In Touchwith Nebraska

Inside This Issue

Vision Stakeholder TeamGathers for the AnnualMeeting

Summer Camp – OceanConnection

Long Time Employees BidFarewell to NCECBVI andSay Hello to Retirement

Nebraska Deaf-Blind Project

NEW–Regional Conver-sations to Discuss BestPractices for Students withVision Impairments

Walk-A-Thon

Senior Focus

White Cane Day

Not Just a Dorm Room

School Meals Are aHealthy Choice

Modified TI-84 PlusDesigned to Make MathMore Accessible to BlindStudents

“Not just a living, but a life…”s am u el bac on

A publication developed by theNebraska Center for the Education

of Children who are Blind orVisually Impaired

In October, several NCECBVI staffmembers attended the annual nationalmeetings in Louisville, Kentucky wherethey were once again provided withrecognition and honors. Joan Schroederwas the recipient of the Council ofSchools for the Blind/Principals ofSchools for the Blind award as the2013 Outstanding Residential LifeStaff Member.Sally Giittinger presented her with

this award and shared, “Joan has beena valuable member of the NCECBVIteam. She has a genuine love for herstudents and is in constant “kid-first”mode when making all decisions inher role. When a parent of a newstudent enrolls their child into theresidential program, there is no onebetter greeting them at the door, assuringthem as they leave their son or daughterin the hands of others. She takes greattime, energy, and patience to build therelationships with the families and staffto make the NCECBVI dormitory asafe, secure, loving and warm home-away-from-home.”A parent also shared some thoughts

in her letter of support for Joan’s

nomination:“Although allof the staff isamazing,there isalways thatone staffmember thatsticks out inmy mindand that isJoan. Joanmakes iteasy for me, as a mom, to leavemy son there because I know how hefeels about Joan and how much shecares about my son. I will never forgetthe first day of school, this year, whenit was time to move kids back into thedorm. Joan said “Hi Randy” andRandy let go of my hand and walkedto Joan with a huge smile on his faceand gave her a big hug and that’s notsomething Randy does to anyone!”Congratulations to Joan Schroeder

for receiving this well-deserved honorand recognition!

Congratulations Joan!

S p r i n g I s s u e 2 0 1 4

NCECBVI Homelife Supervisor Honoredon the National Stage

N C E C B V I page 2

Vision Stakeholder Team Gathers for the Annual MeetingNCECBVI, in collaboration with the

Nebraska Department of Education and theEducational Service Unit 4, is charged with the task ofimplementing the approved state plan and specializedservices statewide for children, families, educators,administrators and related service providers. Thepurpose of the Vision Stakeholder Team is to provideinput on NCECBVI programs and services and shareinformation with each other regarding state activities.The Vision Stakeholder Team members may be calledupon to serve on an ad hoc committee or workingcommittee as needed on specific topics in the field ofvisual impairment and/or special education.Members of the stakeholder team represents parents,

consumers, teachers of the visually impaired, orientation/mobility specialists, school administrators, the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln, the Nebraska Department of

Education, and various agencies who partner andwork with NCECBVI.Each year, NCECBVI holds an annual meeting for

the stakeholders to come together and provide animportant service. Small groups review programs/services offered by NCECBVI, review the annual reportas well as additional data provided. The groups brain-storm the strengths presented, identify data that maybe missing or questions they may have, and develop alist of ideas to consider to improve that program/service.“Our stakeholder team has an important task and

that is to be creative and insightful and provide us withvarious perspectives and ways to improve our services.We take this process very serious and do our best torespond to their ideas and input each year,”Sally Giittinger shared.

Team members discussing the various programs and services provided byNCECBVI. Pictured are: Sherri Frisbie, Omaha Public Schools, and MaryRobinson, Fremont Public Schools – both teachers of the visually impairedand certified orientation and mobility specialists.

Pictured are: Linda Plager, Region V, and Cheryl Wichman, parent.

Summer Camp Ocean CommotionJUNE 9-13, 2014

This exciting summer camp opportunity is focused on theocean along with everything that swims, floats, or lives

nearby. Hope you swim our way for this awesome camp!

page 3 N C E C B V I

Long Time Employees Bid Farewell to NCECBVI and SayHello to Retirement

NCECBVI will have a tough task ahead infilling some big shoes from three ladies who

are retiring at the end of this school year: JacqueKraenow, Fiscal Assistant; Colleen Poggemeyer, FoodService Coordinator; and Joan Schroeder, HomelifeSupervisor. These staff members have served NCECBVIfor many years – 77 years combined! Over the years,they have seen many changes in programs and servicesas well as observed numerous students who have comethrough the doors at the school. We wish them well,good health and time to spend with family and doingwhatever they please!Following are comments and thoughts from each.

Jacque KraenowForemost, I am looking forward to spending

quality time with my newest granddaughter whomade her debut February 1st. Retirement hopefullywill allow me to catch up on all those projects Ihaven‘t had time to tackle which are on my “to dosomeday” list.

I will definitely miss the opportunity to connectwith all my NCECBVI family – both co-workers andstudents on a daily basis. They have been a major part of my life for 37 years. Retirement is going tobe a whole new “learning curve”.

Colleen PoggemeyerI look forward to having more time to sew. I will miss all of the students and co-workers.

Joan SchroederI look forward to “time” that is open to last minute babysitting or drop and go to Colorado to be with

grandkids, quick get-togethers or planned gatherings with family and friends, projects that need finishedand started, gardening, reading, and taking long walks. I will dearly miss the kids and all the joy andcelebrations they have shared with me in their learning and growing. I will also miss the relationships, andI am thankful for the remarkable rewards I have gleaned from knowing and working side by side anincredible staff. Everyone will continue to hold a special place in my heart.

Standing: Joan Schroeder, Homelife Supervisor and Colleen Poggemeyer,Food Service Coordinator; Seated: Jacque Kraenow, Fiscal Assistant

N C E C B V I page 4

Nebraska

New to NCECBVI! We are excited about ourcollaboration with the Nebraska Department ofEducation, Office of Special Education, and specificallyTeresa Coonts, to administer the state deaf-blind projectover the next five years. Teresa is a Program Specialistfor NDE, Low Incidence Team Leader, and serves asProject Director for the Nebraska Deaf-Blind Project.Tanya Hilligoss, Outreach Director at NCECBVI, willserve as Project Coordinator.

What is the Nebraska Deaf-Blind Project?

“The Nebraska Project for Children Who Are Deaf-Blind provides an array of technical assistance activitiesincluding consultations through coaching using bothonsite and distance technologies; workshops andsummer institutes specific to deaf-blindness; child findactivities; support of the NE DB Family Network;maintaining a current census specific to deaf-blindnessand loan library of evidence-based materials; andcollaboration with a wide range of agencies(www.nedbp.org).”

Who can access resources and supportfrom the Project?

Parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, serviceproviders, and others who work with a student whohas a combined hearing and vision loss are welcometo contact us for information.

Does a student need to have a verification of“Deaf-Blind” to receive support from the Project?

No. Students do not need to be identified as Deaf-Blind on their MDT to receive services from the

Nebraska Deaf-Blind Project. In fact, students likelymay have another verification, such as MultipleDisabilities or Developmentally Delayed. Studentsmust have both a verified hearing loss and a vi-sion loss. Please note students do not need to be totallyblind and have a profound hearing loss. Anydegree of severity of a hearing loss and any degreeof severity of a vision loss can be combined for astudent to have a dual sensory loss as long as theymeet the verification requirement in both the areas ofvision and hearing.Look for more information about the Nebraska Deaf-

Blind Project and project initiatives in upcomingmonths. Please feel free to contact us at any time foradditional information:

Teresa Coonts, Project Directorteresa.coonts@nebraska.gov

402-595-1810

Tanya Hilligoss, Project Coordinatorthilligoss@esu4.net

402-873-5513

deaf-blind P RO J E C T

page 5 N C E C B V I

NCECBVI hosted their 1st Annual Walk-A-Thon inNovember 2013. This event was organized by staff topromote health and wellness. It also helped raise fundsto support ongoing student activities such as: field trips,special events, and the annual prom we host for areaspecial education students. The Walk-A-Thon eventstarted with a request from our students’ parents for afew addresses of family members and/or specialfriends. Letters were sent to these individuals requestingdonations and donors could write motivational

messages on a “foot” to the student who was receivingthe pledge.On Friday, November 1st, students, staff, parents,

families and friends came to the NCECBVI track toparticipate in the Walk-A-Thon. Everyone bundled upand enjoyed some chilly temperatures while walkingthe track for one hour. And we didn’t just walk … therewere a lot of themed laps including a balloon release,blindfold/wheelchair (students pushed Ms. Giittingerand Mrs. Graves around a lap which was one scaryadventure for these administrators), car racer (studentsacted like race cars with noises and movements), walklike a penguin, fun stop (4 activity stations), makesome noise,dance, and let’sgive everyonea hand.Afterward,everyone wentin for a nicewarm lunch andthen ended theday withparent/teacherconferences.

Walk-A-Thon

The goal of Regional Conversations is toprovide an opportunity for professional develop-

ment, for all teachers of the visually impaired acrossNebraska, through conversation guided by an agendaas well as the needs of the group. Teachers cometogether to share ideas and resources for best practicesfor teaching students with vision impairments, problem-solving, discussion of pertinent topics in the area ofvision impairments, and they also learn about upcomingprofessional development opportunities. Examples oftopics covered to-date are: assessment, vision therapy,

technology, learning media, and service delivery. It’simportant for TVIs to attend these discussions to networkwith other professionals in their area and to developconsistency of information throughout the state.Meetings are scheduled only two times each school

year; once in the fall and again in the spring, and arefacilitated by NCECBVI Outreach staff. RegionalConversations were held this fall in Kearney, Alliance,Lincoln, Norfolk, and Omaha. Spring meetings areplanned in Kearney, Scottsbluff, Columbus, Lincoln,and Omaha.

NCECBVI students and staff end their walk with a group photo showingoff the "feet" pledges and notes of inspiration from family and friends.

NEW–Regional Conversations to Discuss Best Practices forStudents with Vision Impairments

Ms. Giittinger is experiencing the walk-a-thon onwheels with a blindfold under the direction ofTess.

Jon SailorsMOST ENJOYED ACTIVITY:The field trip to the Amazing PizzaMachine. It was great to spend theday horsing around!

FAVORITE MEMORY:While we were leaving the AmazingPizza Machine, Mr. Lockwood wastalking and walking backwardsand tripped over the curb and fellon his back! I wanted to ask Mr.Lockwood if he needed a cane.

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:I like to talk to my friends, especiallyon Skype. I also enjoy watchingfootball, playing Magic: TheGathering with Cory in the dorm,and I also like videogames, such asMineCraft.FUTURE PLANS:After I graduate, I plan to go to theNebraska Commission for the Blindor Visually Impaired in Lincoln, NEalong with going to the Universityof Nebraska – Lincoln. Eventually Iwould like to become a lawyer.

Meagan LiekhusMOST ENJOYED ACTIVITY:Bowling! I like to bowl with myfriends whether at school or on theweekends. I have even earned 1stplace at Special Olympics bowling.

FAVORITE MEMORY:A classmate from last year, Wes,and I would tease Mrs. Farris, butin a good way

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:The iPad is one of my favorite itemsthat I use to play games, readbooks, and listen to music. I alsolike to bowl.

FUTURE PLANS:Even though this is my last yearat NCECBVI, I will go back toColumbus to finish up my senioryear at Lakeview High School. Iplan to go to Project Search to gainwork experience. I would also liketo keep working at Kentucky FriedChicken.

Alex ConwayMOST ENJOYED ACTIVITY:Braille.

FAVORITE MEMORY:Singing and playing instruments inour music concerts.

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:Singing along with playing theguitar, drums, and keyboard.

FUTURE PLANS:I will continue to work at Region Vand live with my friends inNebraska City.

Senior Focus

N C E C B V I page 6

Jon Sailors Alex ConwayMeagan Liekhus

page 7 N C E C B V I

White Cane Day is a national observance in theUnited States that has been celebrated on October15th of each year since 1964. The date is set aside tocelebrate the achievements of people who are blind orvisually impaired and the important symbol of blindnessand tool of independence, the white cane.This year, the Nebraska City Cargill Cares Council

provided a grant that allowed us to provide t-shirts andtravel backpacks to all of our center-based students.These items do a great job of communicating to thepublic the concept of White Cane Day, showing

accountability by educating the public on the whitecane, and sharing the leadership that NCECBVI providesto individuals who are blind or visually impaired.On the day that the check was presented to

NCECBVI, a group of individuals from the CargillCares Council came to the school to meet the studentsand staff along with taking part in our sensationalobstacle course. It was a fun day for all involved!Staff and students had the opportunity to participate

in a variety of dress up days such as: pajama day, hatday, racer day, andNCECBVI pride day.The also took part insome white cane daytheme activities including:decorating windows/poster contest, decorat-ing canes, wheelchairsand/or backpacks,making (and eating)pretzel canes, andcreating cane braceletsand straps. Joesf is demonstrating his O/M skills

for the activity with the representativesfrom Cargill for White Cane Day.

White Cane Day

Ms. Sadler and her NCECBVI students accept a donation from theNebraska City Cargill Cares Council with great appreciation.

So what do students do in the dorm? This question isoften asked by guests who tour or come to visit thedorms at NCECBVI. It doesn’t take them long to findout that dorm life isn’t just the time spent in the students’rooms. As a matter of fact, the only time spent intheir rooms is for personal care routines, room care,and sleeping!The large living room area located in both dorms

serves as a “gathering place” where students share theevents of their day. This area also serves as a place tolounge and listen to music or a relaxing activity ofchoice. After students are recharged, some movementusually happens from guidelines of specific exercises

and equipment recommended by Occupational Therapyand Physical Therapy. A check on homework is then inorder with individual or group study starting. Afterdinner, homework is reviewed or completed. Lastly, acheck for laundry and room care schedules may dictatesome time devoted to assisting with these routines.After dining together, students assist with Kitchen

Patrol to clean up after their meal. Group story time isthen held for all ages and interests with added downtime to digest and catch up on the story being shared.Then, the evening opens up to a variety of choices andactivities. Some activities may be individual or groupas well as some on and some off campus! In the past

Not Just a Dorm Room

continued on page 8

N C E C B V I page 8

year the students participated in fifty-eight differentactivities, events, and outings!

On campus – everything from Bingo to Karaoke,Beep Ball, Bowling, Christmas Carolers, and cookiemaking can be a part of the agenda. Some favoritesfor on campus activities include: the Eagles ChristmasParty with a visit from Santa, hosting a Trick or Treatexperience for neighborhood children, and of courseour spring Prom!Off campus – finding possibilities is “easy as pie”

with Nebraska City offering a wide variety of activitiesright in our own backyard! Connections with localschools provide interactions with sports teams, musicalpresentations, and plays. Local parks and arearecreational facilities provide unique spaces for fishing,hiking, and exploring new equipment. Communityorganizations connect with us to bring guests to thedorm for events such as a Halloween party as well asa celebration of spring with costume contests andcreative “Crazy Hair” or “Crazy Hat” contests.Favorites include: a hayrack ride and hot dog roast atPumpkin Ridge, swimming at the Wellness Center, andfishing at Steinhart Park.Time in our dorm room – not so much! We are lucky

to have opportunity knocking at our door and fun,exciting events available throughout the school year.

Not Just a Dorm Roomcontinued from page 7

Cory Starner assistsMorgan and hopingfor a strike.

NCECBVI staff andstudents attend aNebraska City Lourdesvolleyball game to showtheir support after hostinga supper for the team.

Emily is hoping for a big catchon a fishing trip to SteinhartPark in Nebraska City.

School Meals are a Healthy ChoiceSchools ser ve more of the heal thy foods students need:

Whole Grains: Students need more whole grains, forfiber and other nutrients. Look for whole grain pasta,bread, pizza and cereals.Fruits and Vegetables: Every breakfast will have fruitand fruit juice. Every lunch will have fruits and vegetables.Low-fat and Fat- free milk: Low-fat and fat-free milk haveall the nutrients without extra calories and fat.Legumes: Beans and dry peas are full of fiber andnutrition, schools must offer legumes at least once a week.Fiber: Look for fruits, vegetables, legumes and grainshigh in fiber in school meals.

Schools serve less of the foods students don’t need:Trans Fat, Sugar, Sodium, Cholesterol and condiments.Healthy meals are important at home: Your children arelearning eating habits that will last a lifetime.At home tips: Have fruits and vegetables on hand andready to eat for a snack. Try whole grain versions ofyour favorites, pasta, cereals, tortillas, etc. Offer low-fator fat-free milk at every meal. Look for great tasting,low-sugar cereals and desserts. Try seasoning foodswith more herbs and spices instead of salt. At NCECBVIwe educate students of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Joesf is preparing to reel thebig one in or maybea small one?

Modified TI-84 Plus Designed to Make Math MoreAccessible to Blind Students

page 9 N C E C B V I

When a new development occurs in the educationfield, students with visual impairments often struggle tokeep up. This was the case when graphing calculatorsadded a new dimension to higher level mathematicsclasses. The visual nature of such calculators madethem inaccessible to blind students. While certainapplications provided blind and visually impairedstudents with some graphingfunctions, none had given themopportunities for full participationin class activities alongside theirsighted peers. But now a speciallyadapted version of the popularTexas Instruments TI-84 Pluscalculator is transforming STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering,and Mathematics) education forthese students. This break-through can be credited to theAmerican Printing House for theBlind (APH) who collaboratedwith Orbit Research® and TexasInstruments® to develop the OrionTI-84 Plus Talking GraphingCalculator – the world’s firstfully accessible handheld talk-ing calculator.Here’s how the adapted

version works – A compactaccessory attached to the top ofthe TI-84 Plus, above the screen,enables the user to interact with the calculator. All textualand symbolic information on the screen, as well aseach key-press, is spoken using high-quality, human-sounding, synthetic speech. Most importantly, the entiregraph can be explored using either spoken announce-ments or innovative “sonograph” audio tones andhaptic (vibration) feedback, including special soundsfor negative regions and axis crossing points. Examplesof its unique functions include shifting the audio tone

from the left to the right stereo channel when movingalong the graph from left to right; raising and loweringthe tone to follow graph coordinates; adding whitenoise to the tone as the graph moves below the x-axiswhere the y-coordinates are negative. Haptic feedbackis provided for negative y-coordinates, axes crossings,and tick marks. And, when needed, the student simply

connects the calculator to thecomputer via a USB cable toprint or emboss graphs andother work.

According to Jon Sailors,an NCECBVI student who iscurrently taking Algebra 2 atthe Nebraska City HighSchool, “This has been a greathelp to my Algebra class. It hasdone a lot when I needed it tograph. It worked wonders. Theanswers made sense, thegraphs were good quality. Icould read them almost as wellas the teacher.” Continuing togive his evaluation of theOrion TI-84 Plus TalkingGraphing Calculator,Jon pronounced, “I wouldalso say, that if someone was ina geometry, or physics class,where graphing is frequent, thegraphing calculator is a very

decent tool.”In recognition of their dedication and commitment to

providing cutting-edge educational tools that allow allstudents to be engaged in the study of science andmathematics, Texas Instruments was the recipient ofAPH’s prestigious 2013 Virgil Zickel Award. Blind andvisually impaired students everywhere wish to thankthem also!

N C E C B V I

Leadership Team:

824 10th Avenue, P.O. Box 129Nebraska City, Nebraska 68410www.ncecbvi.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Sally GiittingerAdministratorAudrey GravesPrincipalTanya HilligossOutreach DirectorKaren DuffyNebraska Instructional Resource Center CoordinatorJoan SchroederHomelife SupervisorColleen PoggemeyerFood Services Coordinator

To be added/removed fromthe mailing list please call:

402.873.5513800.826.4355

Calendar of Upcoming Events:March 13-14, 2014Follow Me and See Parent Training

March 14, 2014Parent/Teacher Conferences

March 20-21, 2014Spring Fling Statewide Conference

March 24, 2014NCECBVI Closed

April 24, 2014Prom

April 18-21, 2014Easter Break

May 2, 2014Spring Music Program

May 16, 2014Graduation

May 21, 2014Last Day of School

May 22, 2014Teacher Workday

May 30 – June 1, 2014Family Feud! Family Weekend

June 9-13, 2014Sizzlin’ Summer Camp

July 14-17, 2014UNL Deaf/Blind Summer Institute

The mission ofNCECBVI is toimprove the learningof children who areblind or visuallyimpaired through acommitment tocommunication,accountability,and leadership.

Newsletter Editor: Graphic Designer:Cheryl Wichman Stacee MilanHealthcare Public Relations Consultant Touch of Pride Graphic Designjcwichman@msn.com tchpride@cox.netNE Center for the Education

of Children who are Blind orVisually Impaired (NCECBVI)

visit us at

facebook

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

NEBRASKA CITY,NEBRASKA

PERMIT NO. 7868410

To: