Press Release

For Immediate Release
July 21, 2009
Contact: Gloria Pfeiffer, (215) 290-6405, Gloria@obs.org

OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND (OSB) HOSTS FIRST SPECIAL ACCREDITATION WORKSHOP IN PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind will host a one-day workshop presented by Special Kids Photography of America (SKPA) on Monday, October 19, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Overbrook School for the Blind campus at 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia.

“We are delighted to host the first Special Kids Photography workshop in this region,” says Overbrook School for the Blind Director Gerald Kitzhoffer. “Their expertise in training photographers to meet the individual needs of children with disabilities can help photographers of specialized schools do their best work on behalf of the students and families that we serve. At Overbrook School for the Blind, we all endeavor to demonstrate the truth of each student’s spirit, ability, and beauty both to them and to the world at large.”
Special Kids Photography of America is a non-profit national organization that trains photographers in techniques for photographing children with disability or serious illness. SKPA also offers instructional resources such as books, videos and other products for professionals, administers financial aid opportunities for qualifying families to obtain a professional photograph of their special child, and provides a list of SKPA-accredited photographers on their website.

The workshop at Overbrook School for the Blind will be led by SKPA co-founder Karen Dorame. “The dignity of children with special needs and the role that sensitive and creative photography can play in the lives of their families are twin passions of mine,” says Ms. Dorame. “Sharing these passions with other professional photographers and the children we photograph is the mission of SKPA. Our workshops help to add a dimension to the portfolios and resumes of the photographers and to add to the quality of life of the children and their families.”

Ms. Dorame is also the author of Photographing Children with Special Needs, published by Amherst Media.
The workshop fee is $249 which includes the one-day course, two books and accreditation test/photo evaluation process that can lead to SKPA accreditation.

Overbrook School for the Blind offers a variety of programs for children of different ages and abilities. Since 1832, Overbrook has been developing and delivering education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. In addition to a full academic program, Overbrook students receive special training and participate in different activities that are important to the development of children who are blind or visually impaired. This includes orientation and mobility, daily living skills, assistive technology, music, art and a full sports program.

To learn more about Special Kids Photography or to register for the workshop, visit www.specialkidsphotography.com. Registration and payment for the workshop should be done directly through SKPA.

For information about Overbrook School for the Blind, visit www.obs.org.
###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 11, 2008

Contact: Gloria Pfeiffer

(215) 290-6405

OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AQUATIC CENTER RECEIVES PROCEEDS FROM COMMUNITY CLOTHES CHARITY OCTOBER SALE

Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind announced today that it received $190,000 from the Community Clothes Charity 2008 October Sale. The contribution will go toward Overbrook School for the Blind’s new Kappen Aquatic Center, which will open in the spring of 2009.

“The staff and students at Overbrook School for the Blind are delighted and grateful to the organizers of the Community Clothes Charity for this generous donation to our new Aquatic Center,” says Gerald Kitzhoffer, Director of Overbrook School for the Blind. “We are looking forward to the completion of the facility so that our community of students, staff and alumni can use the center for instruction, education, recreation and therapeutic activities.”

This year, from October 30^th to November 1^st at the Village Hall in Stratford, PA, the Community Clothes Charity (www.communityclothescharity.org) organized the sale of new and lightly worn designer women’s clothing and accessories. These donated couture fashions were sold to the public at a fraction of their original cost. All of the proceeds from this sale will go to the Kappen Aquatic Center at Overbrook School for the Blind, named after the former school director, Bernadette M. Kappen.

The new state-of-the-art aquatic center will feature a lap pool with accessibility for wheelchair users, a pool for smaller children, and an area with a water feature. The exterior will feature a “boundless playground” where all children, regardless of their disabilities, can play and learn together.

Overbrook School for the Blind offers a variety of programs for children of different ages and abilities. Since 1832, Overbrook has been developing and delivering education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. Along with academics, students receive special training and participate in different activities that are important to the development of children who are blind or visually impaired. This includes orientation and mobility training, daily living skills, assistive technology, music, art and a full sports program.

For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind, visit www.obs.org or call (215) 877-0313.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 20, 2008

CONTACT: Gloria Pfeiffer

Gloria@obs.org

(215) 290-6405

OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND PURCHASES RENEWABLE ENERGY

Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind announced today it was purchasing renewable energy to offset 70 percent of the electricity used in its new Aquatic Center building, due to open in January, 2009.

“From the very beginning, we wanted an environmentally friendly and healthy building for our students and staff to be in,” says Overbrook School for the Blind Interim Director Jackie Brennan. “We are excited to develop the Aquatic Center according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, using recyclable materials and incorporating features that will help conserve energy and reduce consumption.”

Overbrook School for the Blind is purchasing 472,800 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy credits from renewable energy facilities including wind farms and biomass facilities. The purchase of renewable power is made possible by renewable energy credits (RECs). Since it is physically impossible to deliver electricity straight from a renewable energy facility to Overbrook School for the Blind, renewable energy credits make purchasing renewable power possible. RECs ensure that the amount of electricity Overbrook School for the Blind uses is replaced onto the power grid with clean, renewable energy.

Overbrook School for the Blind’s purchase of renewable energy from domestic resources in rural communities will avoid as much as 644,426 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution. To have the same impact, more than 63 cars would have to be taken off the road, or more than 2,652 trees would have to be planted, according to statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Overbrook School for the Blind has chosen Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy, a leading national provider, as its supplier of RECs.

Overbrook School for the Blind’s new $11 million, 25,000 square-foot Aquatic Center will offer typical swimming activities, therapeutic use and recreational classes for students, children in our early intervention programs, alumni members, families and the men and women from Overbrook Friedlander Programs. Key features of the Aquatic Center include:

· a lap pool with accessibility for wheelchair users

· a recreational pool with zero depth entry and several fun and therapeutic features

· an accessible playground so young children, regardless of their disabilities, can play and learn together.

Ground was broken for the Aquatic Center in September of 2007. The Grand Opening of

the Aquatic Center – which will be named the Bernadette M. Kappen Aquatic Center after OSB’s previous Director – is scheduled for January of 2009.

The mission of Overbrook School for the Blind is to develop and deliver education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind, visit www.obs.org or call (215) 877-0313.

###

______________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Gloria Pfeiffer, gloria@obs.org (215) 290-6405

PANCAKE BREAKFAST TO BENEFIT OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind will hold its Sixteenth Annual Pancake Breakfast to benefit the school on Sunday, March 2nd in Lions Hall at Overbrook School for the Blind, 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia. The Pancake Breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. and will continue through 1 p.m. Admission is only $5 per person for an all-you-can-eat breakfast including pancakes, eggs, sausage, toast, coffee, juice and more. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

In addition to door prizes for lucky guests, raffle tickets will be available at $1 each. Raffle winners will receive several unique door prizes, including cash prizes of $500, $250 and $150.

The Overbrook Lions Club and Overbrook School for the Blind District 14-A Cabinet Committee are co-hosts of the Pancake Breakfast.

Guided tours of the Overbrook School for the Blind campus will also be available during the Pancake Breakfast. The oldest buildings on the campus are some of the rarest and most exceptional examples of Spanish Renaissance Architecture on the East Coast of the United States.

Free parking is available across from the school’s main entrance on Malvern Avenue.

For more information, contact Overbrook School for the Blind at (215) 877-0313 or visit www.obs.org.

###

January 29, 2007 Gloria Pfeiffer
Gloria@obs.org
(215) 290-6405

OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND PRESENTS
BLINDSIGHT
WINNER – AUDIENCE AWARD – AFI FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 2006

BEST DOCUMENTARY – BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARD 2006Starring
OSB Alumna Sabriye Tenberken

Philadelphia: Overbrook School for the Blind presents BLINDSIGHT – an award-winning documentary film about six blind Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb Mount Everest – on Wednesday, April 11th at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute at 824 W. Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr, PA. Sabriye Tenberken, an alumna of Overbrook School for the Blind’s International Program and star of BLINDSIGHT, will be available for a question and answer session following the screening.

Set against the breataking backdrop of the Himalayas, BLINDSIGHT follows Tenberken’s dangerous three-week journey to climb the world’s highest peak, an impossible challenge made all the more remarkable by the fact that she and the six student climbers are blind.

The idea for the expedition came about after Tenberken, who founded Braille Without Borders, the first and only school for the blind in Tibet, wrote a letter to the blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer after hearing the news that he had reached the summit of Mount Everest in 2001. Sabriye had read Erik’s book, Touch The Top Of The World, to her students and was inspired to get in touch following the incredible news of his summit. BLINDSIGHT follows the group’s harrowing and courageous trek up the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest.

Tenberken’s numerous accomplishments have earned her international recognition including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2005 and a Mother Teresa Award in 2006. She also caug the attention of Oprah Winfrey, who featured her as one of " Eig Women Oprah Wants You To Know," a show that aired in October 2005 and in O Magazine in August 2005. She is also the author of two books: My Path Leads to Tibet and The Seventh Year: From Tibet to India.

Tenberken, who attended Overbrook School for the Blind’s International Program in 1987-1988, was invited back to OSB this year in honor of the school’s 175th Anniversary. In addition to this special screening of BLINDSIGHT, Overbrook School for the Blind has additional anniversary events scheduled, including the grand opening of the Overbrook Schoool for the Blind Museum and a black-tie gala planned for Saturday, June 9th at the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing.

Tickets for the April 11th screening of Blindsig, which also includes a cocktail reception prior to the screening and a question and answer session with Tenberken after the film, are $30 per ticket. Tickets for the film screening only are $8.75. Tickets may be purchased by calling Kathe Archibald at Overbrook School for the Blind at (215) 877-0313, ext. 264. The private reception begins at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and the screening begins at 7:30 p.m.

F0R IMMEDIATE RELEASE~Holiday Concert is part of OSB’s 175th Anniversary Celebration~

November 28, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer, gpy@comcast.net, (215) 290-6405

ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT CELEBRATES THE SEASON!This year, the OSB Concert Choir will perform traditional renditions of holiday favorites such as Jolly Old Saint Nicholas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The Mixed Ensemble’s diverse repertoire for the evening will include S’vivon, a traditional Hebrew folk song, and Christmas Samba. Among other favorites, the Bell Choir will be ringing a clever arrangement of Rockin’Around the Christmas Tree.

The concert will also feature several student vocal solos: Seth Johnson will sing Merry Christmas by Shaw; Jill Novak will sing Cradle Song; Kassandra Hernandez will sing The Carol of the Birds; Desiree Oudinot will sing the Christmas Song; and Alexis Wallerstein will sing The Sun O’er The Ganges.

After the concert, everyone is invited to enjoy lig refreshments in the beautiful Rotunda of the Overbrook School for the Blind.

The Annual Holiday Concert is part of Overbrook School for the Blind’s 175th

Anniversary Season, a year-long series of special events and activities to highlig OSB’ s leadership

in educating children who are blind or visually impaired and may have other disabilities. For 175 years, Overbrook School for the Blind has developed and delivered education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind’ 175th Anniversary Season and Gala (June 9th at the Penn’s Landing Hyatt Regency in Philadelphia) call (215) 877-0313.

gloria@obs.org
October 5, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer
(215) 290-6405

LIVING AND LEARNING WITH LOW VISION AT
OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind will present Living and Learning with Low Vision, a day-long expo on the topic of Low Vision in children and adults on Saturday, November 4th in Lyons Hall on the Overbrook School for the Blind campus, 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia.

Medical and educational specialists will be on site to offer free vision screenings as well as information on available resources and technology options for children and adults with Low Vision.

Low Vision is an impairment to vision that effects the functioning of the child or adult and cannot be corrected with surgery, therapy, conventional eyewear or contact lenses. Low vision varies per person and may include decreased visual clarity, visual distortions, loss of fields of view, and/or lig sensitivity. It may occur as a result of birth defects, injury, the aging process or as a complication of disease.

The morning’s low vision workshop will focus on children. From 9-10 a.m., Sarah Appel, OD, an Optometrist from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, will focus on Children’s Eye Conditions. From 10-11 a.m., Sandy Finkel, MS, Med, and Coordinator of Overbrook School for the Blind’s Outreach Program, will discuss Low Vision Adaptations for Home and School.

Free Vision Screenings and a Technology Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The afternoon’s low vision workshop will focus on adults. From 2-3 p.m., Stephen Sinclair, MD, Ophalmologist from Sinclair Retinal Associates, PC, and Jean Astorino, OD, Low Vision Optometrist from Sig for Living, will discuss Adult Eye Conditions and Low Vision. From 3-4 p.m., Judy van Naerssen, OTLR, CLVT, and a therapist from Overbrook School for the Blind, will discuss Low Vision Adaptations for Home and Work.

Registration for the workshop is free. Please RSVP to Jay Doudna by October 27th at (215) 877-0313, ext. 217 or jay@obs.org.

The Living and Learning with Low Vision Expo is part of Overbrook School for the Blind’s 175th Anniversary Season, a year-long series of special events and activities to highlig OSB’s leadership in the vision community. For 175 years, Overbrook School for the Blind has developed and delivered education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind or the 175th Anniversary Season and Gala, call (215) 877-0313.

September 25, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer
(215) 290-6405
gloria@obs.org

OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND PUBLISHES
175TH ANNIVERSARY COOKBOOK
~Cookbooks will also be available in Braille~

Philadelphia, PA: Delicious recipes for Wacky Cake, Love Nest Casserole, Eggs in Purgatory, and Mr. Byrd Cake are just some of the fun and tasty recipes now available to the general public in the Overbrook School for the Blind 175th Anniversary Cookbook.

The 175th Anniversary Cookbook will also be available in Braille in two volumes for $10 a copy.

Proceeds from the cookbook will go towards the future home of the Overbrook School for the Blind Aquatic Center.

For more information about the 175th Anniversary Cookbooks or the 175th Anniversary Celebration and Gala, call (215) 877-0313.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
August 22, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer, PR
Gloria@obs.org
or (215) 290-6405

OPEN HOUSE KICKS OFF 175TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

FOR OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
Grand Opening of the Overbrook School for the Blind Museum~
~New Overbrook School for the Blind Cookbook On Sale~

Philadelphia: An Open House celebration, marking the beginning of the 175th year of Overbrook School for the Blind serving students with visual impairments and other special needs, will be held on Saturday, September 30th from 1-5 p.m. on the school’s campus at 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia. Students, friends, and neighbors are invited to participate in the afternoon of activities, which will include the opening of the Overbrook School for the Blind Museum, musical performances by the Broomall Stringband, a moonbounce for the kids, school tours, carnival foods, arts and crafts, and more.

The Overbrook School for the Blind Open House is free and open to the public.

A short program, led by school director Dr. Bernadette M. Kappen, will be held in the auditorium (located in the rotunda building) at 1 p.m. Additional remarks from the Overbrook School for the Blind Board of Trustees President, Sarah S. Heckscher, and Overbrook School for the Blind Alumni Association President, Donald Dunn, will be presented. Students from the Overbrook School for the Blind Choir will present a short musical performance.

The Overbrook School for the Blind Museum – established to showcase the school’s long and rich history – will be open for tours between 1-5 p.m. The Museum is located on the second floor of the Rotunda Building. A gallery of historical documents, artifacts, and photos about the school’ s building and its founders, and the significant contribution the school has made to the blindness community in our region and around the world, will be displayed for visitors. The oldest buildings on the campus of Overbrook School for the Blind are some of the rarest and most exceptional examples of Spanish Renaissance Architecture on the East Coast of the United States.

Admission to the Museum is free and open to the public. The Overbrook School for the Blind Cookbook will be on sale for the first time during the Open House celebration. At $10 per copy, the cookbook features 175 delicious recipes from students, staff, and alumni. Proceeds from the cookbook will go toward the future home of the Overbrook School for the Blind Aquatic Center.

The Overbrook School for the Blind 175th Anniversary Season continues with a yearlong calendar of activities and special events to mark this significant year in the school’s history. Highligs of the 175th Anniversary Season calendar include:

October 13: A-thons! (week of) OSB students participate in a Bowl-Athon, and Basketball-Athon, and a Walk and Wheel-Athon to raise money for the future home of the OSB Aquatic Center

November 4: Living and Learning with Low Vision Expo
An opportunity for anyone with vision problems to discover new low vision devices that are available to the public

December 14: Holiday Concert An Overbrook School for the Blind tradition, the Holiday Concert showcases the school’s celebrated music program

April 9: Guests speaker Sabriye Tenberken visits with students. (week of) From Oprah’s Phenomenal Women: Eig Women She Wants You to Know Featured on TV and in the August, 2005 edition of O Magazine.

A former student from Overbrook’s International Program, Sabriye has single-handedly broug literacy to people of Tibet who are blind by founding the Lhasa-based "Braille Without Borders" program.

May 17: Spring Concert

June 9: 175th Anniversary Gala Gala and Silent Auction at the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing

In case of inclement weather, the Overbrook School for the Blind Open House will move inside the school.

For 175 years, Overbrook School for the Blind has developed and delivered education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind’s 175th Anniversary season call (215) 877-0313.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT:
May 3, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer,
(215) 290-6405 or
gloria@obs.org

CELEBRATE SPRING AT CONCERT
AT OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND!

Philadelphia, PA: The Annual Spring Concert at Overbrook School for the Blind will be held on Thursday, May 18 at 8 p.m. in the Auditorium. Admission is free. Overbrook School for the Blind is located at 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia. Free parking is available across the street.
The diverse repertoire for this year’s concert includes Shubert’s Die Wollust in den Maien and Lebenslust, Beethoven’s Joyful, Joyful, Orazio Vecchi’s So ben mi ch’a bon tempo, the African American Spiritual Every Nig When the Sun Goes In, and And All That Jazz from the hit musical “Chicago.”

The Bell Choir will perform Chorale by Robert Schumann, Yesterday by Lennon and McCartney, and Hakuna Matata from the Lion King.

Overbrook School for the Blind develops and delivers education that enhances the options available for persons with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind, call (215) 877-0313.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
May 2, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer,
Gloria@obs.org
(215) 290-6405

OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND STUDENTS
RECEIVE AWARD

Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind students Jeffrey Boudwin of Drexel Hill (age 15) and Alexis Wallerstein of Rosemont (age 17) will receive the 2006 Good Citizen Award at an awards banquet at the Union League in Center City on May 11, 2006.
The Good Citizenship Union League Award was established to motivate young people in the 14-17 age group to set high personal standards of behavior and leadership as they mature into responsible citizens. Boudwin and Wallerstein will be recognized for their good citizenship to their fellow students, their high academic record, and athletic achievement.
Some 250 young men and women are named each year to receive the Union League’s Good Citizenship Award. The youth are chosen without regard to race, color, creed, gender or political background but must have demonstrated marked evidence of good citizenship.
The annual Youth Work Day will feature a morning of presentations and workshops on professionalism and careers. The afternoon will include special programs at The National Constitution Center. The highlig of the day will be the Awards Banquet which will be attended by families of the award recipients, Union League members and special guests.
For more information or for photo requests, please call Gloria Pfeiffer at (215) 290-6405.

SCHOOL CONTACT:
Kathe Archibald (215) 877-0313, ext. 264

GOLF TOURNAMENT BENEFITS
OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Philadelphia, PA: The challenging and scenic Torresdale- Frankford Country Club in Northeast Philadelphia is once again the site of this year’s P.E.R.C. (Parents and Educators Responding to Multi- Handicapped Children) Golf Tournament, benefiting the special children and adults who are vision and hearing impaired at Overbrook School for the Blind.

The P.E.R.C. Golf Tournament will take place on Monday, June 19th with registration at 10:30 a.m., followed by a buffet lunch, and tee-off at 12:30 p.m. The tournament concludes with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by an awards dinner. The entrance fee is $250 per golfer.
Rotunda Sponsors for this year’s tournament include Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc., Cooke & Bieler, and Daley + Jalboot Architects.

The tournament is played in foursomes. Organizers use a best ball format to ensure that all golfers, whether serious or recreational, have an enjoyable round of golf in support of a good cause.
Since 1972, the P.E.R.C. organization has raised funds to support the education, training, and recreation needs of children with disabilities at Overbrook School for the Blind. The P.E.R.C. Golf Tournament was launched in 1983 to benefit the children currently at the school and former students who have reached adulthood. One of the school’s programs, the Overbrook Friedlander Program, provides a supportive living environment appropriate to these adults with special needs.

Additional sponsorship packages are available for corporations and individuals. For further information about participation and sponsorship opportunities, contact Kathe Archibald at Overbrook School for the Blind, 6333 Malvern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151. She can be reached at karchibald@obs.org or at (215) 877-0313, ext. 264.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

January 26, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer,
gpy@comcast.net
(215) 290-6405

PANCAKE BREAKFAST TO BENEFIT
OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind will hold its Fourteenth Annual Pancake Breakfast to benefit the school on Sunday, March 19h in Lions Hall at Overbrook School for the Blind, 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia. The Pancake Breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. and will continue through 1 p.m. Admission is only $4 per person for an all-you-can-eat breakfast including pancakes, eggs, sausage, toast, coffee, juice and more. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

In addition to door prizes for lucky guests, raffle tickets will be available at $1 each. Raffle winners will receive several unique door prizes, including cash prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250.

The Overbrook Lions Club and Overbrook School for the Blind District 14-A Cabinet Committee are co-hosts of the Pancake Breakfast.

Free parking is available across from the school's main entrance on Malvern Avenue.

For more information, contact Overbrook School for the Blind at (215) 877-0313.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT
CELEBRATES THE SEASON!

Philadelphia, PA: Hundreds will gather for Yuletide music and good cheer at the annual Holiday Concert at Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) on Thursday, December 15th at 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend the free performance which will be held in the Auditorium at the Overbrook School for the Blind, 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia. Free parking is available in the parking lot across the street.
This year, the OSB Concert Choir will perform jazz renditions of Go Tell It On the Mountain and The Holly and the Ivy. The Mixed Ensemble will be singing the traditional French carol, March of the Kings. Among other favorites, the Bell Choir will be ringing a clever arrangement of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
The concert will also feature several student vocal solos. Alexis Wallerstein will sing Il Neige by H. Bemberg; Seth J. Johnson will sing December Song by Marie Pooler; and Jill Novak will sing Make We Merry by Norman Fulton.

After the concert, everyone is invited to enjoy lig refreshments in the beautiful Rotunda of the Overbrook School for the Blind.

For more information about the Holiday concert, please call (215) 877- 0313.

LOW VISION CLINIC: NEW PROGRAM OFFERINGS AT OVERBROOK Overbrook Low Vision Clinic (OLVC), a collaborative effort between Overbrook School for the Blind and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, is designed to provide comprehensive optometric and functional low vision assessments for students enrolled in Overbrook home and school based programs.

Students receive thorough eye examinations to determine needed optical corrections and low vision aids. Medical and educational strategies are then combined to promote optimal visual abilities and performance.
Future plans call for the clinic to serve as a regional center for examination of visually impaired non-Overbrook students, children within the community, Overbrook alumni, and clients at Overbrook's deafblind adult program. Purpose of Examinations:

Optometric examination to determine optical corrections, low vision aids, and materials needed to allow best use of vision when traveling and in educational, daily living, and work settings.
Determine visual skills and teaching methods needed to promote use of vision with and/or without use of low vision devices.
Provide ongoing and updated ocular & optometric information when students transition into new programs.
Complete student health files and educational portfolio.
Follow-up & problem solving for students receiving vision enhancement and device training.

Benefits of this Collaborative Program:

Accurate visual assessments for young and difficult to test students
Evaluations timed in conjunction with program admissions and critical transitions
OSB staff, student and parent training
Community service
Interagency collaboration between Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Overbrook School for the Blind, Blindness and Visual Services, and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

‘TOUCH 2 SEE BRACELETS'

FOR SALE AT OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Philadelphia, PA: White, silicone bracelets with ‘Touch 2 See' written in Braille are being sold by Overbrook School for the Blind staff and students. Similar to the yellow wristbands made famous by cyclist Lance Armstrong, the ‘Touch 2 See' bracelets are white and gently glow green in the dark. They are available for $2 per bracelet. Visit the

What's New section of the Overbrook School for the Blind website at www.obs.org or call the school at (215) 877-0313 for more information.

Proceeds from the bracelets will fund the T.E.A.M.S. Program's 2006 Summer Workshop. The T.E.A.M.S.
(Together Exploring All My Senses) Summer Workshop is a three-day training program for parents of young children (ages birth to three years) who have visual impairments and who also may have other challenges. The workshop teaches parents how to work with their children during the critical first years so that they develop to the fullest of their potential.

“Families from anywhere in the world are eligible to attend the T.E.A.M.S. Summer Workshop with their blind baby, with or without additional challenges,” says T.E.A.M.S. Program Coordinator Cassandra Giardina. “There is no cost for the families to attend the workshop, and many have expressed that they appreciate the opportunity to meet other families and share experiences, feelings and ideas.”

The T.E.A.M.S. 2006 Summer Workshop is scheduled for June 20 th -22 nd .

For more information about the ‘Touch 2 See' bracelets or the T.E.A.M.S. Summer workshop, please call Gloria Pfeiffer at (215) 290-6405.

NEW PROGRAM OFFERINGS AT OVERBROOK Overbrook Low Vision Clinic (OLVC), a collaborative effort between Overbrook School for the Blind and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, is designed to provide comprehensive optometric and functional low vision assessments for students enrolled in Overbrook home and school based programs.

Students receive thorough eye examinations to determine needed optical corrections and low vision aids. Medical and educational strategies are then combined to promote optimal visual abilities and performance.

Future plans call for the clinic to serve as a regional center for examination of visually impaired non-Overbrook students, children within the community, Overbrook alumni, and clients at Overbrook's deafblind adult program.

Purpose of Examinations

Optometric examination to determine optical corrections, low vision aids, and materials needed to allow best use of vision when traveling and in educational, daily living, and work settings.
Determine visual skills and teaching methods needed to promote use of vision with and/or without use of low vision devices.
Provide ongoing and updated ocular & optometric information when students transition into new programs.
Complete student health files and educational portfolio.
Follow-up & problem solving for students receiving vision enhancement and device training.

Benefits of this Collaborative Program:

Accurate visual assessments for young and difficult to test students
Evaluations timed in conjunction with program admissions and critical transitions
OSB staff, student and parent training
Community service
Interagency collaboration between Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Overbrook School for the Blind, Blindness and Visual Services, and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

August 22, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer, PR
Gloria@obs.org or (215) 290-6405

Students, parents, alumni, staff, board members and friends of Overbrook School for the Blind have published a collection of 175 delicious recipes in honor of the school’s 175th anniversary in 2007. The cookbooks are available for $10 per copy (discounts will be available for multiple copies) and can be purchased by calling (215) 877-0313, ext. 264. (Copies will also be available at the 175th Anniversary Open House Celebration at Overbrook School for the Blind on Saturday, September 30th from 1-5 p.m.)

F0R IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 28, 2005 Gloria Pfeiffer
gpy@comcast.net
(215) 290-6405

PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS

Past Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT:
April 4, 2006 Gloria Pfeiffer
(215) 290-6405 Previous Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: