oregon school for the deaf newsletter noor issued a joint statement following ... a variety of...

December 18, 2015 Oregon School for the Deaf Bi-Weekly Newsletter Volume 4, Edition 05

Oregon School for the Deaf

999 Locust ST NE, Salem, OR 97301-0954

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Oregon School for the Deaf Newsletter

Table of Contents

Academics .......................................................... 1

Holiday Wishes ............................................... 1

President Obama’s Signing of the Every

Student Succeeds Act ..................................... 2

Winter Drama: “Silent Night” ........................ 2

Communication Corner .................................. 3

Curriculum Corner .......................................... 3

Greeting from the Adult Transition Program . 4

Health & Safety .................................................. 6

Read The Label ............................................... 6

Personal Devices Safety ................................. 6

When Should I Keep My Child Home? ........... 6

Community ......................................................... 8

Many Kind Hearts Brighten OSD Holidays ..... 8

Family Sign Language Classes ........................ 8

Site Council..................................................... 9

Friends of OSD Volunteers Wanted ............... 9

2016 Campership Applications .................... 10

Academics

Holiday Wishes

By Sharla Jones

Dear OSD Families:

I just wanted to wish you to very best as we wrap

up 2015 and send your children home for the

holidays! Thank you for being your child’s best

advocate – we know you work very hard at

raising these fantastic individuals! I am always

heartened when I see the amazing turn out at a

school play, see parents at sporting events

cheering their kiddo on, and see the love and

pride in a student’s eyes when their parent

comes in person to their IEP meeting to discuss

their progress.

I am so blessed to work with a wonderful staff –

at OSD we are constantly trying to improve the

service we give. We keep setting the bar higher

and higher for ourselves because Deaf education

means so much to each of us. The success and

progress of your child is what makes us eager to

come to work every day.

In an increasingly chaotic world, I want you all to

take some time this winter break, recalibrate

and recharge and take the time to enjoy being

together, remembering what really matters.

Best wishes!

SJ




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President Obama’s Signing of the

Every Student Succeeds Act

By

(Salem, OR) — On Dec. 14, Governor Kate Brown

and Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction

Salam Noor issued a joint statement following

President Obama's signing of the Every Student

Succeeds Act into law earlier in the day.

Governor Brown statement:

"I'm committed to ensuring every student

graduates high school with a plan and

opportunities for his or her future. The Every

Student Succeeds Act opens the door for

Oregon's schools and communities to prepare

our students to be ready for college or

career. While reaffirming Oregon's commitment

to equity, high standards, and continuous

improvement in our schools, the law grants new

flexibility for innovative and engaging teaching,

learning, and assessments in our classrooms.”

Salam Noor statement:

“I am very pleased that Congress took action and

approved a federal education policy that pairs

flexibility with accountability and encourages

innovation and a focus on high standards for all

kids. I look forward to working with educators,

parents, and community leaders from around

the state in the coming months to design an ESSA

State Plan that reflects our commitment to high

standards, prepares all students for success after

high school, and strengthens our focus on

educational equity.”

Winter Drama: “Silent Night”

By Gayle Robertson

The High School Drama class held a successful

fundraiser last week. Elementary students joined

them onstage and grew the hearts of any Grinch

present. Thank you so much for supporting the

play in many ways, big and small. A special

Thanks goes out to parents of Elementary

students, who took time from their busy

schedules to bring their children to participate.

Any sort of production takes the support of the

entire village. Thank you to all of you for making

OSD a part of your Village; or for allowing us to

be Whos in your Whoville.

Silent Night, a variety of winter tales and songs,

was the result of a semester’s work in class. High

school students came up with ideas and

developed them as a team. The value of

watching their ideas take form and change on

the stage is immeasurable. Everyone who stood

on that stage developed a little more confidence.

Practicing and memorizing lines, facial

expressions and movements opens up new

pathways for learning in any subject.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

My favorite part of the play was when the

audience participated in “Have Yourself a Merry




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Little Christmas”. When I saw the young people

all on the stage signing, “Through the years, we

all will be together, if the fates allow,” it gave me

chills. Most of them will know each other their

whole lives. This community is so close. I feel

honored to have my toe in it, watching students

grow through years, working their way up in

grades, to graduation and into adulthood. I am

so very lucky.

Our goal was to celebrate our school community

with this play. You are a valuable member, a VIP.

Here is hoping your Holiday Season is bright and

full of love. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

from OSD’s High School Drama Class!

Communication Corner

By Laine Fisher-Gayle

Hello to all!

I want to take the opportunity to share some

“at home” language techniques. Winter break

can feel like a long time and can become

monotonous. Spice it up a little with some

language-focused activities!

1. Create a story or book together. Put it

pictures with many descriptions about a

silly elf, a penguin who gets lost, or a

boy who goes ice skating. Create a

masterpiece!

2. Play “I Spy” - Pick an object

or a word/sign together,

then spend the day

“looking” for it. Look in books,

in conversations, on TV, anywhere!

3. How many ways can you describe an

object? Do more than acting out how

to use a rake. “This is a tool; we keep it

in the garage. They are usually big with

tiny hooks at the end. I use it outside to

clean leaves from the yard…”

4. Make a category collection! Find

pictures or items that all have

something in common. For example,

“The sun, mittens, and hot cocoa are all

things that are warm! Some things that

are green: a leaf, the grass, crayon,

shoe.” The possibilities are endless! Do

some silly categories too!

5. Get creative! Look at the calendars at

the end of the newsletter for more

ideas!

I wish each and every person a safe, healthy,

and merry winter break. See you all in the new

year!

From,

Laine Fisher-Gayle

[email protected]

Curriculum Corner

By Robyn Brown

Hello parents!

Most of our students at OSD use a web based

math and language arts practice program called

IXL Learning. The students know their individual

user name and password. If they don’t

remember it, you can get those from their

teachers. They can access this program on a

computer or through iPad and Android apps.

For more information, check out the flyer below.




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Have your child sign in today at www.ixl.com or

go to the OSD webpage, choose academics, and

look for the IXL app.

YOU Can Make a Difference at OSD

Wish you could be more involved in your

student’s education? Want to continue

developing your own ASL/English language

skills?

Do we have an opportunity for you!

We are looking for parents, family members,

and friends interested in volunteering to

support OSD and its students!

In the classrooms! (Can you read with a child?

Practice math facts? Make materials?)

At recess time! (Can you turn a jumprope? Play

ball?)

In the curriculum room! (Can you cut? Paste?

File? Draw? Copy?)

In the comfort of your own home! (We often

have projects that could be completed at home

with materials we send!)

Serve on a committee! (Site Council, Family

Learning Weekend, Life, and others!)

We want YOU to be a part of our OSD

community!

This year there is a “work room” area in the

curriculum room for parents and volunteers to

work on projects, …..share a cup of tea, make a

teacher’s life easier, watch a video to improve

your sign language.

Let me know if you are interested!

Robyn Brown, Curriculum Specialist, OSD

[email protected]

VP:503.400.6159

V: 503.378.8481

Greeting from the Adult

Transition Program

By Katie Heise

Greetings from the Adult Transition Program

(ATP) here at OSD! We have had an amazing

three months! Some of you may not be aware of

this program.

I would like to introduce myself.

My name is Katie Heise I am the

lead Teacher for this program.

Wendy Stanley is a co-teacher

in this program.

This program is an

individualized, transition-

focused program for Deaf

young adults under 21 years of age who have

graduated from high school with a modified

diploma or certificate of completion and are still

eligible for special education services. The

curriculum provided offers classes full time with

a focus on independent living skills, employment

skills, consumer economic skills, collaborate with

outside agencies such as Vocational

Rehabilitation (VR), Job coaches, and

Developmentally Delayed (DD) services. We also

collaborate with Chemeketa Community College

(CCC) for students who are interested in

obtaining their General Education Diploma

(GED) program there.




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We currently have 11 students enrolled. Four of our students go to CCC and come to the ATP program part-time. The rest of our students stay here full-time. Four of our students are either working or doing work experiences.

We would like to share and show our students…

Cristian Flores is doing his work experience at

Toyota Capital as a Janitor for the school year.

Isaac Sturgeon is working in the

maintenance department here

at OSD, who knows his job may

be permanent or even find a

different career after his

classes at CCC.

Cris Lopez is working two jobs

at Grocery Outlet and Dollar

Tree for now and eventually he

will attend CCC for better

career opportunities.

Bryson Steinke is working as a

student worker in the cafeteria

here at OSD for the school year

while he attends CCC to take

the classes for better career

opportunities.

We are anticipating that more students will be

placed for work experience starting January. VR

and their job coaches are really working hard to

ensure this will happen soon :)

The rest are students who will be placed

meanwhile, enjoying their time learning variety

of life skills here.




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Health & Safety

Read The Label

By Ed Sanchez

Nutrition labels can be deceiving and reading

them can be confusing, but learning how to do

so is important when trying to eat healthy. Be

careful; make sure you pay attention to how

many servings the package contains.

In this example, if you eat all of the contents in

the package, you must double the calories as

well as all the other nutritional values since you

are eating two servings. Nutrition labels are

typically based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet, so

be careful to eat within your daily allowance,

although everyone’s needs are different. Keep in

mind that children tend to require fewer

calories. You can check out the USDA’s website

(www.usda.gov) for a full breakdown of

nutritional recommendations

Personal Devices Safety

By Sharla Jones

Dear Parents:

Please check the filters and blocks on your

child’s phone often. We do everything we can

on our side with technology to ensure their

safety through the school computers and iPads,

but we cannot control their own personal

devices they receive from you. Your children are

savvy and may unlock adult sites that are not

suitable for viewing. Thanks for your

cooperation!

When Should I Keep My Child

Home?

By Student Health Service

Please don’t send your ill child to school. The

holiday season is a time for love and giving, it is

also a time for dormant germs to come alive. We

have some medically fragile students that we

need to protect, so please notify nursing if you

child is diagnosed with measles, chicken

pox/shingles, fifth disease, rubella, or hepatitis.

Listed below are guidelines for keeping your

child home from school.




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Community

Many Kind Hearts Brighten OSD

Holidays

By The Holiday Angels

Who are The Elks? The Elks invest in their

communities through programs that help

children grow up healthy and drug-free, by

undertaking projects that address unmet need,

and by honoring the service and sacrifice of our

veterans.

Blake Whitson is a member of The Elks Club and

is the coordinator for the service to OSD. He

arranged with The Elks to buy many holiday gifts

for our students.

OSD is so grateful to The Elks for their kindness

and generosity. We are also thankful to The

Nightmare Factory which donated money for

gifts, OSD parents and alumni, and the Middle

School Student Body Council. All of these kind-

hearted groups make the holidays MERRIER for

OSD families.

The Holiday Angels, Peggy Breen, Lindsay Janes,

MaryEllen Graham and Cherie Ulmer reviewed

applications from families who were interested

in getting assistance and have made their

decision based on those applications and other

factors.

We wish you all a safe and joyful holiday!

Family Sign Language Classes

By Salem Alliance

Family Sign Language Classes

The Family Sign Language Learning Community is

designed for families with deaf, hard of hearing,

or speech-impaired children and youth. The class

is geared towards establishing fluent

communication whether a family uses ASL

without speech or ASL signs with spoken

language. School staff members who work with

Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired

students may register if space is available.

Two ability levels are currently offered on the

same night during Spring term: Level 102 and

202. There is a companion children's

program available that teaches ASL at no extra

cost for students' children from birth through

5th grade.

The ASL for Families Learning Community meets

Thursdays 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Spring 2016 term

classes start Thursday, January 28 and

end Thursday, April 21. Each class runs 12 weeks

and the cost is $25 per person. Level 101

students purchase a book for $25 and families

may share one book. There is no charge for the

children’s program.

Register online

at: http://salemalliance.org/resources/broadw

ay-life-center/online-registrations

FOR ANY QUESTIONS contact Trish Allbritton

at [email protected] .

Broadway Life Center classes are offered in

the Broadway Commons building at 1300

Broadway St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301




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Site Council

By Site Council

Hello!

Who has heard of Site Council here at OSD? You

may have seen us in the latest episode of Deaf

Panther News. If not, let me explain.

The Site Council is an organization that is

comprised of teachers, parents, administrators,

classified staff, and students. Our purpose can

be summarized into 5 categories, taken from our

bylaws:

1. Develop and Implement a School

Improvement Plan

2. Support Teaching Practices of

ASL/English Bilingualism

3. Promote ASL/English Bilingual Culture

on Campus

4. Promote and Support Cultural

Awareness and Diversity

5. Empower Student Learning and

Promote Student Leadership

In other words, this organization’s goal is to

improve the entire school!

Current members of the Site Council include:

Jane Barnett, Robyn Brown (Co-Chair), Greg

Coughlan, Laine Fisher-Gayle (Chair), Jowea

Lake, Hunter Lively, Robert Rich, Rosemary

Smith, and Samantha Weethee. Our parent

representative is Phillip Devon.

Site Council meets once a month, on the third

Wednesday at 3:00 pm. Our next meeting will

be January 20, 2016.

We are looking for additional parent

representation! If you are interested, please

email [email protected]

Look for more news from your Site Council in

future OSD newsletters and Deaf Panther News!

Sincerely,

Laine Fisher-Gayle

Friends of OSD Volunteers Wanted

By Charlotte Illif

Friends of OSD has signed up as one of the non-

profits to receive a portion of donations from

patrons getting rides to the Garden from off-site

parking lots. The more volunteers FOSD has at

the Event, the higher percentage of the

donations FOSD will receive.

To volunteer, go to

http://www.oregongarden.org/events/voluntee

r-christmas-garden/

You MUST sign up on-line or fill out a paper

application. The Garden will send you an email

accepting you as a volunteer. Once you are

approved, you can sign up for your preferred

volunteer jobs. This is also done on line.

Volunteer shifts are from 3:45-8:45. When you

check in for your job, you must indicate that you




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are volunteering to help Friends of OSD. We

want to make sure all our volunteers are

counted.

Please help FOSD earn some money to support

innovative programs for the students at the

Oregon School for the Deaf. It promises to be a

fun event!

Charlotte Iliff

FOSD President

2016 Campership Applications

By Friends of OSD

Friends of OSD is again able to offer up to 10 one

week camperships to Camp Taloali for the

summer of 2016. OSD students ages 6-18

may apply. These camperships are made

available through FOSD because of the

generosity of an anonymous donor. The sole

purpose of the camperships is give deserving

OSD students a chance to go to camp.

Please read the directions carefully. Applicants

must also apply to Camp Taloali. (Application

attached at the end.)

Charlotte Iliff, President

Friends of OSD




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oregon school for the deaf newsletter noor issued a joint statement following ... a variety of...

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