Parent Involvement

It is a well known fact that the success of a student is ideally supported by three significant parties: A teacher, A student and A parent. This is no exception for the students of the Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind.

Whatever the nature of your child whether it be blind, visually impaired or regularly sighted, parent involvement is crucial to a child's success. Having that support system at home is nothing but a plus. Be it looking over homework and school work to check that it has not been left on finished, that it has showed signs of being seen, helping with research or simply imparting a comforting word to your child, reassuring them that they have tried, worked hard, can do better or has done better.

Being a supportive and involved parent means liaising with the school, keeping teachers up to date as to the needs, interests and habits of your child, giving suggestions for better results or expressing concerns or lack there of.

whether it be stimulating your visually impaired child through play, bouncing for the toddlers, quizzes and other inventive ways, it is no doubt that the care and attention of every parent in all of our lives is unforgettable and we at the Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind want an unforgettable experience for our own students. So lets work together, at home and in the schools to make sure it happens.

A prime example the Resource Centre for the Blind was proud to witness is this proud daddy who came out along side his wife, bouncing his joyous baby girl on his knees as she began to fret while the culminating activities were under way

We hope to see more of this soon!

Here is an articule that has more useful information about being an effectivly involved parent

New Braillers Compliments DigiCel

The Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind previously received a donation from Digicel and was able to purchase couple of new note taking technology machinary for blind students in the main stream schools. These braillers unlike their old, aged counter parts, are half as light, run smoothly and will allow students to take their notes more effectively alongside their sighted peers.

Just another step towards independence and blind students becoming contributing members of society. The Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind thanks ALL it's supports and

for their interest in equal education for all!

Goodbyes and Thank Yous

We at the Resource Centre for the blind were blessed with the aid of a Peace Corp member for the past two years. She's worked hard, helped us do unimaginable things and now? Exits out life to enter a new stage.

To Alyssa Gaalema Resource Centre for the Blind says Good Bye...and THANK YOU!

2009-2011

Student Beach Day

If you are a blind student living on a Caribbean island...how do you know what a beach is? The feel of sand, the smell of the ocean, the roar of the waves, the taste and refreshing cool of sea water...how do you know it?

You have wonderful teachers get full permission from your parents and take you there when school is out for summer! (as the Ministry Of Education adivces against school beach visits) you have it be an informal outting and then finally?

You Love It!





It was a good day.

ABCDE Workshop part IV: Certificate Ceremony

At the conclusion of our workshop on June 16th, teachers learned about how Sex Ed. for blind/visually impaired students begins at birth in identifying gender differences. We had homemade roti from Mrs. Licorish's kitchen, with the chicken provided from Mrs. Morain's farm for lunch. Roti so big, we had to take our leftovers to the beach after!

Mrs. Frankie Swift, another professor in the Visual Impairment Ed. program at SFASU, felt it necessary to have certificates for the graduates, a detail that Doc and Alyssa Gaalema forgot. She went and ordered the certificates and holders for our staff to enjoy and remember their accomplishments from the two weeks. They were so thrilled to receive them! A HUGE "Big Up," Frankie!

We had a slideshow of all the pictures from their experiences together and the staff presented Barry and Doc with beautiful, Grenadian gifts. They exchanged contact info and Doc and Barry assured them that they would always be a phone call or email away if teachers needed assistance.

Pictured below:
Back- Mrs. Emlyn Raeburn, Mrs. Leolyn Christopher, Ms. Tamara Jones, Mr. Ellis Ogilvie, Mr. Jamal Phillip, Dr. Dixie Mercer, Mr. Barry Stafford.
Front- Mrs. Leaneth Prince, Ms. Sherry Hamlet, Ms. Jahlyna Matthew, Mrs. Ingrid Licorish, Mrs. Vernice Morain, Ms. Carlene Sergeant

ABCDE Workshop part III: Orientation and Mobility

I have never seen teachers so excited as when Barry handed each of our teachers a retractable white cane! Mellyssa Lyght at Ambutech liaised with Barry prior to the trip and was able to get us 78 canes at a reduced cost...ON CREDIT until our SPA grant check came in the mail. It was unbelievable! We also feared the canes would not clear customs at the airport when Barry and Doc arrived. We did not contact the Ministry of Ed. in time to write a concessions letter via Ministry of Finance (lots of formal channels...not enough time). Sure enough, Barry dragged the heavy duffel full of canes, reflective tape, cane tips and accessories all through customs, declared it and spoke to the officer about he and Doc's purpose in Grenada. Would you know the officer waved (and waived) them through without a wink!? "Enjoy Grenada," he said! Amazing blessings!

At Resource Centre for the Blind, we do not have a trained mobility instructor on staff, so it was one of the aims of the workshop to give teachers some of the basic fundamentals to pass onto their students. Barry's idea behind giving the teachers canes was so that when they are in public places with their student, it draws attention, alerts drivers and helps educate the public about the capability of independent travel for blind persons. Students also don't have to feel like their the only ones walking with a cane. The idea was brilliant.



We went all over Grenada blindfolded for our two O&M days. Half the staff went to Grenville to work on L-shaped outdoor routes, battling the unobliging streets full of potholes, random holes, drains and grates. The St. Georges team walked the cruise ship terminal and learned how to use the stairs, escalator, elevator and how to stand in line and pay a bill at the Bruce Street Mall. All staff members were educated in sighted guide techniques, the Heinze Break technique in declining assistance, and search patterns.

ABCDE Workshop part II: Functional Vision Assessment

Teachers at Resource Centre forthe Blind were equipped with their own Functional Vision Assessment kit made from locally sourced materials and some they were able to hand-make for themselves. These assessments allow teachers of the visually impaired to "see what their students see" and figure out what accommodations can be made in their classroom to make life easier for them.



Students can have difficulty in 1 or more of 4 areas assessed: binocularity (how well both eyes work together), acuity (seeing fine detail or reading print from near and far), peripheral (vision on the sides of your face) and cortical visual impairment or CVI (problems that may arise from faulty connections to the brain via the visual cortex area). Using basic materials like puzzles, beads, and even decorated fly swatters, each teacher was able to assess a student on the RCB caseload in either the St. Georges or Grenville parishes.



Here, Doc is testing a student's peripheral vision with a decorated fly swatter, better known as a PTD. I was so impressed with how creative teachers were with their decorations! Doc was really amazing and bought each teacher a goody bag of craft supplies from the states.



I really have to commend our students who allowed us to scrutinize over them, ask lots of questions and study them as we performed assessments. The library at St. Andrews R.C. Primary was colorful, spacious and perfect for testing.



Mr. Ogilvie is looking at the reflection in this this student's eyes to detect balance- this helps test for binocularity.