KIDS KORNER

KIDS KORNER

Future Reflections Fall 1989, Vol. 8 No. 3
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KID'S CORNER
[PICTURE] Allen Harris (left) has coached many winning wrestling
teams since he was hired in the late sixties by the Dearborn
public school system.
AS THE TWIG IS BENT
The following is reprinted from the August
1989, Braille Monitor. The editor's note is also
from the Braille Monitor. For those who do not
know, the Monitor Editor is Dr. Kenneth Jernigan
and the Associate Editor is Barbara Pierce.
From the Editor: When does a person become
mature? At what age does he or she become
responsible for helping make the world
better, not only for himself or herself but also for
others? More to the point (at least, for purposes
of this discussion) how old must an individual be to become (in the active, full sense of the word)
a Federationist? How about 13? What about 9?
The Associate Editor and I recently received
a letter from two students at the Ohio State
School for the Blind, which helped me answer the
question. I found the letter both delightful and
heart-warming. I also found it instructive, for it
told me that our message and philosophy are
beginning to permeate every segment of the
blind population --children, adults, and the
elderly; the rich and the poor; the educated and
the illiterate. It renewed my faith in the ability of
people to act in their own enlightened self-interest
and to do it collectively. It underscored something
which, at the core of my being, I have never
doubted -- that the future of the National Federation
of the Blind is going to be all right.
Even now the leaders of the fourth generation
are developing and reaching for maturity. They
are learning their Federation philosophy at an
early age and living it on a daily basis. Read the
letter from the students at the Ohio State School
for the Blind, and you will see what I mean. Here
it is:
Columbus, Ohio
April 20,1989
Dear Dr. Jernigan and Mrs. Pierce:
Our names are Jason Ewell (age 9) and Mike
Leiterman (age 13), and we wish to tell you about
our coalition --the student alliance coalition
(SAC) at the Ohio State School for the Blind.
Our committee grew out of a minor student concern,
which was soon put on the back burner for
a major issue. Therefore, we are writing to tell
you about our efforts over the past year concerning
totally blind students being discriminated
against as dining room workers.
This policy is unjust because only students
with high residual vision have been allowed to
hold these positions. Collectively we decided to
approach the administrator of residential services
to share this concern because she oversees
the dining room staff and, if persuaded, could use
her authority to aid us.
We shared with her our belief that our school
should be a discriminatory-free environment, in
which we could learn by trying as many things as
we wished to attempt. She appreciated our
honesty and position. Likewise, she thought that
other students should follow our example here at
the OSSB. Dorm council was started. Every two
weeks we meet for around an hour or so to discuss
issues which arise out of living in a residential
setting. The dietitian, who acts as immediate
supervisor over the dining room staff, came to
one of our meetings and agreed to help by
restructuring the hiring policy and developing a
more efficient training program for all who wish
to apply. Weekends and daily after school have
been designated as periods for the training sessions.
At this time those interested seem to be
satisfied with this new procedure.
We feel glad that we were able to work
together to end this problem. Even though this
issue really only directly pertains to the totally
blind, we felt it necessary that those with residual
vision be active participants--because what affects
one of us, affects us all.
Respectfully,
Jason Ewell and Mike Leiterman
RECORDINGS FOR CHILDREN
BY CHILDREN
This item is reprinted from the VIPS parents
newsletter in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Studio for the Handicapped, in
Anchorage, Kentucky, has plenty of experience
producing high-quality recordings for blind and
handicapped individuals since it used to be affiliated
with Recordings for the Blind.
Now the studio is planning to expand its
professional recording services to handicapped
children. Studio director Sandy Koukola and
volunteer Ruth Carmichael have been working
with VIPS parents Maury Weedman and Pauletta
Feldman to produce entertaining story tapes
for their blind son Jamie. It is hoped that project
outcomes can be made available to other VIPS
children.
Students from the Anchorage Public School,
who participate in the school's Navigator
program for gifted and talented students, are
recording stories that will appeal to preschoolers,
featuring rhyme, rhythm, and interesting sound
effects. Under the direction of teacher Darla Talbert,
students are also working on some original
materials to record for children. Currently students
are working on the project during school
time, but several have signed up to volunteer for
the summer. The basic concept of the project is
that children reading for other children makes
good sense --the young children listening will
enjoy the voices of children and relate to them.
If you would like the Studio to record for your
child or want to find out more about their services,
you can call (502) 245-5422.
SPOTLIGHT ON
YOUNG WRITERS CONTEST
Editor's Note: The Albuquerque Public Schools
and the Albuquerque Journal (a newspaper)
sponsor a yearly contest for the city's school
children called "Spotlight on Young Writers." This
year over 200 students entered the contest. One of
the winners was Jessica Romero Bachicha, a blind
second-grade student at Zia Elementary school in
Albuquerque. Here is her winning entry as it was
published in the Albuquerque Journal Showcase, March 15,1989.
MYSTERY OF THE MISSING SAPPHIRE
by Jessica Romero Bachicha
Zia Elementary
2-D Level for the Blind
Gail Swiech, teacher
Twuz midnight in the old old house. The bats
were flying about and the Mongrats were mourning.
When it was lost! The Sapphire that made the
witch of Wabes so powerful. Twuz midnight
when the morslings gained their power. For they
were the ones who found the Sapphire. The wild
harpies of the Morslings cackled evilly. But the
people and animalls of the witch were very very
very outraged. The witch toar her long black hair
with outrage and looked through her book of
spells for spells to cast on the Morslings. She read
this:
Yashne hosh moshne.
So She called to the animalls, "Come to me! We
must meet about this." So they went. The witch
said to the animalls, "We must do something
about getting the Sapphire from the Morslings.
Nightingale, what do you think?" "You know how
the Morslings are so unpleasant, right, well, I can
sing to them. That will hypnotise them into telling
us where the Sapphire is." The witch's wild
harpies cackled mischievously.
So the next morning the nightingale set out.
"Good luck to you!" the witch called after her.
When she got to morslings wood, she hesitated a
wile. A wild Morsling harpy stood guarding the
path. The nightingale started singing. The harpy
was enchanted. She quickly led the nightingale to
where the Sapphire lay on the ground. The
nightingale snatched it up. "Thank you." she said
and flew off.
When the nightingale got back, the witch met
her. "I see you have brought back the sapphire."
"Yes, I have!" "Good!" the witch said. They were
happy forever.
As for the Morslings, the witch put a spell on
them so they turned into beautiful statues.
The end.