Statewide Vision Resource Centre
Number 10 Friday 14th July 2000
Inside This Issue
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* Parent Support Group 2pm SVRC | Saturday 15 July |
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Visiting Teacher PD Day | Friday 11 August |
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SPEVI Evening Discussion and Dinner at RVIB | Thurs 31 August |
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Counselling Skills for Visiting Teachers
– Geoff Bowen
(Details attached to Bulletin 9) |
Friday August 25 |
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(Space Camp) | 23-28 September |
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Combined Agencies Networking Day – St Paul’s School | Monday 2 October |
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Mountbatten Users’ Discussion Group | Monday 23 October |
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Spectronic & Zygo Conference (see Bulletin 5) | Wed-Fri 8-10 November |
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SPEVI Evening Discussion and Christmas Drinks | Monday 13 November |
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Exhibition of Adaptive Equipment and Services at Melbourne Town Hall – VISTA 21C | 19-23 November |
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SVRC Mini Expo | TBA |
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Visiting Teacher Professional Development Day | Monday 4 December |
Staff News
I was out on my front verandah eating breakfast before 7am (as usual) when the first intrepid driver arrived. Joel was soon followed by Rosie, Dean, Michael, Visiting Teacher - Helen (who kindly gave up her days off to come along to our camp) and finally Owen! Introductions over, Helen and I divided up the students and set off for our first stop. ‘The Piccadilly’ in Woodend serves the yummiest hot chocolates and the most mountainous blueberry muffins, which were very welcome on this cold and foggy morning. VT - Marlene turned up with driving ace, Kathryn and we continued up the highway to Charlton, which is about an hour north of Bendigo. VT - Joanna (also working on her days off) arrived with Jim from Ballarat and VT - Trish appeared with Daniel from Bendigo. Josh, who had been sick earlier, joined us from Woodend with his mum. And finally, VT - Lynne and driving veteran, Chad arrived from Colac finally to complete the crew.
Within minutes, students were on the track – changing gears, indicating, reversing and proceeding around with a fair amount of grace and speed which was gratifying to the shivering Visiting Teachers sitting on the sidelines. On the second day, students progressed to hill starts, parallel parking and even a little off-road activity including a couple of donuts!
Three or four students per car meant that each student had several 20-minute drives each day and their skills steadily improved. All was achieved in the context of much laughter and friendly banter - one of our instructors commenting on the second day that if he had a damp cloth, he’d try to wipe the smile off Jim’s face!
The blind students relied on the mostly clear and accurate instructions from instructors – Brian, Graeme, Nola or Ian – although one little off-road detour had our students in places that ‘no-one had ever been before – even the sheep!’ Owen also went straight at a curve and thought it was because instructor Graeme had been ‘a little bit confused!’ Chad, then, had a go at directing from the back seat – which meant even more off road activity! Dean proved to be a bit of a ‘lead foot’ – probably as a result of his previous experience driving at Calder Park! Kathryn was our ‘perfect parker’ and at one stage Rosie jumped out of the car to announce, ‘Did you see my handbrake start? I’m fantastic!’ Josh kindly agreed not to try to get the car airborne (like he does with his motorbike at home); Michael and Daniel were the ‘quiet achievers’, though both were seen doing a few donuts in the grass! Chad really settled down this year and was more interested in careful driving than speed – much to the relief of the onlookers. Chad was also very pleased at his level of independence with his belongings in his room. Jim, who incidentally won the ‘face ache award’ for smiling constantly for two days, summed up his experiences by saying to his VT, Joanna – ‘There’s nowhere else in the whole world I’d rather be than here with you!’ Same goes for me, Jim!
With a very silly team quiz after dinner, which ‘the team on the left’ won after a sudden death play-off caused by scores of 37½ each, an excellent time was had by all! And as they were collected by their parents several students were heard to say, ‘See you next time!’ So if your students are interested in the next driving camp – they’d better get in quick!
*** VT – VI Adventure Camp: 21-24 August 2000 ***
Plans are well under way for the VT adventure/self esteem camp for term 3 – we are just waiting for approval from the Heatherwood School Council. Places will be available for a maximum of 15 upper primary to secondary students. Activities will include public transport travel to and from Delhuntie Park (in Gippsland) followed by abseiling, wall climb, flying fox (over a lake) and other fun stuff. The cost is $180 per student – unless we are successful with our submission for funding, in which case, the cost to students will be subsidised. Details are attached for VTs or available by email. Please call Deb Lewis for further details or send your deposit of $50 to secure your place.
Next Evening SPEVI Function
The 31st August is the date for the next SPEVI night and catered dinner, this time at RVIB. The focus will be current research into vision in Victoria and we will have the pleasure of hearing several speakers including optometrist, Rikki Gibson, who is currently studying Retinitus Pigmentosa; and continent-hopper, Dr Jill Keeffe who is always up to something interesting. Please phone Deb Lewis (9841 0242) or Sandie Mackevicius (9888 7889) to register your intention to attend. Thanks.
SVRC Mini Expo**
The staff of the SVRC are currently planning an Expo of assistive technology and equipment for students who are blind and vision impaired for some time in term 4. We are currently inviting presenters from Quantum, Spectronics, European Eyewear, MicroMarvellous, Edsoft etc to provide displays and seminars/discussions. This Expo will be suitable for Visiting Teachers, students, integration staff and parents. Please call Lyn or Deb to provide feedback for this idea, to offer organisational assistance or to suggest other suppliers. Thanks.
BCA Parent News
This is a very interesting and newsy publication that comes out termly via email. It is available to all by contacting Helen Freris on 9521 3433.
RVIB Programs
The information below is reproduced from the very interesting June edition of BCA Parent News.
Following is a list of programs or special days, which are being run at RVIB Burwood. If you would like any further information or wish to register your interest in any of the programs, please phone Michelle Piggott or Garry Stinchcombe on 9808 6422.
Senior Residential Training Program
Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th September (Second week of Term Three Holidays)
Cost $80.00 (Positions are limited)
This program is aimed at secondary school aged students who are unable to attend the Support Skills Program. The focus is on those areas of the curriculum, which relate to the unique learning needs of the vision impaired student.
Expressions of interest need to be made by no later than Friday 18th August.
Support Skills Try Day
Friday 3rd November 2000
Students who are seeking enrolment in the Support Skills Program for 2001 should first attend the Try Day. Vision impaired students should be in Grades Two to Year Nine. Students, their families and teachers are encouraged to attend Burwood for this half day. While students are experiencing the program first hand, their families and teachers meet with the staff involved in the program.
Registration of interest for this day closes on Friday 13th October.
Latest Info from the World Blind Union Fifth General Assembly
‘Challenging What It Means To Be Blind’ will be held in November 2000 at the Melbourne Town Hall. Information for Australian Attendees, contained in the June issue of BCA Parent News is available via email from the SVRC – contact Deb on 9841 0242 or deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au
Public Transport Entitlements for Blind and VI People Throughout Aust
This article by Maryanne Diamond from the May issue of BCA Parent News (mentioned last term in Bulletin 9) is now available via email from the SVRC – contact Deb on 9841 0242 or deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au
Report to the ABA – Unified English Braille Code
Australian Braille Authority International Representative, Bruce Maguire has produced a lengthy, though extremely interesting report on the meeting of the Unified English Braille Code Committee III held in London on May 2-5, 2000 which is available from the SVRC in print or via email. It mainly discusses the recommendations of Committee III, but also includes feedback from some of the other committees which are responsible for:
Committee I – Project Committee
Committee II – Extension of the Base Code
Committee III – Contractions
Committee IV – Interface with Foreign Languages
Committee V – Formatting Guidelines
Committee VI – Rules
The following comments come from the summary of his report:
New Blindness and Vision Impairment Website
This new Website about blindness and vision impairment is now available. The site will be updated regularly with new articles about current events, reviews of products, and other issues of interest to people who are vision impaired or who are concerned with vision impairment-related topics. The site also includes an extensive library of links to other sites organised by subject. Regularly scheduled chats are also held on a variety of topics, which you can feel free to suggest! Go to http://blindness.about.com/. Subjects include:
We have been informed that the recorded passage for the listening section of the Music and LOTE subjects in the November CAT period will be provided on CD-ROM. If you have a student sitting in a separate room for these subjects, be sure to arrange a CD-ROM player for your student.
Large Print Keyboards (Online)
Large print keyboards, being marketed for those with ‘failing vision or those in low-light environments’ are available for sale from the USA via the internet from ‘Hooleon’. They also offer a complete line of custom keyboard products and inexpensive keyboard labels allowing you to add Large Print Keys, Colour Keys, Braille Keyboards, Dvorak Keyboards, International Language, and many more accessories for your keyboard. You’ll find them at http://www.hooleon.com/.
EASE Special Offers
‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ will be performed with audio descriptions on Wednesday 16th August at 1pm ($44) and Saturday 20th August at 2pm ($54).
Contact Penelope on 9699 8497 between 10am and 4pm weekdays.
JVIB
The following articles appeared in the April edition:
Attached is the new Reading Stand Order Form which must be sent together with an ‘Official School Order’ showing the ABN. You will notice that the price will now be $55 (including GST).
New VT Contact Details List
Please find the most recent list of Visiting Teachers and their contact phone numbers attached.
Active Learning Association
The initial planning stages of this association have been put in motion by Killparrin School (South Australia). At this point in time Dr. Nielsen has indicated her willingness to contribute an article to the first edition of the Active Learning Association’s "E Newsletter". This newsletter will be a means of members keeping in contact on a national basis and an opportunity to share information. The Victorian chapter of the steering committee is represented by Julie Robottom who can be contracted on vpr8@melb.alexia.net.au or via phone 03 9416 8915 (w) 03 9876 3780 (h). Could people who are interested in becoming members contact Julie ASAP including their email address. An initial meeting of all those interested in finding out more about active learning and in joining the association will take place on Wednesday 23rd of August at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre, 360 Springvale Rd. Donvale, at 4:00 to 5:00pm. RSVP to Julie at the above email address or at
03 9841 0807 (Annette Godfrey-Magee) by Friday 18th August, please.
Tax Information
According to the Vision Australia Foundation Members’ Newsletter of Winter 2000, ‘the Tax Office has issued a general guide to the GST, a guide to registering for the new tax system and a regular bulletin which gives updates on the implementation of the new tax. Available free of charge in all formats, call 1800 644 885 toll free.’
Taxi News
According to the Vision Australia Foundation Members’ Newsletter of Winter 2000: ‘Some taxis are now fitted with technology through EFTPOS that requires the concession card to be placed in the EFTPOS before the meter is switched on. Therefore you must tell the taxi driver beforehand that you have a concession card issued by the Victorian Taxi Directorate. If you forget to tell the driver and the meter has been activated you will be liable for payment of the full taxi fare.’
Vision Australia Foundation Brochure
Included with the print copy of The Bulletin is the VAF Community Services Brochure. Vision Australia Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which has provided services for people with blindness, vision impairment and other disabilities since 1895. This brochure is also available in braille and audio formats. Call 1300 365 560 for further information or for details on your nearest centre.
The Ultimate Handbook: Recreation and Sport for People who are Blind or Vision Impaired
According to the flier: ‘The Ultimate Handbook is a comprehensive guide to recreation and sport for people who are blind or vision impaired, their carers, family and friends. Recreation and sport keeps us physically and mentally active and provides challenge, creativity, social interaction and a sense of well being. This publication will greatly enhance the quality of life of those who read and use it.’ You can order The Ultimate Handbook by calling 9864 9222 or by sending $27.50 (includes GST) for one copy of $22.00 (includes GST) for additional copies plus $4.00 postage and handling in Australia.
Space Camp Video
Our copy of Space Camp 1999 has disappeared and I was wondering if someone had borrowed it – please return ASAP as it is still used from time to time…
Janie and Yeliz Hit the News
Visiting Teacher, Janie McLeod and her student Yeliz appeared in the Nillumbik Mail on 14th June 2000 after their successful trip to Samoa and the Southern Cross Games for blind and vision impaired students. The article is attached in the print edition of The Bulletin. For Janie and Yeliz’s reports including a photo, see issue 9 of The Bulletin which can be found at here.
Counselling Skills for Visiting Teachers
Educational Psychologists Geoff Bowen and Helen Clements will be conducting a full day seminar/workshop for Visiting Teachers in Basic Counselling Skills on Friday 25th August. The participants are required to complete the pre-reading of several chapters from the book ‘People Skills’ by Robert Dalton (Simon and Schuster). The closing date for registration is 18th August 2000. Details of this program were attached to Bulletin 9 or call the SVRC.
Notebooks for Teachers
Nominations for August and October/November ‘Notebook for Teachers’ rollouts are available from your base school principal or your region. Applications are due in 17th July – this may by your last opportunity!
VCE Exam Timetable
The November CAT timetable is attached for VTs.
And Finally
Back at the desk… it hardly feels like I’ve been away… Have a great term – see you soon!Regards from Deb Lewis deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au