Classes Resume - Tuesday, January 3, 2012
MLK Day - Monday, January 16, 2012 - No School
Friday, January 27, 2012 - No School
President's Day - Monday, February 20, 2012 - No School
Braille literacy and the ability to read and write Braille are imperative for students who are blind when they graduate from Ohio’s schools if they are to be successful in college, post-secondary training, careers, their homes, and communities. Literacy requires the ability to acquire information, communicate with others, and gain access to written information.
To increase Braille literacy and to increase access to and the availability of meaningful and quality Braille materials, the Ohio State School for the Blind’s Center for Instructional Supports and Accessible Materials (CISAM) as part of the Braille Excellence for Students and Teachers Grant (BEST) is sponsoring free Braille weekend workshops for students in grades 7-12 who are blind or visually impaired and are current Braille users. The Braille Weekend Workshop series consists of three Saturday workshops at the Ohio State School for the Blind, 5220 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43214: February 11, 2012; March 10, 2012, and April 21, 2012. The workshops will start at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. Instruction will be provided by OSSB teachers Ceil Peirano, Kim Picard and Robin Finley. Activities will include Music Reviews, DJ for a Day, Favorite Artists, Sharing Lyrics, Name that Tune, and a Pizza Party. Parents must make transportation arrangements for each participant.
If you have a student that could benefit from these workshops, please download and complete the registration and emergency treatment forms and return them to the Ohio State School for the Blind by January 14, 2012. Should you have further questions regarding this planned educational experience, please contact the Superintendent’s office at (614)752-1152.
Download Registration to fill out. (pdf file, Adobe Reader required)
Click here to read more about it. (pdf file, Adobe Reader required)
If you would like to download a copy of the OSSB 2011-2012 school calendar please click on the link below.
2011-2012 School Calendar
Blind Marching Band Sees Beyond Disability - Seeing is believing for student musicians at the Ohio State School for the Blind. They aren't letting their disability stop them from being one of the country's only blind marching bands. TODAY.com's Kyle Michael Miller reports: OSSBMB on MSNBC's TODAY.com
Rick Reilly* of ESPN has wanted to do a column about the Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band for at least three years. He was able to visit OSSB Thursday through Saturday September 8-10 to observe a field practice and their performance at the Ohio School for the Deaf vs. Georgia School for the Deaf football game. The result is his Sept. 15, 2011 column “Mom, I Can Do This!” and a video by ESPN’s Steve Guyot titled “Guided by Music.” Rick Reilly refers to the band as “Kelley’s heroes.” Dan Kelley and his heroes are raising expectations and providing a model for other band directors and students.Both column and video can be seen at OSSBMB on ESPN.com
*Rick Reilly is the 11-time National Sportswriter of the Year. He contributes essays and commentary to "Monday Night Countdown," "SportsCenter" and ESPN/ABC golf and tennis coverage. He's also the host of "Homecoming," ESPN's unique, one-hour interview show set in the hometowns of legendary athletesConstruction is well under way to build six new residential dorms on our campus. The dorms are on the north side of the property and will have quite a different look from those built fifty years ago. They are designed to look more like family homes with a streetscape to give the feeling of a residential neighborhood. The expected completion of all six dorms is January of 2012!
Currently, the academic school building is being redesigned after value engineering with staff to fall within the budget of the project. Redesign is scheduled to be complete in September 2011. The academic building should go out to bid in October 2011 with construction beginning in March 2012.
We are excited to move forward on a project of this magnitude for the boys and girls we serve!
Sincerely,Dear Parents & Guardians:
I am writing to keep you informed about the new traffic patterns and parking here at OSSB during the next two years of our new school building project. Most importantly the front entrance of the school (from High St.) will be used for construction vehicles only and closed to all other traffic. Beginning Monday 5/17/10 all vehicles will need to enter and exit the OSSB campus via Foster Avenue (F on site map), better known as the side gate.
Pick up and drop off of students during regular school times (7:30 – 8:00 am & 3:15 – 4:00 pm (M-Th) / 2:30 – 4:00 pm (Fri) will be at the back of the school building (A on site map). Students will follow the stone walk and enter the building through the Elementary wing across from the Multipurpose Room (D on the site map). During these same hours Wheelchair Transportation will use area B on the site map with student entry/exit through Student Health Services. All other student drop offs & pick ups after or before above times will use area C on site map. This area will have a few Temporary (10 minute) parking spaces to be used by parents/guardians dropping off or picking up students only. Students need to continue to be signed in and out through the school office.
All visitors must park in the back Parking Lot (E on site map) and enter the building through entrance (C on site map) and than report directly to the school office to sign in.
If you have been on our campus this week you have noticed the openness due to the removal of trees. With mixed feelings we have observed this change in our landscape.
Again, we at OSSB are very excited about our new school and residence buildings for our current and future students!
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the building of our new facilities, feel free to contact us at 614-752-1152.
Sincerely,
Gerard Marcom
Principal
With all of the changes taking place, total separation will be complete between the schools and the construction sites very soon. We ask that the schools remind their staff and students that the construction areas are off limits. Safety of all staff and students is priority one and is discussed with our workers during their orientations.
Below is a document available for download that contains the plans with notes for the forthcoming construction of the new academic and residential buildings.
OSSB Logistics Plan/Notes/Instructions