This issue was edited by Marion Blazé, Education Officer, Statewide Vision Resource Centre.
David Hornsby and Debbie Sukarna run some fantastic PD sessions on literacy. Marion went to one of their spelling days last year and it can be highly recommended. This one is on Saturday, April 28 at the Darebin Arts Centre in Preston. Contact Paula Welham for more information: telephone 9499 2065 or email pwelham@bigpond.net.au.
A Careers Day with a Difference!!! We are inviting any of our primary students to come along for the day and try out the skills they’ll need for a number of different careers. They might try being a Receptionist, a Scientist, an Actor, a Radio Personality, a Myotherapist, a Musician, a Teacher or a Caterer. We are only in the planning stage at the moment, but we are aiming to involve some of our ex-students to demonstrate their career skills and conduct an activity which involves our current students in trying out aspects of these careers. It’s bound to be lots of fun and we hope it will get our students thinking about why they need to start honing their skills NOW. (See, we’re still on our mission of talking careers for 2007!) Early next Term The Bulletin will include a flier to give to students and schools – but you can start talking to them about May 8th, now.
Do we have any takers this year???
Yes (as many-times described) Space Camp is a life-changing experience for all concerned. Shy students may otherwise unaccountably become assertive; educationally disengaged students may suddenly decide they want to be astrophysicists – and knuckle down to study… Minor miracles associated with Space Camp are numerous and various… Will one be yours? Or your son/daughter(s)???
Contact Deb Lewis on 9841 0242 or deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au ASAP!
Scott Duncan and Pam Haybek are both legally blind and are sailing around the world!!! They have completed the Pacific crossing – the first legally blind sailors to complete such an endeavour – and are currently in Australia. They write:
On October 11th 2004 at 12:35 pm we cast off our lines and set sail for the Blind Circumnavigation!
On November 10, 2005, after sailing over 9,000 nautical miles we reached Whangarei, New Zealand becoming the first legally blind people to cross the Pacific Ocean! We are so excited about achieving this first major milestone of our circumnavigation!
Our latest news is that we have decided on an intended route for the 2007 cruising season. Our intention is to travel back into the South Pacific ocean visiting remote countries including New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and possibly the southern tip of Papua New Guinea. We will then head west and make our way to either Darwin, Australia, or we will sail directly to Indonesia. Finally, we will make our way further north into Southeast Asia to settle in Thailand to wait out the 2008 cyclone season in the Indian Ocean. Of course our backup plan is to end up where the wind and circumstances take us.
Check in on the website regularly for updates on our adventure! Go to: http://www.blindsailing.com
Vision Australia, Blind Bowls Victoria and Blind Sports Victoria are holding a come and try day for Bowls in the Bendigo area. It’s on April 24th, 10am to 2.30pm. Contact Steve Monigatti for more information on 5445 5700 or steve.monigatti@visionaustralia.org.
The youth working group of the European Blind Union (EBU) has set up an e-mailgroup to build a network between visually impaired youth all over the world and for the youth working groups of the European Blind Union (EBU) and World Blind Union (WBU) to easily spread information. This group is mainly meant for blind and partially sighted youth between approximately 15-35 years old and all other people who are interested.
If you like to join this group, the easiest way is to send an empty message to: ebu_youth-subscribe@yahoogroups.co
Source: Australian BN Update, March 2007
We have developed a page on the HumanWare site for BN users, where you can get answers to frequently asked questions, lists of compatible products, steps for setting up some functions, explanations on how to use certain features and other general information useful for using and learning more about your BN.
The address is: http://www.humanware.com/solutions/faq_braillenote.asp
Source: Australian BN Update, March 2007
If you have a BrailleNote or VoiceNote but no GPS you are eligible to enter the Sendero or HumanWare draw for a free GPS. To enter this draw, go to http://www.senderogroup.com/freegps or http://www.HumanWare.com/freegps.asp
You will need to enter your serial number, name and email address. A phone number and additional contact information is optional. For every 100 entries in this drawing, one free GPS will be issued. Tell your BrailleNote friends about this drawing for a US$1,599 GPS.
Many of you will know Gillian Gale through her work as Educational Advisor with Vision Australia (or when it was RVIB) and in the Northern Territory. If you don’t actually know her, you will at least have read something by her. She’s been hard to avoid in this industry! After 33 years of dedication to our field of Special Education, Gillian is finally hanging up her brailler (but I think we’ll still see her around!). We wish her happy travels (she’s heading up north again), and all the best for the next phase of her life.
Qualified experienced Visiting Teacher is available for consultancy work in private schools in term 2 – please phone Deb Lewis on 9841 0242.
Gill from Mildura is investigating the use of Moon (raised symbols) for a student in a specialist setting and is looking for others who are using it too – please phone her on 5023 5190 or email hogan.gillian.g@edumail.vic.edu.au.
As I know you know … Perkins Braillers are for short term loan only – if your student has had a brailler for more than three months, it needs to be returned ASAP. Please ensure that the student owns their own – through PSD funding or support from service organisations. Thank you in advance. (We really need them to run our programs!)
Do you need audio tape storage – we have lots of cassette storage units – enough to store over 200 tapes – and if you want them – they are yours! Have a few or have the lot – please contact us and we’ll put them aside for you!
Thanks to Tim Connell, Rita Farrelly, Dr Jill Keeffe, Deb Lewis, Ramona Mandy, Di Hayward, Di Skillern, Paula Welham, for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to our fabulous proof-readers, stuffers and mailers.
Marion Blazé (who can be emailed at marionblaze@svrc.vic.edu.au).