It may still be winter but yesterday sure felt like spring! Our residential students enjoyed spending their afternoon outside in the beautiful weather.
School Counselor Appreciation Week post 3:
Spotlight on Alysha Scott!
Alysha is originally from Ohio but has been in Virginia for several years now and we are SO GLAD she has found her way to VSDB! Her position is new to VSDB because she works in the afternoons and evenings to support students who reside on campus during the week. Although she has only been at VSDB for a few months, she has quickly developed strong relationships with the students and they appreciate her ability to joke and make them smile. She is a fun-loving person and brings that fun with her into counseling to make groups fun!
Thank you, Ms. Alysha, for everything you have done so far to support our students and we're so glad to have you on board!!
School Counselor Appreciation Week post 2:
Spotlight on Becky White!
Becky is from Alabama but has made VSDB her home for the past 8 years. She primarily serves students in the Deaf department. Staff and students appreciate Ms. Becky for making space for our feelings and her compassion for everyone. Thank you Ms. Becky for everything you do for us at VSDB. We truly appreciate you!!!
Our Pre-K students are learning about Community Helpers. This week, they are focusing on mail carriers. They have their own mailbox set up outside their classroom to receive mail. If YOU would like to mail something for our pre-K students to enjoy (even beyond just this week), please mail it to
VSDB
Attn. pre-K
P.O. Box 2069
Staunton, VA 24402
Our pre-K program has Deaf and DeafBlind students, so if you can include some visual and some tactile elements, that would be great!
Three of our students have been raising money for Special Olympics Virginia and participated in the Polar Plunge in Virginia Beach this past Saturday. Their team raised over $5,000!! Great job Jacob, Naomi, and Nikita!!! #vsdbproud
Our school counselors are the BEST! This week is National School Counselors Appreciation Week, so we’d like to recognize them specifically this week, but we appreciate them every day! Thank you Ms. Alysha, Ms. Becky, and Ms. Beth for the work you do for our students and staff!
School picture day is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8. Bring your favorite shirt and your best smiling face!
A code to view and purchase pictures will be sent to families when we receive it.
Our school staff used yesterday’s early homegoing to participate in professional development. The Deaf department had a workshop on Language Development Milestones yesterday. Today, the Blind Department left early this morning to tour VRCBVI and VIB.
The dusting of snow may have melted quickly, but that didn’t stop Ms. Lynn’s Independent Living Skills class from having a snowball fight before they started cooking! Students and staff joined in the fun
Will we have 6 more weeks of winter or an early spring?
Either way, winter weather at VSDB is beautiful - and fun! Yesterday morning we had a thin layer of snow on the ground and ice on the tree branches. Our students went out to explore and enjoy.
We love our community! VSDB goes beyond our campus, current students, and current staff. Today at halftime of the boy’s basketball game against ENCSD, current students and visitors from the community joined in the spirit cheer!
VSDB high school student, Brianna, participated in the 2022 InSights Art Competition sponsored by the American Printing House for the Blind and just received her certificate for her submission “Two Halves Equal A Whole”. Brianna worked hard on this piece and we are proud of her!
We celebrated Ms. Hannah, our Orientation and Mobility Intern, today as she completed her final day at VSDB. We will miss her but we are also so excited for her future as she heads to Massachusetts to begin a job at the Carroll Center for the Blind as their O&M Specialist!
Staff Spotlight - Kim Dayhoff
Kim is the fabulous VSDB Admissions Coordinator! She loves meeting prospective students and their families and she gives the BEST tours of our campus. Kim is always happy to answer questions about VSDB and share information about our TEMP program, eligibility to attend, and the admissions process. (Did you know VSDB accepts applications at any time throughout the year?!)
Contact Kim at 540-332-9004 or Kim.Dayhoff@vsdb.k12.va.us with any questions or to schedule a tour!
PreK students learned about igloos in the winter time. They learned how to build one out of jugs with the help of Art Teacher Tammy and worked on it for almost a month. Now that it is finished, they love climbing in and seeing the lights!
That’s a wrap!! Spirit week was a blast! Thank you everyone for all the fun, laughter, memories, and new experiences!!
(Blind department is planning big things for their Homecoming week from February 13-17. Stay tuned for more information!)
Deaf Department Homecoming pep rally and basketball games were on Wednesday, January 18. During the pep rally, our homecoming court was announced and the King and Queen were crowned. Congratulations to them all!
During the pep rally, our students performed the VSDB Fight Song, skits developed by each class, creative group activities, and more!
Our principal, Lindsay Burris, is “simply the best” and we wanted to show her just how much we appreciate her today as part of Virginia School Principal Appreciation Week. Join us in thanking her for ALL she does for our students and staff.
Thank you to WHSV for your article covering our Deaf Department Homecoming Basketball Games. We are also so thankful for our Athletic Director and Basketball Coaches!! https://www.whsv.com/2023/01/19/virginia-school-deaf-blind-brings-students-opportunities-through-sports/
Two of our Blind Department students, Nikita and Amayah, are at Page County High School this weekend. They are rehearsing for a concert to be performed by all of the students in district choir. The concert is Saturday at 1:00 pm at Page County High School.
