January 2007

SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER

The New Ventures Committee, at their February 15, 2007 meeting, voted to approve a motion to discontinue both the feasibility study to explore the option of BOCES as an education program provider for NYSSB and a simultaneous feasibility study to explore the availability of potential 5 and 7-day residential providers.

The New Ventures committee was originally formed to explore the possibility of adding to the school’s enrollment by aiding the State Education Department (SED) in its efforts to bring students presently being educated out-of-state back to New York State for their education. This discussion was occurring as a result of NYSSB’s continuing decline in enrollment and the underutilization of the facility.  At the time these discussions began there were approximately 1400 students being sent out-of-state for their education, in part due to the lack of facilities to house them in state.

For the NYSSB to be a recipient of returned students, a 7-day residential program was required. The NYSSB does not presently operate a 7-day program. As you may recall the 7-day residential program at the school is presently administered by the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD). The 5-day residential program is administered by the State Education Department. Further, OMRDD anticipates ending the 7-day residential program on campus at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

To address the need for a 7-day residential program, the New Ventures Committee endorsed a feasibility study designed to explore the availability of an outside agency to administer a 7-day residential program in combination with a 5-day residential program. This study was endorsed because SED does not have the capacity to administer a 7-day residential program due to the lack of the infrastructure and resources required to meet the demands of such a program.  The feasibility study to explore the option of BOCES as an educational program provider was endorsed by the New Ventures committee given that the potential needs of the students coming back from out-of-state would include a broader range of disabilities than currently served at the school. BOCES has extensive experience serving severely disabled students with a wide variety of disabilities.  The intention was to explore the benefits and obstacles if BOCES were to absorb the current school program, including retaining all the current school staff, but then having the capacity to expand the range of students and services.

It must be understood that at no time did the State Education Department (SED) propose or make a decision that BOCES would be taking over the educational program or that a private provider would be taking over the residence. The feasibility studies in the two areas were only to collect information to be used by the New Ventures Committee in making any recommendation to SED about the future administration of the school.

By voting to end these studies, the committee is recommending that NYSSB continue to operate as it presently does with both the school and the 5-day residence administered by the State Education Department and no further actions to expand the capacity of program through the enrollment of students now sent out-of-state are being taken at this time. If there are further questions regarding this issue please feel free to call me at 585-343-5384 Ext. 203.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Student Council held Spirit Week again this year.

We had lots of activities to celebrate the students of NYSSB.

Our Spirit Week Winners for the dress up days are…

Sports Day:  Roberto and Tori

Disco Day:  Justin R. and Alicia

College Day:  Noah and Cricket

Hat Day:  Alex and Chandel

PJ Day:  Zach and Lyndsay

We also had special Awards for our seniors:

Scott A. – Best Senior Dancer

Stephen B. – Best Senior Aquatic Exerciser

Chandel D. – Most Outgoing Senior

Tanisha H. – Most Vocal Senior

Marc P. – Best Senior Suspenders

Claudia V. – Nicest Senior Smile

The following awards were determined by having all the students vote on 1 male and 1 female winner in each category.

Student Council Award Winners

Spirit Week 2007
 

Thanks to all who participated in Spirit Week.  It was great fun to see you all dressed up! 

What’s Happening in the Classrooms?

Unit 1

Jamie Hermance, Kathy Babcock, Tricia Morse

Unit 1 has been hard at work this month!  We learned about Martin Luther King, Jr., the snow and quilts.  We did many different activities related to each topic.

We went to John Kennedy elementary and discussed Martin Luther King, Jr. with another class.  We learned who he was, why he is important and the goals and values he taught.  We learned about our similarities and differences through literature and art projects.  The classes did an art project in which they shared their wishes and hopes for the future.  Many wonderful responses were shared.  Some wished that there would be no more fighting and others wished that everyone would get a long.  We feel that this project opened the eyes of the students to their diversities and they learned that each human being should be valued.

We had a lot of fun learning about snow.  We had five bowls of snow and to each we added salt, cool water, warm water, salt water and nothing.  The students had to determine which bowl of snow they thought would melt the fastest and why.  Most of us were surprised when we learned which bowl of snow melted the fastest.  We would tell you what made the snow melt the fastest, but we would give away the answer to a really fun and educational science experiment!

Quilting has been a new area of interest.  We made a square for a quilt together as a class and everyone had a really good time doing it.  We learned about all of the pieces that went together to create the whole quilt.  We did our own quilt with felt and paper and then decorated them.  We also learned about the history of quilts and quilt making.

Next month holds many more new topics to explore and learn about!  We hope it will be just as educational and fun as January was!

Unit 2   

Anne Bird, Diane Bassett, Mary Beth Demmer, Grace West

January was quite the busy month in Unit 2!  We started off our new month and new year with a New Year’s party, including hats and noisemakers (and much enthusiasm!)  Our first word of the week was “polar” and we went on a “polar” field trip – to Letchworth State Park for a horse-drawn carriage ride through the snow.  Afterwards we enjoyed a picnic lunch inside a nice warm lodge.  We also took another field trip to a local restaurant for a “pizza party”.  The students had the choice of eating pizza or ordering off the menu.  Two of the students chose spaghetti and meatballs and the others opted for the pizza.  Everyone was very good and remembered to use their restaurant manners.  Our classroom also helped to host our January Big Event along with Unit 6.  Everyone had a good time celebrating the themes of “Polar” and “Quilt”.  There were winter snacks, including snow cones and hot chocolate, the movie “Polar Express” and a Polar Express “train” ride and several craft activities.  Every classroom was asked to contribute a personalized square for a quilt which will hang in our school. 

Unit 3

Jackie Cackett, Amy Klein, Sue McGregor, Tammy Pestlin

Is January really over???  How fast the time goes when there is so much to do!!  Unit 3 has been busy, busy, busy.  The letter of the month was "Q" with our words of the week being "question", "quiet" and "quilt".  We did have a carry over word - "polar" - from last month with the letter "P".  Table tasks, stories, music, books-on-CD's, puzzles and fun crafts just to name a few of our activities.  The kids worked hard painting their art projects in art therapy, played instruments and sang fun songs in music therapy, and started the school wide bowling competition in Adapted P.E.  Our team this year is called the Pindrops.  The opponents are good, but we're ready for them!!

The big event this month was a fun time for all our kids.  "Baby, it's cold outside" was the theme.  We did a square for the school quilt of a teddy bear.  It was made out of lots of different materials with button eyes.  The kids colored an Empire Penguin and used cotton balls for snow.  There was also a fun snowflake activity with sparkly stickers of snowflakes.  We put together a paper quilt with different colored paper and cut out shapes.  There was a train ride available (Polar Express of NYSSB) as well as winter goodies to eat and drink.  Can't wait to see what February has in store for us!!!

Unit 4

Veronica Dodge, Lesley Robinson, Kim Shepard

Hi Friends: Well, this is the last report you will receive from this group as a Unit.  We will soon be joining Unit #5 and become part of their class.  The change will be taking place on February 5th so we are all packed up and ready to go.  As for the month of January, we did a mini-unit on polar animals and weather, making tactile pictures to go with this theme, and listened to some good storybooks such as Polar Express, Penguins Special Delivery, Little Polar Bear and the Big Balloon.  We did a mini-unit on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King's and celebrated by making mini-booklets about his life, making a friendship flower, and making a Dove of Peace.  Finally, we did a mini-unit on quilts.  We listened to stories about blankets and quilts such as The Princess and the Pea, Kiss me Goodnight, Goodnight Moon, etc.  We even tried our hand at putting quilting squares together to make our own quilt pattern/design.  Jake made a tie dye design, Serena a Safari design, and Sheryl polka dots, hearts, and butterflies.  February 1st we are going for one of our monthly community outings to Shea's to see Sesame Street Live which is always a fun and exciting time for us.  Well, next time you hear from us, we will be in the Severne Building with our new friends.  It should be exciting!!!  Until the next time, Happy January.

Unit 5

Janet Quait, Mark Herrmann, Kim Hilburger

Unit 5 had a busy month.  We went to Martin’s shopping for the items we needed to make our own lunch on Friday.  Everyone enjoyed the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, squash and chocolate pie!! 

We learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and made peace doves.  We continue to learn about different States on the anniversary of when they became a State, this month that included Iowa, Alaska, Utah and Texas.  Counting skills are incorporated into a variety of activities such as calendar and workshop activities.

For story time, one day we had a guest come in and read us a story on her dynavox about a Snowman.  We enjoyed the experience and hope she will be able to come back.  Most importantly we celebrated Alex’s birthday on January 20^th.

Unit 6

Reggie Neubert, Jolynne Rada, Christine Sadler, Helen Weibel

Students in Unit 6 have been busy learning about time and measurement.  Students used standard measuring cups to see just how many cups it takes to fill a quart, half gallon and gallon.  In addition the students worked on several cooking projects, in class and in the dormitory, to put this knowledge to practical use.  The students made Polar Express Bars for the Big Event.

Unit 6 and 8 visited the Buffalo Science Museum and visited the Connections Center.  Here the students participated in many hands on science experiences.  Also, they visited the exhibit on SNOW.  The students liked the hands on exhibits and learned about animals that inhabit the polar region.  The students were thrilled to play a Native American snow game they had read about in Indian Captive.

Unit 7

JoMarie McMullen, Rachael Ciociola, Ray Follett

The students in Unit 7 have been busy working on the letters "P" & "Q".  They are learning to identify them in print and Braille.  Chris practiced writing them on the grease board while the other students worked on using the Braille writer to write them.  We learned words that begin with both letters and we located these letters in other words.  The class also went to the public library to hear the story "Polar Bear".  They had wonderful audience behavior and participation. 

Our math lessons have focused on patterns, sequencing, and measuring.  The students learned about patterns and how to make and follow them.  We did the same with sequencing.  Each student was able to complete the sequence after hearing or feeling it.  Since quilt was one of the words of the week, the students used the skills learned in patterns, sequencing, and measuring to make a square for the big event and also a quilt for the classroom.  We also worked on sewing skills.

Our Social Studies lessons have focused on the Erie Canal.  The students are learning about the canal, where it is located, how it was made, the length, etc.  There have been interesting articles in the local newspaper with all the information.  It's been a great way to learn about NYS history and the geography of the state.

Science class has concentrated on living and non-living things.  We discussed that all living things need food, water, and light to grow.  We took a field trip to a local store to feel and learn about living and non-living things.  The students were able to feel animals and hear birds.  They also felt cages and bedding for pets.  They worked on identifying living and non-living things.  To go along with the lesson, we made replicas of plant and animal cells and learned what each cell is responsible for, and how they are different.

Unit 8

Melissa Schwab, Brian Hilburger, Judy Wetzel

We are in the middle of the book “Bridge to Terabithia”.  It is a coming of age story about the friendship between a boy and a girl in a rural Appalachian town.  We will be going to the movies in February to see Disney’s adaptation of the story.  We continue to publish a classroom newspaper on a weekly (if not biweekly) basis.  The students enjoy recapping their week and it allows them to apply the writing process and their technology skills.  The A.P.E. Bowling Tournament is in full swing.  Michael likes setting up the pins and keeping score.

We are all very excited about the Super Bowl!!  We are not only making our predications about the Big Game but we are also predicting the outcome Ground Hog Day on February 2.  Will he or will he not see his shadow?  Is spring around the corner?  Let’s hope so!!!!!!  We had an opportunity to go to The Buffalo Museum of Science this month.  The Connections program taught us through hands on activities about how using our senses help us to discover the wonders of science.  We also enjoyed learning about Buffalo’s Blizzard of 1977.  The museum has so many exhibits that we hope to explore in a return visit.  

And of course we all had fun participating in the school wide “Spirit Week”!

Unit 9

Dan Dolph, Bryan Bradt, Lana Wolcott

Another month behind us and we’re looking forward to the next!  We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by reading and discussing a couple of books about his life.  Some of our science topics included nonliving and living things along with discussing and determining similarities and differences of many things.  Some of the students explored making tactile Braille pictures using a Brailler, a snowman and a bird perched on a branch to name a couple. Thank you, Judi P.  for sharing the information.  For math we worked on money and some students worked on solving basic algebraic equations.  We ended the month by touring two day habilitation centers in Rochester.  One of which is the home to the Gregory Street Blues Band.  We arrived just in time to listen to them rehearse.  A remarkable group of musicians!!

Unit 10

George Sawyer, Jaime Cramer, Amy Gromlovits

This January went very quickly for Unit 10.  We went to Tully's Restaurant and had a great time.  Going out to eat gives us the opportunity to practice our dining skills.  Everyone did a great job representing NYSSB.  The "Big Event" was very nice.  Units 2 & 6 combined to put on a nice presentation.  We made "quilts" out of construction paper and glue.  We also looked at and touched real quilts, so that our students would know what they actually look like.  There were snow cones to eat and treats to sample. The students also had a chance to ride the "Polar Express".  Actually, it consisted of a bike pulling a laundry cart.  But if you use your imagination, the ride was fun anyway.  Look for our February report next month.  See you then!

Unit 11

John Carroll, Patty Fernaays, Jeff Fletcher, Jill Harkness

We began 2007 by planning activities and making some goals for the new year.  Number one was to be more friendly and helpful to each other.  Friendship and togetherness were the focus of our activities centered on Martin Luther King Day.  We discussed the importance of treating everyone equally and seeing their value.  We researched Dr. King’s life and then made books filled with important facts.  We learned about the Chinese New Year and found out what animal our birth year represented.  We took a trip down under and celebrated Australia day, learning about animals like Koala, platypus and crocodile. It was Louis Braille’s Birthday on January 4th and our class became more familiar with Braille using dominoes to play a game while learning numbers in Braille.

We began keeping track of the winter weather and counted only 17 days in January that were above 32 degrees.  We also talked about the “Blizzard of 77”, that and its 30 year anniversary this month. Benjamin Franklin's birthday was also in January and we named our favorite things that worked using electricity.  We celebrated the moving of one of our friends this month and wish him great success.       

News from the Art Room

By Jacquelyn Rease

 This month our big project was to learn about the art of glassblowing.  The students explored a blown-glass flower.  They learned about the process of glassblowing and also about the famous glass artist Dale Chihouly.  Everyone learned about how Dale Chihouly was inspired by nature.  The students then selected to create a piece of artwork that portrays something that inspires them, or to create something inspired by the same things as Chihouly.  It was interesting to hear what inspires each student, or to see what object they would choose as the inspiration for their piece.  The finished products will resemble blown glass and should be on display soon.  Also of note, Tamel’s first photography exhibit is on display in the hall near the cafeteria.  Unit 6’s story “Snowday” is also on display in the same hall.  Unit 8 finished up their artist choice series with Brittney’s choice (acrylic paint), Kyle’s choice (oil paint sticks) and Michael’s choice (drawing).  Unit 5 has some new watercolor paintings on display in the gym hallway.  Our yearbook photographers are also still on the move capturing photographs of all the activities that take place everyday at school.  Also, congratulations to Marc P for being chosen the January Artist of the Month. 

PROGRAM THEMES:     February is “R” Rose, Ribbon, Ring and Run 

                                          March & April share the letter “S” Snow, Star, Soup, Sleep and Sun

                                          May is “T” Telephone, Transportation, Top and Tree

                                          June is “U” & “V” Uniform, Umbrella, Van and Vegetables

                                          July is “W” & “X” Wagon, Whale and Xylophone

                                          August is “Y” & “Z” Yard, Yes and Zoo

IMPORTANT DATES:       

March 23^rd – Conference Day – NO SCHOOL!!

April 2^nd to 13^th – SPRING BREAK!!

April 8^th – Easter Sunday

May 25^th & 28^th – Memorial Day Weekend – NO SCHOOL!!

June 22^nd – Last Day of School

July 9^th – Summer School 2007 Starts

August 17^th – Last day of Summer School