[Nfbf-l] FOPBC January Newsletter text format

Wed Jan 13 02:43:42 UTC 2010

January 10th 2010
Volume 2, Issue 1

FLORIDA ORGANIZATION OF PARENTS OF BLIND CHILDREN    FOPBC

Lenora J. Marten, President
Doreen Franklin, Vice-President
Tracie Inman, Secretary
Larry Marten, Treasurer
Anastasia Campbell, Board Member
Andrew Regnery, Board Member
Kelly James, Board Member

LOOKING FORWARD:

We’ve gone through many changes in 2009. We elected a brand new board and started Adventures in Blind Optimism Saturday Program. We had an IEP workshop, field trips to historical sites, made our waythrough a corn maze and more! We look forward to many more exciting events for 2010, including state and national conventions, workshops and field trips. So stay tuned – check your e-mail often, connect with us on our facebook  page and make contact with your local chapters for even more connections in our blind community.
Lenora J. Marten, President

Adventures in Blind Optimism Saturday Program January 16
.IMAX Theatre World Golf Village Presents ALPS in DVS technology 
The third film in our Ultimate Adventure Series, The Alps, is a stirring and emotional film, full of adventure, courage, personal loss, and family triumph. Filled with majestic views of Switzerland’s natural beauty, this film follows the true life story of mountaineer and journalist John Harlin III, who sets out on an epic personal journey to climb the deadly North Face of Eiger, the steepest peak in all of Europe. Visually disabled adults and children can immerse themselves in IMAX films like never before with the use of a Starsound headset for descriptive narration during pauses in a film’s dialogue. These headsets are easily used from any seat in the theater. The narrations will provide information about key visual elements such as actions, settings, facial expressions, costumes and are inserted into pauses in the soundtrack, resulting in no interference with the films dialogue.
Saturday, January 16th
IMAX Theater World Golf Village
St. Augustine, FL    four fifteen pm to six pm
Adventures in Blind Optimism Saturday Program February

We are encouraging everyone to attend the fourth Annual Heart & Hope Statewide Family Conference by Family Network on Disabilities. FREE lunch FREE child-care!
What is Heart and Hope? It's a full day event that is designed to help bring individuals who are at risk, families who have children with disabilities and the professionals who serve them awareness in and of their options and rights that are available to them within the school system and beyond. There will be workshops, keynote speakers, a FunCamp for kids (registration required as space will be limited), vendor displays and information, a silent auction and more! 
Topics to be covered in the workshops will include IEP, IDEA, Dispute Resolution, Related Services, Collaborative Communication, Evaluation and more! Who should attend Heart and Hope? Parents/family members of students with disabilities, self-advocates, professionals, agencies, providers and other interested parties. 
Those who wish to, may schedule an individual assistance session concerning an IEP, IFSP, or TIEP. This must be done on the registration form. You will then be contacted by a member of the FND family for appointment time and room number.
On-line and or mail in registrations can be found at www dot fndfl dot org         FND may be contacted at 727-523-1130 or 800-825-5736 
 FOPBC members wishing to apply for travel expense funding to attend this event, please send an e-mail to fopbc at aol dot com 
NFBF / FOPBC State Convention Seminars 2010
May 28 – May 31, Holiday Inn Orlando 6515 International Drive Mark your calendars! Our state convention seminars will be held in Orlando over Memorial Day weekend. Join us for a weekend full of information and networking opportunities! Meet our state affiliate president, local chapter presidents as well as fellow parents and blind children. Learn what NFBF and FOPBC are doing to change what it means to be blind! 
Stay tuned for more exciting info to follow!
NFB / NOPBC National Convention Seminars 2010
The 2010 room rates are single, double and twins sixty two dollars ; and triples and quads: sixty seven dollars a night; plus a fifteen percent sales tax. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A sixty dollar per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent  of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before June 1, 2010. The other fifty percent is non-refundable. The schedule for the 2010 convention will follow that of last year: 
Friday, July 2       Parent Seminars       Saturday, July 3    Seminar Day               Sunday, July 4       Registration Day         Monday, July 5      Board Meeting Division Day                   Tuesday, July 6      Opening Session    Wednesday, July 7 Business Session 
Thursday, July 8     Banquet & Adjournment
more info can be found at www dot nfb dot org 

National Convention Scholarships Available!
Have you ever wanted to attend National Convention but just didn’t have the funds?

 Consider applying for a National Convention Scholarship. 
If you are a member of the National Federation of the Blind, you may apply. While every application is carefully considered, preference will be given to first time attendees.
Last year, the Jernigan Fund Scholarship Committee awarded sixty Kenneth Jernigan scholarships with the average grant being six hundred dollars. 

For questions and additional information, contact Allen Harris 205- 655-8221 or e-mail  allen dot harris at dws dot com

We look forward to seeing you in Dallas and enjoying convention with you and all of our fellow Federationists!

This year, we will celebrate the seventyth anniversary of the NFB, so you won’t want to miss out!

Sentiments of a Blind Child  by: Tracie Inman

I’m walking In A World of darkness
Searching always for the Light
I’m walking thru a twilight fog
Hoping for the Stars at Night.

Where is the Sunshine in the Morning?
Where is the bright Light of Day?
Where is the Moon in the Night-time?
Where have all the Stars gone away?

Mommy, what color is the Sky?
Daddy, what color is the Sea?

Won’t someone tell me why?
Why can’t these things I see?

I can hear the birds chirping,
Singing their Song in the Rain.
I can hear the meadowlarks singing,
And the horn on the choo choo train 

I’m wondering of the world around me,
So filled with all kinds of sound;
I’m wondering what the Lions look like, And what the little Kitty found?

Why did God make me this way?
Why didn’t He give me Sight?
Why do I live in this world today?
It just doesn’t seem right.

I read with my fingers dots that I can feel
They make up the letters of Words,
In stories that others tell, 
My friends say they can read printed Words, 
And long books with simple ease.
But I have to read slowly, so be patient with me, please

I walk with a long stick called a Cane so that I will not fall  
If I run, I must have a guide Or I better not go at all
Day after Day I hope and Pray
That somehow this Blindness will be taken away.
For the Gift of Sight, that I can See

all the things that fascinate me
I pray that God will let me See
The little bird that sings to me
I hope to See the Cow that cries “MOO!”
The grass that I play in, and the Ocean, too
I pray that I will See the

Airplanes Fly, 
When they take off and come down  from the Sky. 
I want to see the little girl smile 
When I say, “Good Morning, Can I Play with you a while?
But Most of all I Pray that I can See My Mother’s face when she says she loves Me!

“Sentiments of A blind Child” was inspired by Tracie’s daughter Katie Inman shortly before Katie became Deaf in addition to her blindness. Katie, now a 7th grader at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind is forever asking lots and lots of deep questions. She’s a deep thinker who always has a bright smile and a warm hug for everyone.

Spring Fundraiser

Beauty Alliance, A Salon Centric Company, Redken, and Elite Salons in the Greater Jacksonville area are proud to donate one dollar for every promotional kit sold to FOPBC! This promotion will run through April 1, 2010. We would like to thank the following salons for their support.

The Spa at Tre Salon
Salon B2Y
The Green Room
 Concept Cutters
Salon Nouveau
Ten, a Sheila Powers Salon
Cut Up and Dye
Elite Hair Studio by Tre Salon
Bella Amici
DeMi Salon
EM Studios
Two Blondes and a Guy
Rapunzel
Beleeza Salon and Boutique
Mantra Salon
Dirty Blonde
Luxe Studio
Tranquility Salon and Day Spa

Gear Up for Greatness!

National Federation of the Blind
2010 Junior Science Academy
A STEM Program for Blind Children
Ages eight through twelve
Baltimore, Maryland, at the NFB Jernigan Institute

The Junior Science Academy is a four-day session that will expose blind children to the excitement of science in real-life applications. The students will learn about how much fun science can be through hands-on instruction, field trips, and interactive activities. Attending parents will participate in a corresponding seminar with workshops designed to focus on meeting the needs of their blind children.
Session 1: July 28 through August 1, 2010
Session 2: August 4 through August 8, 2010
A registration fee of one hundred fifty dollars will be charged for each accepted student and parent/chaperone pair. The cost of travel, room, board, and program materials will be covered by the NFB Jernigan Institute for all student and parent/chaperone pairs.

For questions and application contact:
Emily Neubeck
Project Assistant
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute 
410-659-9314, ext. 2419
eneubeck at nfb dot org

2010 Race for Independence

Come! Be a part of it! Join the FOPBC March for Independence Team and help raise money for the Imagination Fund! 
The Imagination Fund is an annual campaign that ensures that the initiatives of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute are advanced and that NFB state affiliates have the support needed to reach out to the blind in local communities.
Participation takes just a few clicks of your mouse – go to www dot raceforindependence dot org forward slash goto forward slash fopbc  - sign up – send the e-mail invite to family and friends and watch the donations roll in! It’s that easy! 
The Imagination Fund makes it possible for: Blind youth to 

achieve careers in Math and Science.
Advance technology helpful to the blind
Train and inspire professionals working with the blind
Provide parents with critical information helpful to their blind children

2010 NFB LAW PROGRAM APPLY ONLINE UNTIL FEB 1 

The NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington, D.C., LAW Program will be a four-day experience that will provide blind and low vision students with a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of our country’s government, its history, and its culture while staying at the national headquarters for the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland.  In addition to learning about grassroots legislation efforts, how resolutions are passed, and how various blindness legislation is brought about, participants will learn more about the inner workings of the National Federation of the Blind, its advocacy work for blind individuals, and available resources for blind students and adults.  This program also strives to help empower youth with valuable resources to enhance their transition to high school including technology, training programs, publications, mentoring programs, Aids and appliances, and scholarships.                  
Who: Youth who are in Grades six through nine  or Ages twelve through sixteen during the time of the program
When: April 16 through 20, 2010
Where: Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland
Cost: There will be a two hundred fifty dollar fee per student/chaperone pair. All other expenses including transportation, room, and board will be provided for each student and their chaperone. 
Lenora J. Marten, President
7175 Overland Park Blvd E
Jacksonville, Florida  32244

Phone:
904-777-5976
904-229-9554

E-Mail:
fopbc at aol dot com

WEB
www dot nfbflorida dot org forward slash parents

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