NC ELSSP-VI Newsletter
July 2019
Each child will be honored, respected, and empowered to achieve success in school and life.
North Carolina Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children with Visual Impairments
Exceptional Children Division
Email: bethany.mayo@dpi.nc.gov
Website: www.ncelssp.com
Location: 6371 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699
Phone: (984) 292-3063
Dawson exploring wind chimes
Teacher: Lori B.
Brentley at the playground
Avalyn exploring beads
Contents
Amazing Kids -Staff
Where Are They Now - Pam Bye
LL Cool Tech Tool Tips - Lori Bartram, Lori Persinger
Items of Interest - Lin Causey, Marigail Matthijs
What's Been Going on with ELSSP/VI-Angel Wallace, Paula Roten
Professional Development Opportunities- Lin Causey
Staff Birthdays for July
Photo/Video Credits
Where Are They Now?
I had the privilege of working with Lindy when she was in preschool. Despite her visual impairment and hearing impairment Lindy has thrived at home, school and in the community. Lindy is the perfect example of how VI and HI services can have a positive impact on a child’s life and how a child can compensate with a dual sensory loss. This is what her father had to say:
“Lindy was born extremely premature at 25 weeks gestation in July 2007. Lindy spent the first 143 days of her life in three different Neonatal ICU’s in Winston-Salem and Durham. Although Lindy has some functional vision, she is legally blind as a result of her prematurity. She also has severe hearing loss and requires hearing aids in both ears. Despite the challenges of her premature birth, Lindy has been able to participate and flourish in mainstream classrooms throughout her school career. She is getting ready to finish fifth grade at Sherwood Forest Elementary School in Winston-Salem, where she has finished sixth in her school spelling bee, performed in two school plays, and served as a member of the Safety Patrol. Next year she will attend Jefferson Middle School, where she looks forward to having her own locker and learning to speak French. At home, Lindy enjoys reading and going outside to jump on the trampoline with her twin brother Will.
Lindy recently joined the first all-girls Scouts BSA troop in Forsyth County. Along with her fellow scouts, Lindy has camped out on both really cold and really hot weekends, flown in a small airplane, and forged her initials with metal in a blacksmith’s forge. Lindy is proud to have recently earned her Scout rank and excited to continue working on earning her Disabilities Awareness merit badge, part of which involves Lindy offering a presentation to her troop about thoughtful interactions with people with disabilities.
Lindy’s great love is dogs. Lindy can name and describe the characteristics of practically all of the 167 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. Lindy enjoys training dogs and visiting her local Humane Society when she can. Lindy especially loves guide dogs and service dogs and wants more than anything to have one of her own one day. Lindy has become friends with a young woman who recently graduated from Wake Forest University and who has been a puppy raiser for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Through this young woman, Lindy and her family have had the great fun of housing guide dogs-in-training for overnight stays on seven different occasions as the dogs have been transported to different places along the East Coast.
Lindy has been able to grow up into such a vibrant young girl and to experience the richness of life because of the support she has received since her earliest days, especially from her Governor Morehead (now ELSSP/VI) and Deaf and Hard of Hearing teachers, who started serving her when she was just home from the hospital. Lindy and her family will be forever grateful to them.”
LL Cool Tech Tool Tips
Items of Interest
Surf Camp
Visually Impaired Camp In Memory of Anita Lathan
July 16,17, and 18
Access 10
Mallard St, Wrightsville Beach, NC
Registration requires a donation, even if it's just $1
Indojaxsurfschool.com
Seat Belt Cover
What's Been Going on with ELSSP/VI
Developing Literacy in Young Children Birth Through Five Years: A Make and Take Opportunity
Greenville, NC
Regional Meetings
June 13
Professional Development Opportunities
July 9, 2019, Online Training: Building Great Relationships with Families FREE Webinar
September 12-14, 2019, 66th Annual NCAEYC Conference Raleigh Convention Center
November 20–23, 2019 2019 NAEYC Annual Conference Nashville, TN
Ongoing, Building Partnerships with Families Series FREE Webinars
Use the Relationship-based Practices: Talking with Families about Developmental Concerns to practice your skills in using relationship-based practices with families.
The FREE series is on demand. It does not offer a certificate upon completion, so to receive IT credit the individual should attach the following to their “NC ITP Documentation of Continuing Professional Development” form:
Available slides, handouts, documents, and other training materials associated with the training;
A statement about how the training supports evidence-based practices for infants and toddlers; and
A write-up of how you will apply the information learned from the training in your work.
Ongoing, Engaging Fathers in Early Learning, FREE Online Training
The module can be used in a CDSA group training setting or an individualized professional development experience.
This FREE training is on demand. It does not offer a certificate upon completion, so to receive IT credit the individual should attach the following to their “NC ITP Documentation of Continuing Professional Development” form:
Available slides, handouts, documents, and other training materials associated with the training;
A statement about how the training supports evidence-based practices for infants and toddlers; and
A write-up of how you will apply the information learned from the training in your work.
Contact hours obtained from taking the above professional development opportunities may be used towards the maintenance of the ITF certificate. For more information about the professional development opportunities, please click the links provided above.
Photo/Video Credits
NC ELSSP-VI Staff