Panther Pride School Principals: Shawna Coplen, Lynn Cragg http:/osb.k12.ok.us/

Oklahoma School

for the Blind

2019 - 2020, Issue 3

12/18/19 Editor: Maggie Mattox

Next Edition scheduled for: 02/27/20

Special points of interest:

Cane Quest

Homecoming

Stem Activity Kit Donation

Smoothie Bike

Close Up Washington

NSU Optometry Trip

Reading Adventure Time

Nutrition Tips

Inside this issue:

Cane Quest 2-3

Soc. Services News 4-5

Homecoming 6

Stem Activity Kit 7

Smoothie Bike 7

Close Up Washington 8

NSU Optometry Trip 9

Reading Adventure Time 9

Venture Crew / Scouts 10

Recreation Activities 11

Going the Extra Mile 12

Nutrition Tips Dec.-Jan. 13-14

Birthdays Jan-Feb 15

Calendars 16-17

Staff Changes 18

Upcoming Highlights 18

2019 OAHPERD Adapted Physical Education

Teacher of the Year

CONGRATULATIONS MRS. WEBB!

Mrs. Tera Webb has been selected as the 2019 OAHPERD Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

She was presented her award at the OAHPERD Awards Reception on Monday, October 28 at UCO.

Mrs. Webb received a pullover hoodie with the OAHPERD logo and “Teacher of the Year”, a recognition banner for

our school, and a $200 gift certificate from US Games.

OAHPERD is the Oklahoma Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Its mission is based on promoting the organization of school, community and state programs of health, physical education, recreation and dance which will embody maximum opportunities and will ensure the inclusion of excellent programs within the best philosophical and context of American life.

Mrs. Webb has been a member of OAHPERD for over 20 years, since she was a student representative from Northeastern State University.

Mrs. Webb has taught Physical Education and Mathematics here at OSB for 20 years.

She also coaches cheerleading and the track team, and is on several school improvement committees, including OSB’s Health and Safety committee.

She is a dedicated and caring teacher and we are proud to have her represent the Oklahoma School for the Blind.

Congratulat ions Mrs. Webb

on receiving this honor! It is well deserved!

The Spaghetti Fundraiser was a great

success. OSB partnered with

Muskogee Trinity Lodge #502 and with

their matching funds raised $9,534.

Thank you everyone for your support,

especially Bedouin Shrine for the use of

their facility and Trinity Lodge #502 for

providing matching funds. - Lynn Cragg

Students of the 2. Qtr.

Elementary: Braylen Fuller

Middle School: Ocie Webster

High School: Zoie Zavala

Page 2 Panther Pride

Cane Quest - White Canes, Gold Medals

By Faye Miller and Kaylee Ragon

Thirty-three contestants spent

a sunny November day

demonstrating their Orientation

and Mobility (O&M) skills at the

7th Oklahoma Regional Cane

Quest in the hopes of going

home with a gold medal and a

prize. Younger cane users stayed

on campus for their part of the

contest, and older contestants

took to the streets of downtown

Muskogee to test their skills.

Scouts, contestants in grades

3 through 6, worked their way

through 16 stations demonstrating

skills such as getting into a car,

protective techniques, and work-

ing with a partner/human guide.

Pictured: Shane Ross, Jaden

Brown, and Karen Bryan at the

station “Pouring Water” with a

Teammate. Karen Bryan is watch-

ing closely to see if Jaden Brown

will spill any water as he pours it

from a pitcher into a cup. Shane

Ross is one of 15 OG&E employ-

ees who spent the day volunteer-

ing with us. This is the 3rd year

OG&E employees have supported

Cane Quest as teammates and

shadows for our contestants.

Pictured: Avery Dollar completing

the station “Around the Block”

with Andrea Hamen, a certified

Orientation & Mobility specialist

scoring her progress. This was

Avery’s first year to compete in

Cane Quest. Avery was excited to

spend the 48 coins she earned at

Scouts Stations on prizes. She

chose several prizes including a

beach ball and body wash.

Explorers and Trailblazers,

contestants in grades 7-12,

listened to a recorded route that

took them through 13 stations

around the Muskogee Civic

Center. They had to cross a

variety of streets, demonstrate the

ability to ask for and follow

directions, and demonstrate a

wide variety of cane skills.

Pictured: Group of Explorers,

Trailblazers, and Shadows at the

Muskogee Civic Center waiting to

cross a street with a traffic light.

Pictured:

First-time

Explorer

contestant

Samantha Six

completing

her route in

downtown Muskogee. She said

that she was really excited to be

downtown and able to show off all

her O&M skills.

Pictured:

First-time

Trailblazer

contestant

Ben Middleton

crossing a street

in downtown

Muskogee.

He said, “This

was my first time participating in

Cane Quest and I really enjoyed

the experience. I prepared for the

event by going over a few cane

techniques such as constant

contact or touch and drag. It was

an experience that showed me

that there is still so much to learn,

not just in O&M but in life as well.

I would like to participate again in

the future.”

The best thing about Cane Quest

is that there is always something

different. New skills are being

tested every year and we get the

chance to learn other methods

along the way. We learn that

things may not always go as

planned when traveling. Weather

can change, bookports can stop

working, and you learn to adjust

and keep the end goal in mind.

Winning isn’t everything, but it

sure does feel great to get a shiny

medal around your neck after all

(Continued on page 3)

Page 3 Panther Pride

Cane Quest - White Canes, Gold Medals (continued)

of your hard work. I love seeing

the excitement when the Scouts

are exploring the prize tables.

It reminds me of when I, Kaylee,

was young, trying to get the most

tokens so I could get a stuffed

animal or another great prize.

Everyone walks away a winner,

and their cane skills are better

than ever.

This year, we extended a special

invitation to the National Beep

Baseball Association to teach

us the basics of beep baseball in

a special activity following the

contest. We were joined by Jason

Price, head umpire for NBBA,

and Timothy Hibner, trainer and

former board member of NBBA.

Contestants learned how to field,

bat, and run bases during this

clinic.

Special thanks goes to the

over 65 volunteers who spent

the day with our contestants.

Certified Orientation & Mobility

specialists and certified teachers

of the visually impaired scored

contestants at each station.

Community volunteers worked

directly with contestants as a

teammate or shadow as they

made their way through the

contest route. Other volunteers

came to Cane Quest just to help

with the Beep Baseball clinic.

(Continued from page 2)

Pictured:

Senior Kentrell

Wallace

swinging a ball

off a tee.

Several bats and tees were

donated to OSB from members of

the community, so students can

continue to play beep baseball in

the future.

Pictured:

Ocie Webster

and volunteer

Coach Bum.

Ocie learned how to properly hold

a bat and is seen here getting

ready to swing and hit a home run

off a tee.

Pictured:

Jacob Nash

is seen here

running to a

base.

He heard the base start beeping

and ran as fast as he could to

knock the base over. Jacob loves

competing in Cane Quest

because he likes to meet his

teammate every year.

Without the following sponsors,

Cane Quest would not be

possible:

Oklahoma School for the Blind,

NewView Oklahoma, Braille

Institute of America, Liberty

Braille, Frank Dirksen, NanoPac,

Oklahoma AER, Oklahoma

Council of the Blind, Ruth Kelly

Studios, OG&E, Reliant

Rehabilitation, Sapulpa Lions

Club, SERVPRO, OSU Extension,

and National Beep Baseball

Association

Here are this year’s winners:

Scouts All-Stars

Hunter Kelley

Dayton Baccus

Stephanie Story

B1 Explorers

Gold Julio Valdez

Silver Elbin Carrillo

Bronze Rayce Phillips

B2 Explorers

Gold Tyanna Culley

Silver Katelynn Zampella

Bronze Kaylie Minter

B1 Trailblazers

Gold Kentrell Wallace

Silver Joseph Rodriguez

Bronze Gabby King

B2 Trailblazers

Gold Kaylee Ragon

Silver Avery Carrington

Bronze Ben Middleton

Page 4 Panther Pride

Social Services Department - News, Tips, etc.

"Caught Being Good"

Chris Shepherd - For helping another student in the hallway.

Kaylee Ragon - For helping a fellow student to find their room.

Nathan England - For helping an adult.

Kaylie Minter - For going above and beyond helping with the food drive.

Blake Priddy - For helping a friend on the slide and for reading 100 passages on his own. Great Job.

Quanté Sellers - For helping a fellow student in the hallway.

Zoie Zavala - For asking and assisting a teacher with a Braille project and getting it done in timely manner.

Avery Dollar - For helping a student get back inside from the playground.

Braylen Fuller - For helping a student to the auditorium.

Jaylee Burnside - For helping a fellow student in the hallway.

Hunter Kelley - For helping a student on the slide.

Payton Crum - For helping a student in the hallway.

Stephanie Story - For helping other students coming in from the playground.

Julia Cisneros - For reading 100 passages on her own. Great Job

Morgan Hudson - For helping a student in the hallway.

Ryan Horton - For helping an adult on the bus route.

Noah Dougan - For helping a fellow student in the cafeteria.

Treysen Brown - For being patient while waiting his turn on the playground.

Kathy Barrett, Counselor

It’s never too late to be

caught being good….

So keep up the good

work students!!

We are proud of you all!

Parent Corner - How to Raise Successful Kids

by Julie Lythcott-Haims

We need to

become less

obsessed with

grades, report

cards, etc.

If we teach our

kids “Love” and

“Chores”, it would be better for all of

the world.

If our kids would learn how to roll up

their sleeves and work hard, it

would help their fellow employees

and help their boss in the future.

Happiness comes from love but

they have to love themselves

before they can love others.

We need to teach and use

“Unconditional Love”.

Ask them when they

come home from

school not “What did

you learn

today?” but “What

was good about your

day and why?

It doesn’t matter

which ranked college you attend.

It could be a Junior College or may-

be not an Ivy League School but it

should be where they are happy

and have their needs met.

Our job is to provide nourishment.

We need to support them in

becoming their glorious selves.

Sylvia Sterling

School Psychologist

Page 5 Panther Pride

How to Teach Kids Good Holiday Manners

Encourage your children (child) to

help out in the Christmas season.

Examples might be gift wrapping,

cleaning up, and cooking.

Thank people when

receiving gifts.

Look them in the

eye, have the spirit of

Christmas inside and

say “thank you”.

Teach simple table manners.

Example; “Close your mouth when

eating”, “Put your napkin in your

lap”.

Everyone in the

family be present

in the same room

without any

technological devices and

actually communicate with each

other.

Social Services Staff

Sylvia Sterling,

School Psychologist

Kathy Barrett,

Counselor

Phrase of the Month for January - Be a Rainbow...

Be a Rainbow In Someone

Else's Cloud. ~ Maya Angelou.

It takes so little to

brighten someone else's day.

Yet it can leave them feeling

happy for a moment, an hour,

a day, or give them a sweet

memory for life.

“You may not control all the

events that happen to you, but

you can decide not to be reduced

by them. Try to be a rainbow in

someone’s cloud.

Do not complain. Make every

effort to change things you do

not like. If you cannot make

a change, change the way

you have been thinking. You

might find a new solution.”

~ Maya Angelou, Letter to My

Daughter

Phrase of the Month for February - The time is always right...

The time is always right to do

what is right. – Martin Luther

King Jr.

This powerful quote is easily

applied to almost any situation or

life circumstance. Given the

current economic climate and the

thousands of people in need,

please remember to give a little

extra of your time, talent or

treasure for those less fortunate.

The return on investment for an

unexpected gesture of kindness

or generosity when someone is

the most vulnerable is often

immeasurable. While a selfless

act may cost you money or a few

hours of your time; you can give

someone hope, provide them with

nourishment or even strengthen

their faith.

As the holidays engulf our

personal and professional lives,

we must remember that this is

the season of giving.

The time

is right.

What will

you do?

Kathy Barrett,

Counselor

Page 6 Panther Pride

Homecoming 2019

By Laci Goins

On Tuesday, December 4th, OSB

hosted Wrestling Homecoming

against Holland Hall.

The staff worked hard to create

a beautiful backdrop for this

celebration. The night started with

an introduction of the wrestlers and

cheerleaders who were not part of

the Homecoming Court. These

included eighth grade wrestlers

Katelynn Zampella and Mykel Eagle

and cheerleader Emileigh Jackson;

ninth grade wrestlers Jerelyn Black

and Elbin Carrillo and cheerleaders

Abigail Norton and Samantha Six;

and tenth grade cheerleaders

Shannon Winter and Tyler Duong.

This year the Homecoming Court

looked regal. The girls were

beautiful in their dresses and

the escorts looked sharp in their

wrestling blues and dress clothes.

The Homecoming court was

elected by their classmates and the

Queen was chosen by a vote from

the students in grades 9-12.

The Freshman

attendant was

Kaylie Minter from

Broken Bow. Kaylie

is the daughter of

Brent Minter and

Santana Milligan

and was escorted

by Rayce Phillips of

Muldrow.

Rayce is the son of Sabrina

Jamison and Jason Phillips.

The Sophomore

attendant was

Audrey DeBrosky

from Fairview.

Audrey is the

daughter of

Shannon Roe and

was escorted by

John Duong from Oklahoma City.

John is the son of Cindy Tran.

The Junior

attendant was

Morgan Hudson

from Kansas, OK.

Morgan is the

daughter of Jerry

and Mystery

Hudson. Morgan was escorted by

Levi Smith from Collinsville. Levi is

the son of Lori and Laurence Smith.

The Flower Girl was

Avery Dollar from

Muskogee. Avery is

the daughter of

Lizzy Dollar and

Eddie Tate and

Bryce Dollar.

The Crown Bearer

was Eric Enzenauer from Wagoner.

Eric is the son of Paul Enzenauer

and Amanda Smith.

Ariana Richardson

returned as the

2018 Queen

to pass on the title.

There were four 2019 Queen Candidates:

Gabrielle King

from Stigler.

Gabrielle is the

daughter of

Debbie King and

was escorted by

DePoris Willis from

Sand Springs.

DePoris is the son

of Cindy Willis.

Kaylee Ragon from

Tecumseh. Kaylee

is the granddaughter

of Dorothy and Larry

Crow and was

escorted by Chris

Shepherd from

Sapulpa.

Chris is the son of

Travis Shepherd.

Emma Saunders

from Tulsa. Emma

is the daughter of

Martha Caldwell

and Wes and

Joyce Saunders.

Emma was

escorted by Allen

Alender from

Perry. Allen is the son of David

and Charity Alender.

Zoie Zavala from

Ardmore. Zoie is

the daughter of

Brandi and Gilbert

Zavala. Zoie was

escorted by

Kentrell Wallace

of Oklahoma City.

Kentrell is the son

of Meniece Wallace and Terrell

Goodwin.

Kaylee Ragon was crowned the 2019 Homecoming Queen.

Congratulaions Kaylee!

After the Homecoming

Ceremonies, the wresting began.

Every wrestler gave it their all and

left their hearts on the mat.

The Panther Wrestlers were well

matched against Holland Hall, but

we ended the night with success.

Allen Alender, Kentrell Wallace

and John Duong all won their

duels with pins!

It was an exciting night that ended

with a dance in the gym.

The students and staff all showed

their Panther Spirit and it was a

great day to be an OSB Panther!

Page 7 Panther Pride

STEM Activity Kit Donation

By Cheryl Daniels

On December 4th, Garver

Engineering out of Tulsa,

came by the school and not only

donated a wonderful STEM

Activity Kit, but

their engineers

“stayed and

played” with the

students. They

were great to get

the kids involved

in designing

contraptions with a

goal.

The company worked with the

Texas School for the Blind in fine

tuning and making the kit more

accessible for visually impaired

people and the kits are donated to

schools as a way to celebrate

their 100 th anniversary .

I was initially contacted by Lisa

Patterson from Garver about the

donation. Four engineers came to

the school to introduce us to the

kit and to help the students

design a big finale where the goal

was to pop a balloon.

The kit can be used for all ages -

yesterday we tried it out with a

few high school students.

The kit will help students develop

skills in collaborative learning,

communication, inquiry, and

problem solving, all of which are

imperative to improving critical

thinking. And it's so fun!

It was a great experience and we

truly appreciate the donation!

Some items of the

STEM Activity kit

The idea of the Grand Finale being introduced.

We are supposed to do what?

Do

n’t fall, d

on’t fall!

To

o m

any

pieces, to

o m

any

pieces.

Can

you

get it in

?

Getting ready for the

GRAND FINALE !!!

THANK YOU

Garver

Engineering !

Smoothie Bike

By Tera Webb

On Monday December 16th and

Tuesday December 17th, students

were treated to a fun day of

smoothies, but there was a catch!

Students had to work for their

yummy treats, using a smoothie

bike.

Community partners from

the Muskogee County Health

Department and OSU extension

office brought two fun filled days

to our students. Students worked

in small groups to measure their

ingredients and create the

smoothies.

Last Mango in Paris, It's not

easy being green and the crowd

favorite Orange Julius were the

recipes we used to create our

awesome tasting drinks.

Next the small groups had to work

together to pedal the bike that

blended our work into a smooth

smoothie! Each small group

blended enough smoothie to

share, therefore each kiddo had a

chance to taste all 3 recipes!

Mrs. Garner and I were so proud

of our kids’ willingness to try new

things and to work for their

smoothie.

A big THANK YOU to all the

helpers who jumped in and

helped throughout the day. We

can't wait to try the smoothie

bike again.

Mixing the ingredients

Little o

nes can

do

it too

!

Blending the smoothie

Page 8 Panther Pride

Close Up Washington, DC

By Kaylee Ragon

In November, Dee

and I packed our

suitcases and flew

to Washington

D.C. with Mr.

Jackman for a

week full of

history lessons,

political debates,

and new cultural opportunities.

We joined around 125 other

students from 12 different states

and Puerto Rico to attend

workshops, visit memorials, and

explore our nation’s capital.

On the first night we broke into

groups to meet the other students

on the program and our group lead-

ers. That was probably the one and

only time we sat down the entire

week! The rest of the week was

packed full of activities.

Kaylee & Dee in front of the

Washington Monument

Each day we saw a new memorial

and learned how that person or

event impacted us and our world.

Some of the memorials we visited

included Franklin Delano Roosevelt

(FDR), Martin Luther King, George

Washington, and Thomas

Jefferson.

Kaylee & Dee in front of the FDR memorial,

sitting on either side of his Scottish Terrier, Fala

Each of these

people influenced

the growth of our

nation. We visited

memorials that

marked important

events like WWII,

Korean War, and

the Vietnam War.

Kaylee & Dee at the

WWII Memorial.

Behind them Lincoln’s Memorial.

We studied how these wars and the

people that fought in them shaped

our country.

We saw the

Air Force

Memorial,

Marine Corps

Memorial, and

the citizen

action sites,

which showed

us just how

hard people are working today. This

also taught us how to be good and

impactful citizens in our own areas.

Marine Corp Memorial. Legend has

it if you walk around the memorial,

you can see the flag raising.

My favorite part of the trip was

experiencing different cultures.

We visited Chinatown, found new

places to eat, and we even saw a

barbershop mystery show called

“Shear Madness” at the Kennedy

Center. We learned how the people,

who work and live in D.C., get

around every day. There was so

much hustle and bustle, riding

subways and getting stuck in traffic

jams.

Everything we learned during the

trip led up to Capitol Hill Day.

This was the day we went with our

teachers to explore the Capitol,

meet with our state representatives,

and talked about issues that we felt

were important to us.

To start the day off,

we went on a tactile

tour of our nation’s

capital with another

group of visually

impaired students.

We were able to

get up close and

personal with every

statue, painting, and

old room in the

building.

Helen Keller statue

at the Capitol.

Note: There are two statues from each state

at the capitol, to represent influential individuals.

Helen Keller is one of Alabama’s.

After the tour, Dee and I met

with our Oklahoma senators and a

representative’s assistant. It was

so great to see how truly

interested they were in what we had

to say. They took the time to get to

know us and our stories.

From Left to Right:

Mr. Jackman, Kaylee, Senator Inhofe, Dee

Afterwards, Mr. Jackman took us

to explore the rest of Capital Hill,

which included the Library of

Congress and the Botanical

Gardens.

Dee at the Botanical Gardens,

looking at a model of the Library of Congress,

which is made 100% out of plants.

Overall, our experience was

one-of-a-kind. I would encourage

anyone that is interested in history

and government to apply to attend

Close Up. It will push you out of

your comfort zone, get you more

involved in the world around, and

give you a voice you never thought

you had.

We would like to thank Oklahoma

Foundation for the Education of

Blind Children and Youth, Inc.

and the Zarrow Foundation for their

generous support and donations.

This experience would not be

possible without their help.

Page 9 Panther Pride

NSU Optometry Trip

by Lorie Cox & Priscilla Diaz

On November 20th, the Middle

School students went to the NSU

optometry college in Tahlequah.

This is a special trip that the

OSB Middle School is allowed to

take every year in the fall.

Each OSB student had at least

one NSU optometry student to

visit with during the time we were

there.

It was a

privilege

to teach

their

students

about

Braille.

We taught them how to use slate

and stylus. We also had fun with

them by showing them body

Braille.

They graciously provided and

served us lunch. We were

introduced to Ms. Patti who not

only purchased our lunch, but

also provides for our low vision

clinic. The professor was talking

about how she was the one who

was buying all the stuff the low

vision clinic gives the kids, like the

magnifiers and the scopes.

THANK YOU Ms. Pat t i .

We also got a tour of the

beautiful campus, where we

saw the statue of Sequoyah and

took a picture with it.

We enjoyed being on the college

campus and spending time with

the NSU students.

We’re also appreciative of

Ms. Miller for arranging our trip

and to OSB for providing

transportation.

Ms. Faye Miller getting the

class involved.

Group picture in front of the

Sequoyah statue.

Reading Adventure Time – Christmas came early

By Cassie Shelton

Julia “Julie” Cisneros and Blake

Priddy, each earned a $100 gift

card through the Reading

Adventure Time app for reaching

a reading goal last school year.

As we made

our way toward

Walmart, we

took a much

needed pit stop

at Chick-Fil-A

where we had

lunch and terrific table-talk about

Christmas traditions and Santa

Claus, of course.

Responding to my question about

what they'd like to purchase with

their gift card, Julie said, "I want

to get a few things I need, and

then I'd like to get what I want."

Before leaving, we refilled our

cups one more time, and then, it

was game on!

The time had come

to shop, shop, and

SHOP!

I can't express enough what an

absolute JOY it was getting to

watch these two find and check

items off of their wish list.

Blake did such a great job of

keeping track of how much money

he had left as he placed each

item in his cart.

He found that

Nerf vest he'd

always wanted

and scanned it

proudly through

the self-checkout.

I am so proud of these kiddos

and their persistence in reaching

their reading goals. They truly

are a wonderful example of what

good readers do; they kept their

eyes on the prize and did the

work. It really is that simple.

Due diligence does pay off and

in this story, it literally did!

Merry

Chr istmas!

Page 10 Panther Pride

Venture Crew Update

by Barbara Collins

CREW 672 participated in the

Indian Nations BS, Neosho

District Camporee.

Crew Members and Scouts

from 6 Troops and 1 Crew

participated in various scouting

skills competitions:

Hatchet and Knife throwing

Lashing to make a flag pole

Fire Starting

Knot Tying

Long Saw

Horseshoes

Building Wall Tent

Tug-O-War

I am happy to announce that Ven-

ture Crew placed third in the Fire

building and Long Saw.

Competition Team members

were Priscilla Diaz, Samantha

Six, and Zoie Zavala.

They were led by their

Competition Patrol Leaders

Gabby King and Lori Cox, who

both received bronze medals.

Crew 672 were also invited

to participate in the retiring

of flags ceremony, and each

member received a special grom-

met to keep.

Popcorn still available

at half price...

Decorative Can:

Premium Caramel Corn with

Almonds, Cashews and

Pecans now $15.00

Bagged (per bag):

White Cheddar Cheese,

Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese and

Salted Caramel Corn

now $10.00

Caramel Corn now $5.00

Microwave (box/18 Packs):

Unbelievable Butter and

Kettle Corn now $10.00

All proceeds go to pay

re-registration for our Venture

girls for 2020.

Thank you

for your Support!

Boy Scouts Troop 672 & Venture Crew 672 - SAVE THE DATE!

Boy Scout Troop 672 and Venture Crew 672 will be participating in …

EVENT: Indian Nations Boy Scout Council's Neosho District Merit Badge Fair

WHEN? February 1st, 2020 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

WHERE? Tahlequah Middle School, 871 Pendleton Street, Tahlequah, OK

A Scout / Crew member may take up to 6 Merit Badge blocks.

E.g. Robotics, Public Speaking, Fingerprinting, Disability Awareness, and

many more.

Scout/Crew Member Fee $10.00 per scout/member (meal provided day of the event)

Please see Mrs. Collins or Mrs. LaRue for more details. Thank you.

Page 11 Panther Pride

Recreation Activities by Nancy Brice

In my last report, I left off the last

week of October.

The Costume Contest and Parade

were a great success!

We had 27 students participate.

1st Place

- Noah Dougan,

2nd Place

- Quanté Sellers

3rd Place

- was a tie

between Angel

Cozort and

Kennedy Sullivan

From Left to Right:

Noah, Kennedy, Quanté, Angel

The Fall Festival was a Blast!

The weather threw us a curve

ball but the staff here at OSB hit

a home run. Two Days before

the carnival the rain had washed

out hopes of having a hayride,

so Ms. Coplen and Ms. Christine

and all their goblins and

monsters put together one of the

best Haunted Basements ever

made!

All of the staff pitched in to make

this a great party for all.

Thank you so much to everyone

and to all of the off campus

volunteers as well. Your help

made the Fall Festival so fun.

NOVEMBER

In November we started off with

a Pool Tournament.

We had 7 students participate

and the Grand Champion was

Chris Shepherd.

Other actives included the

Spaghetti Dinner, Skating, Pizza

Party and the Turkey Stomp

Dance. Again, thank you to the

staff for helping out.

Jazz band performance at

Spaghetti Dinner

And underneath we go!

Let’s do this Ladies!

Gobble, gobble... And the turkeys are dancing...

ESA Pizza Party

DECEMBER

In December we have had some

merry fun around here!

We took 24 kids from K-6th Gr.

to Broken Arrow to the Bass Pro

Shop to see Santa and shop

until we dropped!

At Bass Pro (aquarium)

The Jr. High and High School

went to Tulsa to Woodland Hills

Mall. Yes, we were shopping

and dropping their too!

The next week we sang

Christmas Karaoke and drank

Hot Cocoa!

I’m looking to the New Year for

more exciting adventures to

come.

MERRY

CHRISTM AS

& HAPPY

NEW YEAR!

Nancy Brice,

Recreation

Director

Page 12 Panther Pride

G O I N G T H E E X T R A M I L E -

Following employees were

nominated for their devoted

support of our students, staff

and school:

I would like to nominate Brenda

Plunkett and her girls for going

the extra mile. From the Fall

Festival, the Turkey Stomp and

the Homecoming Dance…

anything I have asked from her

and her staff I have gotten. They

are a great bunch of people and

I am glad to work with

them. Thanks Brenda and

kitchen staff you are the best!

Nancy Brice

Thank you Mike Bynum for

quickly locating a footrest for a

student in need.

Cheryl Daniels

We would like to nominate

Annette Wilson for all she does

as Secretary of both the Clinic

and the Outreach Department.

She makes us all look good with

the amazing documents she

creates, she is a marvelous

keeper of the records, and the

most amazing HGTV Decorator

Extraordinaire. She is the glue

that keeps us all together, the

cheerleader for the team,

loving and compassionate to our

students and an all-around great

person to work with. - Hope

Santa brings her the best of gifts

this Holiday!

Outreach Team

I nominate Tonya Givens. She

always helps anyone that needs

assistance. She definitely goes

above and beyond her ‘job

description’ to assist staff and

students and does it with a smile.

I couldn’t imagine not working

next to her on a daily basis.

Dawn Bryant

Tonya Givens and Dawn

Bryant have done a tremendous

job this year taking over handling

the sorority Christmas present

buying. They had to shop for over

35 kids this year to make sure

they got their gifts.

Dennis Read

I’d like to thank Christine

Timmreck for stepping up to be

the leader of the 12-10pm shift

while I have been out. This was

originally to only be a couple of

weeks but has turned out to be a

few months. Thanks Christine for

stepping up.

I’d also like to thank Jennifer

Ogle for coming in early and

making sure everything was in

good order. Thanks Jennifer.

Cammeron Brice

I'd like to recognize Christine

Timmreck, Howard Ashwood,

and Jennifer Ogle, for helping out

in the evenings during Mr. Brice's

absence. Thank you.

I'd also like to recognize Rosie

Coomer for her artwork on the

homecoming panther paws

and Homecoming Banner. They

created a very nice backdrop for

the homecoming pictures. Thank

you.

Ms. Coplen

Thank you to Ms. Annette,

Ms. Tonya, and Ms. Dawn for

always having my back when I

am

either unexpectedly out or totally

down under. I greatly appreciate

you all.

Also, thank you Mr. Ferrell for

always being here early, so the

Jazz Band members can come in be-

fore school start to practice. Also

thank you for always putting together

an awesome Christmas program and

for creating DVDs in time to be sent

home with parents/guardians prior to

the school break, so they can enjoy

them with family over the holidays.

Ms. Maggie

Thank you …

Cheryl Daniels for encouraging

the students to get involved

with their community and for

helping those in need.

Chris Carden for assisting the

students at the mall.

Robert Miller for helping the

college students with all of their

issues with technology.

Kathy Barrett

Special Thanks to Tonya, Dawn,

Dennis and Lisa for helping

disseminate the Christmas gifts to our

kids from our ESA sorority folks.

Sylvia Sterling

Thank you Mr. Ferrell for organizing

our Elementary Christmas

Program! The Arts and Music are

so important to our students and

help build their confidence.

Our students always shine at their

performance!

Mrs. Eckerson

Thank you guys for

going the extra mi le.

I t is h ighly

appreciated.

Page 13 Panther Pride

Nutrition Department - Helpful Tips # 4 (Dec.)

Page 14 Panther Pride

Nutrition Department - Helpful Tips # 5 (Jan.)

Page 15 Panther Pride

Students

Fuller, Braylen 1 2

Rodriguez, Joseph 1 2

Nash, Jacob 1 5

DeBrosky, Audrey 1 8

Jones, Miracle 1 14

Cox, Josie 1 17

Morris, Emberlynn 1 17

Wallace, Kentrell 1 22

Ragon, Kaylee 1 30

Staff

Melissa Sweeney 1 5

Amanda Isom 1 15

Betty Jo Cowan 1 17

Jeana Jones 1 17

Faye Miller 1 26

Students

Leonard, Branson 2 1

Fitzgerald, Genevieve 2 6

Howell, Delilah 2 8

Black, Jerelyn 2 24

Duran-Gonzalez, Adan 2 25

Staff

William Grayson 2 9

Quenten Woodard 2 11

Dawn Bryant 2 13

Sheila Fritz 2 15

Kim Slaten 2 15

Brian Culver 2 18

Susan Young Mock 2 18

Sherry Holder 2 21

Laci Goins 2 24

Page 16 Panther Pride

Schedule of Events D a t e T i m e Ev e n t

Jan. 1-3 Christmas Break - NO School !

Sun., Jan. 5 Dorms Open - Bus Routes run!

Mon., Jan. 6 CLASSES RESUME

Tue., Jan. 7 5:30 pm Wrestling - Okmulgee @ OSB (gym)

Wed., Jan. 15 1:30 pm Lyric’s Theatre performance - ALL School

Mon., Jan. 20 Martin Luther King Day - NO SCHOOL! - Dorms Open! - Bus Routes run!

Tue., Jan. 21 CLASSES RESUME

4:30 pm Wrestling @ Locust Grove w. Vinita

Jan. 23-26 SCASB Competitions at Austin, TX (Wrestling, Cheerleading, Jazz / Performing Arts)

Thur., Jan. 30 Sapulpa Bean Dinner

Fri-Sat., Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Wrestling - Maverick Conference @ Tahlequah Sequoyah

U p c o m i n g Fe b r u a r y Ev e n t s :

Feb. 4 FCCLA Region STAR Events, Tahlequah

Feb. 11 DRS Career Expo, OKC - Jazz Band performance

Feb. 18 Blood Drive - OBI Blood Mobile @ OSB (10 am - 2 pm)

Page 17 Panther Pride

Recreation Activities

JANUARY 2020

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS

1

CHRISTMAS

2

CHRISTMAS

3

CHRISTMAS

4

CHRISTMAS

5

Dorms Open

Open Rec

6

Open Rec at

6:00-9:30 pm

7

Wrestling

in Gym

Open Rec

to follow

8

Bowling for

7th-12th Gr.

6:30-8:30 pm

9

Home

Going

10 11

12

Dorms Open

Open Rec

13

Karaoke

6:30-8:00 pm

Open Rec

to follow

14

Goalball /

Open Rec

6:30-9:30 pm

15

Craft Night

B2 & A2 start

at 6 pm

Everyone else

at 6:30 pm

16

Home

Going

17 18

19

20

MLK Jr. Day

Dorms Open

Open Rec

21

Movie Night

for Everyone

6:30 pm

in Auditorium

22

Bowling for

Elem.-6th Gr.

6:00-8:00 pm

Open Rec

23

Home

Going

(non SCASB students)

SCASB (TX)

24

SCASB

(TX)

25

SCASB

(TX)

26

Dorms Open

Open Rec

SCASB

27

Open Rec

6:00-9:30 pm

28

January

Birthday Party

6:30 pm

Open Rec to

29

Gym Night

6:30-8:00 pm

30

Home

Going

31

R e c r e a t i o n - 9 1 8 - 7 8 1 - 8 2 0 0 - E x t . 8 2 7 8 ALL Calendars are “subject to change”. - Please visit our website http://osb.k12.ok.us for updates.

For our February Rec. calendar, please check our website around January 30. Thank you.

Page 18 Panther Pride

Oklahoma School for the Blind

3300 Gibson Street

Muskogee, OK 74403

Toll Free: (877) 229-7136

Voice/TTY: (918) 781-8200

Fax: (918) 781-8300

It takes more than sight to have vision!

Please check out

our website at:

OSB Staf f Changes:

New Hires:

Michael Robinson, Independent Living Instructor (ILS) - effective 11/04/2019

Welcome on board. Glad to have you !

Left OSB:

Jessica Mattson, Food Service Specialist

U P C O M I N G H I G H L I G H T S ! ! ! - S a v e t h e D a t e / s ! ! !

Jan. 7 Wrestling—Okmulgee @ OSB (5:30 pm in gym)

Jan. 20 Martin Luther King Day - NO SCHOOL! - Dorms Open! - Bus Routes run!

Jan. 21 Wrestling @ Locust Grove w. Vinita (leave OSB at 4:30 pm)

Jan. 23-26 SCASB Competitions at Austin, TX (Wrestling, Cheerleading, Jazz / Performing Arts)

Jan. 30 Sapulpa Bean Dinner

Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Wrestling - Maverick Conference @ Tahlequah Sequoyah

Feb. 11 DRS Career Expo, OKC - Jazz Band performance

Feb. 18 Blood Drive - OBI Blood Mobile @ OSB (10 am—2 pm)