On the morning of October 15, Sunset Elementary started the day with a very special announcement from three of its students, Janhavi, Leo, and Journey, who are part of the vision program at Sunset. The ISD Vision Department provides services to students with blindness/visual impairments. Sunset Elementary houses the site-based Vision Program, which is staffed with Teachers of Students with Blindness/Visual Impairments, an Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Specialist, & Braillists.
Each student took their turn on the morning announcements with excitement, explaining what White Cane Day is in front of their peers, parents, and special guest Superintendent Thiele. The students read from a braille assistive device and also from large text print offs:
“Did you know that the month of October is Blind Awareness Month? October 15th is International White Cane Day. White Cane Day is a day to celebrate independence & the accomplishments of people with blindness & low vision. The white cane represents independence. If you see someone with a white cane you will know that they’re independent. If you see a white cane lying on the playground, please do not move it. They are not toys, but tools to help us move safely within our environment.
“Orientation and mobility, usually called O&M for short, teaches people with blindness or low vision the important skills for moving around safely, independently, and efficiently. Orientation means knowing where you are in space, and mobility means moving safely from place to place. White Cane Day began in 1964, thanks to President Lyndon B. Johnson. It is celebrated every year on October 15.
“Be sure to check out our White Cane Day poster by the vision room! Happy White Cane Day, Sunset!”
After the morning announcements Janhavi, Leo, and Journey led their family members and staff down to their classroom hallway, where O&M Specialist Sara Zachariah had created a white cane from craft paper on the wall to bring more awareness to this special day. By the display was a sign stating “Orientation & Mobility Proclamation! If you think people with blindness or low vision are INDEPENDENT, please sign the white cane!” Superintendent Thiele, Principal Mandy Dorey, teachers, staff, and parents joined the three students in signing their names on the paper cane.
Thank you Sunset for hosting a wonderful morning for White Cane Day and Blind Awareness Month!
At the September 12, 2018 Issaquah School District Board Meeting, two new pieces of student artwork were unveiled for the Kateri Brow Memorial Student Art Collection. Superintendent Ron Thiele congratulated Jarom Ricks, 8th grader from Maywood Middle School, and Kyle Hoffman, Senior at Issaquah High, as the art pieces were revealed to the Board and meeting attendees.
Rick’s work, “The Gates of Imagination” aims to show that to tap into the world’s imagination, we need only open a book. Books hold the imagination of authors all around the world, all of them “Within Reach.”
Hoffman’s described his photograph, “Shooting for the Stars,” by saying, “The Milky Way is my favorite subject to photograph. To take pictures of the Milky Way you need clear skies, a new moon, and it is only visible in the summer months. Over 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas where the Milky Way is not visible. However with a little planning and right conditions the Milky Way is within reach. I hope this picture inspires people to go out and see the Milky Way themselves.”
Congratulations to both artists on this achievement!
The Kateri Brow Memorial Art Collection began in 1998 as a tribute to former superintendent Kateri Brow, who championed school art programs during her tenure from 1986 to 1992. Private donors created a fund to allow the District to annually purchase pieces from students and professionally display them for the Issaquah community. Each school year, the Superintendent encourages educators throughout the District to submit their recommendations for the collection and also make selections from the annual PTSA Reflections Art Shows.