Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind - Do More. Be More. Achieve More.

Welcome Tamara "Tammy" Pellicer to FSDB! Tamara was an alumnus of FSDB in 1991! She was "Miss Deaf Florida" in 1995-1997. Taria and Andre, her kids, attended and graduated from FSDB. She will be working with Deaf Elementary students as an Instructional Assistant. "I am super excited to be working with kids," shared Tamara. We are happy to have you back at FSDB, Tamara!  #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB 

Welcome Jessica Stultz, the newest Deaf Elementary teacher, to FSDB! Before working for FSDB, she was the Director of Academic Programs at Clerc Center in Washington, D.C. Jessica is thrilled about her new position because she is back home to her family and reconnecting with our students. Jessica has five sisters. Her youngest sister already has seventeen grandchildren. Jessica is the last one to have grandchildren. She only has one, named Jane, and is almost one year old! Jessica's parents have 47 great-grandchildren, with her grand darling at number 46. They all live in Minnesota, where she is from, except for Jane, who lives in St. Augustine. Welcome to the FSDB Family!  #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB 

In celebration of FSDB hosting the National Youth Goalball Championship tournament on December 6 and 7, 2024, we would like to share photos of the Boys' and Girls' Goalball teams from the 2013-2014 school year. The 2013-2014 teams had an outstanding year competing against other teams and hosting the tournament at FSDB. The Girls' team won the 2013 National Championship, marking their 11th consecutive EAAB Conference title. Meanwhile, the Boys' team secured 2nd place in the National Championship tournament. Source: FSDB 2014 Blind Yearbook, FSDB Museum. #FSDBWayBackWhensday

Welcome Sara Kulisan to FSDB! Sara works at Deaf Elementary School as an instructional assistant. She has worked with K-12 students in Washington, D.C., for almost ten years, taking on roles such as after-school program leader, dorm staff, substitute teacher, athletic coach, and lifeguard. Sara chose to work at FSDB because she had returned to her hometown, St. Augustine, and wanted to bring her skills and knowledge to FSDB while seeking professional growth and contributing to its mission. A fun fact about Sara is that she has always dreamed of becoming a professional dirt bike rider. Sara, we are so happy to have you here with us at FSDB! #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB 

Welcome Patricia "Patti" Butler to FSDB! Patti will be working as the Coordinator of Donor Engagment. She previously worked as the owner of Butler Epic Explorers Travel Agency, LLC. Patti is very excited about the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with donors and to connect with them more deeply with the mission of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. "FSDB has a unique and powerful impact on the lives of its students and their families, and being part of a team that amplifies this impact is incredibly fulfilling." She looks forward to growing FSDB's support community and witnessing firsthand the transformative difference it makes in the students' lives. Patti has a mini poodle named Moxy, a husband who works in construction sales, a daughter in her third year of medical school, and a son who is expecting his first child. She also loves to travel and explore new places, making every adventure meaningful and memorable. She also wants to share her passion for fostering connections and creating meaningful experiences. From planning an event, collaborating with a team, or developing a creative project, I thrive on bringing people together and making a positive impact. We are thrilled to have you here at FSDB!!  #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB 

Congratulations to the top ten students for the FSDB Ski & Winter Sports Club. From January 21 to 26th, 2025, they will travel to Whitefish, Montana, to enjoy various winter activities, including downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, ax throwing, snowshoeing, and a sleigh ride. We are excited to share this incredible experience with such a wonderful group! Participants: 1st row: Jasen McDaniel, Melissa Oramas Santana, Serenity Herrell, Briella Lawson, Michael Diaz-Ramos, Derek Merced, Jenny Enache (ski club sponsor), 2nd row: Tim Puch (ski club sponsor), Markeil Jordan, Adrian Vreeland, Damian Palacios, Mason Long. #FSDBCampusLifeTuesday

 Welcome to FSDB, Richard Fromberg!   Richard will be working as an Instructional Assistant at DES. He used to work as a Social Studies Teacher at DHS.    "I am so excited to return to the hallowed grounds of FSDB," shared Richard.   One fun fact about Richard is that he is an accomplished alpine skier!   We are so excited to have you back at FSDB, Richard!  #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB 

Congratulations to our Robotics Club students, Edward, Ezra and Deegan! They participated in a tournament over the weekend that involved inspecting, designing, troubleshooting, coding, communicating, loading and leading! Our boys took home the sportsmanship award! They showed perseverance and adaptability! Thank you to our club sponsors for providing such a great opportunity! #FSDBAcademicMondays

We wish our FSDB families, students and staff a wonderful Thanksgiving! #HappyThanksgiving #ThisIsFSDB

Some fun happenings this week included: - Open House was held on Wednesday, November 21, and prospective families, other schools, and the community came to watch the Elementary Blind Music Program, Blinding Lights Show Choir, and Dance Troupe perform. - Over 600 students from local high schools in ASL classes visited FSDB on Thursday, November 22, to watch our Dance Troupe perform. The Dance Troupe also shared their new holiday shirts for December! - Mr. Ferguson, a BEMS Social Studies teacher, hosted a "The Salon of Enlighted Ones" event on Thursday, November 22. BMS students in Civics and U.S. History socialized with one another, discussed philosophical happenings, and enjoyed authentic French biscuits and hot chocolate. Yummy! #FSDBRecapSunday

The FSDB Varsity Football Dragons are the NEW 8-Man 3A Football CHAMPIONS!!! The Dragons defeated the Hernando Christian Academy Lions last night in a hard-fought battle, emerging victorious with a final score of Dragons: 60 - Lions: 53. Let's all congratulate our boys on an AMAZING season!!! #FSDBSportsSaturday #GoDragons #OneTeamOneHeartbeat

Congratulations to Elijah Haney! Elijah has been with us in the Deaf Department for five years. He decided to defer his diploma because he needed more experience and education to enhance his life skills. His favorite subject is Career Experience with an off-campus job. One of his favorite memories is participating on the football team. "I would tell other students who want to attend FSDB that FSDB is a great school with an excellent community with which they can be involved," shared Elijah. Elijah plans to leave FSDB and work with his family at the sub restaurant! Again, congratulations, and we will miss you! #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB

Congratulations to Elijah Haney! Elijah has been with us in the Deaf Department for five years. He decided to defer his diploma because he needed more experience and education to enhance his life skills. His favorite subject is Career Experience with an off-campus job. One of his favorite memories is participating on the football team. "I would tell other students who want to attend FSDB that FSDB is a great school with an excellent community with which they can be involved," shared Elijah. Elijah plans to leave FSDB and work with his family at the sub restaurant! Again, congratulations, and we will miss you! #FSDBFam #ThisIsFSDB #YouBelongAtFSDB

This is Sincere Vazquez. Sincere came to FSDB in 2013 and became an alumnus of the Deaf Department in 2023! He chose FSDB because of the school's resources, along with his supportive peers, the chance to make new friends, and participation in sports, which helped him succeed where he is today! Sincere's favorite memory during his time at FSDB would be winning the Mason Dixon Championship in 2023 hosted by FSDB, our home court. "Securing the Mason Dixon win with my best teammates and coach is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life!" excitedly shared Sincere. Sincere is currently in his second year at Gallaudet University, majoring in physical therapy with a minor in biology and aiming to become an athlete trainer. He is proud to continue his education at Gallaudet, where he can meet new people and have new life experiences. He made the Gallaudet track team and completed the United East Conference Championship for the 800 meters, placing 9th out of 17 runners with a personal record time of 2:07:02! "My advice for current FSDB students is to learn from your mistakes, grow from them, and use those experiences to improve and move forward," shared Sincere. We are so happy to hear that you are doing excellent, Sincere! #FSDBGrowingUpAtFSDB #ThisIsFSDB #FSDBFam #YouBelongAtFSDB

Welcome Keti Stafford to FSDB! Keti will be working as an Overnight Residential Instructor for the Deaf/HH Department. She looks forward to making a positive impact on the children! Keti is from Syracuse, New York and she scuba dives for fun! "God is good ALWAYS!" stated Keti. We are glad to have you here at FSDB! #ThisIsFSDB #FSDBFam #YouBelongAtFSDB

Get ready for some excitement! The Dance Troupe is taking over our socials this morning and performing for the whole school. Don’t worry—you won’t miss a moment, as everything will be shared in our stories! 🎄 #FSDBTakeoverThursday

In 1980, the FSDB food service hosted the annual Thanksgiving dinner in the Memorial Hall cafeteria. The kitchen staff cooked and set up dinner for the students while dressed in Thanksgiving costumes. The students enjoyed the excellent meal. #FSDBWayBackWhenesday #FSDBHistory

Our residential students gathered for their annual Thanksgiving dinner to celebrate Thanksgiving next week. It was an excellent time to share with friends and enjoy delicious food! #FSDBCampusLifeTuesday

Congratulations to our FSDB "District" Teacher of the Year On Friday, November 15, 2024, we were able to surprise and celebrate our 2025/2026 FSDB "District" Teacher of the Year, Jessica Kaspar, at Kids Town with Deaf Elementary School staff and students! Congratulations to you, Jessica!!!

Ms. Carr's Contemporary Literature class students have been reading Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Recently, they made it to a crucial moment in the novel: the trial and conviction of Tom Robinson. Rightfully, the students were deeply affected by the outcome. As a class, they have been working on identifying and analyzing key plot elements in literary texts, working to understand how each adds to a piece's meaning.  Before moving on to the next section of the novel, the class worked as a group to analyze the verdict of this trial, as it applies to the old saying, "just the tip of the iceberg." Using a sizeable tactile iceberg, students decided which elements were visible above the water's surface (aspects of the trial for all to see and know) and which elements were much more significant and buried deeper below. Throughout the project, students discussed how each of the plot components (character, juxtaposition, setting, etc.) contribute to this piece of literature's theme, tone, and mood. #FSDBAcademicMonday