DMS Newsletter
February 23, 2024
Ms. Newton's Notes
Hello DMS Families!
Comprehensive Needs Assessment
Hello parents! We need you input for our Title I spending and planning for next year. Please take a moment to review our data. Then fill out this quick survey with ideas.
Reminder: CALLING ALL PARENTS
A group of parents would like to set up a team that would like to help out in the school. This help could be changing out bulletin boards, prepping materials, hosting after school art events or helping with celebrations. This would be a parent run team. If you are interested in being involved, please email: fsdb.msparentgroup@gmail.com
All the best!
Karen Newton
Assistant Principal
Ms. Newton's Notes in ASL
Safety Education Fair
The Annual Safety Education Fair was held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at the Kramer Bus Loop.
This campus-wide event is designed to promote personal safety awareness for youth and adolescents. Students from all grade levels attended with their teachers and other school staff. The scope of this year’ event was expanded and included a “wellness” feature for students including both physical and mental health information: dental hygiene, nutrition, stress reduction activities, and First Aid/CPR.
Students traveled from station-to-station and met with various agency partners learn about safety prevention tips, avoiding unsafe acts, and the education and experience needed for various safety careers. Further, the students were provided with “hands-on” experience exploring equipment such as police vehicles and forest fire equipment, a helicopter, protective clothing, using a fire extinguisher to put out a simulated fire, water safety equipment, impaired driving, experiencing a ride in an autonomous vehicle, meeting animals such as police dogs and an alligator.
The agencies that participated in this year’s event are as follows:
City of St. Augustine Police and Fire Departments
City of St. Augustine Environmental Compliance
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
Florida Department of Agriculture – Forestry Division
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Florida Highway Patrol
FSDB Campus Police
FSDB Mental Health Department
FSDB PE/Health Department
Honeywell
Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
National Weather Service
Poison Control
St. Attorney’s Office
St. Augustine Lifesaving Association
St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office
St. Johns County Fire Rescue
State Fire Marshall
University of Florida Dental Services
University of Florida Health/Trauma One
This annual event is organized through representatives from the following departments: Training and Quality Assurance (TQA), Police Services, Safety and Facilities Operations, PBiS/Character Education Program, and Transportation.
Check out the event photos:
Children Solving Problems
By Karen Kolkedy,
School Counselor and PBIS District Coordinator
Our last article related to Building Resilience through Character Education was on Critical Thinking. When teaching students to critically think we need to encourage children to examine evidence, to ask questions and to think about different opinions and perspectives. This all takes time, yet it is important to critically think so that one can solve problems to the best of their ability and to come up with possibly the best solution.
Many of our middle schoolers and high schoolers, both deaf and blind, have been involved in the Second Step Curriculum as elementary schoolers. An important part of this curriculum is to teach students how to be calm as they work at solving problems. Students are taught how to catch once they are moving into an uncalm state. They are taught how to stop and name the feeling they are feeling whether it be anger, frustration, sadness or some other feeling. Tools to calm down are shared with the student. Strategies to calm down could include breathing, counting, or using positive self talk and affirmations.
From a more calm space a student may be ready to problem solve. It is important to identify the problem, to say the problem. The students are taught to say the problem without blame. From there they think of a number of solutions. Students brainstorm solutions that are safe and respectful. The students are taught to explore the consequences--- positive and negative--- of what would happen if they choose each solution. Finally, students are encouraged to pick what they think is the best solution and make the plan to follow through with that solution. If the solution ends up needing to be changed or revised the students are taught to adjust their plan.
Students are encouraged to be self determined and problem solve to the best of their ability. We encourage you to give your children opportunities to solve problems and guide them as they problem solve.
Our next month we will focus on Honesty, Trustworthiness and Integrity. We are looking forward to sharing with you information on these topics
As February draws to a close, spring is in the air. Better weather means our girls can get outside and play. While they enjoy a variety of activities and games, their favorite is playing basketball against the middle school boys. While we know our girls enjoy their extracurricular activities, we also do our best to support and encourage their academic success. Knowing how crucial reading and literacy is to future success, we try to encourage our girls to read as much as they can. One way is through our dorm’s reading contest. Each 15 minutes of reading equals one line signed on their reading log. At the end of each quarter, the student on the first and second floors who have read the greatest number of lines are treated to Domino’s pizza. Second and third place on each floor receive a gift basket. This quarter the gift basket was a “movie night” theme.
On Tuesday, February 13th the recreation department hosted a Valentine’s Party for the deaf middle school boys and girls. Our girls dressed to the nines for an evening of dancing and fun. This week our girls enjoyed a walking trip downtown. They saw the Castillo de San Marcos and played on the fort green and went to McDonalds. The girls worked on travel skills and money skills as part of our independent living skills curriculum. The girls will be going off campus again on 2-28-24, feel free to send a little spending money for your child.
Students go home for spring break on March 8th. The girls will be bringing home all their clothes at that time so they can begin to transition to a warmer weather wardrobe.
February 7th, the Mclane boys traveled to Flagler College to watch a basketball game against USC Aiken. The game was a thriller, but Flagler Saints lost to Aiken 83 to 102. Nevertheless, the boys had fun! They talked about the game all night long after returning to the dorm.
Congratulations are due to the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter winners- Naruto team (1W pod) and Dragons team (2W)- for scoring the most House Points. Naruto team also won the first semester for having the most overall points. Javion G., the 8th grader, earned the most individual points in both the 1st quarter and 2nd quarter. Way to go, Javion! The winners will earn a trip to Sonny's restaurant on February 15th. Other teams that won 2nd and 3rd place, will enjoy the pizza, popcorn, and movie.
In upcoming weeks, Mclane will start tournaments- knockout, challenge, and round-robin- where the students will compete with each other individually and in teams over the games of Table Tennis, Foosball, Nintendo Switch, and Kahoot. They will enjoy weekly prizes for winning. The boys are already looking forward to them as soon as we brought it up recently.
Sunday, February 11 was the Super Bowl! The boys had fun watching the game, it was a hot game. We had pizza, chips, cupcakes, and drinks while we rooted for our favorite teams. Who did you root for?
Our wonderful Mclane staff continues teaching the boys the daily living skills, such as cooking, cleaning, and demonstrating responsibility by staying on top of their daily chores without being reminded. The last curriculum we taught the boys was about money. We taught them how to identify, count, and budget their money. Everybody enjoyed this activity and most of them found this to be very educational.
Our middle school students are now finished with their Winter sports and are moving on to Spring sports- Track and Flag football. Those who are not playing enjoy going to games and cheering on our FSDB teams. They also are looking forward to the warmer weather so they can play outdoor activities more often. They especially love playing 4 square and basketball outside.
Please remember if you are making any changes for your child’s plans to go home for the weekend, Kim Moore, Administrative assistant needs to be contacted. You can text or call her at 904-827-2600 or send her an email at Moorek@fsdbk12.org. She is the person that coordinates things with the dorms, transportation, and HCC.
Have a good weekend everyone.
Hello from FSDB Parent Services Department,
These events are the perfect opportunity to meet other FSDB families. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Don't forget to check out the Parent Services page to see all upcoming events. We hope you are able to join in on the fun!
Parent Services | Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (fsdbk12.org)
Orlando Magic Inclusion Night
Exciting news to announce! The FSDB Blinding Lights Show Choir will sing the National Anthem at the Orlando Magic's Magic of Inclusion Night on Thursday, March 21st, at 7 PM. Anyone interested in attending the game can purchase tickets at the link below. Come out and support our Blinding Lights Show Choir! #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB
Contact Us
DMS Office
PH: 904-827-2530
VP: 904-201-4600
Health Care Center
PH: 904-827-2410
VP: 904-201-3910
Transportation
PH: 800-992-8747
Gregg Hall (Girls Dorm)
PH: 904-827-2628
VP: 904-201-4506
McLane Hall (Boys Dorm)
PH: 904-827-2624
VP: 904-201-4562
Parent Services
PH: 904-827-2212
VP: 904-201-4527
Campus Police
PH: 904-827-2315
Email: newtonk@fsdbk12.org
Website: www.fsdbk12.org/deaf-middle-school
Location: 207 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, FL, USA
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, political opinion, affiliation, marital status, genetic information, disability, veteran status or any other basis as mandated by federal and state law in its educational programs, services or activities, or in its hiring or employment practices. FSDB also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups as required by law.
Contacts for questions, complaints, or requests for additional information are as follows:
Student Discrimination/Harassment
FSDB Boarding Program Administrator
PH: 904-827-2603
Requests in writing can be sent to:
Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
207 San Marco Avenue
St. Augustine, FL 32084