Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Christine Wozniak, shares some great tips on how to better understand vision exams and visual acuity that you can read here. 

Why is creating electronic canes for the blind so hard?

Steph Yin, WHYY, The Pulse stopped by our school to talk with the students and staff to learn more about White Canes and Orientation and Mobility. Thank you for coming out Steph.

MetroKids came to our school to learn more about our Horticulture Therapy Program, read the article here.

Learning from Plants at Overbrook School for the Blind
Visually impaired students learn about the natural world through touch, smell and taste at a new horticultural center.

BY EMMA KULICZKOWSKI

Printable version of the 2019-2020 School Year Calendar. 

Please note the following changes:

May 27 and 28

School will be closed for students and instructional staff on Monday, May 27 and Tuesday, May 28. Classes will resume on Wednesday, May 29.

June 3
Fun Day has been postponed from June 3 until next fall

June 13
Last day of school for students and staff: June 13. It is a full day

Last Wednesday, athletes from the Maryland School for the Blind and the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind joined the track and field athletes from Overbrook. All athletes had an opportunity to compete in their specific events in preparation for the Track Tournament this upcoming weekend in New York. Some events included 50 and 75-yard dash, 220, 440, 880 and mile runs, football, softball, shot put, the standing broad, running long, and hop skip jumps. Outside of competing, the students had the opportunity to meet new people and socialize with students from other schools. Socialization, Recreation and Leisure, Community Interaction, Adapted Physical Education, Life Skills, Health and Wellness, Orientation and Mobility are just some of the things that students are immersed in when they participate in a sport. We encourage every student, aged 13 or older to participate in all sports. Inclusion means being included, and we are in full support of an inclusive athletics program. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND OPENING OF ACCESSIBLE HORTICULTURE AND EDUCATION CENTER AT OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Center made possible by contribution in memory of late OSB Trustee M. Christine Murphy and Green Mountain Energy Sun Club grant.

Philadelphia – May 10, 2019 – Local officials will join Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) students, staff, and Board of Trustees, for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture and Education Center - a LEED Silver certified and planned Net Zero Energy greenhouse - on Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m.

The 1,780 square-foot adaptive and accessible building houses OSB’s award-winning Farm to Table program and horticulture therapy activities. The Center is named in memory of the late M. Christine Murphy, who was a former OSB Trustee, neighbor, and longtime friend of Overbrook School for the Blind. Construction, which cost more than $1 million to complete, was made possible in part by a generous memorial contribution from Murphy’s husband, and current OSB Board member, Sid Rosenblatt, as well as a grant of more than $200,000 from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.

“The creation of the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture Education Center represents a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Todd Reeves, Overbrook School for the Blind Executive Director/CEO. “Beyond the gardening, nutrition and health and wellness benefits, this project will no doubt amplify many long-term goals we seek to foster in our students, including vocational experiences, greater independence and the values of lifelong learning.”

“Sid and his family are extraordinarily generous supporters of OSB’s highest priority - our students,” said Warwick S. Wheeler, Overbrook School for the Blind Board President. “We are deeply grateful for Sid’s longtime partnership and his exceptional support of this project.”

“Overbrook was a place in Christine’s heart,” said Sid Rosenblatt, Overbrook School for the Blind Board Member and husband of late M. Christine Murphy. “She was forever telling people to go to campus to see the work that they do at the school. I know that this Center will improve the lives of OSB students in ways - gardening, horticulture therapy, employment training - that would make Christine proud. My family - David, Anna, Ruth and many of Chris’ family and friends - are honored to be able to support this project.”

A grant totaling $201,480 from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club provided the Center with a high-efficiency misting and irrigation system; manual solar shades that will balance the temperature in the greenhouse, and reduce the electric, heating and cooling costs; and a 50-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system which has been installed on the roof of OSB’s Nevil Field House.

“Green Mountain Energy Sun Club is honored to be a part of this project and to support the life-changing work of Overbrook School for the Blind,” said Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice-president and general manager. “We seek partners that share our goal of a more sustainable world, both for the environment and the community. Overbrook School for the Blind is one of those special organizations that enhances and educates the lives of the people it serves and makes Philadelphia a better place.”

During the PV system’s first year of production, it is expected to harness and distribute more than 85,000-kilowatt hours and, in the process, take a step towards the school’s goal of earning a Net Zero Energy Building certification for the Center.

“We are beyond fortunate to call the Sun Club a partner in this project,” said Reeves. “Many projects strive to include sustainable solutions, but often struggle. Thanks to the Sun Club’s generosity, our students will now benefit from hands-on learning experiences that have been infused with energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. While we are striving for a Net Zero Energy Building designation, it is difficult to classify these student impacts as anything other than a net gain.”

Additional key supporters who made the project possible include: the Connelly Foundation, the McLean Contributionship, the Arcadia Foundation, the Jessie G. Roman Charitable Trust, the Philadelphia Foundation and the Howling Beagles Foundation.

About Overbrook School for the Blind

Since 1832, Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) has developed and delivered education that enhances the options available for students with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. Any child with blindness or visual impairment (20/70 or less, as corrected), is under 21 years of age, and is referred by his or her local school district, may be considered for admission to Overbook School for the Blind. In addition to a full academic program, OSB 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. Overbrook School for the Blind also serves children with deafblindness in all of its outreach and educational programs. For more information, visit www.obs.org.

About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing sustainable communities. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Sun Club® invests in nonprofits and focuses on projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship. Since the program’s founding in 2002, the Sun Club has donated nearly $7 million to more than 110 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. To learn more about the Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit gmesunclub.org.

### Press Contacts: Gloria Yoshioka, Overbrook School for the Blind, Gloria@obs.org, 215-290-6405

Hunter Dodson, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
hunter.dodson@greenmountain.com, 512-448-4950

Read our current and past annual reports.

2017-2018 was a year to celebrate the people who make a difference every day right here on Overbrook's campus and in the community. Read all about our "Changemakers". 

Overbrook will celebrate Earth Day Activities on Thursday, May 2nd. Each year the Farm to Table Program sponsors an Earth Day celebration where we learn more about our planet, do our share, and enjoy the wonders of nature and friendship. We can't wait to share a great day with our students! It is always a good idea to apply sunscreen before school, even if you won't be in the sun too long. 

We welcome suggestions from students and parents on tips and tools, websites, and shops that make life easier for people with visual impairment. We love shout outs to companies that employ students, companies that develop new tools for people with disabilities, apps that make communication easier and classroom time less stressful. Here's a list of resources to check out.

Do you have a resource you would love to share? Send it to us, and we can post it for other teachers, other parents, and or students. 

We are so proud of our Cheerleading Squad! A big round of applause to the students, the coaches, and all those who made a weekend in North Carolina, at Governor Morehead School an amazing event. 

Literacy Matters!

No matter your age, reading truly is fundamental. Literacy skills are life-long skills and the students in High School love setting a good example for their younger classmates. Each month classes from High School and Elementary come together for shared activities, based on the curriculum. Reading to the younger students is a practice in public speaking, reading skills, technology skills, patience, and leadership. The students in Main 210 prepare their own accessible materials and model how there are a number of ways to access print materials - standard print, large print, braille, even a Braille note-taking device to students who are 3-5 years old. Our students learn at a young age that these are the tools they will need and begin using to find information, to read for recreation -- these are the materials that they deserve to have at their disposal. In the photograph shown, a student is showing a young student the braille that she produced. There are so many wonderful lessons that come from these activities, but most of all the students love spending time together and sharing stories. 

Glasses Are Better to See You With!

Did you know that Overbrook School for the Blind has a Low Vision Clinic monthly on our campus. 

Kennedy had her appointment at the Low Vision Clinic and someone is getting new pink glasses for the holidays! 

Any student enrolled in an Overbrook School for the Blind home, itinerant or campus-based program is eligible for a free eye exam through the Overbrook Low Vision Clinic, learn more or contact Jo Ann McNamee for more information.