for her second year as a major contributor for the team.
- Sumaya placed 4th in the 60 meters, 3rd in the 400 meters, and 2nd in both the triple jump and shot put. This is the first year Sumaya participated in the shot put and triple jump. Sumaya proved to be the most versatile member of the team participating in sprints, strength, and jumping events.
The OSSB Boys Team was few in numbers, but very efficient racking up three 1st places and three 2nd place finishes between its two members. Marwan and Ely carried the team to a 6th place finish out of 9 teams.
Ely is the most improved member of the track team since last year. Ely placed 7th in both the Class C, 60 meters and long jump this season. Ely added the Class C 800 meters and shot put to his events this year, placing 2nd in the 800 and 1st in shot put. Ely ran a personal best of 3 minutes and 43 seconds in the 800. His shot put throw of 17 feet and 11 ½ inches was more than a foot further than his nearest competitor giving Ely his first conference championship.
Marwan is a veteran team member and a past conference Outstanding Track Athlete award winner. Once again this year Marwan did not disappoint with two 1st place and two 2nd place finishes. In Class B Marwan earned 2nd place finishes in both the 60 meters and shot put and a 1st place finish in the high jump. Marwan also had a 1st place finish in the Class C 400 meters with a time of 1 minute and 13 seconds. Marwan has been our top point producer over the past three years and is our only graduating senior. Best of luck to Marwan, you will be sorely missed.
This year’s track season only happened due to the diligent work by OSSB Athletic Director, Alison Brewer-Wood and the other conference athletic directors. Under the present situation the easy answer would have been to cancel the season. It is only because of their leadership that the kids were able to have a season. A big thank you, Mrs. Brewer-Wood.
OSSB Girls On The Run Season Finishes, May 12th - Celebrate With Us On The OSSB Track
The Girls on the Run program provides students with the opportunity to engage in activities that are not only fun but also educate students in varying areas of their lives promoting their physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being. Practices have been held twice a week for 8 weeks where girls have had fun, explored valuable lessons, and found joy in physical activity!
Our season will conclude with a Girls on the Run Race! Please come and cheer our students on as they walk/run the track for a 30 minute time period. We are asking everyone to remember to wear their masks and maintain social distancing during the event. They will start around 3:15 pm and end around 3:45 pm.
Please contact Courtney Hunkele or Sally Williams know if you have any questions!
Photo shows 2019 Girls on the Run Team and Coaches in Downtown Columbus.
Turn That Trash Into Cash
OSSB and the OSSB Parent Teacher Staff Organization are excited to announce that we are now partnered with Terracycle! Haven’t heard of Terracycle? In a nutshell, Terracycle is a recycling organization that coordinates with participating companies who pay to get their products or packing materials back after you use them. Each time you recycle participating products with Terracycle, you earn points for your chosen nonprofit. Those points translate into money to help OSSB PTSF with their mission to support OSSB students and staff.
Does your family use Kroger Brand Products, Colgate oral care products, or Swiffer products? Do you have any broken V Tech or Hasbro toys at home? Do you filter your water with a Brita filter? These are just a few of the manufactures that have recycling programs that earn points.
HOW IT WORKS
- Participating is completely free and very easy.
- Sign up for your free account at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/
- From there you can request a free shipping label or collection bag and start collecting your products! Each time you recycle, you earn points!
- To make sure the points go to the Ohio State School for the Blind PTSF, go to your “Profile”. From there look for the “My Impact” tab. Search for Ohio State School for the Blind PTSF in the drop down menu.
If you have any questions about how to get started, feel free to reach out to Emily Russell at erussell@osdb.oh.gov.
Circle of Security Parent Program - for OSSB Elementary Parents!
Are you at your WITS END with parenting your child?
Do you desire to have a more CONNECTED relationship with your child?
Tuesday June 8th- Friday June 11th and
Tuesday June 15th- Friday June 18th
9:00 am to 10:30 each day
Join OSSB School Psychologist, Dr. Amanda Pickerill and Lauri Kaplan, OSSB Parent Mentor for this 8-part ZOOM workshop on Parenting with Circle of Security.
During these classes:
· learn how to be attuned to your child’s needs
· learn ways to maintain your own emotional state while responding to your child’s needs in a healthy way
· see a decrease in problem behaviors, and an increase in attachment with your child
Questions???
Please contact Amanda Pickerill at pickerill@osdb.oh.gov, or by calling 614-387-0183.
Tuesday, Jun 8, 2021, 09:00 AM
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OSSB Social Media
Resources and Workshops for Students and Families
Learning Aid Ohio - Applications Due May 15th
Supplemental learning support for students with disabilities
$2,000 summer learning grants available for qualifying students.
Spots are limited! Enrollment will be open through May 15th.
A free resource available this summer for Ohio students with IEPs.
- Students are eligible if they are an Ohio resident,
- have an IEP or 504 Plan, and
- household income is at or below 400% of federal poverty guidelines. (For example: Family of 4 - $104,800.)
Families may be awarded up to $2,000 to use toward approved summer programs and tutoring in an effort to help bridge the gap during the pandemic.
Spots are limited! Applications must be in by May 15th.
Lighthouse Guild Tele-Support Programs for Parents and Teens
Support is a Phone Call Away!
A strong support network can be vital in helping you through tough times, whether it is receiving news of a vision diagnosis or coping with vision loss. For many people, a vision-related support group may fill a gap between medical treatment and the need for emotional support. Medical professionals may not provide the type of emotional support you need. Family members may not fully understand the impact of a vision diagnosis in your life. Participating in a tele-support group among people with shared experiences can help.During this past year, Lighthouse Guild’s Tele-Support Network has become an emotional and social lifeline for many parents of children with vision loss, teens, young adults, and adults from all over the country. Participants in the tele-support groups share everyday struggles, offer advice on coping with vision loss and stay informed about helpful resources. All while feeling supported by others going through similar experiences. Parenting a child with vision impairment can feel isolating, and navigating a world filled with new obstacles can be overwhelming, but you do not have to face it alone. For more information, please call 212-769-6318.
ACB Ohio Scholarship Window Opens
The American Council of the Blind of Ohio offers six scholarships each academic year. The application and reference forms may be downloaded from www.acbohio.org or requested by calling our office at 614-261-3561 or 800-835-2226. They have scholarships for entering freshmen, undergraduates, and graduate students. Applications are due in August.
An applicant must be an Ohio resident or attend an Ohio school in a two-year or more post-secondary degree program, be legally blind (except for the NOLA WEBB-MCKINNEY SCHOLARSHIP), have a 3.0 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale, and be willing to attend the 2021 ACB-Ohio convention.
Send the completed application packet to ACB-Ohio Scholarship Committee, 3805 N. High Street, Suite 305, Columbus, OH 43214, or via e-mail to acbo.director@gmail.com with “Scholarship Application” in the subject field.