The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Statewide Vision Resource Centre).

Inside This Issue

- SVRC Toolkit & Website Morning
- SCORE Camp in Canada Report
- GDV O&M Trip to Sydney
- BrailleNote
- Notes from Australian Blindness Forum
- Report: APH Museum
- Braille Reading Competition
- Graphical Calculus Course for the Blind
- Our New Look White Pages
- JAWS Morning Report
- Maths & Sciences Resources
- Need Photos of Eyes etc?
- Brailling Students: Building Finger & Hand Strength
- Southern Cross Games
- Australian Association for Families of Children with Disability
- Care Using your Mobile Phone
- SPEVI Conference 2003
- Reference: Teaching VI Students
- Staff/Student News
- Space Camp Meeting
- Youth Space Forum

SVRC Professional Development 2002

SVRC Tool Kit and Website Morning: 26th August

Not only has Lyn produced an excellent VT Tool Kit on CD-ROM, she has also kindly offered to take Visiting Teachers on a guided tour of this fabulous resource. This will be followed by a tour of the two SVRC websites - the original website - and then the technology spin-off!

If you haven't looked lately, the SVRC website (www.svrc.vic.edu.au) contains an incredible amount of information including pages related to:

- Educational Vision Assessment Clinic
- Visiting Teachers
- Tips for Teachers and Teacher Aides
- Camps, Leisure and Recreation
- Curriculum Access
- The Bulletin
- VCE Special Provision
- Technology
- For the Tactual Learner
- Professional Development Programs
- Websites, Reference Materials and Resources
- Support Networks
- Just for Fun

The SVRC Toolkit and Website Morning will commence at 9.30am and finish at 12.30pm. No lunch will be provided. Please BYO laptop and your copy of the CD Toolkit.

RSVP by Monday 19th August.

SCORE Campers Return from Canada

Glen and Bernadette, the 2002 winners of the CNIB trip to Canada have returned after a whirlwind three weeks out of the country.

One of the activities in which they participated was writing a website - check it out and you'll see more of their activities. One section is the 'biographies' section and here is what our intrepid travellers had to say about themselves:

Glen: I come from Melbourne Australia. I chose to come to SCORE 2002 because after speaking to people who had been to SCORE camp in previous years and hearing what a great experience it was, I decided to put in an application. After putting in my application I heard that I had been short listed and had to attend an interview the following Thursday. After going to the interview I heard that I was selected as a SCORE Participant, and, as you can imagine, I was very excited! Some of my favorite activities at the camp were swimming, eating out at restaurants, and experiencing the fun that came with a trip to Canada's Wonderland. I would personally recommend this camp to any visually impaired or blind teen-agers who are interested in technology.

Bernadette: My name is Bernadette, or, [as I am commonly referred to at home] Berns. I'm seventeen years of age and live in Melbourne, Australia. I'm currently in my final year of high school and am studying subjects such as, English, history, literature and psychology. While the work load is heavy, I am finding them interesting.

Next year, I plan to attend university and study an Arts course with Psychology as a major. While I don't have any specific career goal in mind, I hope to do something in Psychology, and perhaps writing as well.

I have many interests, ranging from writing and music, to shopping and going to the movies. I enjoy outdoor activities such as horse-riding and bush-walking, and love to be adventurous.

I wanted to attend SCORE primarily because it sounded like a challenging and exciting experience. I also hope to gain skills in areas such as technology. So far, my experience at SCORE has more than lived up to my expectations.
[Note: apparently, Bernadette won a full copy of JAWS for her work at SCORE!!!]

Career and Personal Development Sessions:

During the time at SCORE Camp, participants took part in various group discussions and activities facilitated by Rhonda Underhill Gray, Vivian Yatabe, Ann Harry and Cathy Moore. These sessions began on day eight, when participants discussed issues concerning power and community. After exchanging ideas on these matters, they concluded that power can be obtained in a variety of ways by different individuals. This discussion, in turn, led to one concerning self-advocacy. Members of the group acknowledged that, in order for individuals to assert their ideas on a legal level, they must build their way up through the different channels in society. The group outlined the main levels of authority in the community, beginning with those with the least power and progressing to those with the most. This was also incorporated into careers and career choices.

Following this group discussion, SCORE participants linked rings together, as to represent the number of communities of which they take part in their lives. A member of the group then stood in the centre of the group, holding a ball of wool and revealed their career goals for the future. Those from the circle who could provide a link to that specific career received a string of wool which was connected to the person in the middle. This process continued until everyone who could offer assistance had done so. By the end, a network of wool had formed. A network is extremely important to achieve one's social and career goals. A network will enable you to connect with others in the working world and will improve your career options. Social networks are quite often associated with career networks and jobs.

On day nine, group discussions revolved around the themes of aggression and assertion. The group discussed the difference between being assertive, aggressive and passive aggressive. In addition, the different ways of voicing assertion were exercised. Assertiveness, aggression and passive aggression can either make or break career development and success. One needs to display the appropriate characteristics at the necessary times in order to succeed in the career world.

Day ten led the SCORE participants to engage in an activity which involved creativity. Participants were divided into smaller groups and given an object. Their task was to brainstorm as many uses for the object as possible. This helped prepare the SCORE participants for the career and working world by promoting independent thinking and entrepreneurial skills.

Following this activity, the SCORE participants were again split up into small groups. This time they were required to invent a product and then attempt to persuade a bank to loan them money to enhance the success of the product. In order to achieve this, it was the group's task to employ strong persuasive techniques including well thought out arguments to convince the bankers that their product was worthwhile. This gave all of the SCORE participants valuable reasoning, negotiation and marketing skills, which will be needed later on in the working world.

These sessions provided the participants with the opportunity to develop skills required to achieve their career and personal goals.

Check out their website for more information and photos of their activities and projects at http://www.cnib.ca/score2002/.

GDV: Orientation and Mobility Trip to Sydney

When: 9 - 13 December 2002
Cost: Free (Students just need some spending money)
Guide Dogs Victoria is offering a four night, five-day camp in Sydney for around 6 students, aged 14 to 19 years. They must be highly motivated and looking to expand their existing high level O&M skills.

The aim of this exciting and challenging program is to provide six students with an experience travelling in the unfamiliar and dynamic environment of central Sydney. The program would suit students who are working towards advanced O&M goals.

The benefits of this camp for the student include:
- Gaining confidence in independent travel in an unfamiliar and challenging environment
- Refining their planning and self advocacy skills
- Building budgeting and ADL skills
- Increasing their peer support network

It is also a reward and acknowledgement for the efforts they have invested in the development of mobility skills in the past year.

Applications for this program close on Friday 30 August 2002.

Who can apply? The applications are open to all students with a vision impairment. The student can be nominated by their Visiting Teacher, school, parent or O&M instructor for a place on the camp. The basis for selecting students includes the student's motivation, current level of mobility skills, the benefits for the student's skill development (both short and long term) and their readiness to move into the wider community.

Students are required to write a one-page essay when applying stating why they would like to join this program and the mobility goals they wish to achieve. This essay is to be submitted to Dean Johnson (GDV). Applicants must include contact details of one referee (GDV reserves the right to contact unlisted referees.) Applications for this program close on Friday 30 August 2002.

For further information on how to apply please contact Dean Johnson at Guide Dogs Victoria on (03) 9854 4506.

BrailleNote

Pusle Data Australia now have BrailleNote and VoiceNote units available for demonstration and testing in each capital city around Australia. If you or someone you know would like to have a demonstration, please contact Ramona Mandy, BrailleNote Promotions Officer, on (03) 9686 2601 or by email at rmandy@pulsedata.com.au

Australian Blindness Forum (ABF)

The following information appeared in the June 2002 edition of ABF Braille Update:

ABF Braille Updates are sent every three months to ABF members and interested others, or earlier if something of note happens. They cover summarised items about literacy and numeracy and more. For more detail, or an audio version, please contact Margaret Verick, Policy Officer (Blindness & Vision Impairment), at ACROD on phone (02) 6282 4333, fax (02) 6281 3488, email abfver@ozemail.com.au

Canadian singer launches CD with braille liner notes

In March this year, The Halifax Herald reported that, while attending the World Blind Union (WBU) Fifth General Assembly in Melbourne in November 2000, blind singer Terry Kelly from Newfoundland in Canada was asked by the retiring President, Euclid Herie, to perform a song to close the conference. Kelly said that he'd written the music and some of the lyrics, but the heart and soul of the song, 'The Power of the Dream', came together after he listened to people speak at the WBU conference. 'The Power of the Dream' CD features 13 original Kelly songs, some written in collaboration with other well-known songwriters. Besides braille pressed on the liner notes, the CD is also enhanced. The CD, distributed by EMI and Tidemark, was launched at a Government House reception and, for the first time, guests were sent their invitations in braille.

Note: We heard 'The Power of the Dream' at the closing ceremony of Space Camp last year -it was very popular with the assembled audience.

Launch of 'Techno Braille'

In April this year, Creative Tactile Solutions in the US launched 'Techno Braille'. This mass braille printing technology is said to be less costly, does not use perforation or indentation, and can be printed on virtually any type of lightweight paper, label or other printed material. For more information, visit http://www.tactilestolutions.com/.

A Boost for Braille

Tim Connell of Quantum Technology passed on the following item from the 27 May issue of Newsweek magazine:

"Findings show more braille users are employed.

Next month's National Braille Challenge, held in San Diego USA, pits top blind students against each other in areas like braille reading comprehension and proofreading. The contest calls attention to the brightest kids, but also the importance of braille literacy among visually impaired youth.

Only 10 per cent of the country's 57,000 legally blind children say that braille is their first choice for getting information; 40 years ago more than half read the code. (Blame the drop on talking technology and mainstreaming blind kids into public schools - a change generally lauded.) The problem: children who don't learn braille are more likely than literate peers to be unemployed later on. About 70 per cent of blind adults are out of work. Of the 30 per cent with jobs, 85 per cent know braille. Says a Braille Institute VIP, 'It's probably the single greatest predictor for a child's success.'"

Report: The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind

By Janie McLeod who visited the APH Museum in May, 2002.

The humanitarian movement of the 18th century promoted the idea that blind people should be protected and educated. These new attitudes were most prominent in France where the first school for the blind was founded in 1785. In 1786 Valentin Hauy made the first tactile book for the blind in Paris. The book of "Essai sur l'education des Aveugles" is now in the museum of the APH. It was written in embossed letters in French which have been traced over in ink so the sighted teacher could read it. The backs of the pages were glued together to stiffen them and to save space.

American civic leaders and philanthropists founded the first three schools for the blind in New York and Boston in 1832 and in Philadelphia in 1833. They were all privately financed residential schools which were the only type of schools for the blind in the US until the early 1900s when day classes for students with vision impairments were established in public schools. The Boston school was renamed the Perkins Institution in 1839 to honor Thomas H Perkins who gave his house and grounds to the school. In 1884 Judge Bullock opened a school for the "colored blind" after getting $20000 from the government. The American Association of Instructors for the Blind began holding annual conventions from 1853.

In 1842 the Kentucky Institution for the Blind was chartered and given $10000 on condition the people of Kentucky would raise funds to get the school started. A house was rented in 1842 and in 1845 there were 24 pupils. The school sold articles which the students had made. The American Printing House for the Blind started in its basement and was later moved next door. The museum in the Printing House was opened in 1994 and has fascinating displays of the first examples of tactile writing, early tactile graphics, different methods of tactile printing and embossing and the development of technology used by the blind.

There is a prayer book in the museum made in England in 1839 which uses raised capital letters. America's first embossed book was the Gospel of Mark printed in Roman letters using both upper and lower case. Various examples of other styles are also shown including New York Point which is similar to braille but is 2 dots high 2 to 4 dots wide. This style was used until the 1930's. There is a copy of "First Education" by Louis Braille from the Imperial Institution for the Young Blind printed in 1863.

In 1860 the Lucas System was devised based on shorthand. It was phonetic and a copy of Pilgrim's Progress is on display using this method of printing. By 1870 New York Point had replaced line letters in most US schools for the blind. In 1910 after a debate it was decided that Louis Braille's method was the one which should be used in US schools.

One interesting item on display is Helen Keller's copy of the Book of Psalms written in Grade one and a half braille. The dots used for her favorite psalms have been well worn. She graduated from Radcliffe College in1904.

Raised maps on globes from 1870 were similar to those we use today. A typewriter from 1877 had raised letters or numbers on the keys and was considered so valuable it was kept in a special room and students needed special permission to use it. A typewriter produced in 1890 has 12 keys and could be used one-handed to type in New York Point braille.

In 1934 Beetz Notation Graph was a tactile method used to teach music. Bar lines, notes and other signs were made in three-dimensional plastic shapes and could be moved easily to write music. It would have been slow and awkward to read from.

In 1936 the first book in large print was made. 'Everyday Manners" was privately handset and was well received although it was expensive. In 1946 the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind was expanded to include large type books so the APH started to produce books in large print.

The first talking book made at APH as a record was Gulliver's Travels in 1936, the next was Treasure Island, the third Pinocchio. In 1938, 32 talking books were recorded. One early cassette had 18 tracks for 22 hours of listening and weighed 6lbs.

There were many fascinating and curious items in the museum but it was rather sad to observe that, considering the length of time that has passed since the education of the blind began, we still frequently have to reinvent the wheel and improvise using materials that are not always satisfactory. Information technology is certainly the area where the greatest progress has been made.

To find out more about the APH museum look up http://www.aph.org/museum/museum.htm/.

More Info About the Braille Reading Competition

Celebrating Literacy: Events to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Louis Braille's Death

2002 marks the 150th anniversary of Louis Braille's death. To commemorate this event, and celebrate literacy for blind people, the Victorian branch of the Australian Braille Authority is holding a Braille reading competition, which will be run in conjunction with a display of Braille writing tools and technology. These events will take place in the Vision Australia Foundation library, 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong, on Saturday, October 12.

There are three categories in the Braille reading competition: junior readers (readers under 16 years of age), adult readers, and new Braille readers with not more than three years experience with Braille. Entrants will be required to read two pieces: one piece will be set by the organising committee, and the second will be a piece of the reader's choice. This piece is to be between five and ten minutes in length.

Several prominent authors and members of the blind community and blindness field are being invited to adjudicate, and entrants have the possibility of walking away with interesting and useful Braille-related prizes.

A landline is being kindly provided by 3RPH, Radio for the Print Handicapped, so those from interstate who are interested in entering are very welcome!

Those who are with us on the day can also take the time to browse through the display of Braille writing tools and technology. Items from the earliest writing tools to the latest Braille technology will be on show.

If you or someone you know is interested in entering the reading competition, please contact Vyvette Baptist at Vision Australia Library on 9864 9626, email vyvette.baptist@visionaustralia.org.au/. We also hope to encourage any interested members of the public.

A Graphical Calculus Course for the Blind

The following information was supplied by Jim Allan on 6 June 2002 (AERNET discussion list):

The Computer Science Department of the College of Staten Island in conjunction with the Computer Center for the Visually Impaired of Baruch College has designed a Graphical Calculus Course for Blind Students. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation to help make college level courses accessible to those with visual impairments. This self-pacing course was designed to enable blind students to master calculus concepts without the assistance of a sighted reader. The course materials consist of audio presentations of text specifically worded for blind students and supplemented with easily interpreted tactile graphics. Audio files and graphic files for transfer to swell paper are freely downloadable from our website. Audio-tactile files for use with a NOMAD touchpad are also available. For those who do not have access to swell paper graphic production, we can supply ready-made plastic graphics sheets. For more information or to view the materials, please visit our website at: http://domanski.cs.csi.cuny.edu/CalculusForTheBlind/.

For more information contact: Blank@postbox.csi.cuny.edu or telephone USA (718) 982-2350.

A Sojourn through the New Look White Pages

Have you looked in your 'new look' White Pages lately? I did and I couldn't find whoever I was looking for and so I dialled 12455 for the number, wishing that I hadn't been so hasty in my recycling of my 'old look' (but at least I knew where to find things) White Pages. The second time I needed a number, I didn't even try the White Pages, I went straight for 12455…

If I'd stopped to wonder, I would have realised that this is not a long-term solution…

Denise (VT Northern Region) pointed out that students may also require some orientation to the new look White Pages also - which caused me to take another look at how it all works. Well, there is a new section in the White Pages called the 'Business Listings', the pink coloured section, where you will find anything that is not an ordinary person. So you'll find the 'Pickford Pharmacy' and 'Phillip's Transport', but you'll also find Pickering, D (because s/he is a psychologist) and Phipps, R&M (because they are plumbers). Also Phish (I guess it might be a shop of some description).

Pretty straight forward so far. (Mind you, if it is a business, shouldn't it be in the Yellow Pages?…)

So then I thought I'd try to find the Statewide Vision Resource Centre and Heatherwood School. The (purple) Government Section at the beginning of A-K told me to look on A-K page 323 for 'Education & Training Dept of' and voilà, there was the Statewide Vision Resource Centre under 'Central & Specialist Services'. The 'Education & Training Dept of' section also revealed that I could 'see Schools-State Government' for 'State Primary, Secondary, Language & Specialist Schools & Centres' but wouldn't tell me the page to look on - it's in L-Z and begins on page 1777. By now, I am wishing that the White Pages had bookmarks like my web browser, because I won't remember all that next time I want to look up a school…

So I thought I'd look at the White Pages website just to see what that was like, and wasn't very excited. The section you need is located in a strip down the middle of a regular print screen and surrounded by a LOT of advertising material. The colour contrast is not good - black writing on blue background. You type in the details you know including Family/Business Name, Address, Town or Suburb. You also have to indicate, using pull-down menus, the State, Area, and Search Type (Residential/Business/ Government). So I typed in 'Statewide' and all the listings for 'Statewide…' were displayed. Unfortunately there was no number listed for the SVRC and I was directed back to 'Education, Employment and Training Dept of'. When I searched using that, I was only given one number and it wasn't the one I wanted. Searching using 'Education Department' was more successful, at last.

It was pretty slow - but doable.

Is there a moral to this story?

Perhaps you'd like to take your low vision and blind students on a stroll through the White Pages - either in print or on the internet. Perhaps they will find the new format handy. Each new surname of the ordinary people (the white section of the White Pages) is indicated in bold, and alternative spellings are suggested.

But personally, I preferred everything in together - actually I preferred everything in one volume… I must be getting old… >sigh<

For VIPs: Accessing Telephone Information

Contrary to earlier advice, the phone number for vision impaired people to access the information provided in the White and Yellow Pages is 12551. This is the Telstra Disability Directory. Call this number and register as a vision impaired person - you can then access phone numbers (including mobile numbers) and addresses via a real person (not a recording). Thanks to Ramona Mandy, Pulse Data Australia, for that information.

Report: JAWS PD Morning 29 July 2002

From Lea Nagel, Visiting Teacher, Eastern Region:

Michael Williams from Quantum Technology gave us a fairly technical run-down on JAWS and some of its functions.

Here is a list of some things the participants know now that they didn't know yesterday about JAWS:

- Learning the hotkeys will be useful in other programmes.
- You can get a list of Hotkeys by pressing Insert and H.
- You can tick and untick boxes in dialogue boxes by using the space bar.
- It's important to sit next to someone who has more of an idea of JAWS than you do!!
- Alt & Tab scrolls through the programs that are open.
- Loved the Control key. Just press it and the voice stops reading!
- A radio button is one of a list of round buttons in a dialogue box. When you select one, the others de-select.
- You can set up JAWS so that it has a different voice for each cursor function: Press Insert & J to open JAWS menus; Alt & O to open Options; Click on Voices, then select from PC Cursor voice, Jaws Cursor voice, Keyboard voice and Tutor and message voice. For each one, select a voice from the Person list.

Maths and Science Resources

Val Lawson, a qualified teacher of the vision impaired, has produced some excellent resources which can be downloaded from her website. Download the .pdf files (you will need Acrobat Reader but this can also be downloaded from the site) with graphs, grids and protractors which can be printed out for student use. The lines are bold and are available in different colours. Go to: http://www.largeprint.org/downld.htm/.

Need Photos of Eyes etc for your PowerPoint Point Presentations?

Here is a great site with all sorts of images related to sight and vision for you to use in your PowerPoint Presentations. There is no copyright on these images, but the National Eye Institute Photograph, Image & Video Catalog ask that you credit their use as follows: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health (except where indicated otherwise).

Images include:

- Eye disease simulations
- Normal eye anatomy
- Eye disease anatomy
- Eye examinations
- Low Vision Devices
- Eye charts
- Eye photos

Within each category, the images are presented in thumbnail format to reduce loading time. If you click on the image, a larger version will appear.

To download an image from within any category, click on the link corresponding to the image size you need. All images are compatible with both PC and Mac platforms. Go to: http://www.nei.nih.gov/photo/index.htm/.

Beginning Braille Reading: Activities for Building Finger and Hand Strength

Source: Wormsley, D. P, & D'Andrea, M. (1997). Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy. AFB Press: New York.

Provide materials and opportunities for the child to:

- Pull apart and push together locking blocks, Tinkertoys, and pop-beads
- Wind up a music box of a Jack-in-the-box
- Open jars with screw-on lids or pop-up plastic lids
- Push a lever, as on a gumball machine
- Pull a string to activate a 'talking' toy
- Climb up play equipment, such as a ladder to a slide
- Carry a pail full of blocks
- Lift a heavy toy box lid
- Open a sticky cabinet door
- Pull open dresser drawers
- Grip tightly while riding a rocking horse on 'big wheel'
- Shovel sand and lift pails filled with sand
- Hammer on a toy workbench
- Squeeze and mould clay or dough

Southern Cross Games: 2-6 December 2002

Uli Pfisterer has kindly agreed to come and talk to VTs on the Professional Development Day on 12 August - so he can answer all the many questions that you may have about the activity. The three major sports that students can participate in are Athletics, Swimming and Goalball. These will be held at:

- The Nunawading Athletics Track, Burwood East
- The Presbyterian Ladies College Aquatic Centre, Burwood
- St Leo's International College Gym, Box Hill

There will also be exhibition sports such as 5-a-Side Football, Blind Cricket and 10 Pin Bowling.

Who: students aged 8-18 years
Vision: worse than 3/36

This will be a week of not only sporting opportunities, but also a sharing of social and cultural experiences. If students are not selected for the official teams (DE&T or RVIB), they will have the opportunity to be part of the many other exciting activities planned for this special week.

Expression of Interest Forms are available from the SVRC 9841 0242 or RVIB 9808 6422.

Australian Association for Families of Children with Disability

The Association for Children with a Disability is auspicing a new organisation, the 'Australian Association for Families of Children with Disability'. It is a national organisation which will provide a voice for all families of children with disability aged 0-25.

The purpose of the association is to provide an avenue for parents and families of children with disability across Australia to share experiences, support each other and advocate for a better deal from governments at both the Federal and State/Territory level. The Australian Association for Families of Children with Disability is looking for new members. Contact them on 1800 222 660 or barbaraa@cnl.com.au/.

Care Using your Mobile Phone

In a recent newspaper article, the following was reported:
Radiation from mobile phones may cause brain tissue damage, a two-year study has found. Scientists found emissions from handsets affect the delicate make-up of cells in blood vessels and could be a health hazard to regular users. The radiation might disable a safety barrier in the body which protects the brain from harmful substances in blood…. The latest study by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland, home of mobile phone giant Nokia, found one hour of mobile radiation triggered potentially harmful changes in human cells.

SPEVI 2003 Conference: An Eye to the Future

We still haven't been able to secure a flier for the SPEVI Conference in Brisbane in January 2003 but we know that several internationally acclaimed speakers will be there - Dr Anne Corn, Dr Diane Wormsley and Dr Lilli Nielsen.
Costs are likely to be as follows:

Registration - early bird $440/$495; late full $550/$605
Accommodation at the Radisson Resort - $140 per night

If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive information, phone (07) 3844 1138 or email spevi2003@icms.com.au/.

Reference: Teaching Students - Visual And Multiple Impairments

This reference, showcased by Betty Edelstein at last term's PD day for Visiting Teachers, is available directly from Texas School for the Blind. Betty's school put through an order form and the books were sent very promptly, followed by an account for US$40.00. Very efficient!

The Assessment Kit (4 part set) (US$185.00) and the Learning Media Assessment Kit (US$25.00) is also available. Shipping is extra.

Contact Texas School for the Blind via their street address:
1100 West 45th Street
Austin, Texas 79756-3494
Or fax to the USA on 512 206 9452

Idea for Teaching Eye Contact

Denise (an avid viewer of the ABC TV show, 'Cath and Kim') suggests,
"Look at moi, look at moi, look at moi. I have only one word to say to you, Kim…"
It went over my head, but apparently 'Cath and Kim' is all the rage in schools!

Staff News

- By the time many of you read this edition of The Bulletin, our head Braille Transcriber will have retired!!! Very sad for us and for the students she has supported through her knowledge of the braille codes and her commitment to a very high standard of braille production. Ok retirement might be more fun than work - but we are going to miss her!!!
- Kay McQualter is back from a couple of weeks of R&R in the hills.

Student News

- Faye's student, Kyle, recently received the National Children of Courage Award.
- Chad from Colac has had his face and comments splashed all over the front page of the Colac Herald as a result of his efforts to secure funding from his local community for a BrailleNote. He was also the star of a lengthy article describing mobility training with Dean Johnson from Guide Dogs Victoria in the Geelong Advertiser. Please call if you'd like a copy of the articles.

Braille News

- Rosemary Humphry of Morang South Primary School has recently completed the SVRC Correspondence Course in Braille - yeh Rosemary!

Overheard…

- One of the staff of the SVRC was turning her office upside down the other day looking for her car keys - until she remembered that her car was in for a service…
- From Denise (overheard in the corridor):
Integration aide to primary aged boy: "Now we are going to make a mobile."
Boy's reply: "Oh good, we're going to make a phone."
- Also from Denise with the comment: "You never know what they are thinking!"
A student was reading 'Mamma Mia' from the ABBA song sheet in braille to the Visiting Teacher. She reached the line, "And I suddenly lose control" and commented to the VT, "Oh I lose my TV remote control too!"

Space Camp Sponsorship

Once again, we are grateful to Eric Grimshaw and Blue Gum Clothing:
19 Russell Street
Abbotsford
Tel: 9416 2166
for supplying free of charge the terrific shirts for the team going to Space Camp. If you need any quantity of promotional items such as printed caps, T-shirts or windcheaters, please call him.

Space Camp Meeting: 16th August

The Space Campers and family members have been invited to a final meeting at the SVRC on Friday 16th August at 5pm. The meeting will be to go over last minute arrangements and answer last minute questions. Anyone can come, particularly the student's Visiting Teachers - but other Visiting Teachers, or students who are interested in going next year would also be welcomed. After the meeting we plan to go to a movie - hopefully "Mission Control" at the IMAX - we'll let you know in the next edition of The Bulletin.

Youth Space Forum

From the flier:

For students interested in space, there will be a Victorian Youth Space Forum from 22 September to 4 October 2002. It will bring together around 100 students and teachers from regional Victoria and inner Melbourne for a six-day live-in experience. A comprehensive program encompassing lectures, workshops and industry tours will cover fields including: Life Sciences, Meteorology, Geomatics, Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering and Space Law. A significant feature of the VYSF is the emphasis placed on peer education that provides dynamic teaching and learning experiences for tertiary and secondary students respectively.

For a print copy of the flier and further details, call the SVRC on (03) 9841 0242 or go to: www.assa.com.au/Victoria/.

SVRC Meeting Room

Most of you would know that we have a meeting space available at the SVRC between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Please contact us on (03) 9841 0242 to discuss availability.

If you have something you would like included in The Bulletin, contact: Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).

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