Reaching Out Newsletter #67
June 2008
Greetings to "Reaching Out" Readers!!
by Carmen Grove Suminski, Superintendent, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
2008 has truly been an exciting year and a milestone for NDVS/SB as we have celebrated "100 Years of Excellence."
Awareness of Braille and the work of Louis Braille was successful with the dis-seminations of 200 emails throughout the state of North Dakota. Both the Goalball Tournament and the reading of the Proclamation from the Office of Governor John Hoeven by students, Candance Rivinius, Bismarck and Lexie Steffan, Dickinson were memorable. I had the privilege of attending the Family Weekend in Jamestown on February 23 and thoroughly appreciated the family participation and the leadership of Lori Mattick.
Our most recent event was the Dakota AER/Vision Conference held May 7-9 at the Holiday Inn. Eighty persons attended the conference representing North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Manitoba. We were proud to host Jim Gandorf, Executive Director of the In-ternational Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), Alexandria, Virginia; Kevin O'Connor, past president of NAPVI (National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments, Inc.), Long Grove, Illinois; and Sandi Baker, American Printing House for the Blind, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky. Additional presenters included Vicki Klemme, South Dakota Services for the Blind, Sioux Falls; Ellen Kai-ser, Altru's Diabetes Center, Grand Forks; Diane Mihulka, teacher/vocational special-ist, NDVS/SB; Jan Haas, Regional Administrator and Margo Lentz, Vision Rehabilitation Specialist with Rehabilitation Consulting and Services, Grand Forks; and Dr. Joseph Miller, University of North Dakota. A panel discussing "Keys" to Excellence included Ken Dockter, teacher/orientation and mobility specialist, NDVS/SB; Helen Baumgartner, Program Administrator with Rehabilitation Consulting and Services, Bismarck; Candy Lien, teacher, NDVS/SB, Fargo; Virginia Miller, teacher, Dell Rapids, South Dakota; and Dawn Brush, rehabilitation teacher with South Dakota Services for the Blind, Aberdeen.
Exhibits included the following:
- American Printing House for the Blind
- American Diabetes Association
- IPAT (Interagency Program for Assistive Technology)
- Leader Dog, Rochester, Michigan
- The Low Vision Store, Inc.
- Minnesota Low Vision Store
- Clear Vision Midwest
- ND Vision Services/School for the Blind (NDVS/SB)
- Rehabilitation Consulting and Services (RCS)
- Poster Display by Margo Lentz, RCS
- South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Aberdeen
- Dakota AER Workers of the Year from 1995 to 2007
A true highlight of the conference was the Centennial Banquet held on Wednesday evening with 114 attendees. Special guests included the conference attendees, NDVS/SB staff and their families, former NDVS/SB staff members, Senator Ray Holmberg, Senator JoNell Bakke and her husband Greg, Representative Darrell Nottestad and his wife Ellen, Lion Henry Eslinger and his wife JoAnn and Lion Wayne Zink plus members of the NDVS/SB Foundation Board and Advisory Team. Musical entertainment was provided by Donna Iszler and Emilie Olson with the Blessing by Amanda Schultz. The guest speaker was Kevin O'Connor. History of the Dakota AER Chapter was given by Riki Nitz, and Dakota AER Member-ship Awards were presented by Dianne Giessinger. Recipients of these awards were were Patty Liebswager, 10 years; Sandra Payne, 15 years; Martin Pfotenhauer, Janice Sowokinos, Jane Ann Leonard and me, 25 years.
I am proud to announce that Dianne Giessinger, Outreach Teacher with NDVS/SB was awarded the 2008 Dakota AER Worker of the Year by Amy Scepaniak, South Dakota. Previous recipients of the Worker of the Year were recognized. The award has been presented since 1995; thus, there have been a total of 13 recipients, which include: Donna Iszler, Jane Mundschenk, Don Michlitsch, Mike Beck, Carmen Grove Suminski, Marie Topp, Paul Olson, Dr. Marjorie Kaiser, Riki Nitz, Janice Sowokinos, Amy Scepaniak, Rebecca Anderson-Falde, Jane Ann Leonard. It was notable that 11 of those 13 persons were in attendance at the banquet.
Lion Wayne Zink presented a check in the amount of $2,000 from the Grand Forks Lions Club in support of services, and Sandi Baker presented a congratulatory letter from Tuck Tinsley III, American Printing House for the Blind. The banquet program concluded with Dr. Marge Kaiser presenting a congratulatory plaque which is engraved in print and embossed in braille from the Council of Schools for the Blind. Please view the photos from the conference and banquet.
My sincere thanks to the Professional Development and Centennial Teams, conference presenters and to all who attended this memorable cen-tennial event!
Upcoming events include:
- The Celebration of the Life of Helen Keller at the Pioneer Room in the State Capitol on June 27, 9:00 a.m. to noon with a program at 11:00 a.m.. Dr. Wayne Sanstead, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Robert Rutten, Director of Special Education will be in attendance.
- Open House at NDVS/SB on Thursday, September 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- All School Reunion on September 12, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the School for the Blind, Grand Forks.
The book, "Recollections of 100 Years of Excellence, 1908-2008, North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind" has been completed. The book will be available for sale for $20 with all proceeds going to NDVS/SB's Foundation to benefit services to persons of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. It is also available in large print, braille, and audio CD (with synthetic speech) for $20 per your request.
Look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming events!
Recollections of 100 Years of Excellence 1908 – 2008
By Carmen Grove Suminski
From its 1908 be-ginning in Bathgate as the ND Blind Asylum to its present outreach/center-based program located around the state, North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind has demonstrated excellence in its services to individuals with vision impairments. Contents include recollections of students and staff, historical informa-tion, and more.
Ski for Light 2008
submitted by Dave Sundeen and Katrina Wendel
As usual, the weather in Grand Forks was frigid on an early morning in January, when we began to board the bus headed for Deadwood, SD. The 5:30 a.m. departure from Grand Forks was just the first stop in a trip across North Dakota headed for Terry Peak Ski Lodge and the cross country ski meadow at the 29th annual Black Hills Regional Ski For Light. Ski for Light is a program for the skier who is visually impaired or mobility impaired to participate in cross-country skiing, down-hill skiing, snowing shoeing, and other events during the week.
Usually the busload of North Dakotans are greeted with warm weather upon reaching Deadwood. This year, however, the 32 participants, guides, and volunteers arrived in South Dakota to cold windshields with plenty of snow, perfect for outdoor recreation. Sunday evening we were greeted at the Mineral Palace with a wine and cheese party. On Monday, the day started by skiing and snowshoeing at Terry Peak continuing through Thursday. That evening there was the traditional buffet at Saloon #10 and a live band, complete with dancing and good music, concluding the evening. Tuesday's special ac-tivities held an indoor picnic at the Terry Peak lodge with a Texas Hold'Em poker tournament that night. There were also souvenir pictures where the skiers and their guides could take their digital picture and pick their background, which included Vern's Tent in the cross country meadow, Mt. Rushmore, and several others. On Wednesday, after a full day of skiing and snow-shoeing, the day concluded with an evening bonfire complete with turkey sandwiches, chips, and drinks. There was a slot tournament at the Mineral Palace, with Flora Smith, from New Town, claiming the first place spot and Dave Sundeen taking second. Another Texas Hold'Em poker tournament took place at the Lucky Nugget Casino with karaoke later that evening. Thursday morning was Race Day with the event concluding with the traditional banquet on Thursday night. Crossing the finish line for Thursday's race, everyone receives a medal as everyone is a winner.
At the Golden Hills Resort, an excellent banquet dinner was served and the trophy recipients of the Race Day events were announced. Congratulations to the North Dakota winners: in the Cross Country Event Maria Vasquez took 2nd place in the 1K Females Over 35 category Partially Visually Impaired as well as the second place trophy for the Rally Race for Females Over 35, Dave McCloud took 1st place in the Cross Country 5K in Males Over 35 category Partially Sighted category, Dave Sundeen received 1st place in the Cross Country in the Males Over 35 Totally Blind category, Donnie Frasier took 2nd place in the 1K Rally Race in the Males Over 35 cate-gory Partially Sighted category, Jenny Blins-man received 2nd place in the 1K Females Under 35 Totally Blind category, Krista Doubek took the 2nd place trophy in the 5K Females Under 35 Partially Sighted category, Tammy Winn received 1st place in the 1K Females Under 35 Partially Sighted category, for the sec-ond year in a row Mike Hoppener received 2nd place in the Men's Visually Impaired Downhill event, and Todd Folmer received 2nd place in the Men's Triple Track Downhill category, and Michelle Zentz received 3rd place in the Snow-shoeing event.
This year, in anticipation of the Black Hills Regional Ski for Light 30th anniversary, a promotional video was filmed where several participants, guides, and volunteers were interviewed. Look for that video later this year. Plan ahead to attend the 30 Annual Black Hills Regional Ski for Light January 25th through January 29th, 2009. The participants, guides, and volunteers would like to extend a special "thank-you" to North Dakota Association of the Blind (NDAB), Judy Iten of Judy's Leisure Tours of Fargo, Schuck Bus Company of Moorhead, Gateway Lions Club of Fargo and North Dakota/Vision Service School for the Blind for all their help in planning and organizing the trip from North Dakota to Deadwood, South Dakota.
Katrina Wendel would be happy to answer further questions and may be contacted at 1-800-421-1181 or e-mailed at kwendel@nd.gov.
Note from the Foundation:
I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you who have given to the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind Foundation in the last year. We've gotten numerous donations for the Centen-nial, which is just spectacular! We are so proud of the 100 years of service from NDVS/SB and we are looking forward to seeing all the changes and challenges that the future holds for the school.
This spring the foundation has again helped fund the Ski for Light bus that travels to South Dakota, helped fund the Goalball Tournament, awarded approximately $6500 in student grant requests and $1200 in adult grant requests, assisted in finding funding through MDU for Braille books for students attending Braille Camp this summer, and funded volunteer recognition at the school.
Our Student Grant Program is one of our most popular activities. Barb Delohery is the chairman of our Grants Committee and has worked very hard with our treasurer, Heather Vandevort, to order the items for our students and adults.
Thanks to Dave Morstad and Dave Biberdorf for their many years of service on the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind Foundation Board. Thanks so much also for Dr. Kari Torkelsen who will be our new foundation president.
REACHING OUT is published by the ND Vision Services/School for the Blind, an agency funded by the state of North Dakota for the benefit of people with visual impairments. ND Vision Services/School for the Blind is a division of the ND Department of Public Instruction.
REACHING OUT is available in alternative formats upon request.
Please send comments to:
REACHING OUT
ND Vision Services/School for the Blind
500 Stanford Road
Grand Forks, ND 58203-2799
Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Dr. Wayne G. Sanstead
Superintendent, ND Vision Services/School for the Blind:
Carmen Grove Suminski, csuminsk@nd.gov
Editor, REACHING OUT:
Cheryl Misialek, cmisiale@nd.gov
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