VSDB News & Updates

VSDB is the national champ!

Congratulations to VSDB's Goalball team for it's amazing victory over Texas in the National Goalball Championships.

 

Click here for video of the game.
The action starts at approximately 14 minutes in. There is no descriptive audio.

The awards are handed out approximately halfway through the video.



Outreach Services, VSDB Wednesday Webinar

Evidence-based Strategies for Teaching
Listening and Spoken Language Skills to Preschoolers with Hearing Loss
Presenters:  Sharon Raver-Lampman, Ph.D. and Janet Knust, M.S., LSLS Cert. AV Ed
Nov. 30, 2016, 4:00- 5:00 PM EST

For those who missed it in October, this is being repeated…

Please register for the "Evidence-based Strategies for Teaching Listening and Spoken Language Skills to Preschoolers with Hearing Loss" webinar at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/957482591522711810

Presenters:  Old Dominion University and the Norfolk Public Schools collaborate to provide an oral preschool program in a classroom at ODU in Norfolk, VA.   Sharon Raver-Lampman, Ph.D., is the Faculty Director of Research for the Old Dominion University/Norfolk Public Schools Oral Preschool Program for Children with Hearing Loss; Janet Knust, M.S. LSLS Cert. AV Ed is the Program Director and Teacher for this program.

Webinar Description:  (Many were closed out of this webinar when it was presented in October – this will be a repeat of that webinar.) The ODU/Norfolk Public Schools' Oral Preschool Program offers a unique opportunity for the study of evidence-based practice and consequent implementation of research findings in the classroom!  Presenters will share insights gained from a series of research studies conducted to improve vocabulary development, syntactical skills, pragmatics, and socio-communication skills, then will provide practical tips for teachers, parents, and related service providers using social stories, modified story books, and other strategies to help children achieve targeted skills.  The presenters will be available after the webinar for Q & A.

Target Audience: Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; Early Childhood Educators, Early Intervention Providers and Speech/Language Pathologists working with children with hearing loss; and parents.

This Webinar is sponsored by Outreach Services, Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in Staunton, through grant funding from the Virginia Department of Education.  Questions should be directed to Dr. Debbie Pfeiffer at Debbie.Pfeiffer@vsdb.k12.va.us.

After registering, you will receive an email confirmation with connection information for joining the webinar.


Outreach Services, VSDB, Wednesday Webinar

Strategy to See: Working with Students with Cortical Visual Impairment
Presenter:  Diane Sheline, M.Ed. CTVI, CLVT

Dec. 7, 2016, 4:00- 5:00 PM EST
(Please note: date has changed since initial draft of Fall, 2016 activities)

Please register for Strategy to See: Working with Students with Cortical Visual Impairment webinar at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/853690893147697155

Webinar Description:  So…. you have interviewed the parent, completed The CVI Range, know where your student is visually functioning on the Range, and have ordered some appropriate APH materials.  Now What?   During our webinar, Diane will discuss how her CVI Skills Inventory & Strategies Worksheet can guide you and your team members as you move forward to encourage more efficient and consistent "looking" behavior. She will also share specific strategies outlined in her book and shared on her website.   Plan to leave this webinar motivated to stop at the hardware store on your way home to pick up materials to make one of the items discussed.

Presenter:  Diane Sheline is an Independent Consultant for students with CVI.  She works part-time for Fort Bend ISD providing evaluations for students with visual impairments; works closely with TSBVI on projects such as a yearly CVI Clinics; provides teacher and parent training on CVI throughout the US; and has participated as a statewide Outreach Mentor for TSBVI.  Although Diane has worked in the field of vision for over 30 years, her focus for the past 14 years has been on identification, evaluation and program planning for students with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment, and this is reflected on her website at www.strategytosee.com and in her book, Strategy To See; Strategies for Students with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment.  Diane resides in Sugar Land, TX.

Target Audience: Early intervention providers, early childhood educators, TVI, family members, and others working to encourage development of children with CVI, ages birth - 21.

This Webinar is sponsored by Outreach Services, Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in Staunton, through grant funding from the Virginia Department of Education.  Questions should be directed to Dr. Debbie Pfeiffer at Debbie.Pfeiffer@vsdb.k12.va.us  
After registering, you will receive an email confirmation with connection information for joining the webinar.


The Virginia Department of Education announces plan
for transition to Unified English Braille (UEB) Code.

Click here for the full text of the announcement from VDOE.


Get "social networking" safety tips for parents from the folks at OnGuardOnline.gov

About VSDB

One of the oldest schools in Virginia and the second of its kind in the world, the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB), located in historic and scenic Staunton, VA, was established by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 31, 1838. As the school celebrates more than 170 years of continued excellence in educating deaf and blind children, it remains at the forefront of educational technology. The school utilizes some of the latest and most advanced audio-visual equipment and disability tailored computer applications in its classrooms to provide its students with the best education. Now, as on November 15, 1839 with first student enrollment, the arms of the school are open wide for the deaf and the blind children of Virginia.

The 2009 General Assembly established the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB) in Staunton as a state agency with its own board of visitors independent of the Virginia Department of Education, effective July 1, 2009. The legislature directed the superintendent of public instruction to designate a VDOE staff member to serve as consultant to the VSDB Board of Visitors on matters pertaining to instruction, federal and state special education requirements and school accreditation.

VSDB VISION

VSDB provides an environment which fosters self-confident students who are contributing citizens and life-long learners and serves as a resource of excellence for the communities of Virginia who serve students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/vision impaired and deafblind.

VSDB Mission Statement, VSDB Belief Statement, and Admission Policy