January 2014 Roar of the Tiger - Tennessee School for the Blind

The
TENNESSEE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
Volume 2, Issue 5
January 1, 2014
Littlest Reindeer Kicks off Home for the Holiday in Big Way
Excitement and holiday
spirit filled the air as the
heartwarming original
musical The Littlest
Reindeer written by
John Jacobson and
John Higgins was center stage at TSB on Dec
20th at 9am. Under the
direction of Georgette
Seay, this dazzling,
primary, holiday program before a packed
Dressed in festive holiday
costume Nevaeh Valdez plays
house of family, staff
the part of Littlest Reindeer.
and friends, was performed by Map 1, 2, 3, 4 and Transition 1. As
the story goes, the North Pole is snow deep in
hurry and scurry with Christmas quickly approaching. In the midst of the final preparation
on Santa’s sleigh, who should appear but the
tiniest reindeer, staring Nevaeh Valdez. This
little buckaroo desperately desires to help pull
the sleigh but the others only laugh and tell her
to get out of the way. Santa himself, played by
Andre Walker, isn’t very fond of the idea and
his thoughts are to not allow her to go on the
trip. Thankfully Mrs. Claus, played by Maliyah
Green, has a plan to make everything work
out perfectly. With the assistance of the elves
and reindeer, the littlest reindeer becomes
needed to rescue jolly ole Santa from being forever stuck in a chimney. At last, with a little giving spirit Christmas is saved! The play was followed with performances from the TSB Jazz
Combo and the Middle School and Tiger
Bands. The TSB Beginning and High School
Chorus also performed favorite holiday
songs. Streamed live at Livestream.com, this
Christmas spectacular
Inside this issue:
spread enough cheer to propel even those whose ant2
Showcase
lers may have been stuck in
SANTA VISIT 2
the mud, into the holiday
3
PREDATORS
spirit. Merry Christmas!
For Seniors: ‘Twas the Flight Before Christmas
One morning last week, early, early,
early… way before the crack of dawn,
movement was detected in the senior
cottages at TSB. It was Friday the
13th… the night lighting was dim, and
far too early for anyone to be plugging
in the sunshine. Yet nobody was
frightened… nobody frightened, that
is, unless the thought of being several
thousand feet above the surface of the
earth had their mind on a new high.
As the students feet began hitting the
floor that morning, `they knew that
would be their low for the day. Today
they were destined for new heights and
soon would be “up, up and away”. Arriving at the airport at 4:30 am were;
Alex Kitts, Alex Jermyn, Brooks
Gardner, Lauri Richardson, Jerad
Carver, Michael Ward, Jeffrey
Springfield, and Tim Jones. Headed
to Aspen Colorado for a thrilling weeklong skiing excursion, the kids all knew
that memories from this senior trip
would not soon be forgotten. Stay
tuned for details in our next edition.
AFTRA SPIRIT
FASHION
ELECTIONS
LIONS, OH MY
PERSONNEL
POC
GIVING
PARKS AUCTION
TALKIN’ TURKEY
TITANIC REPLY
TIGER STORE
EVENTS
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
8
Roar of the Tiger
Winter Recital Showcases Talent of Music Students
With musical notes from voices,
and instruments resonating
throughout the area surrounding the band and music rooms
every school day since the beginning of school in August, the
time was right for TSB students
to reveal the polish and refinement that had been applied to
their talents. On Thursday
November 21st the TSB Winter
Solo Recital was conducted
in the school auditorium. The
12:30pm program saw twentysix student performances that
included twenty instrumental
and six vocal numbers. They
were as follows: Morgan Burns
- Adagio from Sonata Pa-
thetique, Corbin Galaviz-,
Rocky Top, Kayla HeinickeWinter Wonderland, Maliyah
Green- Rockets, Logan CoxThe Christmas Song, Demi
Richards- Away in a Manger,
Abbey Pace- Hark the Herald
Angels Sing, Samantha LeechA Friend Like You, Craig Heggie- The Coo Coo, Mikey Stewart- Hayride, Shelby West- Silent Night, Elle Tuetken- Little
Drummer Boy, Abbey PaceWhite Christmas, Maleka West
- The Sleigh, Christian BlackJericho, Alisha Whitehead- Huron Carol, Stephanie WilsonWhat Child Is This, Alexandria
Williams- Light and Blue, Kayla
Painter Holly Jolly Christmas,
Garrett Meeks- The Donkey,
Corgan Waters- Paradise, Alisha Geary- Minuet and Trio,
Josiah Hearn- Liebestraum by
Franz Lisz , Carrie Carlisle- All
is Well, Alisha Whitehead- Impromptu Op. 142, No. 2 by
Franz Schubert, Marcus
Johnson- Sleigh Ride. The
program was live streamed on
Livestream.com.
Jolly Olé Soul in Red Spreads Cheer Without the Deer
It had been rumored for weeks and sure enough it
came true, ‘twas an early visit from “red” for the
“gold and the blue”. On the third of December
while perched at my desk, there arose such a
clatter I made quite a mess. Springing up from
my chair to see what was the matter, with espresso in hand on the floor it did splatter. And there in
the hall without a reindeer in sight, was the ole
man himself up the stairs taking flight. At the Media Center he sat down in a chair, and before
you could blink there were
kids everywhere. When
the bulbs started flashin’ it
was kind of insane, as kids
photos were taken he'd
call them by name. “Now
Lilly and Damien, Corban and Zach too… Give
me a smile… What can
Santa bring you?” The
Santa Arrives at TSB
kids all adored him, so
Page 2
kind and sincere. How
he’s brought joy and
laughter now year after
year. He’s the best that
there is, you can even tug
on his beard. And when
the folks see the pictures
it ‘bout brings them to
tears. This year things
Adrina Pray enjoys her
were different Mrs. Claus
photo shoot with Santa.
wasn’t here, to assist with
the children and spread Christmas cheer. With
health less than perfect, the need was to be
home, so though it was tough, Santa came all
alone. She was missed by so many and
thought of so much, cause she, like ole Santa,
has Christmas’ touch. Our thoughts and desires, we just have to say, are sent out to them
in the sincerest of ways. That the spirit and
happiness given so many will encompass them
now bringing comfort, healing and blessing.
Volume 2 Issue 5
Nashville Predators and Friends of TSB Join Efforts for Students
When the temperature drops
and the brine water begins
flowing through the pipes at the
Bridgestone Arena forming
the multi-layered inch thick ice
skating surface, the process
Derrick Manning, Alisha Whitehead,
Michael Ward and Elizabeth Harden
demonstrate the new skates.
could be seen as a reflection of
the organization whose hockey
players skate on top. Since
May of 1998, when the NHL
announced Nashville as home
for their newest expansion
team, the Predators have proven their commitment to commu-
nity and to excellence. As the
ice is built in multi-layers, so too
the Predators have poured
themselves into the community
over and over, time and again.
And as the water solidifies,
turning to solid ice and creates
the hard surface suitable for
tough battle, so too the Predator’s commitment and relationships with community organizations has become solid,
further enabling local causes
for good to be advanced. This
year the Predators organization
presented the largest grant allocations in their history. And this
year, for the seventh time,
Friends of TSB was awarded
one of those grants. The well
crafted request from Friends of
TSB was to gain funding for
thirty-two new pairs of roller
skates. Designated for both
educational and recreational
purposes, the skates will enable students at TSB to enjoy
recreation on wheels for a long
Behind sight restrictive gear Richard
Clune orients himself with the ball.
Nick Heggie straps on a pair of the
new skates recently given to TSB.
time. In addition to the $1500
grant from the Predators Foundation, Friends of TSB supplemented the project for the
purchase of helmets, and protective elbow, wrist and kneepads. The combined efforts of
these two organizations are on
a roll, and because of that the
students at TSB are rolling
once again also.
American Federation of Television and Radio Artist Capture Spirit
Making another spirited performance at TSB this
year was the American Federation of Television
and Radio Artists. On the afternoon of December 12th, AFTRA filled the auditorium with
music and entertainment as part of their holiday
tradition. This tradition involves running the circuit to a number of Nashville area schools to
spread yuletide cheer. As a performers’ union
representing recording artists and various talents, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers, newspersons and
singers; the gifted AFTRA gang always gives a
performance full of excitement and laughter in
presenting the arrival of Santa. The audience
enjoyed singing along as well as receiving jingle
bells to assist in the song by the same name.
Page 3
Roar of theTiger
Fashion Makes a Statement on TSB Campus
On Wednesday November 20th
a student Fashion Show was
held on the campus of TSB.
The show, under the direction
of Ms. Carol Lewis, began with
brainstorming sessions in all
Expanded Core Curriculum
(ECC) classes during August.
Plans put into place included:
lesson plans and teaching,
hands on instruction, the baking
of cookies, and scheduling
shopping for fashion. A needed
grant was acquired through the
generosity of Friends of TSB to
underwrite the purchasing of
the needed materials. Six student models were given a $30
budget to purchase a fashionable outfit for the show. Before
shopping, the classes learned
the difference between retail
stores and thrift stores, then did
comparison shopping to see
which store gave them the best
value for their money. Janice
Summar led the shopping expeditions to Goodwill, Target,
and Southern Thrift. They returned with bags full of treasures. In addition to the activi-
ties of the ECC classes; Mrs.
Leister’s art classes made
and provided wonderful posters
to advertise the event, Mr.
Gregory’s Jazz Combo prepared and rehearsed music,
Mrs. Winter’s classes
Elle Tuetkin displays her fashion,
being escorted by Garett Meeks
brought and nurtured ferns for
use in staging, the cafeteria
staff provided ice and drinks,
and Mr. Joiner prepared to fire
up the popcorn popper. At
1:30pm on November 20th, the
students and staff met in the
auditorium lobby for popcorn,
juice, peanut butter cookies and
socialization. The auditorium
doors opened at 1:50 and the
Jazz Combo played with Troy
Mortimer and Michael Ward
on guitar, Tim Tanner on
drums, Jerad Carver on bass
guitar, Josiah Hearn on piano,
and Alyssa Loggins on alto sax.
Guest musician Ronnie Godfrey made a special appearance with the Jazz Combo.
Formally with the Marshall
Tucker Band and a Gold Record Recipient, Ronnie is a
graduate from the South Carolina School for the Blind. At
2:30pm the Fashion Show began. Mikey Stewart was the
master of ceremonies, Alexandria Williams was the emcee
and ushers were Jacob Mitchell
and Garrett Meeks. The models came out one at a time and
walked the Roman columnlined runway. Alexandria Williams described the outfit,
gave the cost of each piece,
and the name of the store
where the clothes were purchased. Models were Leighton
Ramsey, Maleka West, Miranda Sullivan, Elle Tuetken,
Kayla Heineke, and Chris
Cook. Each model keep the
clothes they displayed. Ms.
Lewis extends her thanks to
all who participated.
Student Council Election Results Posted
Results from
recent TSB student body’s
election for officers to the TSB
Student Council were announced. Con-
Alex Kitts
gratulations to
Alex Kitts;
elected to the
position of Student Council
President,
Derrick Manning; elected to
Page 4
Derrick Manning
Student Council Vice President, and Corgan Waters;
elected to position of Reporter.
Thanks, students, for voting.
Corgan Waters
Volume 2, Issue 5
Lions and Tigers and Christmas Oh My, Lions and Tigers Oh My!
It doesn’t take long when talking to the students
at TSB to discover that they don’t view all school
days as being equal. And if you sifted through
the compilation of the days they consider superior, one would soon find “Lion’s Day” near or at
the top of the lists time and again. Sharing the
common core belief that “community is what we
make it”, Lion’s Clubs have been aiding and contributing to the building of strong communities
since their conception in 1917.
After accepting a challenge from
Helen Keller in 1925 to become
“knights of the blind” in the crusade against darkness, and also
to increase hearing preservation,
awareness and action, the Lions organization became renowned world wide for the advancement
and implementation of sight and hearing-related
projects. Today with it’s multifaceted outreach as
the world’s largest service club organization, with
over 46,000 clubs and 1.35 million members
world wide, the Lion’s Club has as its vision statement “to be the global leader in community and
humanitarian service”. They have become most
effective at doing whatever is needed to help
their communities. Lions of Tennessee have
been actively involved in assisting the students of
Tennessee School for the Blind since the
1920s. In 1957, the Franklin Road Lions Club
voted to give each student at TSB a $2 bill for a
Christmas present, and the Lion’s Day tradition began. In 1959, TSB was adopted as the
state’s first Multi-District Project. Since then,
the Lions Tennessee School for the Blind Fund
(LTSBF) has assisted countless students to a
better quality of life. The LTSBF supports five
Personnel Changes and New Faces
Over the past several weeks a number of additions, transfers and promotions have taken place
within the staff at TSB. These include the following: Amanda Whittaker transferred to Administrative Assistant for Exceptional Education on September 29th, Zack Martin was hired on October
7th as Assistant to the Director of Operations,
Melinda Tanner joined the dietary staff on Oc-
Seniors receive Lions Day checks before leaving on their
ski trip to Aspen. Left to right: Gary Laura, Ralph Brewer,
Jeffery Springfield, Brooks Gardner, Tim Jones, Lori Richardson and Eileen Laura Second row: Michael Ward,
Jared Carver, Alex Kitts, and Alex Jermyn
programs for the Tigers of TSB. They are: The
Boy and Girl Scout Programs, The Student
Enrichment Program, The Low Vision Assistance Program, The Student Work Program,
and The Christmas Gift Program. Keeping the
tradition, each year on the second Friday in December, Lions from across the State of Tennessee gather at TSB to say “ Happy Holidays”
to the students and present every child in
school a monetary gift. For the last several
years the gift has
been $50. Since
1959, three statewide coordinators
have overseen the
fund including current coordinator, past
District Governor
In a turn-a-round of events TSB
Ralph A. Brewer, a
student Mishon Breland gives
Lion Ralph Brewer a check.
graduate and retired
Funds were gathered in Hilary
Superintendent of
Murtagh’s English class after
Tennessee School
completing research on giving to
the best charitable organizations. for the Blind.
tober 1st, Stephanie Mazza transferred from the
Custodial staff to a Youth Service Worker, Toney
Dillingham changed from his role as a substitute teacher to that of a Youth Service Worker on
November 1st, Samantha Nelson was hired as a
Youth Service Worker on November 17th, Blake
Propst and Rebecca McMath both joined the
Custodial staff on November 18th, and Noranda
French was promoted to Fiscal Officer.
Page 5
Roar of the Tiger
POC Honorees Reach Number of Perfection
Leighton Ramsey
Elle Tuetken
Derrick Manning
Christian Black
The seven students most recently receiving the
Person of Character Award are as follows:
Leighton Ramsey, Elle Tuetken, Derrick Manning, Christian Black, Christian Herrera,
Brooks Gardner, and Alex Kitts. Leighton
completes assignments in her ECC class and
proofreads her work and additional Braille books
for errors. She is considering becoming a certified proofreader of Braille books as a career option. A self-starter who works diligently on all of
her ECC skills, Elle displays a great attitude and
is a great role model for her peers. Derrick is
being recognized for consistently showing responsibility, being considerate and for showing
kindness toward others. The first to be recognized this month by his teacher, Christian Black
is consistently completing home and schoolwork.
Practicing good organizational skills helps him
always find what he needs. Christian Herrera is
consistent in following directions, listening care-
Christian Herrera
Brooks Gardner
Alex Kitts
fully, and thinking before answering questions.
Brooks showed great character strength after being chosen as an alternate cheerleader.
He could have gotten mad and quit, but stuck
with the team after signing the commitment form.
Alex went out of his way to assist a student
who had dropped a notebook and had papers
scattered all over the sidewalk. He spent a long
time gathering up the papers. He was not aware
that anyone saw him. This honor is given to students who demonstrate behavior that exemplifies following school rules: Being Safe, Respectful and Responsible. A TSB dog tag is given to
each recipient to wear and are reminded that as
they wear it they are to be demonstrating the
good character for which they were awarded,
including speaking and behaving as a student
who has been honored with this award. TSB
staff are encouraged to recognize these students and ask them about the honor.
Holiday Activity Reflects Spirit of Giving
It’s always refreshing to hear of actions people
purposely take for good. Weeks before Christmas, caring folks and organizations began
contacting the school wanting to know how they
could bring goodwill and Christmas cheer to the
students. The following activities were held. On
Thursday the 12th of Dec., TNABA sponsored a
game night and afterwards a holiday party for
the students. In addition, they provided two
younger students with Christmas gifts. On December 16th, Pat Gavin delivered toys donated
by contractor Ron Grizzard. Pat and Ron have
individually, and together, given toys and gifts to
the students for many years. The toys were distributed to the younger students’ cottages during
Page 6
a holiday party with the help of the recreational
staff. Also, as in previous years, Pal Hawkins
and Friends gave winter coats and attire to
the students. Socks filled with fruit, toothbrush,
toothpaste, candy canes, and gum went to older
students. The gifts were distributed during a
party sponsored by recreation on Wednesday
December 18th. Mama Lou, with the help of
many of her friends, continued their Christmas
custom by giving gifts and/or having a Christmas
party for the kids. This is the thirty-third year for
this holiday tradition. To each and all the individuals and organizations that assisted in making
this a joyous season for our students, we express our sincerest gratitude and thanks.
Volume2, Issue 5
PARKS/Bob Parks Auction Successful as Fund Raiser for Friends
On December 4th at 10:00 a.m., Parks/Bob
Parks Realty, hosted the 13th Annual
Brunch and Bid.
The proceeds from
this much anticipated, annual
event go to
Friends of TSB.
Guests were treated to an incredible buffet and desserts, silent
and live auctions, and an outstanding holiday concert by Judy Denning and the talented TSB chorus. The location for the
event was graciously donated by the Mt.
Juliet Hampton Inn & Suites. A delicious
buffet was provided by Courtney's Restaurant & Catering, Corner Pub Between the
Lakes, Jonathan's Grille, and Buffalo Wild
Wings, all of Mount Juliet. Other sponsors
included Legacy Lending and Solomon
Parks Title and Escrow. Once again, Lisa
Patton of Nashville's News 2, was the emcee for the event. There was lively bidding
for some outstanding donated items from the
community! These included a beautiful
cityscape from artist, Phil Ponder, a
Chris Young autographed guitar and
many lovely holiday items, gift certificates and crafts. The Mount Juliet
Parks' office did an amazing job setting
up and coordinating the event, which has
become a traditional, festive kick-off to
the holiday season for many regular
guests. Bob Parks' commitment to
charitable giving is well known, and
through the very generous support of the
Parks' offices, Friends has been able to
complete many projects to benefit the
students of
TSB. Although the final
amount raised
will be announced later this month, it is clear that
this year's event was a huge success!
You can learn more about the work of
Friends of TSB at www.friendsoftsb.org
or www.facebook.com/FriendsofTSB
Desserts await the taking.
Above: Lisa Patton speaks to
the chorus Below: Great
items are offered for auction
Talkin’ Turkey bout Dressin’
Just prior to Thanksgiving, TSB students were
given the chance to voice their opinions about
their favorite turkey “dressing”. Original ideas for
the project came from Fran Mandrell’s MAP1
class and ended with the hosting of the first Annual Turkey Dressing Contest. Believing it
would be a good idea to help disguise some of
these gallinaceous birds so their fate wouldn’t
eventually involve being stuffed with dressing,
the students decided to try a “dressing” with a
different flavor, their own. Each child began
their turkey intervention with a big brown bird
and a mind full of creative ways for “dressing” up
their favorite fine feathered friend so it couldn’t
be found. Now when trading gravy for camouflage, you might think the results to be not much
more than mere gobble goop, but don’t be too
quick to stop scratchin’ for other ideas. Before
attempting to wing it and cry fowl, consider these
tasteful things to gobble about: The kids minds
ran wild, as did the turkeys. After
decorating the birds they made a
chart and strutted from class to
class keeping track of who liked
what dressing. When compiling
a story about their fun and wild
goose... or should I say turkey
chase, they discovered the best
part. After sharing all that dressing, not one child gained a single
pound! Their drum stick just beat
to a bird of a different feather.
Flying her way into first place
was Naveah Valdes, followed by
Levi Dykes in second and Jr.
Brooks in third. Congratulations on a great contest that was
more than “just for the birds”.
Pictured top to bottom: Nevaeh Valdes,
Levi Dykes and Taderrel (Jr.) Brooks
Page 7
Creating Contributing Participating Members of Society
TENNESSEE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
115 Stewarts Ferry Pike
Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: 615-231-7300
Reply of “Titanic” Proportion
For a recent class project,
Connie Winters had students write any scientist
with their “one burning
question”. Dr. Robert Ballard, known for oceanic
exploration and discovery Gage displays his photo
and letter from Dr. Ballard.
of the Titanic, was the
choice of Gage Yokley. Gage received a personal letter and photo from Dr. Ballard this week
encouraging him to “study hard” and to fulfill his
dreams of ocean exploration. Go Gage!
New Products from Tiger Store
Tennessee School for the Blind is a state special
school established in 1844 to meet the unique needs of
visually impaired students living in the state of Tennessee. The school provides academic and professional
services tailored to benefit students placed in its care
through the Local Education Agencies across the state.
Beyond a tradition of academics, TSB specializes in the
instruction of expanded core-curricular areas such as
Braille, Mobility, Technology, Career Education, and Independent Living Skills. Students at the school also enjoy
the opportunity to participate in team sports, campus
clubs, organizations and many leisure-time activities. In
addition the school provides outreach services to visually
challenged students, their parents, teachers, schools and
other agencies assisting the visually challenged.
Wow! The TSB Tiger Store has
received the following new products just in time for the holidays!
Email for availability and prices
to: [email protected], or
call Andy Joiner, 615-231-7320.
Upcoming Events Calendar
Day
Date
Event
Location
-
January 1-31
Art Exhibit at Green Hills Library Gallery
Green Hills
M
January 6
Classes Resume
-
Tu
January 7
Home Wrestling Match vs Fairview, DCA
TSB
Th- Sa
January 9-11
All Mid State Band
-
M
January 13
Muffin Monday
TSB
Tu
January 14
Home Wrestling Match vs Page, Stratford
TSB
Th- Sa
January 16-18
All Mid State Jazz/Orchestra
-
M
January 20
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday School Closed
Monday Busing
TSB
Tu
January 21
Home Wrestling Match vs Whites Creek, Lipscomb
TSB
F-S
January 24-26
NCASB Wrestling/Cheer Conference
Louisville Kentucky
M
February 10th
Muffin Monday
TSB
F
February 14th
Valentine’s Day
-
M
February 17th
President’s Day Holiday School Closed
Monday Busing
TSB
Th
February 27th
14 Tennessee Regional Braille Challenge
TSB
F-Sa
February 28- Mar.1
Louisville Jazz Festival
Louisville, Kentucky